In the past, I was a boy named Yuto Aizawa. I lived in a peaceful town called Alzurgh—until a group known as the Abyss Order invaded and wreaked havoc. I remember the banging on our front door and the fear in my parents' eyes. "Run to the woods," my father said urgently. "Don't stop until you reach the next town." That was the last time I saw them. After fleeing, I eventually met up with my grandfather, a wise man named Waizu Yoshikiwa. Eleven years have passed since that day. I now live in the town of Ovalar with the other survivors. Waizu serves as my guardian, protecting and caring for me whenever I need it most. One day, he invited me to help him sell berries at his shop. After thirty minutes, we had sold everything. I was getting ready to head home when Waizu stopped me. "Yuto, could you guard the shop while I go gather more berries for tomorrow?" he asked. I hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah... fine." As he disappeared into the woods, I noticed something strange—a glowing red light deep within the forest. Curiosity got the better of me. I ran toward it and discovered a cave. The glowing light floated ahead, slipping inside. I followed it deeper and deeper underground until the stairs abruptly ended. At the center of the chamber stood a pedestal with a ring floating above it. "Is this really what I think it is?" I whispered. I thought all the artifacts had been taken by the Abyss Order. I need to hide this, I thought. I can't let it fall into the wrong hands. For a split second, my vision flashed back to the destruction of Alzurgh. As I reached for the ring, the red light floated inches from my face. I screamed in fear—and when I looked down, the ring was already on my finger. Nothing happened. Heart pounding, I ran back to the shop and waited for Waizu to return. But when I arrived, he was already there. "Yuto! Where did you go?" he demanded. "I was worried—you were gone for an hour!" "An hour?" I snapped. "I was only gone for ten minutes!" He raised his voice, clearly upset. I could tell he was just worried about me, but I lashed out anyway. "You're not my father!" I yelled. "You don't tell me what to do! Just leave me alone! I hate you!" Waizu and the villagers stared at me in stunned silence.

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