The Empire of Asterion (Capital City).
It's a dark night, lightning flashes in the sky and the wind is blowing as if a huge storm is about to come.
In the large mansion, outside of room a man was standing, his armour still have bloody from morning drills. He was a tall, battle-hardened man—known for breaking enemy lines like a raging tiger . He was Vice-Commander Aran Valenor but right now, he looked like a frightened boy.
A sudden a noise of cry come out through room. It was a baby's cry. Aran listen noise of cry, his body froze and the world around him was stop he doesn't know how react in this situation.
The healer(doctor) slowly stepped out of room, her expression was.... strange, some kind worries in her heart.
"Vice-Commander," she whispered in lower voice, "your wife has given birth to a strong boy."
Aran exhaled in relief.
"But…" she say again in trembling voice, "you must see him yourself."
Aran notice her face expression he entered the room with shaking hands but stay strong.
His wife face was pale and exhausted but she smiled faintly when she see her husband. Boy was lying beside the his wife.
"It's a boy… Aran…" she try to say.
Aran approached the newborn's child that wrapped in silk cloth, he gently lifted child with cloth. He touch child his skin was soft and warm, he was happy and his heart melt seeing his smile but when he saw his son's eyes…
His soul left his body.
They were clouded white, his eyes without pupils or color he was born without the ability to see the world.
A Blind.
"…No," Aran whispered, taking a step back.
"This can't be…" he rejected to believe this.
He ask healer if their is any way to treat him, healer bowed her head.
"Sir, the child's vision never formed. He is blind from birth. Even spiritual healing may not help…"
The mother's eyes filled with fear.
"Aran… what will happen to him? In this world… without sight… how will our son survive?"
Deep inside he could feel his weakness and helplessness. Tears he never shed in battle burned in his eyes.
He was warrior who fought countless battles feared nothing but that man now became father feared everything.
He tried to smile and placing a trembling hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"He will live," Aran say in frim voice. "I swear it. Even if I have to sacrifice everything." his eyes was some hope.
The baby's crying slowly faded.
The newborn turned his head slightly, as if listening.
He was silent—too silent.
Then something strange happened.
The torch flames flickered.
The air shifted.
A faint ripple of spiritual energy moved across the room.
The child's clouded eyes opened wider.
He stared—though he could not see—directly at Aran.
And for a brief moment…
Aran felt as if the baby was looking through him.
A whisper echoed inside the room, soft like wind, ancient like a prophecy:
"Not blind… awakened."
Aran looked around sharply.
No one else reacted.
Had he imagined it?
Before he could think further, the doors of the chamber knock.
Aran order to healer to open door, she opens door.
A soldier knelt in front of door he say with respectfully.
"Vice-Commander! Commander Draven summons you immediately! Urgent imperial order—preparation for a mission!"
Aran swallowed his fear, his questions and his pain.
Duty called.
He gave his wife one last soft look and kissed the child's forehead.
"I'll return soon," he say in soft voice.
"And I'll find a way to give you the light to your eyes that you deserve."
The baby didn't cry he simply listened and silently absorbing every heartbeat in the room.
Aran placed the child gently back into his wife's arms, then turned and left the chamber with soldier.
He did not know about this mission…this Urgent imperial order…would destroy his army, shatter his loyalty, and twist his destiny forever.
Behind him, the child—blind, silent, strangely aware—shifted slightly and faced the window.
Thunder roared again.
And the boy's clouded eyes reflected the flash of lightning.
Though he could not see the world,
the world would soon be forced to see him.
In the Imperial Palace (5th Commander office).
The war drums thundered across over the fortress courtyard of Imperial Palace.
Vice-Commander Aran Vale marched toward the central hall his armor still cold from the storm outside. Soldiers stood in formation stiff as iron statues. No one dared to speak. When Commander Draven called for immediate assembly, it meant only one thing—War. Or something worse.
Aran pushed open the great iron doors.
Inside the office Commander Draven stood in full battle armor like a mountain of a man with a hawk-like gaze and a scar across his jaw from fighting demon beasts. The air around him was heavy filled with killing intent—strong enough to make weaker soldiers tremble.
But today, Draven looked… troubled.
Aran stepped forward and saluting him.
"You summoned me, Commander."
Draven tossed him a scroll sealed with gold.
The Imperial Crest.
Aran's expression hardened.
A direct order from the Emperor was no trivial matter.
"Read," Draven said.
Aran broke the seal and unrolled the scroll.
His eyes narrowed at the message:
___________________
'Forbidden Treasure Detected.'
Location: Nightfall Mountains.
Potential Dragon Relics and High-tier Spiritual Artifacts.
The 5th Army shall investigate and retrieve all items for the Empire.
Failure is unacceptable.'
— Emperor Raizen
__________________
Aran looked up sharply.
"Forbidden treasure? That region is unstable. Rumors claim ancient beasts live there."
Draven nodded solemnly.
"Dragons."
His voice was low. "The Emperor believes the treasure may have ties to them."
A chill ran down Aran's spine, he ask him "You means their Ancestors?"
Draven didn't give him answer about this question.
Dragons were mythical creatures but also they were living disasters.
Aran stepped closer.
"Commander… is this treasure truly worth the risk?"
Draven's eyes hardened like steel.
"This is not for us to decide. This Emperor commands. We should obey without question"
They come out of office and walked to courtyard.
Draven turned toward the gathered soldiers—nearly a thousand elite troops.
"Tomorrow, we march with half our forces. The other half remains to defend the fortress."
Aran frowned.
"Why split our strength? A treasure of this level—"
Draven cut him off.
"Because the Emperor fears open conflict. If we move too many troops, other empires will notice."
Aran understood.
The world was not at peace.
Every move invited suspicion.
Draven placed a heavy hand on Aran's shoulder.
"I need you with me on this mission, brother. I trust you more than anyone here."
Aran's chest tightened.
He thought of his newborn child—blind, fragile, still wrapped in his wife's arms.
He wanted to stay.
To protect him.
To be there when his son needed him most.
But Draven was not just his Commander.
He was his closest friend.
Aran bowed deeply.
"I will stand with you, Commander."
Draven's stern face softened for the first time that day.
"Good. Go prepare your gear. We leave at dawn."
That night, while the soldiers prepared for the mission. In mansion of vise-commander in the room the child lay quietly in his mother's arms.
The storm had passed but the wind outside still howled like a wounded beast.
The baby's clouded eyes opened slowly.
He could not see—but he felt.
He sensed the soldiers marching footsteps and he sensed his mother's irregular heartbeat. On the horizon he sensed the far-off pulse of spiritual energy building.
And he felt something else…
Someone whisper in his ears.
A presence he feel but can't see.
Someone watching him.
"Our fates are bound, little one…"
The baby flinched slightly, but no tears formed.
His mother noticed the movement.
"What's wrong, my son?"
The baby just turned his head toward the window, as though he could sense the outside world, without responding.
A line of silver light flashed across the sky outside of the room.
Not lightning.
Something was moving.
Something powerful.
But no one in the fortress noticed—except the blind child.
Meanwhile, Aran stood on the fortress walls holding a sword in hand and staring into the dark mountains far beyond.
He whispered to the storm clouds:
"I swear… I will find a way to cure my son's eyes. No matter the cost."
He didn't know that the cost had already been decided.
And that tomorrow…
the Nightfall Mountains would bring him face to face with a creature who could change everything:
The ancient dragon Astaroth.