ECLIPTIC REIGN

Prologue

"Mamma, can you tell me the story of the heroes again!" a young girl exclaims in excitement.

She eagerly climbs into the comfortable bed with her stuffed animal.

The girl's mom gently grabs the books from the shelf, " Dear, I've probably read this book more than 10 times to you."

As she settles down beside her daughter, the mom notices the girl's eyes light up with excitement as she eagerly flips through the pages of the old, weathered book. It's a book that would normally give most children nightmares, but not her daughter. The mom can't help but feel a twinge of surprise, mixed with pride, at her daughter's unexpected interest in this book.

The girl giggles in excitement, "I don't care! I love the story!"

The mother begins the story.

Once upon a time, our world was just like yours, with an advanced civilization driven by technological and industrial advancement. However, our small and insignificant species was threatened by the rise of demons from the cracks of the universe. But four brave heroes emerged from the ashes of despair and shattered the demon kings' hold on our world.

One by one, the forces of evil fell, and with that came a gift that would change our world forever: Mana. The mana that seeped from the demons took root deep within our world and evolved everything it touched. Once ordinary humans were now able to wield the same power as the demons, and thus define their destiny in this world.

The four great heroes claimed the mana cores of the demon kings and became the four kingdoms we know today. These kingdoms are Agnus Aelius of the Aelius kingdom, Salinda Oberon of the Oberon kingdom, Dysis Evenfall of the Evenfall kingdom, and finally Oriana Eos of the Eos kingdom.

5000 years have passed since the war, and the kingdoms still stand strong to this day. Each kingdom has its role in this world and serves its purpose. However, fragments of the past still torment the future, and lingering demons still roam this world. If the heroes remain, the demons will not prevail.

With their newfound power, the kingdoms strive to vanquish all demon traces of this world and bring peace to all.

A guard lets out a weary sigh as he stands watch near a quiet courtyard. The vast expanse of the starry night sky looms above, casting a shimmering glow over the kingdom of Aelius below, where its inhabitants lay sleeping peacefully.

"Man, why did I have to get put up with night patrol."

In the corner of his eye, he spots two drunken men stumble their way out of a bar that seems to be closing for the night. He yells out, " You two alright over there! Be careful at night there is still demon activity in this area!"

"Don't concern yourself officer...hic...were fine!" the man says.

"Yeah! No demon will ... hic... touch us! We'll fuck him up!"

"Absolute idiots." the guard thinks to himself as he turns away from the men who are making a turn down an alleyway.

The guard was caught off guard by a sudden noise that came from the direction of the two men. He quickly turned his head, trying to locate the source of the sound. A sense of tension and unease began to creep in as he heard the drunken men's horrific screams for help. His expression turned grave, and he immediately began running towards the alleyway, his spear held tightly in his hand and his eyes scanning for any signs of danger. As he approached the scene, the guard remained alert and ready for battle, his heart pounding in his chest.

"AHHH! DEMON" the two men yell in agonizing fear.

A mysterious figure shrouded in a dark cloak dominates one of the men, pinning him to the ground with an iron grip. The other man trembles in fear, desperately clinging to the wall as if it could swallow him whole. His eyes are wide with terror, tears streaming down his face as he witnesses the scene unfolding before him. Despite the chaos, both men appear to be unharmed for the moment. Suddenly, the cloaked figure turns its head, revealing piercing blue eyes that lock onto the guard. The guard is frozen in place, stunned and helpless like a deer caught in the glare of bright lights.