**Long ago, all beings lived driven by their desires. Some came to understand the true nature of this world; others ignored it. Thought always began with a cause—and in most cases, that cause was fear.
But why fear?
With most people ignorant of the origin of this world, every living creature recognized the inevitable end awaiting them. They called it the Bringer of the End. This truth was so clear that even the smallest child knew: the destined day when the Bringer would be born was unavoidable.
Some called him the King of the End, others the Night of Doom—the name varied across cultures. But one name was etched in every being's mind, without error: the White Raven.
As each day drew closer to the birth of that raven, the world fell deeper into corruption, as if regressing to primal instincts. Fear, anger, sorrow, despair, madness—all these emotions rose as that fated day neared.
The wise foretold that seventeen years would pass from the raven's birth to the End. And ten years before that birth, a war ignited between humans and jinn: sparked when Tora—a soldier and a chief among the First King's jinn army—stole a sacred sword. His act ignited the greatest war ever recorded between humans and jinn. There was no clear reason, and no hope for resolution.
Though the First King could have ended it swiftly, he merely watched for ten years.
The year of the raven's birth began—and chaos enveloped the world, all awaiting the arrival of that ominous White Raven.
---
In Ghawa village, near York, the jinn had made their stronghold. Humans under forty were enslaved; those older were killed or used for entertainment and gratification. Their lives had no value. Those who enslaved them were not driven by hatred or contempt, but by a desire for pleasure—as though humans were nothing but beasts following their impulses. It was a society stripped of morality, crimes devoid of humanity.
In front of the jinn's main headquarters, Hero sat alone in a metal cage, waiting out the day, his sword taken, hunger his only companion. His tattered clothing barely concealed his thin frame. Yet despite it all, there was no sign of despair. He sat calmly, like a man waiting at a café for his tea, eyes fixed on a young girl carrying a large bucket of water—too big for her to manage—making her way toward a mighty flame in the village center. She poured the water onto the fire, with no effect, then rushed back to the lake for more. Her sky-blue dyed hair veiled her determined eyes.
Hero watched her like one watches a beloved team battle an overwhelmingly strong opponent, hoping they prevail.
A girl appeared before the cage, dressed in a sleek black suit with shiny yellow hair covering her right eye. A hat and round glasses gave her an air of mystery. She smiled lightly.
"I can't believe it turned out the way I thought. Are you okay?"
Hero lifted his gaze.
"My head's still on my shoulders, so yeah—still okay. But I don't think it'll last much longer."
She glanced at the girl fighting the fire.
"Execution… what chaotic justice is this? When did we fall so far from morals? But seriously, how did you end up here so fast?"
He pointed at the girl by the fire.
"Because of her."
The newcomer was surprised.
"That girl?! What happened?"
"Well… I'm still trying to figure that out. But we'll see when I arrived this morning."
...
---
A few hours earlier—near the First King's army base, outside Leo, near Ghawa.
Hero sought a wagon heading to Ghawa to reach a jinn outpost. He knew it was nearly impossible for a human to get in, but he tried anyway.
People avoided him like he was cursed. Then a girl in black, with a black hat and round glasses, yellow hair covering her right eye and a vivid blue left eye, approached him. She tapped his shoulder like an old friend.
"Yo, looks like you're having trouble. Need help?"
Hero was suspicious—why would anyone help him?
"Actually, yeah. I need a wagon to Ghawa, but no one will talk to me."
The girl sighed, unsurprised.
"Because of those horns, right? But isn't it odd? I've never seen an Akani walking around like this. You okay?"
Hero was stunned: she recognized him.
"I'm not an Akani—I'm a jinn. That's why people fear me."
She raised an eyebrow.
"How can you be a jinn without wings? This seems like a joke."
He explained: born a jinn but without wings, with horns like Akani.
She laughed.
"A special case, huh? I'm special too—I have no heart."
He frowned, used to such sarcasm.
She said, serious:
"I believe you. Everyone has their own circumstances."
Hero was surprised by her trust.
"Well… thanks. I'm heading to Ghawa. Want to join?"
He paused, then nodded.
"If I can, thank you."
She led him to a grand, fortified wagon bearing the First King's army crest, guarded by four soldiers. Hero hesitated; his appearance made him uneasy.
She realized she forgot to introduce herself:
"I'm a courier in the Third Division of the King's army. We're heading to jinn territory—standard procedure."
Hero asked if she was important.
"Not really—just a mail carrier. But letters I carry… they matter."
She offered her name: Wendy. He told her his alias, "Titus," but she mocked him as unfit. He admitted it wasn't his name, and introduced himself properly as Hero. She smiled.
"Now that's a good name. Enjoy the ride, Hero."