The Magic of Xerath

1. Night Birds

A desolate, gray planet. Two moons hung in a starless sky, casting their pale glow over the gray sands of the desert. Atop an immense rock, a lone figure sat in silence, wearing a grin. His attire and face were hard to distinguish, as he was positioned directly in front of one of the moons; the larger of the two framed his silhouette as if the entire scene had been planned.

From the kneeling man, only the gleam of his eyes and the whiteness of his teeth were visible, a result of the wide smile he wore. From afar, a young girl with black hair tied in a ponytail and pale skin watched him intently; it was almost as if the man wanted to be observed.

His piercing gaze was unnerving—an all-too-familiar look. Although she couldn't see his face, the man could feel her presence. He knew that look well.

As he kept his focus on the man, he felt as if he weren't truly there, as if he were a mere spectator seeing it all through the girl's eyes. Suddenly, a purple flame burst to life behind the man on the rock, and as it did, the soft light the moons offered in the sky began to fade.

The man's presence expanded immensely, his smile encompassing everything, and his unsettling gaze advanced toward the young girl, unrelenting. In the blink of an eye, the entire scene was engulfed in purple flames, and the massive silhouette filled the whole space, swallowing the girl in a single bite.

Seihem awoke with a start.

"Get away from me, damn it!" he shouted, irritated, as he swatted away what appeared to be a creature resembling a raccoon with red eyes and vampire-like fangs.

A Zorbite had been nibbling on his hair.

Seihem's rest had been interrupted by a nightmare. He realized that his campfire had gone out sooner than expected. Dawn had yet to break, and the embers were still faintly warm, although he was sure he'd left enough wood for the fire to last through the night.

"Ugh~ Someday, I'll learn how to build a proper fire," he muttered to himself.

Despite his lack of sleep, the night was peaceful. The clear sky and the steady hum of insects and nocturnal creatures brought him a sense of inner calm.

Occasionally, he'd hear branches snap and bushes rustle, but none of this put him on alert. Seihem, with his superhuman senses, would detect any real threat from a great distance.

He was the heir of a powerful and ancient race that had once lived long ago on the planet Xerath but was now extinct. He was the last of his kind.

Although the cold didn't affect him, he was in the habit of lighting a fire. It was something he did out of tradition, for it always brought back memories.

The first time he'd built a campfire was with Sergei Fraeyer, an honorable man and head of the Fraeyer family. Seihem had always admired him, though at first, he considered him just another inferior human.

He recalled that conversation and how ridiculous he'd felt once he realized just how naïve and inexperienced he'd been in understanding human life. Now, he was no longer the cold and arrogant being he had once been; he'd changed entirely.

As he sank into his memories, that particular moment came rushing back to him.

"Listen, Seihem, the importance of fire in a dark forest..."

"I don't need the warmth of fire," he interrupted coolly. "My body can withstand any kind of temperature."

Sergei smiled gently.

"You're right, but if you'd allow me to finish, superman," he said, in a sarcastic tone, "the importance of fire in a dark forest is equal to the peace you'll feel at night. As long as that flame is alive, no creature will dare to come near. They fear fire, just as light drives away darkness."