Stered - Capital


    The murmuring of students filled the classroom, creating a lively yet subdued background noise. Oksana swept her gaze across the room before writing on the whiteboard: The Conflict Between Gard and Stered. She turned back to her students and spoke in a calm yet firm voice.


    "Throughout history, our world has seen many conflicts, but none as decisive as the one between Gard and Stered today."


    Eyes fixed on her—some gleaming with interest, others more distracted. A hand shot up.


    "Miss Oksana? Is it true that the Gardians have powers?"


    Jager, a boy with messy black hair, leaned forward on his desk, his eyes sparkling with excitement.


    Before she could answer, another voice interrupted.


    "And New Horizon? What exactly is it?"


    Oksana smiled slightly. New Horizon...


    "What we know for certain is that it''s where everything began 200 years ago. The ark that carried our ancestors away from the world''s destruction came to rest there, in the northeast of our world. That is where humanity got a fresh start."


    She let a silence settle, savoring the respect in her students'' eyes as they hung onto every word. Then her gaze fell upon an empty seat, and her expression shifted almost imperceptibly. Karl was absent again. She let out a quiet sigh, masking her disappointment, and resumed her lesson.


    After class, as she packed up her belongings, a young voice called out to her.


    "Mom, can I go see Ori?"


    Seth, her son, stood at the door, his expression innocent yet filled with contained excitement.


    Oksana smiled and ruffled his light brown hair.


    "Alright, but be back before your father gets home."


    Seth nodded eagerly before dashing off. His father, a doctor, spent his days beyond the wall, in the desolate and dangerous land of Nod, south of Stered, where humanitarian aid was most needed.


    Seth Brightbill


    _____________________________________


    Karl, meanwhile, was not in class but on a deserted hill far from the capital. At the summit, a slender yet determined figure stood proudly. He adjusted the last leather straps around his shoulders. On his back, an improbable assembly of mechanical wings—made of metal, wood, and salvaged fabric—quivered slightly in the gusting wind.


    <b>Karl Rogers</b>


    He was attempting, once again, to fly—something no human had ever achieved.


    "Wind at 15 km/h, southeast direction... perfect for a hovering test."


    He consulted a small sheet of paper strapped to his wrist, filled with scribbled equations incomprehensible to most. Lift calculations, thrust ratios, and wing resistance all formed a clear picture in his mind, though his understanding of physics was still that of a passionate child.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "Test number 37: ground stabilization with wind assistance."


    Two tall metal stakes were driven into the ground, each connected to a long cable attached to his harness. This was his anchoring system—an idea that came to him after his fall the previous day. A bad gust had nearly sent him tumbling into the creek below. This time, he would be careful.


    "Wing stabilization... Joint flexibility... 45-degree alignment..."


    His voice was steady, methodical, as if addressing an invisible team of scientists. But he was alone, save for his brilliant mind and the whisper of the wind.


    Slowly, he spread his wings. The joints creaked under the tension. A fine mist of dust rose as the wooden slats began to tremble.


    Karl took a deep breath.


    "Lifting mechanism test... in three, two, one... Activation!"


    He pressed a lever strapped to his wrist. A complex system of pulleys and cords engaged, setting the wings into motion. Karl felt his feet lift slightly off the ground.


    "It''s working! It''s working!" he shouted, his laughter echoing through the valley.


    For a few seconds, he hovered. But he quickly realized that his balance was unstable. The wings tilted dangerously to one side. He yanked one rope, then another, trying to correct the angle.


    Karl descended slowly back to the ground, relieved that his anchor had prevented another disaster.


    "Note for the next test: reinforce lateral stabilizers. Too much play in the secondary joints."


    _________________________


    Seaguard - Military Naval Port


    <figure></figure>


    In a steel-walled war room, imposing figures stood around a command table. Generals Erinmore, Gonogey, Torres, and Admirals Starmer, Ross, and Brightbill were deep in discussion.


    "The Nodian factions continue increasing their arms trade. Our patrols are intercepting more and more Visterian armor pieces," Erinmore stated.


    "Our troops are doing their job, but this is a never-ending war," Ross countered.


    Regan Brightbill, Seth''s uncle, studied the territory map.


    "Nod is not our main concern today. Gard is."


    A heavy silence fell over the room.


    "Our surveillance indicates their ships are venturing further into our waters," he added.


    "Our last major conflict was five years ago," Erinmore reminded them. "Despite the death of their former leader, Elkana, we knew it was only a matter of time before they tried something bolder under his successor."


    Starmer raised his voice.


    "They''re testing our reactions. And we sit idly by like cowards. We should respond immediately—show them that Stered is not a weak nation."


    "The Ether and its destructive power, along with their unnatural abilities derived from Reeve''s science, give them an undeniable advantage," Torres interrupted.


    General Gonogey countered, "Our Governor Sherone can rival the Gardian leader''s strength, and our soldiers outnumber them."


    A rumble of agreement spread through the room. The winds of war were rising.


    _______________________


    White Pearl - Port Town


    In the coastal town of White Pearl, Seth found Ori.


    She was waiting for him in an alley near the old port, her blue eyes gleaming with intensity, her blonde hair catching the golden hues of the setting sun.


    <b>Ori </b>


    Ori was no ordinary girl. She lived in White Pearl with her adoptive father, Admiral Brightbill, Seth''s uncle. An orphan from Nod, she had grown under his protection and become his daughter in every way.


    "You''re late," she teased with a smirk.


    "I had class," Seth defended.


    <b>White Pearl </b>


    As always, they made their way toward Ori''s father''s warship—their secret refuge. As they neared the edge of the dock, Ori slowed slightly, staring at the dark water with unease. A wave of discomfort passed through her, like a distant echo.


    Seth stopped and placed a reassuring hand on her arm.


    "Are you okay?"


    She nodded, taking a deep breath before following him onto the ship.


    Sitting on the empty deck, they spoke of travels and freedom, dreaming of one day sailing to lands unknown.


    "Have you ever heard of the Blind Forest?" Seth asked.


    Ori furrowed her brows and shook her head, eager to listen.


    "It''s in the kingdom of Visteria, near its border with Gard. My mother told me that the plants glow at night... A breathtaking sight."


    Ori listened in silence, fascinated.


    "Maybe one day, if peace returns, we can go there," she murmured.


    They sat in silence, gazing at the sea as night fell over the village.


    Then—something changed.


    A glow.


    In the distance, on the horizon, an eerie blue light shimmered in the night.


    Seth''s heart clenched.


    "Ori... Do you see that?"


    The lights multiplied. Massive ships sliced through the water, propelled at an astonishing speed by Ether, leaving behind trails of luminescent blue.


    Then, the silence shattered.


    The Seaguard sirens screamed.


    Seth and Ori stood frozen, eyes wide with terror.


    Gard was attacking.


    End of Chapter 1.