Prologue

PROLOGUE

ANALIA

IT IS SAID that the elementals first came to the human realm a thousand years ago. They were beings that embodied the source of all magical powers, born from the cosmos. They were the pioneers of magic and were entities of unexplainable and unending power, unable to be killed because of how invincible they were.

Their main objective in the human realm was annihilation since their principal realm was falling apart but due to some unknown reasons, they decided to form a pact with the humans instead making sure to lay rules which both elementals and humans had to follow to live peacefully.

Although it was forbidden at the time for an elemental and human to have any sort of emotional relationship, it was something that became rather inevitable as elementals began to fall in love with humans. Their union produced the gods. The gods weren't as powerful as the elementals because they had humanity in their blood. It was the sole reason the union between elementals and humans was forbidden.

With time, the elementals started to go extinct as they grew old and eventually died and so as the legacy of the elementals died with them, The gods became the new rulers of the human realm. The gods unlike the elementals were susceptible to death, it was this sole characteristic along with their limited powers that made them labeled as weak.

The humans soon began to forget that the elementals ever existed and as reverence to the gods, they named their towns and villages after the major gods who supposedly still carried fragments of the elementals within their blood. The capital was named after Chrollo, whose mother was an elemental. Other towns were named after the other gods such as Ansyer, Ansyera, Karish, Meyer, Anasem, and Feyra.

The gods at the time found it insulting to live side by side with humans. They felt like the humans had taken too much advantage of their presence with them and as a result, they devised means to create their godly realm.

They succeeded but just like the elementals they were gods who were smitten with the humans giving birth to lesser gods known as the demigod and demigoddess.

But there was one group of people that defied the laws of magic. People that made every being including themselves shake in fear of the unknown nature of their abilities.

The seers

Beings with the ability to foresee the future and prophesy good tidings or doom. This ability paid no respect to what nature of person or being was wielding its powers. The gods had seers amongst them and so did the humans.

My mother used to tell me that prophecies were the bedrock of the realms. Without prophecies, one could never tell what destiny had in store for them. Destiny was the inevitable future predetermined for both mankind and the gods and with time, prophecies became so revered that everyone became blind to the possibilities of a different future.

It became a tradition that every two moons after a child was born they were taken to their local seer. There, their fortunes were told. It was nice to know that their children would become extremely wealthy in the future or someone of great substance. Sadly everyone didn't get to hear that their children would live such luxurious lives, some children were condemned to damnation.

There was one story that did shake the core of both the human realm and the realm of the gods. The child of goddess Asha, the daughter of Chrollo was prophesized to be a harbinger of death and doom.

The child was destined to destroy the human realm.

This prophecy branded that child as a villain whom the realms ostracized without even knowing. For twenty-one years, the realms have feared an unknown child being left with the hope of a hero prophesized to bring the child to its end.

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My hands tenderly feel the soft fabric of my grandmother's favorite dress as I pull it out of her black intricately designed chest. I bring it to my nose and inhale the sweet fragrance of perfume that remain on the fabric. It has been a month since she died and I can't help but miss every ounce of her being.

I gently place the clothing back into her chest before grief overwhelms me. It has been a month since grandmother died yet I can't bring myself to leave this little cottage of hers.

Grandmother loved her chest deeply. Everything in it was a treasure to her. She used to be a collector when she was a young woman. She traveled to distant lands and made it a habit to collect things she found fascinating, therefore her chest was filled with strange things.

My eyes finally spot what I've spent days looking for. It wasn't like the chest was filled with too many things, I rather chose to prolong the search and make it more dramatic.

I pull out the golden necklace from deep within the chest. Its design is basic but the diamond teardrop-shaped pendant gleams as the sun rays pour into the cottage.

This necklace was her reward for accompanying the demigod Satur who later transitioned into a full-fledged god. She had told me on her deathbed how important the necklace was. She wanted me to have it as her parting gift.

She said it was truly special.

I close her chest and clutch the necklace tight in my hand. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any pouches with me. I mentally remind myself that I cannot lose this necklace. Grandmother loved it and therefore I have to love it as much as she did.

I am curious though about what this necklace can do. Grandmother never told me anything about it and the thought of putting it on and seeing for myself causes quivers to run down my spine. The only human I know capable of discerning magical objects is my friend Gina, the upcoming seer of my little town. Although my grandmother told me to keep this a secret, I need to know what exactly I'm dealing with.

I take one last look at Grandmother's miniature room covered in wood and a bed made of feathers. Her things are packed neatly to the side along with the pieces of equipment she used while she was a collector in her youth. I smile warmly as I exit the room. No matter how many times my parents had offered to get Grandmother into a larger cottage she constantly refused them. She was content with her little abode.

The sun pricks at my skin causing me to regret wearing my black dress due to the intensity of the heat. The streets are filled with people going about their daily activities. I've always wanted to leave this little town. I cannot leave though, my destiny has been set in stone. I am to marry Archer. The son of our town's chief. I only ever met Archer once as a child, and we weren't particularly fond of each other. We were betrothed from birth therefore we have no say in our lives. That was what the seer had prophesized when I was born.

