Chapter # 1 Beginning

"No, Serene, don't go!" Amellia cried, tears streaming down her face as she begged her friend.

"There is no other choice," Serene replied with a warm smile, though sadness lingered in her eyes. The fire raged around them, consuming everything in its path.

As the flames intensified, two figures lay on the floor, struggling to get up. They were the guardians of the east and west, gravely injured from the battle.

"If our safety costs you sacrificing yourself, then we don't want it," Amellia declared, her gaze unwavering, while Laura sobbed beside her, shielding the twins' eyes from the harrowing scene before them.

"My dear Amellia, you are too kind. This is not your fault," Serene said, shaking her head gently as she offered a warm smile, though her eyes held a deep sadness, not for herself, but for Amellia.

With a pause, Serene approached her friend, reaching out to wipe away her tears. "I'm glad I was the one to listen to your wish," she said softly, her voice filled with tenderness as her body began to vanish before Amellia's eyes.

"Serene... Serene, I wish again, don't go," Amellia pleaded, her voice filled with fear and sadness as she watched her friend disappear.

"Sorry, Amellia. This time, I can't fulfill your wish," Serene said with disappointment in her eyes, a single tear escaping and transforming into a glistening pearl as it fell.

"Serene... Serene!" Amellia called out, her voice filled with anguish as tears streamed down her cheeks. but Serene only smiled sadly as she vanished completely.

Meanwhile, Astarion, enveloped in a dark aura, laughed sinisterly. "Finally... you are mine, Serenity," he gloated, his eyes fixed on the shimmering orb in his hands. With a tight grip on the orb, which emitted a silver glow, he observed Serene sleeping inside, and shivering with fear.

Astarion's laughter echoed ominously as he gloated, "Now, no one can stop me from starting war."

Amellia, consumed by a mix of anger, sadness, and powerlessness, could only watch in despair. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled with overwhelming emotions.

"It's all my fault," Amellia sobbed, her voice filled with self-blame. "If I hadn't made that wish... If I had just let her go..." Her words trailed off into a choked sob as she grappled with the weight of her guilt and regret.

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In the distant universe, there existed a land called Terra, where mortals dwelled alongside ordinary creatures like beasts and birds. Yet, unbeknownst to most, there was another realm intricately connected to theirs—Aeternus, guarded by beings known as Celestials.

Celestials were extraordinary individuals, possessing abilities far beyond those of mortals. They adhered to the law of the strongest, governed by the benevolent and wise rulers: the God of War and Fire, and the Goddess of Marvel and Creation. Beneath them stood five guardians, four overlooking Terra and one presiding over Aeternus.

The leader of these guardians held authority over all, conveying the will of the rulers to their fellow Celestials. However, beyond these guardians, none had ever laid eyes upon the enigmatic rulers themselves.

My story begins two years ago, when I was still ignorant of this celestial hierarchy, lost in my own struggles and challenges.

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In Terra Moon City, as dawn broke, Amellia pedaled her bicycle through the quiet streets. With her brown hair tucked under a cap and her striking green eyes hidden, she appeared as just another passerby. Whistling a sweet tune, she halted in front of Moon University, noting with satisfaction that she had arrived early.

Securing her bicycle with a chain, Amellia strolled into the university halls, humming softly to herself. She neatly arranged her belongings in her drawer before making her way to the teachers' office. There, she diligently cleaned the desks and organized the files, ensuring everything was in order.

In her classroom, Amellia tidied up the teacher's table and cleared the board, preparing the room for the day ahead. Satisfied with her tasks, she took a seat in the front row, opening a book and immersing herself in its pages.

As time passed, the classroom began to fill with students chatting and laughing amongst themselves. However, Amellia remained alone, lost in her own world of books and thoughts.

A moment later, the room buzzed with excitement as a new arrival caught everyone's attention. The boy, with his sleek black hair and piercing crimson eyes, possessed a confidence that demanded attention. His striking features caused whispers and giggles to erupt among the girls in the class, as if a sudden breeze had swept through the room. All eyes seemed to be magnetically drawn to him, under a spell of admiration.

However, amidst the commotion, Amellia, closed her ears to block out the noise, uninterested in the class's socializing or in anyone else. The only thing that mattered to her was her studies, and she remained focused on her books, tuning out the distractions around her.

As the giggles and whispers grew louder, Amellia couldn't help but turn her eyes towards the source of the commotion. Damien, with his air of wealth and arrogance, stood at the center of attention, undoubtedly the top student of the university. Many professors held high expectations for him.

