Morning came quietly.
Arix opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he stared at the ceiling.
Then he remembered.
His eyes widened.
Today was different.
Today— he was seven.
Arix shot upright.
“I’m seven!” His voice echoed through the house.
A moment of silence followed.
Then his mother’s voice came from downstairs.
“You’ve been awake for less than five seconds!” Arix jumped out of bed.
“I’M SEVEN!” “Yes, Arix!” his mother called back, laughing.
“We heard you!” Arix rushed toward the stairs.
His hair was still a mess, and he nearly missed the final step.
His father caught him by the shoulder.
“Careful.” Arix looked up.
“Dad!” His father smiled.
“Happy birthday.” Arix grinned.
“You remembered!” His father stared at him.
“Of course I remembered.” His mother walked over and placed a hand on his head.
“Happy seventh birthday.” Arix’s grin somehow became even wider.
“Thank you!” He looked around.
Then— “Where’s my present?” His father raised an eyebrow.
“Good morning to you too.” “I said good morning!” “You said you’re seven.” “That’s basically the same thing.” His mother laughed.
“Go wash your face.” “But I’m seven now.” “Exactly.” “That means I’m older.” “Which means you should know how to wash your own face.” Arix paused.
“…Fine.” He ran upstairs.
His father watched him disappear.
His mother smiled.
“He hasn’t changed at all.” His father chuckled.
“No.” For a moment, his gaze moved toward the window.
Toward the northern forest.
His smile faded slightly.
Then he looked back toward the stairs.
“Let’s let him enjoy today.” A few minutes later, Arix returned.
His hair had been combed.
His face was clean.
And he was wearing his best clothes.
He stood proudly before his parents.
“Look.” His mother smiled.
“You look handsome.” Arix grinned.
His father nodded.
“Very impressive.” Arix looked toward the table.
“Is that breakfast?” “Yes.” “And after breakfast?” His mother already knew what he was going to ask.
“After breakfast, you can go outside.” Arix’s eyes lit up.
“And then?” “You’ll see.” Arix narrowed his eyes.
“Is that a present?” “Maybe.” “Is it big?” “Eat your breakfast.” Arix immediately sat down.
The morning felt different.
Not because the village had changed.
Not because anything unusual had happened.
But because Arix noticed everything.
The sunlight seemed brighter.
The food tasted better.
Even the sounds outside felt exciting.
He finished his breakfast unusually quickly.
His mother stared at the empty plate.
“You were hungry.” “I’ve got important birthday things to do.” His father raised an eyebrow.
“Birthday things?” “Yes.” “What things?” Arix thought seriously.
“Birthday things.” His father laughed.
“Very specific.” Arix stood.
“Can I go?” His mother nodded.
“But don’t disappear.” “I won’t.” “And stay away from the northern road.” Arix paused.
“Why?” His father looked at him.
“Just stay away.” Arix nodded.
“Okay.” Then he ran outside.
The village was already awake.
Arix stepped into the street.
A few people immediately noticed him.
“Happy birthday, Arix!” Arix stopped.
His face lit up.
“Thank you!” Another voice called from the market.
“Seven already?” Arix proudly held up seven fingers.
“Yes!” “You’re getting old.” Arix gasped.
“I’m not old!” Laughter followed.
Arix continued through the village.
A merchant waved.
“Birthday boy!” Arix waved back.
“Hello!” “You want an apple?” Arix stared at the apples.
Then at the merchant.
“Free?” The merchant laughed.
“Free.” Arix grabbed one.
“Thank you!” He took a bite.
His eyes widened.
“That’s really good.” “I know.” Arix continued walking.
For once, everything felt simple.
He was seven.
People knew it.
People were happy for him.
And he was happy too.
Near the fountain, Arix found two children he knew.
“Arix!” He ran toward them.
“Hey!” “Happy birthday!” “Thanks!” “How old are you?” “Seven.” “That isn’t that old.” Arix crossed his arms.
“I’m older than yesterday.” “That doesn’t count.” “It absolutely counts.” A few seconds later, they were racing through the streets.
Arix laughed as he ran.
They raced around the fountain.
Around a building.
Past the market.
And back.
Arix crossed the imaginary finish line first.
“I WON!” “You started early!” “I was faster!” “You cheated!” “I did not!” A nearby adventurer laughed.
“You three are going to destroy the village before lunch.” Arix grinned.
“I’m seven today!” The adventurer smiled.
“Congratulations.” Later, Arix went to the guild.
Kael sat near the counter.
Renn was leaning against the wall.
