Prologue
Long ago, the world of the fairies was bright, peaceful, and filled with joy. Each one happily carried out their own duties; there was no trace of sadness or anger upon their faces. For many years, their world remained safe and serene—no tragedy, no war. Even curses or attempts by outsiders to conquer them had never succeeded. All of this was because of the power of their queen, Queen Luna. But in an unexpected turn of fate, the once colorful world of the fairies was suddenly shrouded in darkness. Laughter turned into cries, and peace gave way to chaos. It all began with the death of their beloved queen.
“What’s happening? Why is the sky… dark?” The fairies froze mid-task as a sudden thunderclap rolled across Luminaria. The once-bright heavens had turned a deep, unnatural black. “This cannot be… no storm, no calamity could ever reach us,” a fairy whispered, dread creeping into her voice.
Then a bell tolled, low and resonant, shaking the very air. Its sound carried across the realm — a harbinger that set hearts racing.
“It can’t be…” muttered one citizen, trembling, eyes wide with shock and sorrow.
“The beloved queen is…”
The elders slumped into their chairs, unable to grasp the horror of what was unfolding.
“Impossible. Isn’t it, Mother? Our queen… she has lived for ages, untouched by sickness, untouched by time.” All eyes turned to the child who had spoken these words, their innocence contrasting with the weight of her statement.
“Unless… our queen has been slain.”Gasps swept through the crowd. All eyes darted to a shadowed alley, where one of the oldest beings in Luminaria had appeared. Slowly, his figure emerged: long white hair and beard, a robe of deep crimson flowing around him, and a staff carved from the oldest tree in existence.
“What do you mean, Ka Lucio?” they asked, offering him a seat, guiding him carefully. The young bowed, touching his hands respectfully to the elder’s.
“The child speaks truth. Our queen does not die easily… yet she can be slain.” Ka Lucio exhaled, his voice grave. “I have seen a prophecy. It speaks of her death… and the rise of a lambana filled with greed and fury.”
A hush fell over the crowd; some could not hold back their sobs.
“But… who is this evil lambana? How could she slay our beloved queen?” a man asked, his voice quivering.
“Asya Lin,” Ka Lucio said. The name echoed like a curse, sending a shiver through all who heard it. “She is the one named in the prophecy — she who will bring darkness, suffering, and chaos to Luminaria.”
“But how? She disappeared long ago, exiled to another land!” a voice cried, disbelief lacing every word.
“She returned from the mud,” Ka Lucio said quietly, “strengthened, determined, gathering followers of her own.”
“We must stop her! We cannot allow her to rule!” a citizen shouted, rage burning in his words.
Ka Lucio shook his head. “You cannot stop her. No one can.”
“We cannot allow such evil to reign over Luminaria, Ka Lucio!”
“All of you would perish if I let you act recklessly,” Ka Lucio warned. “We must wait… for what is destined.”
“Destined?” the crowd murmured.
“Yes. Another prophecy speaks of a child — a lambana who may one day stand against her.”
“But who? Who are her parents?”
“I cannot say. But I can tell you the prophecy,” Ka Lucio said, inhaling deeply.
"The child of snow and light, bearing the sun upon her flesh, shall awaken when shadows feast. Her hands shall wield what ends the darkness… but only when the world whispers her name."
A cold wind swept through the assembly. The future had begun to stir.
