The Kingdom of Valerune.
A small human kingdom located near the eastern borders of the Mortal Realm's central continent.
Compared to the mighty empires that dominated the world, Valerune was insignificant.
Its armies were small.
Its territory was modest.
Its influence barely extended beyond its borders.
Yet for the people who called it home, none of that mattered.
They lived.
They laughed.
They loved.
And they survived.
For most mortals, survival itself was a blessing.
Especially in a world like Nethania.
Monsters prowled forests.
Bandits roamed roads.
Mana storms occasionally devastated entire regions.
Even the wilderness itself could become deadly without warning.
Yet despite these dangers, life continued.
The sun rose.
The seasons changed.
Children were born.
The dead were buried.
The world moved forward.
Unaware that fate had already begun shifting beneath their feet.
---
Near the northern edge of Valerune stood a small village known as Elderglen.
Unlike the capital's bustling cities, Elderglen remained simple.
Wooden houses lined dirt roads.
Small farms stretched beyond the village borders.
The surrounding forest provided food, lumber, and protection.
Most villagers knew each other by name.
It was the sort of place where strangers were noticed immediately.
The sort of place where secrets rarely remained hidden.
And yet...
A secret greater than any in history was about to be born there.
Inside a modest wooden home near the village outskirts, a woman sat beside an open window.
The evening breeze gently moved her dark hair.
One hand rested against her stomach.
A faint smile decorated her face.
"Luna."
A voice called from behind.
She turned.
A tall man entered carrying a basket filled with vegetables.
Sweat covered his forehead.
His clothes were simple and worn.
The signs of a hard-working farmer.
Yet his eyes remained warm.
Kind.
Honest.
His name was Rowan.
Luna's husband.
And soon...
A father.
"You're supposed to be resting," Rowan said.
Luna rolled her eyes.
"I'm pregnant, not dying."
"You've said that every day."
"And I'll keep saying it."
Rowan laughed.
The familiar exchange instantly eased the atmosphere.
For a brief moment, everything felt normal.
Comfortable.
Peaceful.
Exactly as it should be.
Then the child moved.
Luna suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened.
Rowan immediately noticed.
"What happened?"
"The baby kicked."
Rowan blinked.
Then his face lit up.
"Again?"
Luna nodded.
A few moments later, Rowan carefully placed his hand against her stomach.
Almost immediately—
Thump.
The movement was unmistakable.
Rowan's eyes widened.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
A genuine smile.
The kind that came directly from the heart.
For several seconds neither spoke.
They simply enjoyed the moment.
The simple miracle of life.
Neither knew that fourteen divine beings were observing them from beyond reality.
Neither knew that gods themselves had become interested in their unborn child.
To them, this was simply their son.
Or daughter.
A child they had waited years to have.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
And perhaps that ignorance was a blessing.
Because if they knew the truth...
Sleep would become impossible.
---
Far above the Mortal Realm.
Within Heavania.
The gods continued watching.
A massive projection floated before them.
Within its surface appeared the image of Elderglen Village.
Aurelion observed silently.
Valtor studied every detail.
Serapha appeared thoughtful.
The others maintained varying expressions.
"This is the child?" Drakari asked.
She sounded disappointed.
"It looks like a normal baby."
"Because it is a normal baby," Elyndra replied.
The Goddess of Life spoke calmly.
"At least physically."
Drakari crossed her arms.
"Then why can I barely sense its future?"
No answer came immediately.
Because none of them knew.
Normally every living being possessed countless threads of fate.
Infinite possibilities.
Infinite outcomes.
Yet this child appeared different.
The moment any god attempted to observe the child's future...
The vision ended.
As though something prevented them from looking further.
Something powerful.
Something ancient.
Something beyond their understanding.
A disturbing realization.
Especially for gods.
---
Night eventually arrived.
Darkness covered the village.
One by one, lights disappeared from windows.
Families retired to their homes.
The village became quiet.
Peaceful.
Yet deep within the surrounding forest...
Something stirred.
Golden eyes opened beneath the darkness.
A massive wolf slowly emerged from the shadows.
Its body stood nearly three meters tall.
Mana flowed visibly through its fur.
A Rank Three Mana Beast.
A creature powerful enough to slaughter entire villages.
Its nose twitched.
Then it began moving.
Toward Elderglen.
Slowly.
Silently.
Hungrily.
---
Within their home, Rowan suddenly woke.
His eyes snapped open.
A strange feeling filled his chest.
Unease.
Fear.
Instinct.
He couldn't explain it.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The room remained dark.
Beside him, Luna slept peacefully.
The village appeared quiet.
Yet the feeling persisted.
Rowan frowned.
Then stood.
Perhaps he was simply nervous.
The child would be born soon.
Maybe his mind was overthinking things.
It happened sometimes.
Still...
He stepped outside.
Cool night air greeted him.
The village remained silent.
Nothing appeared unusual.
No monsters.
No danger.
No disturbances.
Yet the uneasy feeling continued growing.
Then he heard it.
A distant howl.
His blood immediately ran cold.
The sound came from the forest.
And it was far too large to belong to an ordinary wolf.
