The Last Saelian

Long before Earth knew life, beyond the reach of stars and hidden behind the fabric of reality, there existed a world untouched by time. It was known as the Tri-Realm of Saelis, home to the ancient race called the Saelians. The Tri-Realm was divided into three great kingdoms. Aerion, the Realm of Light, was the heart of Saelian civilization. Its floating cities, crystal rivers, and endless skies reflected an age of peace, where families thrived and children learned to master their gifts. To the west lay Vorath, the Realm of Strength. Towering mountains pierced the clouds, and its warriors stood as guardians of the realm, sworn to protect the balance between worlds. Beyond the silver forests rested Nyxara, the Realm of Shadows. A land of scholars, seers, and dimensional walkers, where the mysteries of the universe were studied and the secrets of reality were kept. For thousands of years, the Three Realms existed as one, bound together by peace, trust, and the sacred blood of the Saelians. None of them believed that peace could ever end. As dawn painted Aerion beneath a violet sky, crystal rivers shimmered through the air, and laughter echoed across the floating valleys. Among those voices was a young Saelian boy named Kael...born in Aerion. Beside him were his two closest friends—Nyris of Nyxara and Varek of Vorath. Though they came from different realms, they were inseparable. The three raced across floating bridges, laughing as they used their gifts. Kael leaped effortlessly through the air, Nyris bent shimmering light into glowing shapes, and Varek summoned pillars of stone from the ground beneath his feet. "Last one to the Crystal Falls loses!" Kael shouted. "You'll never beat me!" Varek laughed. Their joy echoed across the heavens. Then... One of the Three Moons flickered. The wind stopped. Birds fell silent. A deafening sound rolled across every realm. The sky... cracked. A jagged tear ripped across the heavens, spilling darkness where light had always existed. People screamed. The ground shook violently. Entire floating islands began to fall. Kael reached for his friends— A blinding wave of light swallowed the world. And then... Nothing. The first c***k was almost beautiful. It spread silently across the heavens like a stream of violet ink bleeding through crystal glass, stretching farther than the eye could follow. For one impossible moment, the people of Saelis simply stared upward. No one ran. No one screamed. Children stopped chasing one another across Aerion's crystal bridges. Merchants paused in the floating markets of Nyxara. Warriors of Vorath lowered their weapons during training, their eyes fixed on the sky. Even the winds seemed to stop. Then the second c***k appeared. A deep rumble echoed through every corner of the Tri-Realm, vibrating through floating islands, crystal rivers, mountain fortresses, and ancient temples that had stood untouched for thousands of years. The ground trembled. Birds burst into the air in frightened flocks. The rivers of Aerion shimmered violently, sending waves of glowing blue water over their crystal banks. In Nyxara, countless books fell from the endless shelves of the Grand Library. Ancient observatories spun wildly as the stars above shifted into impossible positions. Deep within Vorath's volcanic mountains, molten rivers exploded from their stone channels, painting the black cliffs with rivers of fire. Something was terribly wrong. --- Kael stood frozen on the Bridge of Unity. Only moments earlier, he had been laughing. His two closest friends stood beside him. Vorek of Vorath folded his arms with a grin. "I told you I could outrun both of you." Nyris rolled her eyes. "You nearly tripped over your own boots." Kyle laughed. "You both cheated." "Cheated?" Vorek scoffed. "You flew." "I glided." "That's still cheating." Their laughter echoed across the bridge. For years, this place had belonged to them. The Bridge of Unity connected the three realms, allowing Saelians from Aerion, Vorath, and Nyxara to gather in peace. Every festival, every celebration, every memory they shared had begun here. Kael couldn't imagine a world without it. Then the bridge shook. Not gently. Violently. The stone beneath their feet groaned as hairline fractures raced across its surface. The laughter stopped. Far above them, the violet c***k widened. Lightning unlike anything they had ever seen erupted from its depths. Not white. Not blue. A deep violet. It twisted through the sky like living veins. Each strike sent another earthquake through the realms. "What... is that?" Nyris whispered. Kyle had no answer. --- A horn suddenly echoed from the capital of Aerion. Then another. Then another. Not festival horns. War horns. Every Saelian knew that sound. It had not been heard in centuries. People flooded into the streets. Parents grabbed their children. Guards sprinted toward the royal towers. Priests knelt in silent prayer. High above the capital, the crystal beacon that symbolized peace dimmed for the very first time. An old prophecy, spoken only in whispers, returned to the minds of the elders. "When the heavens bleed violet... the age of Saelis shall end." For thousands of years, everyone had believed it was only a story. Today... The sky proved otherwise. --- Kael looked toward Aerion. He could just make out his parents standing outside their home. His mother searched desperately through the crowds. His father spotted him first. Even from across the valley, Kael knew exactly what he was saying. Run. Kael took one step. The heavens exploded. A sound louder than thunder tore through existence itself. The c***k ripped open completely. Behind it... There was only darkness. Not empty space. Not clouds. Not stars. Just endless darkness. And from that darkness... Something began to move...