The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the Eldoria Forest. The night was unusually quiet—too quiet. Not a single cricket chirped, no rustling leaves in the wind.
Something ominous was in the air.
Among the towering trees, a woman ran desperately, her golden hair disheveled, her emerald eyes wide with terror. Her feet were bare and bloody, each step painful against the forest floor, but she couldn't stop.
Because behind her, monsters in human form were chasing her.
Their dark armor gleamed under the moonlight, their red eyes filled with hunger—not for food, but for something far worse.
"She won't get far."
A voice, deep and amused.
She stumbled, her breathing ragged, clutching something small and precious in her arms—a four-year-old boy with navy blue hair and piercing purple eyes.
Ashborn.
"Mom… I'm scared," the boy whimpered, his tiny hands clutching her dress as she continued running.
His mother forced a shaky smile, even as tears streaked her face.
"Don't worry, my love… just close your eyes. Mommy will protect you."
But she knew.
She wouldn't escape.
Suddenly—a flash of steel.
A blade pierced her leg, sending her crashing to the ground.
Ashborn tumbled out of her grasp, rolling onto the damp soil. His tiny hands pressed against the ground as he lifted his head, his heart pounding in confusion and fear.
His mother screamed.
---
A Mother's Last Moments
"You really thought you could escape, woman?"
The leader stepped forward, his armor reflecting the moonlight. His crimson eyes glowed with sadistic amusement.
"Pathetic."
He kicked her onto her back, and before she could crawl away, his boot pressed against her chest, pinning her down.
Ashborn, trembling, tried to run to her, but his mother's hand shot out, stopping him.
"Stay… hidden." Her voice was desperate, yet firm.
Tears blurred Ashborn's vision, but he obeyed. He crawled into the nearby bushes, his small frame shaking violently.
And then, he watched.
His mother screamed again, but not in fear.
In pain.
The leader ripped her clothes, his breath hot against her neck as he whispered, "A woman as beautiful as you should consider this an honor."
The other two men laughed, stepping forward eagerly.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Not just one. All of them.
---
The Birth of Hatred
The night stretched endlessly.
Time lost meaning.
And as the monsters defiled her, her screams faded into weak sobs.
Blood stained the forest floor.
Ashborn's small hands clutched the dirt so hard that his nails cracked. His entire body trembled, his breath shallow and erratic.
Something inside him shattered.
A cold, inhuman whisper echoed in his mind.
A voice not his own.
"Do you want power?"
His eyes widened, the world warping around him.
He saw the black void, stretching endlessly—an abyss filled with power, hatred, and rage.
"Do you want revenge?"
Yes.
His body felt like fire, something awakening inside him. His veins burned, his vision turned red, and suddenly—
The forest erupted in black flames.
The ground trembled, and a monstrous pressure surged from Ashborn's small frame.
The men froze, their twisted pleasure vanishing in an instant.
"W-what… is this…?!"
The leader's red eyes widened, his instincts screaming danger.
Then, Ashborn stepped out of the shadows.
His purple eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, his tiny hands surrounded by black lightning.
"You hurt my mother."
His voice was no longer a child's.
It was something darker.
The leader's instincts screamed, but it was too late.
Ashborn raised his hand, and a black spear materialized in the air, its tip glowing with destructive energy.
With a single thought, he sent it hurling forward.
The leader didn't even have time to scream.
His body was erased.
The other two men tried to run, but the forest itself turned against them.
The trees twisted, black fire spreading unnaturally, cutting off their escape.
"No, please—!"
BOOM.
A wave of pure destruction erased them from existence.
The entire forest trembled under the raw power of a four-year-old boy.
And then, silence.
Ashborn stood in the center of the ruined battlefield, his body unscathed, but his mind…
Forever changed.
He fell to his knees beside his mother's lifeless body.
His small hands reached for her, but she was already cold.
"Mom…?" His voice cracked. "Wake up…"
But she never would.
Tears spilled down his cheeks, but his expression remained emotionless.
That night, Ashborn died.
And something else was born.
A force that the world would one day fear.
---
Next Chapter: The Fall of Eldoria
Ashborn's power awakens, but at what cost?
The massacre of his village.
The birth of his legend.
Meeting Lida and Rick—their fateful bond.