PROLOGUE

A long time ago, when Earth was still frozen, when its moon was just debris floating around the Earth, there existed a planet called Upo.

Like Earth, Upo had one moon and one sun. Also like us, the surface of Upo was a beautiful tapestry of white, green and blue. There's a big desert continent, but all in all, it's just like Earth.

Unlike Earth however, is the difference in its topographical geography. If you happened to be in front of a map of Earth right now, you'll see that the map looks like a colourful Rorschach test. If you unfurled the scroll of Upo's, you'll find that the entire continent of Upo was shaped like a disjointed hourglass.

I hate to be crass, but it's also look like four uterus-shaped continent on a map. With a large archipelago at the centre of the two hourglasses, and clouds adorning the side. Quite weird to be drawing a cloud on a map, I know. But it's relevant, trust me.

So that's Upo. It's a beautiful planet. At least back then. Before all the fighting, and killing, and the greed of mankind turned the surface of Upo bright red.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. This is only the beginning of the story.

What's next? Oh yeah, Upo's inhabitants. Three main intelligent life forms lived on Upo. The angel race, the demon race, and the human race.

Let's start with the human race. The human race occupied the two bottom triangles continents. They did not dare to venture into the top triangles, as it was unfit for any mortals. One of them was the driest desert, devoid of water. And another was a forest so thick, the oxygen will suffocate the humans. Imagine the irony.

The kings of the human nations decided that it would be beneficial for them to work together. Thus, the Human Allied Nations was born.

Then, there's the second race. The demons. On Earth, demons are always portrayed as these agents of evil. But on Upo, they're just like you and me. Just a part of society. Sure, they lived on the volcano-infested archipelago. They thrive on a sulphur rich environment, and they are indeed fireproof but they're harmless.

Most of them are farmers, miners, and blacksmiths. And the volcanoes littered all over the islands provided them with the nutrients-rich soils and minerals for their everyday lives. The demons even set up trade channels with the humans. So, there's nothing sinister there. They decided to name their archipelago the Flamma Empire, in honor of the volcanoes.

Lastly, the angels. Now, the significance of the clouds on the map will came into view. The clouds, were actually the angels' country. Or, as they named it, the Cloud Kingdom. The angels had assumed a...managerial role of the entire planet. They would control the weather, and the climate. They would monitor the temperature of the entire planet and, their Water and Wind magic plus the demons' Earth and Fire magic, they would repair and maintained the entire planet.

Yes, like I said, they all had magic. Even the humans. Although the humans used their magic mostly for themselves. And you can't even blame them. It's how their magic are forged.

I should explained further. Magic is like...nitrogen in the air. It is there, it is abundant, and it is inert. Basically meant that it is useless if you don't know how to harness it. But to those who do, and actually knew how to harness it, it is very advantageous of them. And, I'm sorry for sounding like those assholes quick scheme guru out there, you need the right mindset and drive to harness the magic.

The angels did it through order. They are the definition of the word discipline. Adhering to the routine, they found that their minds and hearts are clear of any impure desires. Their clean body and souls became a conduit for the magic. And that's why they could control the weather. It may not look much, but imagine this. Weather, is the thing that moved the planet. They can literally moved the planet. If they wanted.

The demons also achieved the power to harness magic. Though perhaps not as brilliant as the angels. For the demons are creatures of emotions. Impulsive thoughts and feelings could muddle the path to channel the magic into their own power. However, amazingly enough, their emotions broke through that barrier, and through hardwork and determination, they get their powers. As I said, they can freely manipulate Earth and Fire. But they can also use magic to strengthen themselves. They became invincible. Undefeated, almost. The angels could still technically killed them. Not that it has even been tried.

And then there's the human race. Like the humans on Earth, they are stupid. They tried and tried, and they cannot find a way to harness magic. So they did what they do best, copy and steal other's technique.

Some find the disciplinary ways of the angels were easier to follow, so they prayed to the clouds, and trained under the guidance of the angels. And so, the first Angelic Temple was born.

Some wanted to live strong and free like the demons, and swam to the archipelago to join Flamma Empire. On the way, the toxic water surrounding the archipelago slowly enhance their physical strength and immune system. When they arrived, they are already tougher human beings than the others. They went and decided to offer their services to the Empire. Thus began the trade routes of Flamma Trade Federation.

And there it is. They learned to work together, and lived harmoniously alongside each other. They helped those in need, took care of the weak, and they live happily ever after. The end.

Hehe, just kidding. Have you not been paying attention. This is just the beginning of the story. A tale of betrayal and manipulation is about to unfold. And it all began, as it often is, with the greed of humans.