Mira and Lena were discussing something nearby.
Kael looked over.
“Well, look who’s here.” Arix walked in proudly.
“I’m seven.” Kael smiled.
“So I’ve heard.” “Who told you?” “Everyone.” Arix looked around.
“Did you get me a present?” Renn laughed.
“Straight to the important question.” Kael reached beside his chair.
He pulled out a small wooden object.
Arix’s eyes widened.
“What is that?” “Open it.” Arix took it.
A wooden sword.
Smooth.
Blunt.
A tiny star carved into the handle.
Arix stared at it.
“For me?” Kael nodded.
“It’s not a real weapon.” Arix’s expression dropped.
Kael laughed.
“I knew you’d say that.” Arix held it tightly.
“But it’s still a sword.” “Exactly.” Arix swung it.
“I’m an adventurer!” Renn sighed.
“Here we go.” Arix swung again.
“I’ll become stronger!” Again.
“I’ll become the strongest!” Kael smiled.
“That’s a long way away.” Arix pointed the sword at him.
“I’ll beat you one day.” Renn burst out laughing.
Kael shook his head.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Mira watched Arix quietly.
Then smiled.
“Happy birthday, Arix.” Arix smiled back.
“Thank you.” Lena handed him another package.
“This one’s from us.” Arix opened it.
A small leather pouch.
Inside were a few coins.
His eyes widened.
“Money!” Renn laughed.
“Now he understands the true meaning of adulthood.” Arix immediately closed the pouch.
“I’m saving it.” Kael nodded.
“Good choice.” Arix carefully put it away.
Then he looked around.
“Are you all coming tonight?” Kael glanced toward the others.
“Of course.” Arix smiled.
“Good.” He turned around.
“I have birthday things to do.” Renn laughed.
“Still using that excuse?” Arix ran outside.
The afternoon passed quickly.
Arix spent it with his family.
His mother prepared food.
His father decorated the house with whatever they had.
Nothing extravagant.
Nothing expensive.
Just a small celebration.
And Arix loved every second of it.
His father eventually handed him another present.
A small book.
Arix opened it.
Stories about adventurers.
Explorers.
Mountains.
Ancient ruins.
Distant lands.
Arix slowly turned through the pages.
“Dad.” “Yes?” “Do adventurers really see all these places?” “Some do.” “Will I?” His father smiled.
“If you still want to when you’re older.” Arix hugged the book.
“I will.” His father placed a hand on his head.
“Then keep reading.” Evening arrived.
One by one, the guests came.
His friends.
Kael.
Renn.
Mira.
Lena.
Several villagers.
The little house became crowded.
There was laughter everywhere.
Food covered the table.
Arix showed everyone his wooden sword.
Then his book.
Then his coin pouch.
Then the wooden sword again.
At one point, Renn looked at Kael.
“If he says he’s seven one more time, I’m leaving.” Arix immediately looked at him.
“I’m seven.” The room erupted with laughter.
Arix laughed too.
For a while— there was nothing else.
No Alter Tear.
No strange forest.
No ancient seal.
No Empire.
Just a birthday.
Just a family.
Just a child surrounded by people who cared about him.
Then— his mother entered.
“Everyone, move.” Arix looked up.
She carried something carefully.
A cake.
Arix’s eyes widened.
The room went quiet.
It wasn’t enormous.
It wasn’t decorated with anything extravagant.
But to Arix— it looked perfect.
Seven candles stood on top.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Arix stared.
His mother placed it on the table.
“Happy birthday.” Arix slowly approached.
His father stood beside him.
Kael and the others gathered around.
Someone dimmed the lights.
The room became warm and quiet.
Arix looked around.
His family.
His friends.
Everyone had come.
He smiled.
His mother placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Ready?” Arix nodded.
“Yeah.” Everyone began singing.
Arix laughed halfway through.
He covered his face.
“Stop looking at me!” Everyone laughed harder.
The song ended.
Applause filled the room.
Arix looked at the seven flames.
He closed his eyes.
Made his wish.
Then— whoosh.
The candles went out.
Everyone cheered.
Arix laughed.
His father placed the knife in his hand.
“Your cake.” Arix looked at everyone.
He took a breath.
And— cut the cake.
For one beautiful second— nothing happened.
Then— BOOM.
The entire house shook.
Arix froze.
The cake trembled on the table.
Several plates fell.
The laughter vanished.
“What was that?” Another impact.
BOOM.
The windows rattled violently.
Kael stood up.
His expression changed instantly.
“Everyone stay here.” Renn was already reaching for his weapon.
