Alaric Wood’s POV
Well, my name was Alaric Wood. I was born into a secluded tribe known as the Wood Elf tribe, a community that rarely ventured beyond the safety of its dense forests.
We lived in harmony with nature, away from the affairs of the world, existing quietly within the embrace of ancient trees.
Our people possessed a unique ability to communicate with trees, nurturing them to grow faster and stronger. We helped nature flourish, ensuring that the forests remained abundant and full of life. But that was all we could do… nothing more.
Unlike other tribes, we lacked extraordinary powers. The High Elves could master the air element, bending the wind to their will. The Wolf tribe could cut through the hardest wood with a single strike, their strength unmatched.
Yet, we—Wood Elves—were merely gardeners in the grand scheme of this empire, tending to the forests like humble caretakers.
Because of this, our tribe’s rank among the others was painfully low. We were looked down upon, considered weak, unremarkable, and of little importance.
Most of our people lacked ambition, content with their simple lives, growing trees and nurturing the land.
I was one of them.
For as long as I could remember, I had no desires beyond the trees. No dreams beyond tending the land. No passions beyond the quiet, peaceful existence I had always known.
That was until everything changed in a single, horrifying moment.
A monstrous roar shattered the tranquillity of our village, the kind of sound that sent a cold, paralyzing fear deep into the bones of everyone who heard it.
“Arrrhh!!”
A high-level monster stormed into our village, its massive form tearing through everything in its path. Screams erupted all around me as panic spread like wildfire, drowning out the usual peaceful hum of nature.
“Someone, please! Help us!” a voice shrieked in terror.
“Call the soldiers! Where are the High Elves?!” another shouted in desperation.
People ran in all directions, but it was useless. No one dared to fight the beast. No one had the strength to stand against it.
My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I clutched onto my mother’s trembling arm. My entire body felt frozen with fear, my mind refusing to process the horror unfolding before me.
“M-Mom, it’s so scary…” I whispered, my voice shaking as I watched in horror.
My friends… the people I had known since childhood… were being ripped apart like fragile dolls, their cries of agony piercing the air.
My parents, too, were paralyzed with fear, their hands gripping mine tightly. They had no weapons.
No way to defend themselves… They were just like me—helpless.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Our tribe had never been attacked before. Monsters rarely came this far into the forest.
The soldiers of the High Elves were supposed to keep us safe, killing any threats before they could reach us.
But today… no one came.
The monster rampaged through our village, crushing wooden houses beneath its claws like they were made of paper.
And then—
Boom!
With a deafening crash, our home was torn apart, the walls shattering into pieces. I barely had time to react before an enormous, clawed hand forced its way inside, searching… hunting.
Scrraaacchhh.
Stattttannkkk.
Everything around me collapsed into chaos as the creature’s monstrous hand swung wildly, knocking over furniture, and breaking everything it touched. My family and I pressed ourselves into the farthest corner of the room, our breaths ragged and desperate, our bodies shaking in terror.
Hoping… Praying!
Wishing that someone—anyone—would come to save us.
“D-Daddy…” I choked out, my voice barely a whisper as I watched the enormous claws inch closer, scraping against the wooden floor.
My father trembled but forced a weak smile, his hand resting on my head with a gentleness that made my heart ache.
“My son… you must be brave,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he kissed my forehead. Then, he turned to my mother, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips before pulling away with a sorrowful look.
Without another word, he crawled away from us, moving carefully toward the destroyed entrance. I didn’t understand what he was doing. My breath hitched as I watched him step out into the open, standing right in front of the monster.
“Hey! Over here, you ugly beast!” he shouted, waving his arms before taking off in a desperate sprint.
“D-Dad?” My eyes widened in pure horror as I realized what was happening.
The monster’s claws retracted from the house, its massive head turning toward my father.
And then—
Thuucckk!
In the blink of an eye, it struck. A single, powerful slash and my father’s body was torn into pieces before he could even scream.
“Nooo!!” My mother’s scream shattered the air, her hands clutching her chest as tears streamed down her face.
My entire world blurred. I could hear nothing but the pounding in my head, the sound of my own ragged breathing.
My father was gone.
Just like that?
My heart which had been silent suddenly skipped a beat… the blood, the beast… My father… everything felt so unreal, something inside me cracked… I didn’t know why… but I felt slightly… amused?
As if something inside me woke up?
The monster slowly turned its gaze back to us, its dark, soulless eyes locking onto me. A cold, numbing fear ran through my veins, my body frozen in place.
“M-Mom…” My voice was barely a whisper as I clung onto her. She wrapped her arms around me tightly, shielding me as if her embrace alone could keep the monster away.
And then—
Thuck!
An arrow sliced through the air, striking the monster’s skull with precise, lethal accuracy.
The beast let out a guttural sound before collapsing to the ground like a lifeless puppet. Silence followed.
The chaos, the destruction, the horror… all of it was replaced by an eerie stillness.
I stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Slowly, people emerged from their hiding places, stepping onto the bloodstained streets. The bodies of our loved ones lay motionless, their lifeless eyes staring at the sky. Grief spread like a plague, sobs and wails filling the air as reality settled in.