Another howl followed.
Closer this time.
Several lights immediately appeared throughout the village.
Doors opened.
Villagers stepped outside.
Fear spread rapidly.
Everyone recognized that sound.
Mana Beast.
A dangerous one.
"Ring the bell!"
Someone shouted.
The village alarm immediately echoed through the night.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The peaceful atmosphere vanished instantly.
Men grabbed weapons.
Women gathered children.
Panic spread.
Rowan's expression darkened.
He rushed back inside.
Luna had already awakened.
Fear filled her eyes.
"The forest?" she asked.
Rowan nodded.
"Stay inside."
"I'm going with the others."
"Rowan—"
"I'll be careful."
He forced a reassuring smile.
One he didn't truly feel.
Then he left.
Moments later he joined dozens of villagers gathering near the northern entrance.
Most carried farming tools.
Axes.
Pitchforks.
Hunting bows.
Very few possessed real combat experience.
Yet everyone understood the situation.
If the beast reached the village...
Their families would die.
Therefore they would fight.
No matter the cost.
---
Deep within Heavania Realm.
The gods watched.
Mordrak leaned forward.
"A Rank Three Moonfang Wolf."
Valtor nodded.
"It shouldn't be here."
Moonfang Wolves typically lived far deeper within the forest.
For one to approach the village was unusual.
Suspiciously unusual.
The gods exchanged glances.
Then realization appeared.
The beast wasn't hunting randomly.
It was moving toward something.
Toward someone.
Toward the child.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
"Interesting," Nyxara whispered.
Very interesting.
---
Back in the Mortal Realm.
The Moonfang Wolf finally emerged.
Gasps echoed throughout the village.
The creature was enormous.
Golden eyes glowed within the darkness.
Its claws carved deep marks into the earth.
Mana surrounded its body like flowing mist.
Several villagers immediately lost courage.
A Rank Three Mana Beast was far beyond their ability to handle.
Yet retreat wasn't an option.
Not anymore.
The beast had already found them.
For several moments both sides remained still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then the wolf attacked.
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath its feet.
The creature became a blur.
Its speed shocked everyone.
A scream echoed.
One villager was sent flying.
Blood filled the air.
Chaos erupted.
People scattered.
Arrows flew.
Axes swung.
The wolf tore through them effortlessly.
It was stronger.
Faster.
Deadlier.
A predator among prey.
Rowan barely avoided a swipe that shattered a nearby fence.
His heart pounded.
Fear threatened to overwhelm him.
Yet he forced himself forward.
Because Luna was behind him.
Because his child was behind him.
Because there were things worth risking death for.
The wolf suddenly turned.
Its glowing eyes focused upon the village center.
Upon Rowan's home.
Upon Luna.
Its body tensed.
Then it sprinted forward.
Straight toward the unborn child.
"No!"
Rowan roared.
Without thinking, he threw himself into the beast's path.
The wolf's claws descended.
Death approached.
Fast.
Unavoidable.
Absolute.
Yet before the attack could land—
Time stopped.
Everything froze.
The wind.
The villagers.
The wolf.
Even the stars above.
Complete stillness.
A phenomenon identical to the moment before creation itself.
Within the frozen world, only one thing continued moving.
A faint golden light.
The light emerged from within Luna's stomach.
Soft.
Gentle.
Ancient.
It drifted upward into the night sky.
The gods rose from their thrones simultaneously.
Every one of them.
Because they recognized the energy.
Or rather...
They recognized that they didn't recognize it.
The light wasn't divine.
It wasn't mana.
It wasn't anything that should exist.
Yet its presence caused reality itself to tremble.
Slowly, the light touched the Moonfang Wolf.
The beast instantly calmed.
Its ferocious expression disappeared.
Its bloodlust vanished.
Confusion replaced madness.
Then time resumed.
WHOOSH!
The world restarted.
The wolf stumbled backward.
The villagers froze.
Nobody understood what had happened.
Not even the beast itself.
For several moments silence reigned.
Then the Moonfang Wolf lowered its head.
Not in aggression.
Not in preparation for attack.
But in submission.
The villagers stared.
Disbelief filled their faces.
The powerful beast slowly turned away.
Then disappeared back into the forest.
Gone.
Just like that.
No battle.
No explanation.
No reason.
Only mystery.
The villagers remained frozen.
Unable to comprehend what they had witnessed.
Far above them.
The gods shared identical expressions.
Shock.
For the second time in only a few days...
Something had occurred beyond their understanding.
And that frightened them more than they cared to admit.
Back inside her home, Luna gently placed a hand against her stomach.
A strange warmth filled her heart.
The child moved again.
Once.
Twice.
Almost as if responding to her touch.
A smile appeared on her face.
She had no idea what had happened outside.
No idea what had happened to the wolf.
No idea that gods were watching her every move.
She only knew one thing.
Her child was alive.
Safe.
And growing stronger with every passing day.
Meanwhile, beyond the stars themselves, an unseen presence watched silently.
Not a god.
Not a mortal.
Something else.
Something older.
Something that had waited since the first tick of time.
And for the first time in countless ages...
It smiled.
To be continued...