Mira looked toward the northern forest.
Her face went pale.
“No…” Lena turned toward her.
“What?” Mira whispered— “The energy.” Outside— the village changed.
Darkness spilled over the northern road.
Not ordinary darkness.
Dark essence.
It crawled between buildings.
It rolled over rooftops.
It poured through streets like an unnatural tide.
The guards at the northern road turned toward it.
One collapsed.
Then another.
Then another.
The remaining guards tried to retreat.
The darkness reached them.
Their formation broke.
People began screaming.
Doors slammed.
Windows shattered.
The peaceful village from moments ago had become something else.
Arix stood frozen inside the house.
His father immediately grabbed his shoulder.
“Arix.” “Dad?” “Stay here.” His father stepped outside.
Beneath the Northern Forest The ancient wall was breaking.
The Gatekeeper stood before it.
The dark essence was everywhere.
The seal had been contaminated.
Veyr knew what would happen if he tried to force it closed.
The corruption would only become worse.
So he did not stop it.
He watched.
And waited.
Then— a portal opened in midair.
A tall figure stepped through.
Around six feet two inches tall.
A black-red robe covered his body.
Unknown designs ran across it, outlined in crimson.
His skin was pale with a faint brownish tone.
Most of his hair was black.
White streaks ran along the sides.
Blood-red eyes stared into the darkness.
He looked around thirty-nine.
The portal closed behind him.
He slowly raised both arms.
Then— he stopped.
His expression changed.
He felt a presence.
The figure turned toward the darkness.
And smiled.
“Grand Master…” His voice became almost reverent.
“Veyr.” The blackish-white wolf stepped from the darkness.
His crimson eyes carried that faint black tint.
The figure immediately bowed.
“Accept the sincere greetings of this lowly creature.” Veyr stared at him.
“So…” His voice was calm.
“I guessed correctly.” The figure raised his head.
“That presence was unmistakably yours.” Veyr studied him.
“The weak kid from before…” A faint smirk appeared.
“…has reached SS-rank.” The figure smiled.
Veyr continued.
“And you’ve become a menace helping the Empire invade territory after territory.” The figure remained calm.
“Drako.” Veyr’s gaze sharpened.
“You’ve certainly grown.” He looked toward the broken seal.
“Let me guess.” His eyes returned to Drako.
“The Empire isn’t here to expand its territory.” A pause.
“They’re here for…” Veyr’s eyes narrowed.
“That thing.” Drako smiled.
“Nothing less is expected from Grand Master Veyr.” Veyr sighed.
“You couldn’t have placed a seal on every territory.” His gaze moved across the dark essence.
“It was your dark energy used to corrupt those places.” A pause.
“Wasn’t it?” Drako lowered his head.
“As I said…” His smile widened.
“Your intelligence is absolute.” Veyr looked toward the village.
“I could stop you.” Drako’s eyes narrowed.
“But I don’t care about the village.” Veyr’s voice became colder.
“I don’t care what the Empire takes.” He looked toward the distant village.
“But I’m protecting it.” Drako stared.
“Why?” Veyr answered simply.
“Because of one boy.” Drako froze.
“One…” His expression changed.
“Boy?” For the first time, genuine curiosity appeared in his eyes.
“Who?” Veyr gave him a faint smirk.
“You are not worthy of knowing it, kid.” Silence.
Drako didn’t argue.
He merely smiled.
I can figure it out later.
Then— he raised both arms.
The air trembled.
One chain appeared.
Then another.
Then ten.
Then hundreds.
Black chains erupted from empty space.
They wrapped around the ancient seal.
Drako pulled.
CRACK.
Reality itself split.
The opening widened.
The sky above the forest changed.
Red.
Then black.
The clouds twisted into enormous shapes.
And from behind the opening— something moved.
A wing emerged first.
Then scales.
Then an impossibly long body.
The creature forced itself through.
The forest shook.
Its wings unfolded.
ROOOOOOAR!
The sound tore through the entire region.
The sealed being was free.
An S+ rank Catastrophe-tier dragon.
Drako laughed.
Hundreds of chains suddenly changed direction.
They wrapped around the dragon.
The creature thrashed.
The chains pulled harder.
The dragon was dragged downward.
The chains formed around it like a gigantic prison.
Drako stepped onto its back.
He looked toward the horizon.
“Fly.” The dragon surged upward.
Then— Drako raised one hand.
Dark essence gathered above the battlefield.
A tiny point of darkness appeared.
It expanded.
Ten meters.
A hundred.
Five hundred.
Then— thousands.