Rolling her eyes in disdain, Amellia thought to herself, "Damien may have all the attention, but I'm not interested!" To her, Damien was nothing more than a rival in grades, someone she competed with academically. With a determined gaze, she continued to observe him, her expression reflecting her disdain for his demeanor.

Damian sensed Amellia's disdain, but it hardly fazed him. With a careless "idiot," he brushed past her and settled into the seat behind her, directly in her line of sight. Amellia clenched her fists in response, silently vowing to defeat him academically.

As Damian smirked and shot her a mocking look, he seemed to hint, "In your dreams."

Amellia felt a surge of irritation at his behavior and overconfidence, but she remained composed as the class continued.

Eventually, the teacher entered the room, and every student stood up to greet him. With a commanding presence, the teacher announced, "Open your books."

The lecture began, and Amellia focused intently on her studies, listening attentively to the teacher's instructions and absorbing the lesson with dedication and determination.

As the bell rang signaling the end of class, students began to gather their belongings and bid farewell to the teacher. Damian wasted no time in leaving as soon as class was over, while Amellia remained behind, meticulously packing her things to leave.

Suddenly, a loud smack echoed across Amellia's desk, drawing her attention. Turning to see the source, she found Emilie, the class bully and a devoted admirer of Damian, standing arrogantly before her. "Good job, ugly girl," Emilie sneered, ostensibly praising Amellia for the cleaning she had done on the teacher's table and board, a duty that had fallen to Amellia instead of Emilie today.

Amellia offered only a nonchalant nod in response, keeping her expression neutral as she continued to pack her belongings. But Emilie persisted, taunting, "Ugly girl, how dare you try to compete with our Damian?"

Sighing inwardly, Amellia had dealt with Emilie's antagonism countless times before. Despite her efforts to explain their rivalry to Emilie, the girl continued to make things difficult for her for no apparent reason. Ignoring Emilie's provocations, Amellia remained silent, focusing solely on organizing her books in her bag.

Enraged by Amellia's lack of response, Emilie shoved her and then delivered a stinging slap across Amellia's cheek.

Amellia and the other students were stunned into silence by Emilie's aggressive behavior. Amellia, seething with rage, began to retort, but Emilie cut her off with a taunting remark, "You what? What can you do, fatherless girl?"

The insult struck a nerve with Amellia, who reacted instinctively by slapping Emilie in return. In retaliation, Emilie lashed out, and soon the two girls were engaged in a heated physical altercation, pulling at each other's hair as they exchanged blows.

A commanding voice cut through the chaos, ordering, "You two, stop fighting."

Moments later, another girl, the class representative, intervened, along with other classmates, to separate Amellia and Emilie and put an end to the brawl.

Once the fighting ceased, Amellia, still seething with anger, straightened her clothes and shot a glare at Emilie. "Don't you dare say anything about my father," she warned through gritted teeth before storming out of the room.

Emilie, undeterred, continued to taunt Amellia even as she left, sneering, "Is it not true? Where is your father, ran away, right? Left you burdened and alone," she jeered, laughing mockingly as Amellia departed.

Amellia, though tears welled in her eyes, managed to hold herself together. She quickly made her way to the field, retrieved her bicycle, and departed without delay. Meanwhile, on the university rooftop, Damian watched her leave, murmuring to himself with a hint of concern, "Crying?" A flicker of worry flashed across his eyes as he observed her.

Determined to stay strong, Amellia reassured herself, "Everything will get better," wiping away her tears as she did so.

After a while, she arrived at a maid cafe and hurried inside through the back door. More girls were already present, urging her to hurry. "Hurry, Amellia. The manager will come any minute," they urged, prompting her to move quickly.

"Coming, coming," Amellia replied hastily, quickly changing into her maid costume and preparing to serve the incoming customers.

As the sun began to set, Amellia hopped back on her bicycle, her spirits lifted by the prospect of a day off tomorrow. Spotting an elderly woman struggling with heavy items, she halted her bike and approached her with a warm smile. "Madam, let me help you," she offered, taking the burden from the woman's hands.

Grateful, the old woman smiled in satisfaction. "Thank you, girl," she said appreciatively.

Amellia returned the smile. "It's no trouble at all."

After ensuring the old woman's belongings were safely stowed, Amellia prepared to leave. "Madam, I've put them in the cabin," she informed her.

The old woman nodded in gratitude, then offered Amellia some fruits. "Here, take these with you, and don't refuse me this time," she insisted. in return for her help, the old woman was adamant about expressing her gratitude.

