Mythraea Chronicles

The Birth of the Soul Forest

After Hearts fell from the heavens, the once-mythical forest underwent a terrifying transformation. Moments before he hit the ground, his final transformation into a fallen angel completed, his impact sent shockwaves rippling through the land. The first wave, a burst of pure, blinding light, spread across Mythraea. This wave was the remnants of the divine light he once possessed, and every living being felt its powerful surge. It was as if the very essence of the world shuddered at the loss. All across Mythraea, kingdoms felt the tremors of the light wave and dispatched their scouts to gather information.

The second wave, dark and ominous, followed immediately. This wave, confined to a few miles, unleashed cataclysmic force. Dark purple magic surged outward, consuming everything in its path. Trees withered instantly, their trunks snapping and leaves disintegrating into ash. Small creatures and vegetation were obliterated in the blink of an eye, leaving the land scarred and lifeless.

Having hidden nearby, Ozza witnessed the devastation and sprang into action. Using her unique blend of physical strength and druidic magic, she shielded some creatures from the destructive waves before guiding them to safety. She led the survivors to the hidden sanctuary of the druids, where they found refuge. The druids, having sensed the first wave of light, had already braced for the worst and welcomed the survivors.

Survivors of this cataclysm, mythical creatures who had once called the forest home, fled in terror following Ozza. The strongest among them, driven by instinct to protect their sanctuary, converged on the epicenter of destruction, where Hearts lay unconscious. However, the rage, anger, sadness, and betrayal emanating from him were overwhelming. In his unconscious state, Hearts' body acted on pure instinct, slaughtering everything that approached. His actions were not driven by malice but by a need for self-defense, as his unconscious mind reacted violently to perceived threats.

As the scouts reached the dead forest, all they could see was the dark figure of Hearts slaughtering every creature approaching. None survived, and none stood a chance. The scouts were too afraid to move or make a sound and just watched, hidden, as Hearts killed anything approaching him. Screams of death and screeches of pain filled the air as creatures fell one by one. The onslaught continued until there was no one left to attack. Hearts' body, exhausted and half-dead, finally collapsed.

The scouts returned with tales of a forest turned to wasteland, filled with the corpses of mythical creatures and dominated by a dark figure with wilted wings. Hearts, though unrecognizable to most, exuded an aura so powerful that none dared approach too closely. The descriptions were vague, but the fear was palpable.

Unbeknownst to the scouts, the creatures Hearts had killed did not truly perish. Even in his rage, Hearts retained a fragment of his divine compassion. Unable to control his physical actions, he channeled his remaining angelic magic to cast a net around the fallen forest, trapping the souls of the deceased creatures. Thus, the forest was reborn as the Soul Forest, a place where the souls of the dead lingered, safeguarded from oblivion.

The scouts' reports spread quickly, describing a land now haunted by the souls of the dead and dominated by an enigmatic and terrifying presence. In response to this growing threat, the queens of the four kingdoms convened, determined to devise a plan to address the emerging crisis and protect their realms from the darkness that had descended upon Mythraea.