CHAPTER 1 "Ashes of Likas"
A man was sprinting toward the burning village of Likas. Thick, black smoke covered the whole area, and flames blazed intensely. The fire seemed to dance as it consumed the houses.
The cries of those burning echoed all around. A suffocating smell filled the air. Black smoke kissed the sky. The sun could not be seen because of the thick smoke.
Not knowing what to do, he dropped to his knees on the grass—he was too late. The village was completely engulfed in flames. He wanted to get closer, but the heat and smoke pushed him back.
As he turned, he saw a burned, lifeless body. He approached it and noticed the floral dress, the same one he had given to his beloved daughter.
He immediately pulled the body away from the deadly fire. Tears fell from the man's eyes when the necklace on the corpse glimmered. It really was his daughter—but there was nothing he could do, because the child was already dead.
He knelt and picked up his daughter even though his body was burning. It stung, but he felt numb. The pain in his heart was far greater. For the last time, he embraced his daughter.
She was all he had. His wife had died giving birth, and he was left with their child. He was just a farmer, but he poured all his love into his daughter.
She was the only one left for him, but even she was taken.
The father sobbed from the pain and anger he felt.
While embracing his daughter's corpse, he remembered the happy days they shared. "Papa, don't stay long in the fields. We still have to play." Her playful jokes and sweet laughter—he could no longer feel them.
Gal Gan's world collapsed. His wife, his most beloved daughter, and his village—everything was taken from him. He asked himself why this was happening to him.
He had been a good husband and father. He hadn't oppressed or wronged anyone. He was a good citizen, so why? What reason? "Why is this happening to me?"
He buried his daughter's body beside his wife's grave. It was painful to admit, but there was nothing more he could do. He stared at the necklace in his hand—his final memory of his daughter. "I'm the only one left."
Days passed. Gal Gan did not eat. He had no appetite, no strength. His sorrow was like the rain-filled sky. Wherever he looked, he remembered his departed daughter.
Gal Gan stayed in a simple shelter in the fields. There he brooded, and thought about his daughter thousands of times.
"Gal Gan?" called an old man. It was Datan, the leader of the farmers. His hair was white, and his back was no longer straight.
This old man was the one who led and managed the fields where Gal Gan worked.
He wanted to find out who was responsible for the massacre and burning of the nearby village. In his investigation, no one survived—except for Gal Gan, who wasn't in the village when the crime happened.
He sat beside Gal Gan. For several minutes, no words came out of either of their mouths. The moment was as still as a bird listening to the wind. Until Datan finally broke the silence.
"I'm sorry for the passing of your loved ones. I know the pain."
"I want revenge. I want justice for the innocent villagers," said Gal Gan while gripping the necklace in his hand. "As long as those who did this live, I will not stop."
"What happened to you is painful and hard to accept, but don't be overcome by anger. Don't act recklessly. I know what can happen when one gives in to anger," said the leader.
The leader knew Gal Gan's character. He was a serious and determined man. He was already in the fields early in the morning and the last to go home.
No matter how hard the work, he finished it on time. He used his intelligence in farming. He was quick to form a plan and skilled at carrying it out.
"I've made my decision. You won't be able to stop me."
"In that case, let me help you. I've gathered some information from my investigation. I know that what you're up against isn't ordinary," the leader warned. He handed him a piece of paper.
The paper was partially burned. It came from the recent tragedy in the village of Likas. A small flame was still slowly burning through the paper. It was a strange kind of flame—it wouldn't stop.
"This can mean only one thing. It wasn't humans who committed this crime. Perhaps it was sorcerers—or worse, demons," the leader explained. "What I wonder is why they did it. I know they've broken a sacred law."
The laws made by the highest beings serve as protection for the powerless against the powerful. Whoever breaks them will be punished by the highest.
In the powerful world of Imre, magic, unexplained phenomena, and all sorts of unnatural things are common.
Different beings live in their world. Creatures with the strength to crush stone with their fingers. To summon or control ice.
"Demon or whatever it is, I won't back down," Gal Gan shouted in anger and ripped the paper to pieces.
"What do you think your abilities can do? Do you think you'll last against them? I know that with a snap of their fingers, your life could end."
Some have said a lake turned into a desert after a demon and a sorcerer clashed. That's how powerful their abilities are.
Gal Gan came to his senses. It was true—he was just a humble farmer. Ordinary people stood no chance against those with magic or those blessed by the highest beings.
"Unless… you learn to use the power from the creators—the ones above all."
His desire for revenge came back to life, because like the emperors, he could learn to wield the power of the highest. Through this, he could avenge those who killed his daughter and the villagers.
"How?" asked Gal Gan.
"You must first undergo training that nearly no one can endure. Out of ten who tried, none survived. The challenges are so extreme that there's less than a 1% chance of success."
Fear twisted in his chest. It seemed hopeless that he could survive what the old man described. Is this the end for me? Will I never be able to avenge them?
"How can I do it?" Gal Gan asked in confusion, hoping there was still a way.
"We'll ask help from King Hira. He's developing an experiment to increase the chances of surviving the extreme training," explained the leader. "But it hasn't been tested yet."
"I'll do it," Gal Gan replied briefly.
"Even if it costs your life?"
Gal Gan paused. Somehow, he still valued his life, because he had promised his deceased wife.
"Yes," Gal Gan answered. To him, his life had been for his wife and daughter. But now they were gone—he had no more reason to fear death.
One could see in his eyes the certainty in his answer. There was no hesitation.
The leader nodded.
"Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we go to the king."
[End of Chapter 1]
Written by MANABAT