PROLOGUE: THE BIRTH OF THE WORLD
Long ago, when the world was still young, two supreme gods stood at the heart of a prophecy written in the stars. Getia, the Goddess of Light, and Morgar, the God of Darkness, faced each other in a battle destined to shake all realms. But this was no ordinary fight for power – it was a war over the very essence of divinity, a struggle to decide who would shape the fate of the universe.
Getia held in her hands the greatest of all artifacts: the Scepter of Life. Forged in the heart of the universe, it was born from the union of earth and sky – a staff that embodied the very essence of light. In her grasp, it radiated pure brilliance – an incarnation of light itself, ready to banish the darkness.
Opposite her, shrouded in the shadow of a crumbling wall, stood Morgar. Tall and unmoving, he wore the darkness like a coat, a silent figure wrapped in night.
Morgar’s power lay in its depth and mystery. It extended beyond the physical world, woven into the fabric of existence itself. He ruled the shadows, commanding the fear that hid in the darkest corners of hearts and souls. His magic was subtle, deceptive, concealed beneath layers of silence. But with each of Getia’s strikes, his strength diminished. The Scepter of Life broke through his enchantments without mercy, its light unstoppable.
The battle between the great gods raged for millennia. At the end of the final day, Getia stood victorious. Morgar was defeated, but in an act of mercy, the Goddess granted him three days to say goodbye to the world he had tried so desperately to consume. Three days – a mere heartbeat to a god.
When the time was up, Getia sealed him in the underworld, a desolate abyss that came to be known as Morgar’s Tomb.
At the height of her triumph, she shattered the Scepter of Life, breaking it into five fragments – five sacred jewels scattered across six newly born worlds. Before departing, Getia made the ultimate sacrifice, transforming herself into a magnificent tree – the Tree of Birth. Its roots dug deep into the earth, while its branches reached out, giving life to every being in the newly born realms. As she faded into eternity, Getia left behind a final gift to the world: the Red Book. Within its pages were the locations of the Scepter of Life’s scattered fragments and the two guardians – chosen to protect and guide the Book’s next bearer.
CHAPTER 1: DREAMS AND REALITY
Tucked away in a secluded valley, hidden among dense forests and rolling hills, lay a small village of no more than a thousand souls. In this quiet corner of the world, time moved slowly, and life flowed in gentle harmony with nature. The villagers’ days followed the rhythm of the season: spring brought the sweet scent of blossoming fields; summer was rich with the aroma of herbs and warm earth; autumn whispered through falling leaves; and winter wrapped the land in a hush, blanketed in soft, white snow. Each morning began with humble tasks – tending to grain and vegetables in the fields, their labor simple yet full of purpose. At the village’s edge, a hidden waterfall whispered softly, its steady murmur adding to the serenity. The homes, tucked neatly among the trees, blended into the landscape as though grown from it, offering quiet refuge from wind and storm.
In one of those quiet homes, nestled beneath the green canopy of the forest, lived a young woman. Her long, slightly tangled brown hair framed a face marked by deep, earth-colored eyes. Her clothes were worn thin – frayed and misshapen by time. Clutched tightly in her hands was a book – a gift from Old William, the village librarian.
Clara had spent her nineteen years in the quiet company of Old William, driven by a love for learning and discovery. In their village, few girls were ever allowed into the library, let alone given an education. Smart women were often seen as suspicious, sometimes called witches or simply labeled as odd. No one understood why a girl would want to explore the world when her future was supposed to follow one clear path: working the fields and raising children. Clara refused to accept such a fate. Her mind burned with curiosity, driven by a deep desire to uncover the world’s mysteries and gain the greatest power of all – knowledge. She stood firm, even when the village chief, with his commanding voice and unyielding authority, decreed that no woman could enter the schoolhouse.
Clara’s father, worn from years of hard labor and constant struggle, carried a quiet dream – a better life for his daughter, one free from the hardships he and his wife had known. He wanted to give her what he had never had: freedom, choice, and the chance to shape her own future. In a moment of hope and desperation, he approached the village librarian, asking him to teach Clara whenever possible, to share the knowledge that might one day unlock her path.