A gigantic portal opened across the sky.
It was hundreds of meters tall.
Kilometres wide.
And through it— the Empire came.
Soldiers.
Beasts.
Weapons.
Machines.
An army so enormous that the ground seemed to disappear beneath it.
But strangely— they didn’t move toward the village.
They marched toward the fortress.
Drako watched.
Then raised another hand.
The forest answered.
Every beast.
Every monster.
Every creature touched by the corruption.
They moved.
Half followed the Empire.
The others turned toward the village.
Nearby villages were swallowed by the dark essence.
The land itself began changing.
Trees twisted.
Ground cracked.
Creatures mutated.
The darkness spread farther.
And then— the Star were affected.
Kael looked at his hands.
Darkness crawled across his skin.
“What…” Renn stumbled backward.
“Kael!” Mira gritted her teeth.
“Fight it!” They tried.
They resisted.
They forced their power against the corruption.
Nothing worked.
Their bodies recovered almost instantly from every attempt to stop themselves.
The corruption wouldn’t let them escape.
It kept repairing them.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until— their minds began to disappear.
Kael’s eyes changed.
Renn raised his weapon.
Mira screamed.
Lena backed away.
Then— the Star turned on the village.
Arix stood outside his house.
His wooden sword was still in his hand.
His birthday had been perfect.
Only minutes ago.
Now— the sky was red.
The clouds were black.
The forest was burning.
Monsters filled the streets.
And something enormous flew above them.
Arix looked up.
The dragon’s wings covered the sky.
Fire descended.
The village erupted into chaos.
People ran.
Guards fought.
Adventurers attacked.
Nothing mattered.
Kael moved toward Arix.
His eyes were no longer his own.
Arix stared.
“Kael?” Kael raised his weapon.
Arix’s father saw him.
He moved instantly.
“Arix!” He stepped between them.
Arix didn’t understand.
“Dad?” His father turned slightly.
“Run.” Then— everything happened in an instant.
Arix saw his father fall.
The world went silent.
Arix stood frozen.
Something warm covered his face.
His hands.
His clothes.
He looked down.
Red.
His father’s blood.
The wooden sword slipped from his hand.
Clack.
It hit the ground.
Arix stared at it.
Then looked toward his father.
“…Dad?” His voice barely existed.
His mother grabbed him.
“Arix!” She pulled him away.
“Come on!” Arix stumbled after her.
“Mom…” “Don’t stop!” They ran.
Arix looked back.
He couldn’t see his father.
He couldn’t understand.
He didn’t want to understand.
Then— his mother stopped.
Arix crashed into her.
“Mom?” She didn’t answer.
Arix looked up.
His expression emptied.
His mother fell.
Arix fell beside her.
“Mom?” Nothing.
He touched her.
“Mom…” His voice cracked.
The birthday boy who had been laughing only moments ago sat in the middle of the ruined street.
His face was stained with tears.
His clothes were stained red.
He began laughing.
Then crying.
Then laughing again.
He couldn’t stop.
He couldn’t understand.
His mind couldn’t hold everything happening around him.
The cake.
The candles.
The presents.
His wooden sword.
His father.
His mother.
The village.
Everything collided inside his head.
“Why…” His voice trembled.
“Why…?” No answer came.
Then— the darkness behind him moved.
Two crimson eyes appeared.
Arix looked back.
The Gatekeeper.
Veyr.
The wolf stepped forward.
He said nothing.
He simply reached down.
Carefully— he lifted Arix from behind, carrying him like a wolf carrying its young.
Arix didn’t resist.
He barely reacted.
Veyr turned.
Then ran.
The world blurred around them.
Trees.
Smoke.
Darkness.
Fire.
Arix slowly looked back.
It was the last time he saw his village as he knew it.
His home was burning.
The streets were filled with darkness.
The guild was disappearing beneath the chaos.
The forest was no longer a forest.
And above it all— Drako stood upon the back of the chained dragon.
A lone figure against a sky of red and black.
The dragon roared beneath him.
The chains glowed against its enormous body.
The Empire marched beyond the burning horizon.
And Arix— the boy who had woken that morning shouting, “I’m seven!” — was carried away into the darkness.
Behind him was everything he had ever known.
Ahead of him— nothing.
Veyr disappeared into the night.
And behind them, the village burned beneath the red sky.
The birthday cake remained inside the ruined house.
Seven candles lay scattered across the floor.
And beside the doorway— A tiny wooden sword rested in the dust.
Its carved star was still intact.
The world had given Arix seven years of peace.
It had taken them all in a single night.