I could barely process my own pain when—
Thud.
A figure landed atop the monster’s lifeless body, her silver hair flowing behind her as she looked around with sorrowful eyes.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, but the sadness in her gaze made her seem almost untouchable. She took a slow, painful breath before whispering, “I should have come faster…” Her voice was laced with guilt, her expression filled with regret.
Who was she?
I barely had time to think when another group arrived. The King of the High Elves, Kaelith, and the Queen, Maelona, entered the scene, accompanied by soldiers and the medical team. They had come to help—but it was too late.
Our tribe elder, his face red with grief and fury, stepped forward. His voice was filled with unrestrained anger as he accused them of failing us, of breaking their sworn duty to protect us.
And as I looked around—at the blood, the bodies, the destruction—I realized that everyone felt the same.
They had sworn to protect us.
And yet, here we were, surrounded by death.
While everyone around me shouted, demanded answers, and expressed their fury, my eyes remained fixed on a single figure.
I couldn’t look away from the silver-haired girl standing beside the King and Queen.
Even amidst the tragedy, even with the weight of my father’s death crushing down on me, she was the only thing I could see.
Why?
I really didn’t understand.
“Hey… isn’t that the Princess? It’s rare to see her out in public,” someone whispered among the crowd.
The word “Princess” echoed in my mind, and I felt a jolt of surprise.
She… is a princess?
I stared at her again, watching as she lowered her head, her expression filled with sorrow. There was something about the way she stood there as if she blamed herself for everything. It was… adorable?
No, she was really cute!
The way she carried herself, the way she avoided everyone’s eyes, her sorrowful and guilty face—it was cute.
Too cute!
And even after that day, when things slowly returned to normal, when the people of our tribe were granted extra protection when life resumed as it once was… I still couldn’t forget her face.
No matter how hard I tried, the image of her sad expression remained etched into my mind.
Her sorrowful face… was kind of cute!!
I wanted to see it again!
From that moment on, I realized something. Living my life as I had before, staying weak, remaining the same—I knew that would only lead me down the same path as my father. If I didn’t change, if I didn’t become stronger, then one day, I would die just like he did.
And I refused to let that happen.
So, from that day forward, I devoted myself to training.
I wasn’t the only one. Everyone in the tribe came to the same painful realization. If we remained weak, we would always be at the mercy of others. We had no choice but to push our bodies, to train harder than we ever had before.
But soon, we were faced with a cruel truth.
“It’s not working… huff-huff!” one of my training partners gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
“Yeah… no matter what we do, we’re not getting stronger,” another muttered, frustration lacing his voice.
“It’s hopeless… looks like we were destined to rely on others for protection,” someone else admitted with a bitter chuckle.
I clenched my fists, my body aching, my breath ragged. I hated to admit it, but they were right.
No matter how hard we trained, no matter how much effort we put in, our bodies simply weren’t suited for this. Pain and exhaustion were all we gained from our efforts. It felt as though we were fighting against something greater than ourselves as if fate itself had decided our limits long before we were born.
One by one, people gave up. They returned to their old lives, to the safety of farming, to the comfort of what they knew.
But I didn’t.
I kept going. I trained harder.
“My dear… I’m proud of you,” my mother said one evening, her voice thick with emotion as she gently held my bruised and battered hands. “I know you’re doing this for your father… but you need to understand. This is our limit. We can’t push ourselves beyond what we are.”
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. I was all she had left. Of course, she didn’t want to see me suffer.
But she was wrong about something.
I wasn’t doing this for my father.
Nah! My father died because he was weak.
That was the truth!
He shouldn’t have tried to hero to save us when he was weak!
Anyway,
I was training for one reason alone.
I wanted to see her again.
Aria.
Her face, filled with sorrow and regret, was still burned into my mind. I couldn’t shake the memory of it, no matter how much time passed.
If I could become stronger, if I could surpass my limits, maybe—just maybe—I could become one of her royal guards. I could stand by her side.
I could protect her!
That was why I trained.
People in my tribe called me an idiot… Mother tried to stop me from harming my body… Yet,
I pushed myself, despite the pain, despite the bruises, despite my body screaming for me to stop.
Yet, no matter how much effort I put in, I eventually hit my limit. My body refused to go any further. I wasn’t improving. I wasn’t getting any closer to my goal.
Frustration boiled inside me, a fury so overwhelming that I couldn’t contain it any longer.
Standing atop a mountain, my muscles aching, my breath ragged, I clenched my fists and screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Is this what I get?! After years of training, after pouring everything into this, all I have is a broken, exhausted body?! This is my limit?!”
The wind howled around me, but I didn’t stop.
“I worked harder than anyone! I pushed myself beyond what anyone else dared! And yet… I still can’t stand on equal ground with them?! What kind of bullshit is this?!”
I gritted my teeth, my voice shaking with rage.
“I thought the gods were supposed to give everyone an equal chance! So why—why am I the only one suffering?!”
And then—
A miracle happened.
As if the heavens had heard my cries, as if fate had finally decided to answer me, a brilliant light erupted from my chest.
A radiant glow.
A blinding brilliance.
And before I could even comprehend what was happening—
A rainbow-coloured light descended upon me.