She had said that if I ever attempted to leave this village, my fate would be entwined with that of a blazing fire.

No matter how much I wrack my brain, I can never understand what the prophecy means. I only get a chill in my bones when I think about it. There is something ominous about it.

Today seems to be bustling and in a way, it unnerves me. Everyone is happy while I'm dying inside. I have lost everything. My entire family is gone and I'm alone in this world destined to be married off to a man I know absolutely nothing about.

I stumble slightly causing me to lose my balance and fall to the ground with a thud. Standing back up, my eyes find a poster on the ground. It's written in the language of the gods- Astur. It's a language that every being is required to learn. Sadly, I'm not quite fluent in the language. I can hardly understand anything on the paper.

I fold the paper neatly and walk into the shop of the only blacksmith we have in this town. He and my grandmother were inseparable back in the day. The smell of soot and iron slaps my nostril immediately after I step into the dimly ventilated room. I wonder how he doesn't suffocate whilst working here. I can barely breathe.

Swords and other weapons he has forged are displayed on the wooden wall of the shop and the room is littered with tools. The furnace is still burning though, so I suppose he just finished forging something.

I can't find anything and the room is too hot for me to stay. I decide to leave only to lock gazes with his steel blue ones as I approach the exit of this shop.

"Bernard," I greet him with a warm smile that doesn't reach my eyes. Mr. Bernard's brawny stature and cold blue eyes make up for his tiny height. His bedraggled brown hair gives him a haggard look and even at the age of sixty-five, he can still make you shake in your boots with his piercing gaze.

Too bad his scary gleaming blue eyes don't scare me. If anything, I think he's cute.

"Analia." he sighs with his voice gruff. I crouch down to give him a bear hug.

"Sir. Bernard, how long has it been, a month?" I say as I release him. He's so small I want to hug him again.

"What are you doing here child? And where have you been for the past month? Don't tell me you've been cooped up in Alissa's rundown cottage. You reek of pines and poverty."

I stifle a laugh at his comment. Bernard has a thing for being nasty with the way he talks but it has never bothered me for a moment.

"You're correct. I have been wallowing in self-pity." my countenance falls when I realize that my words aren't merely a joke but reality.

"Keep frowning like that and I'll kick you in the shin." He murmurs and shifts from the entrance of the shop allowing me to move out for fresh air.

The cool breeze fans my face and I heave out a sigh. Any minute more in there and I would've melted into a puddle. I tuck a strand of my ash-blonde hair that wisps wildly in front of my face.

"How are you doing Ana? I've been seriously worried about you. We all have." Bernard admits as he places a stool outside his shop for me to sit. I take the stool from him and sit crossing my legs and playing with my fingers. Declaring that you are mentally exhausted isn't as easy as he makes it sound.

"I'm fine." I lie biting my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. I don't like thinking about it. I don't like thinking about my life. It's better to pretend like nothing is happening.

"You don't look fine to me Ana, your eyes are puffed up and your blonde hair used to be so shiny. You've not been taking care of yourself. Look at you." He throws out at me.

I need to change the topic. There is no way I am going to bawl in front of a man this tiny and cute. I suddenly remember the poster I found on the ground and luckily for me, it's still clutched in my left hand. Although I've already squeezed the life out of it.

"What does this say?" I lean forward and thrash it into his hands. He gives me a look that conveys his annoyance before he unfolds the paper.

He hums slightly as he reads through it and it allows me to analyze him more. Grey locks of hair are mixed in with his mousy brown hair and visible wrinkles appear on his forehead. His apron is practically covered in charcoal and its once-brown color is shifting rapidly to black.

"The selection process," he announces and throws the paper back at me.

"What?"

"The enlistment for companions needed in the conversion has begun. The king's messengers have been posting them in every town and village for weeks now. It ends in five days by the next full moon." he explains and my eyes widen.

A companion is a human who accompanies a demigod on his journey to retrieve the teardrop of goddess Asha. This journey is known as the conversion. Demigods do not have enough divinity to enter into the realm of gods so they use the teardrop of goddess Asha to attain that level of divinity.

My mother used to tell me so many stories about the goddess Asha as a child. After birthing the harbinger of Death destined to bring about the ruin of all mankind, it is said that she cried herself to death. Those tears she shed were so powerful that they molded into crystals and retained her divinity. Ever since then, demigods used her tears as a means of becoming gods themselves.

The demigod that grandmother accompanied got to the teardrop first and became a god. It became a game for the gods and demigods alike. The gods weren't just going to give all the demigods a teardrop of Asha. Therefore every three years, a conversion competition was held. Interested candidates were to sojourn in Asha's land which was known to be filled with fearsome creatures of all kinds. Only one demigod and companion made it at the end but it was worth it. The demigod got to become a full-fledged god and the human got to get any of their wishes granted.

If I had the chance I would wish for my family back but sadly I couldn't participate because my destiny had been decided.