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***
The orcs were the first to fall.
In less than a year, Damien eradicated the entire race.
The dwarven fortresses, once impenetrable, were reduced to ruins by devastating spells. Human walls could not contain his fury. The elven forests, which had withstood a decade of war, were ravaged by his presence.
After that, the three species decided to unite. The alliance between humans, elves, and dwarves was not born out of trust, but out of fear. None of the three races harbored love for the others, nor did they wish to fight side by side. But Damien gave them no choice.
If they did not unite, there would be no one left to bury the dead.
Then, the kings and generals of the three species gathered in what remained of the Vetharion Council. For the first time in history, they did not discuss territories or peace treaties — they discussed survival.
A plan was devised. A single, decisive strike.
The Last Battle took place in the remnants of the elven lands. The three species united their armies for one final assault against Damien.
But he did not fall.
Damien endured, tearing through entire legions as if they were insects. He obliterated battalions with a single strike. The sky, stained red with fire and blood, bore witness to the most brutal battle in history.
He could not be defeated in fair combat.
So, the human and elven mages did the unthinkable. They created a spell that should never have existed.
Using their own blood, they sacrificed thousands of lives to cast a forbidden ritual. An enchantment that would drain Damien's soul and seal him away forever.
The dwarves, with their flawless engineering, prepared a field of runes at the exact spot where Damien would be imprisoned.
And then, in the instant he was about to deliver the final blow that would end them all…
The seal was activated, and Damien was swallowed.
He screamed. He fought. He resisted.
But for the first time, he could not destroy his enemy, and he was sealed.
For all eternity.
***
"And everyone lived through a great era of peace." Aelith finished with a tired sigh.
Beside her, Joseph leaned forward, reflecting on everything she had told him. "How long ago was that?"
"About... eight hundred years?" She answered, a little uncertain.
"Eight hundred years... and there were no other wars?"
Aelith shook her head. "No. As far as I know, it took two hundred years just for the species to start recovering. I think since then, no one has wanted war anymore."
'Made sense.' Joseph leaned back against the stone behind him, absorbing the information. "And no other half-elf has been born since then?"
"Of course not!" The response came instantly, filled with shock. "A relationship between humans and elves is a huge taboo. Mom even used the word 'Blasphemy.'"
Joseph raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Blasphemy? So that means we can't be friends?"
Aelith opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. Her eyes widened, then filled with tears, as if she had only just remembered that the boy beside her was human. "But... but..."
'What? She's crying?!' Joseph thought, surprised. He hadn't expected such an intense reaction. Without thinking much, he hurriedly pulled her into a hug. "Hey, I was joking. It was just a joke."
Aelith hid her face against his shoulder, her small sobs trembling through her body. "Don't say that... I don't want you to go away..."
'Uh... sometimes I forget she's just a child.' Joseph sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We can be friends. That doesn't change anything."
She blinked a few times, absorbing his words. Slowly, her sobs quieted, and she nodded with a small smile. "Promise?"
Joseph raised his hand as if taking a solemn oath. "Promise."
Aelith sniffled, quickly wiped her face, and in one swift movement, pulled away from the hug and punched his shoulder. "Idiot! How could you joke about that?!"
Joseph rubbed his arm, pretending to be in pain. "Hey! That hurt!"
She crossed her arms, pouting and looking away, nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of the blanket draped over her shoulders. Her hesitation made Joseph realize there was something more behind it. "Why did you get so emotional about this?"
Aelith was silent for a moment, gripping the fabric between her fingers before murmuring, "Because... you were my first friend."
Joseph frowned. "The first? Seriously?" He tried not to sound too incredulous, but it was hard to imagine a girl like her being so... alone.
She nodded, still avoiding his gaze. "I've always been surrounded by people, but I never really knew anyone. There was always someone telling me what to do, how to speak, how to behave. Everyone just wanted to please me or impress me, but no one ever wanted to truly know me. I was just... someone they had to flatter."
She took a deep breath and continued, her voice growing quieter. "And the few children I met... well, they were too scared to come close. I think they thought I was too different."
Joseph listened without interrupting, thinking in silence. 'From the way she talks... Aelith seems to come from a very important family. Maybe a high-ranking noble? Or... no, she wouldn't be royalty, would she?'
'But, given my luck...' He narrowed his eyes and asked, "So, are you some kind of noble?"
Aelith hesitated for a moment. "Something like that."
'No way... What kind of consecutive bad luck is this?' Joseph ran a hand over his face, already feeling the headache forming. 'Now I'm 60% sure she's a princess. Which means this continent is probably on the brink of another armed conflict if I don't get her back in time. On the other hand, I'm heading toward the most powerful elven family, who likely hate my kind and will hate me even more when they find out who kidnapped Aelith... I just hope I won't be killed instantly.'
Sighing, Joseph lifted his head, watching the starry sky. 'I'll take her home and then leave. My best lead is that magic that sealed Damien's soul...'
He lowered his gaze to Aelith, who was staring at the flames with a distant look. "Let's change the subject. Tell me more about mages and essentialists."
She blinked a few times before turning to him. "Do you really not remember anything?"
"No, I only remember you healing me in that cart." Joseph lied, shrugging.
Aelith bit her lip, hesitant. "You... won't forget me, will you?"
"Nah, it was probably just because of my injuries. Now that you've healed me, I'm perfectly fine!"
She narrowed her eyes, suspicious, but then nodded. "I don't know much about mages and essentialists. My combat lessons won't start until I complete my eighth winter."
"Oh... I see. But tell me what you do know."
"I only know that mages form their cores at nine years old, and essentialists start controlling their essence at twelve. But you're different, Joe. You can already use essence at such a young age. You must be a genius!" she concluded excitedly.
'Hmm... so what I know as Ki is called essence here? Or is it something similar?' Joseph pondered, intrigued. 'Either way, if the half-elf managed to control both, I should be able to as well. I just need to learn more about mana before trying anything.'