Prologue - The day the Last Kingdom fell…

Prince Somnus stood in front of the large portrait. Towering over him was the picture of Vandernia’s savior and hero - a young man with jet black hair that stops before his shoulders. The portrait displayed the back view of this hero, putting his face out of sight but his silhouette was no less valiant than any other statues of the many Gods that Vandernia’s people believed in. The Prince was near the bottom right of the lofty portrait, at the calves of the young man. He had one of his palms placed gently on the glass sheet that protects the canvas beyond and his face displayed a tender smile.

“I’ll be back…” Prince Somnus whispered.

The corking of rifles resonated across the empty chamber in which the portrait sat in the center. Despite the interruption, Prince Somnus did not avert his focus from the back of Vandernia’s hero. In the next moment, a shower of rounds was shot towards the prince. Smoke, built up from the heat, permeated the chamber, leaving the visibility level at its lowest; neither the prince nor his corpse was visible from where the attackers stood. The smog started to dissipate after a short while, and the attackers waited in anticipation of Somnus’s body on the ground, but there was no body…

When they looked up, through the thin layer of smoke that remained, they saw Somnus standing where he was before the attack. That was not all that surprised them, the rounds that left their barrels did not make it to Somnus - instead, they were hovering in the air as if stopped by an invisible barrier - one that engulfed Prince Somnus and the portait hanging from the ceiling of the chamber.

“What…” One of the attacks standing in front barely breathed out as he was shot by a returned round. Simultaneously, the rounds were shot back, in the opposite direction of Somnus, towards the attackers; aiming at each and every one of them without wasting a single shot. The first row fell, followed by the second. By the time the attackers in the third row started to flee, half of them were shot down. Still, the bullets chased each and every assailant running in every direction, putting them down. Within a short time, the grounds of the chamber was strewn with corpses of the attackers, dead from their own rounds.

“That’s enough…” The only man left standing said without turning to look at the mess, keeping his eyes to the portrait.

“Yes, my Lord.” A voice echoed from the left of Somnus.

The prince reluctantly pulled his palm away from the glass, reminiscing the touch that became weaker with the withdrawal of his hand. Finally, he clenched his fist, holding it to his chest - the position of where his heart would be. His eyes were closed, as if trying to indulge in this feeling as much as he could.

“My Lord… We should leave now, before more Gatruda reinforcements arrive,” another voice resounded from the right of the prince.

Somnus opened his eyes, mumbled a spell and with a wave of his hands, enclosed the portrait in a pillar of bright white light. When the bright white light vanished, so did the portrait

The prince lifted his hand and touched the invisible portrait in front of him, “I’ll be back… I promise.” With that, he turned and walked along the cleared path that his closest followers had paved for him.

Vandernia was the last Kingdom. A Kingdom is one with a King that affines with the core of a crystal. Vandernia’s King, Somnus’ father, was affined with the Crystal of Lightning and Thunder, which provided them with protection from the magic. Talented beings who are born affined to the crystal will be blessed with its fragment since birth. With the fragment, these beings will be able to wield and harness the power, protecting and benefiting their Kingdom in various ways.

Although it stood against many attacks in the past, Vandernia had succumbed to the same fate the other Kingdoms had. The surrounding Nations had attacked and successfully assassinated the King - the one who held the core of the Crystal. With the passing of the core bearer, Vandernia’s crystal lost its brilliance, and her people lost their bestowed power. Therefore, the soldiers of Vandernia failed to defend their Kingdom and Vandernia fell to the hands of the attacking Nations.

Along with his loyal followers, Somnus escaped Vandernia, to go in search for the lost Crystal of the Blood - the Crystal that had once saved Vandernia when it was brought there by a young wanderer, the one who became Vandernia’s savior 200 years ago…

To begin the search for the Crystal, he decided to proceed towards the Mercenary Institute of Gardeqroud - a school that takes in talented young people, trains them to excel in various fields of magic and combat and sends them out on missions for various Nations & factions. Somnus knew the Head of the Institute, Hocrus. Hocrus had taught him combat skills when he passed by Vandernia many years ago.

Somnus’ journey starts from here…