Flames of Destiny: A Tale from the Hinterlands

No one knows where the tower came from. It appeared suddenly, without warning, the night the twin-tailed comet streaked across the sky. On its second appearance, the first crystal was discovered within the tower's depths. The same occurred on the comet's third appearance. But on the fourth, everything changed-the winged comet heralded the arrival of monsters.

The creatures burst forth from the tower with a sudden, devastating force, spreading chaos across the city. Only through the united efforts of the three Nations were the monsters pushed back, and the city, along with the mysterious tower, secured once more.

That night, children born under the darkened sky were inexplicably marked with birthmarks shaped like the comet. Scholars and wise men struggled to uncover the meaning behind the patterns but found no answers. In time, those born with these marks became scapegoats, blamed for the appearance of the monsters. More reasonable voices argued that they were no more responsible for the monsters than for the tower itself.

Still, fear and suspicion grew, and those marked by the sign of the twin-tailed commit hid their true nature from a world quick to judge.

This is the story of four such individuals.