Amellia accepting her kindness, "thanks , madam, "and leave in her cycle.

The old woman smiled in satisfaction, remarking, "What a kind soul she is."

Amellia continued on her way, whistling cheerfully and exchanging greetings with everyone she passed. In return, they waved back at her warmly. Finally, she arrived in front of a house that was neither too old nor too new. "Mother, I'm back," Amellia called out with a smile on her face.

Laura, her mother, emerged from the house, her expression anxious and worried. "You're late! I was so worried about you," she exclaimed.

Amellia bowed apologetically, pleading, "I'm sorry, Mother. Today's work was delayed due to some customers." She paused, offering the fruits she had received. "Here, Mother, the old lady gave these to me."

Laura's surprise was evident as she exclaimed, "How generous of her." However, she paused, sensing that Amellia might be trying to change the subject. "Wait a minute," she interjected, her tone turning serious. "I've told you to quit that job. It's not good for you. I'll work instead."

Amellia, who had been positioning her cycle, halted abruptly at her mother's words. "No, Mother, why would you work? I'm still here," she protested. "The pay is good at my job, and I can't leave yet. Besides, I'm underage; no one else will hire me."

Laura remained worried, but Amellia cut her off, insisting, "Leave it, Mother. I'm hungry."

With a sigh, Laura relented. "Well, today is..."

As they conversed, they made their way inside the house.

Her twin siblings, Max and Stella, came running to her, calling out, "Amellia, sis!"

"Hey, how was it?" Amellia asked them, enveloping them in a hug.

"You know..." both Max and Stella began excitedly, launching into the details of their day.

After a while, their mother, Laura, called Amellia to serve the dishes. Everyone gathered around the table to eat. Her grandfather, grandmother, mother, and the twins took their seats. In unison, they recited, "We thank the Lord for giving us food to eat," before beginning their meal.

Her grandfather inquired, "How was your day today?"

"Good, grandfather. My class teacher praised me for my assignment. Everything went well at work, although we had to deal with some jerks during our off time," Amellia replied with a pause. "But our manager is good; he took care of everything."

"Good, good," Grandfather responded, though with a pause before adding, "If it wasn't for my old age, I'd be able to work at a higher level, but even then, I couldn't earn much. These days, earning has become difficult." He sighed deeply, his expression reflecting the weight of his words. "If your father was still here..."

Grandmother gently pinched his hand to silence him, knowing how sensitive the topic was for Amellia.

Amellia stopped eating, her appetite suddenly gone. "Mother, I'm full and tired. I'm going to sleep," she announced, rising from the table abruptly.

Laura looked worriedly after her daughter. "Amellia..."

But Amellia didn't wait to hear more, quickly making her way to her room.

Feeling guilty for bringing up the topic of his son in front of Amellia, Grandfather sighed heavily.

Laura scolded him in a low voice, "Father, why did you bring him up?"

Grandfather sighed heavily once more, his worry for Amellia evident in his expression. "I just... slipped up," he admitted, regret lacing his words.

Inside the room, Amellia lay on her bed, thoughts consumed by her father, tears silently streaming down her cheeks.

He had been a good father, but one day he disappeared. Rumors circulated that he had run away, abandoning his family. Despite the hardships, Amellia persevered, taking on part-time jobs to support her family while continuing her studies, all with the hope of finding success in her life and eventually confronting him to ask why he left.

"We're happy, even without him," Amellia whispered, her voice choked with emotion as she wiped away her tears. Gathering her resolve, she stepped out into the living room where everyone was gathered.

Looking around the room, Amellia inquired, "Mother, where are the twins?"

Laura, engrossed in the drama playing on the television, replied absentmindedly, "They're already asleep."

Surprised by the early bedtime, Amellia remarked, "They went to sleep early." Meanwhile, her grandfather sat beside Laura, equally engrossed in the drama.

Grandmother, absorbed in her sewing, seemed oblivious to the conversation. Amellia's thoughts drifted, contemplating, "We are happy..." But before she could finish her thought, a knock sounded at the door, interrupting the tranquility of the moment.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Grandfather stood, questioning, "Who could it be at this hour?" He approached the door cautiously and called out, "Who is it?"

Receiving no response, he hesitated before opening the door. Suddenly, a man barged in, rudely shoving past Grandfather, his voice filled with anger. "How dare you waste my precious time!" he bellowed.

Amellia's gaze sharpened as she looked at the intruder, her eyes piercing with intensity. "We would be happy..." she began, her voice firm, "...if they weren't here."