The morning light bathed the grand city of Althra in gold. The once-scarred capital had long since healed from the war a century ago. Gardens now bloomed where battlefields once burned, and the sound of prayer replaced the clamor of swords.
In the heart of the city stood the Great Cathedral of Solaria, its towering spires reaching toward the heavens. The sacred bells rang softly, marking the beginning of another peaceful day.
Inside the cathedral's garden, Lulu walked in silence. Her white robes flowed gently with the breeze, her golden hair catching the sunlight. She looked no different than she had a hundred years ago—still young, still graceful, still radiant.
But beneath that calm beauty lingered a shadow of confusion.
She paused by the fountain, gazing at her reflection in the clear water. Her face was unchanged—untouched by time. The lines that should have appeared with age never came.
"A hundred years…" she whispered. "Why haven't I aged?"
The question had haunted her for decades.
When the Priestess—the Eternal Queen herself—had given Lulu the mysterious sealed box a century ago, she thought it was merely a blessing. She remembered bowing before the Priestess, her heart full of pride and reverence.
But the Queen had vanished soon after the Hero was sent home. No one knew where she went. The palace gates closed for years, and when they opened again, only her words remained—"The world will always need its light."
Lulu had opened the box once, years after that day. Inside, she found a crystal orb with divine energy pulsing faintly within it. When she touched it, the light entered her body, and from that day forward, her time seemed to stop.
It was a miracle—and a curse.
She sighed softly and turned away from the fountain.
---
Inside the cathedral, rows of young priestesses knelt in prayer. The sound of their voices filled the vast hall, blending into a serene melody that echoed through the marble pillars.
Lulu entered, her steps quiet but commanding respect. The young priestesses looked up as she passed—some bowed deeply, others smiled nervously.
"Continue your prayers," she said gently. "The Goddess hears every word."
She moved to the front of the hall, where an altar stood carved from silver and marble. The golden sigil of the Goddess gleamed upon it. Lulu knelt and began her own prayer.
For years, she had guided others to the light, training priestesses, healing the sick, and blessing the crops that sustained the kingdom. Under her care, the Church of Solaria flourished like never before.
But even as peace thrived, Lulu's heart remained restless.
She knew the cycle. She had seen it written across the ages.
Every hundred years, the Demon King would return.
And when that time came, the Queen—the same eternal priestess who had once ruled the kingdom—would summon another hero from another world.
But this time… the Queen had not appeared.
---
That night, Lulu stood upon the balcony of her chambers, watching the moon rise above the city. The air was calm, the streets below filled with the laughter of families and the soft hum of music from taverns.
It was peaceful—too peaceful.
"I can feel it," she whispered. "The silence before the storm."
Her mind drifted to the archives she had studied in secret. The forbidden texts of the old world, locked away beneath the cathedral. Ancient scrolls written in languages older than the kingdom itself.
In those scrolls, she had found mention of something even more terrifying than the Demon King—the Ten Gods of Chaos.
Their names were erased from history, their existence buried under the lies of kings and priests. But their influence lingered like a shadow over creation.
It was said they were born before the world itself, beings of pure disorder who had once ruled the void before the first light appeared. When the Goddess of Order forged the world, the Ten were sealed away beyond reality.
But not destroyed.
Lulu's fingers tightened on the balcony rail. "Ten gods of chaos… if they ever awaken, not even the Queen's power would be enough."
She turned her eyes toward the distant mountains, where the horizon faded into mist.
She could almost feel something stirring there—an ancient, cold presence watching from the edge of the world.
A faint whisper brushed against her ear. It was gone as quickly as it came, but it left her heart racing.
---
"High Priestess Lulu?"
A voice pulled her from her thoughts.
She turned to see Sera, one of the younger priestesses, standing at the doorway. Her pale blue robes fluttered in the wind.
"Yes, Sera?"
Sera hesitated before stepping forward. "The new acolytes are asking about the old stories again—the ones about the Hero and the Queen. They want to know if they're real."
Lulu smiled faintly. "They are. Every word."
Sera's eyes lit up. "Did you… know them?"
Lulu nodded slowly. "Once. A long time ago."
"Then the Queen… she's still alive?"
Lulu looked out at the moon again. "Some say she is. Others say she became one with the light."
Sera bowed. "Thank you, my lady." She turned to leave, but paused at the door. "High Priestess… do you ever think the Demon King will return?"
Lulu's expression softened. "Peace is only ever borrowed, child. One day, it must be returned."
Sera lowered her head and left.
Lulu stood alone once more.
---
She went to her desk and opened the drawer. Inside, wrapped in white silk, was the crystal orb—the same one the Queen had given her. It still glowed faintly, as if breathing.
Whenever Lulu touched it, she could feel a warmth deep within her soul, as though the Queen herself was watching through it.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "Why me?"
The orb pulsed softly in response, as if it could hear her voice.
Perhaps it was a blessing meant to protect her until the next great war. Or perhaps it was something else entirely—something the Queen had foreseen long ago.
Either way, Lulu knew she could not escape her fate.
---
The days passed quietly.
The church bells rang at dawn, prayers were sung at dusk, and the people of Althra lived without fear. The kingdom prospered, its peace seemingly eternal.
But beneath the tranquility, Lulu could feel the faint tremor of destiny awakening once again.
Sometimes, in the stillness of the night, she would see faint flashes of shadow beyond the horizon—like the world itself remembering its old scars.
She would pray for guidance, but the Goddess remained silent.
Still, she smiled for her people. She guided her priestesses, taught the young, and healed the sick.
The world believed the age of heroes and demons had long passed.
But Lulu knew better.
She had lived too long, seen too much. Peace was never eternal—it was merely the pause before the next storm.
And so, as the sun set over the tranquil city, Lulu closed her eyes and whispered a quiet prayer.
"For as long as light remains, I will guard this world."
The wind carried her words away, across the kingdom, over the mountains, and into the shadows beyond.
And though the day ended in peace, far in the unseen corners of creation, something ancient stirred—something vast and dark.
But for now…
The world still slept.