In this world, there existed two primordial forces: the Flame and the Void.
The Flame was born from the will of the Supreme God, a divine force of creation and order.
The Void, however, emerged from the final remnants of the Dream God, a fallen deity whose fragmented essence gave birth to corruption and chaos.
When the world was first forged, the Supreme God created humanity, elves, and countless other races.
Every child born beneath the light of the Flame carried within them a fragment of divine fire, granting them the potential to walk the Path of the Flame.
Those touched by the Void were different.
They were born corrupted—feared and hunted as dangerous beings whose existence itself threatened the balance of the world.
There were six ranks upon both paths.
For those who followed the Flame, the stages were:
Awakened, Ascended, Transcended, Supreme, Sacred, and finally Divine—the pinnacle of existence.
For those consumed by the Void, the ranks were:
Awakened, Fallen, Descended, Great, Cursed, and Unholy.
Then, one day, the Supreme God vanished.
No one knew where He had gone.
No one knew whether He still lived, nor what purpose His disappearance served.
In His absence, powerful beings of both Flame and Void rose to unimaginable heights.
Their wills became so absolute that they could create entire worlds through thought alone.
These beings became known as the Constellations.
There were only seven.
Though they possessed power rivaling that of gods, the Constellations were forbidden from descending upon the mortal world.
The force of their existence alone threatened reality itself.
And so, instead of ruling directly, they chose representatives—disciples who would carry out their will upon the earth.
These chosen individuals were known as Imperials.
Each Imperial ruled over one region of the world in the name of their Constellation.
Yet despite the ever-present threat of corrupted creatures, the Imperials feared one another far more than they feared the monsters of the Void.
For ambition, greed, and divine authority had always been more dangerous than beasts.
As for the corrupted, they were grotesque creatures twisted beyond recognition, beings who had drawn too close to the forbidden truths surrounding the Supreme God of Flame and the Dream God of the Void.
Even humans and other races were not immune.
Those who sought forbidden knowledge risked corruption themselves, their minds and bodies consumed by the Void.
Kane staggered to his feet, clutching his stomach as pain twisted violently through his body.
Confusion clouded his face.
Nothing had touched him.
At least…
nothing visible.
“I don’t know what you just did,” Kane growled, his expression twisting with rage, “but you’re dead, you fu—”
Before he could finish, soul essence erupted erupted from his body as he slowly gathered them from nature.
A massive sphere of Frostflame materialized above his palm—a terrifying fusion of ice and fire.
The sheer intensity of the ability caused the surrounding air to distort violently as waves of freezing heat spread outward.
Within a five-mile radius, the ground cracked beneath layers of frost while flames scorched everything they touched.
Children screamed.
Trees crystallized and burned simultaneously.
Anika’s eyes widened in horror.
Instantly, she slammed her hand against the ground.
Water surged upward, forming a massive protective dome around herself, the children, and the old woman nearby.
At the same time, thick branches erupted from the earth, wrapping around the shelter like a living fortress.
“Let’s see how you block this one, bastard!” Kane roared.
With a furious motion, he unleashed the Frostflame.
The colossal sphere shot forward—
—and vanished.
Not weakened.
Not blocked.
It simply ceased to exist, as though it had never been summoned at all.
Silence fell.
Kane froze, staring blankly ahead.
“What…?” His voice trembled.
“What just happened?”
Panic slowly crept into his expression.
“Answer me!
What did you—”
CRACK.
A sickening sound echoed through the orphanage grounds.
Kane screamed as unbearable pain exploded through his body.
He looked downward and saw his leg twisted grotesquely in the wrong direction.
“Aaaaghhh!”
Before he could react further, Mathew appeared directly in front of him.
The boy wore a faint smile—cold, cruel, and utterly devoid of warmth.
“Next time,” Mathew said quietly, “learn your place.”
Kane trembled violently beneath his gaze.
“Trash like you always think you’re strong because you’ve gained a little power.” Mathew leaned closer, his voice lowering into something far more dangerous.
“But hear me clearly—in this orphanage, nothing like this will ever happen again.”
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Kane gave a shaky nod.
“Good.”
Mathew turned and began walking away.
But after only a few steps, his body suddenly stiffened.
Blood spilled from his lips.
His vision blurred—
—and he collapsed.
“Mathew!” Anika shouted, rushing toward him in panic.
“What’s wrong?!”
Before she could reach him, darkness spread across the ground like living smoke, swallowing the area beneath her feet.
A calm feminine voice emerged from the shadows.
“Take him to the infirmary.”
Anika looked up—
—and immediately froze.
Fear flashed across her face.
“Yes… ma’am.”