— NOOO! — I scream as I run toward the abyss.
Regardless of the danger, I run to the edge and try to grab the person who is beginning to fall into the darkness.
— Princess! — I hear someone calling me as they hold me from behind.
— LET ME GO!
— Calm down! It’s already too late!
— AAHH!
Unable to do anything, I watch them both disappear into the darkness of the abyss, from which no one has ever returned.
I fall to my knees near the edge, staring into the darkness in a trance, as memories of that horrible day three years ago flood my mind. The mere act of remembering makes my stomach clench.
And, just like then, I couldn’t do anything.
— Not again… I’m sorry… — I murmur, my hands trembling as I try to hold back my tears. — I couldn’t… keep my promise…
[A few years ago…]
The Noctis Kingdom has an ancient legend: one day, a hero destined to save the world from an ancient demon who, in the distant past, destroyed most of humanity will emerge.
For most people, this story is nothing more than bardic songs and bedtime stories told to children.
Still, there are those who know the full legend.
Only the high-ranking officials who truly govern Noctis or are in control of the Church know the truth. They know what happened in the past, the price paid for humanity’s survival, and, above all, they know the fate that awaits the kingdom if that hero never appears.
And among these people, a young princess hears this story for the first time, told by the only person she trusts completely: her mother, the queen.
— But Mom… How will we know when he’s going to show up? — I ask, sitting on some large, soft pillows in my room.
Despite being only nine years old, my mother decided to tell me that the legend of the hero is real, making me imagine the great adventures I might have if I were to join him someday.
— Luana. — she says, with a serious yet gentle expression. — There’s something in the palace capable of locating the hero, no matter where he is.
My eyes widen immediately, and I grow more and more excited.
Like me, my mother has hair as silvery as the moon, with a few dark strands that create an elegant, almost supernatural contrast. Her dark eyes resemble the night sky.
When I look at her, I feel as if I’m looking at my own future.
— So!? Where is he!?
She laughs softly, bringing her hand to her lips.
— Hehehe… As for that, we can only search for him once every ten years. — she says, looking up at the sky. — And since we used the artifact nine years ago… How much time is left?
I cross my arms, puffing out my cheeks slightly.
— A year… don’t make me calculate something so obvious!
— Exactly! Just as I’d expect from my daughter… — she replies, with obvious pride. — So smart!
Even though I knew it was just a joke, it made me happy. Still, I brushed off the compliment and returned to what interested me most.
— So… what do you use to locate him?
My mother leans forward and gently touches my forehead with her finger.
— You’ll see in a year…
And so I waited…
[…]
A whole year has passed since then.
I spent that time honing my skills, studying magic, and learning etiquette and strategies. In my dreams, I already imagined myself walking alongside the hero, facing monsters and demons, saving cities, and changing the fate of the world.
However, as the year went by, a certain doubt crept into my mind.
— Moom… Why is the hero a man? — I ask, pausing my reading of a book about a swordswoman who is probably one of our ancestors.
Whenever I hear old stories or legends, the protagonist is usually a girl. So why, in this particular real-life legend, is the protagonist a man?
It was just the naive curiosity of a child, still unable to grasp the weight hidden within her own question.
— ...Come here. — she says, pointing to a small bench beside her. — I don’t know all the details myself… but there’s a theory about it.
I sit down next to my mother, who hasn’t seemed quite herself lately. Her smile is still there, gentle and controlled, but there’s something different in her eyes, a weariness that wasn’t there before, making me feel a little uneasy.
I’ve asked her about it a few times, but she always tells me she’s fine and is just tired from work.
— The work of a queen must be exhausting…
As the second daughter, I’m not eligible to inherit the throne unless my older sister were to pass away. I’m not interested in it either, so we aren’t really enemies, but my sister always seems to look at me as if she’s studying me.
My father, on the other hand, lives like a palace servant. He works for my mother and the others, serving them with absolute respect and obeying their orders.
If I recall correctly, my little brother has been spending quite a bit of time with him lately, being instructed on matters I don’t fully understand.
— Luana, you still remember the Legend of the Hero, right? — my mother asks, turning her gaze toward me.
— Yes, you’ve told me that story many times… — I reply, recalling the tale.
— I'll tell you a secret… — she says, lowering her voice slightly. — If it weren't for the hero, it's possible that men wouldn't exist anymore today.
— …Huh? What do you mean?
— About that… No one knows the truth these days, but it's believed that he was one of the few men who survived a great curse… And managed to stop it.
I tilt my head, lost in thought.
— Hmm… And what would be the difference?
My mother chuckles softly, seeing how seriously I’m asking.
— Hehehe… My daughter, you’re still too young to understand, but… — she taps my forehead with her finger. — Don’t believe everything others say and think for yourself.
She begins to stand up slowly, adjusting her dress as she continues.
— Those who judge someone solely by their gender are blind to the truth.
— …What does that mean?
— It means that… Whenever you meet someone, don’t think about whether they’re a man or a woman, but try to get to know them first.
I think for a moment about the meaning of her words as I watch her add one last sentence.
— Nothing would change in a world without men, just as the same would happen in a world without women… Each person carries their own thoughts and actions.
After saying that, she heads back inside, leaving me sitting there, confused, as I gazed at the garden.
— Then... Why are we treated differently?
That question echoes in my mind until nightfall that day.
[…]
The Hero Locating Ritual.
A ritual performed every ten years, which can only be carried out when the full moon reaches its highest point in the sky.
The principle behind the ritual is simple, yet deeply magical.
In the center of an underground chapel within the palace, an arcane circle is drawn on the floor, and from it emerges a soft light that gradually condenses, forming a translucent bubble capable of revealing the hero’s location.
And, for the first time in hundreds of years of the legend, an image was revealed from the light: a small village with a white-haired boy who appeared to be about my age.
— T-That's… He’s appeared! — exclaims one of the priestesses.
Everyone around holds their breath, surprised to see that the bubble actually showed something.
— Where is this place!? Quick, find out! — my mother orders, her serious gaze fixed on the image.
At that moment, I couldn’t understand why her expression was so stern, but over time, I eventually understood.
A hero only emerges when chaos approaches.
[To be continued…]
[???]:
— The little princess’s past… Just from her mother’s demeanor, you can already imagine why she started enacting laws for men to go to school and become adventurers…
[+++]:
— Even so, her father still lives like a servant.
[???]:
— …What are you looking at?
[+++]:
— I got curious after you mentioned the abyss, so I noticed you were looking at that princess.
[???]:
— Ah, right, but why are you looking at her past with me?
[+++]:
— Because in the present, she’s just standing there, staring at a hole.
[???]:
— …