Long before the name "Aetheria" became known as a mighty kingdom with millions of soldiers and the deadliest war power in the universe, the land was nothing but a cursed valley.
An Eternal Battlefield.
Elves, Giants, Dwarves, and Humans waged endless war, fighting over territory and resources, with blood as their currency.
The Aether Valley was no land of life.
It was the "Grave of Giants," a dark valley filled with ruins, bones, and centuries of vengeance.
Within the endless tide of battle, a child was born. His name is Celdric.
His mother, is the last surviving battle-mage elf, and his father, a human warrior who lived by the edge of his blade.
From an early age, Celdric learned to survive.
His mother taught him basic survival spells, while his father taught him to fight.
But beyond all this, Celdric possessed something no other race had.
The God Blessed Eyes And Unlimited Mana.
His mana is more bigger than the elves and his green eyes could see the flow of mana, trace power, and detect what was hidden. from the ordinary world.
His mother called it a curse.
His father called it a gift.
When Celdric turned eighteen, war finally claimed everything.
The small village where they hid was razed by the inter-racial wars.
He found his mother burned among the ruins of their home.
His father had fallen on the frontlines, his sword shattered by the hands of giants.
But in the Aether Valley, there was no time for mourning.
With a sword in hand and magic still unrefined, Celdric realized a bitter truth :
This war was not just about land.
"There is another power being fought over."
Years passed.
Celdric fought in hundreds of battles.
By the age of twenty-five, he had risen as the leader of the human armies.
Yet, even that experience was not enough.
In a great war against the giants, more than ten thousand human soldiers dies.
"Retreat!" Celdric commanded, jaw clenched, eyes brimming with tears.
That evening, a storm swallowed the Aether Valley.
Lightning struck relentlessly as he and his troops took shelter in a cave in the southern reaches, a place they had never known.
Celdric halted upon entering the cave.
"Something is wrong…" he murmured.
His eyes caught something beyond the rubble and shadows.
An Ancient Temple.
At its center, a spear was embedded in stone.
Nearby lay an aged crown, almost fused with dust.
The soldiers approached cautiously.
One by one, they tried to pull the spear from its resting place.
None succeeded.
Then, one soldier dared to grab the crown.
Instantly, his body withered, aged to fragility in seconds, then collapsed silently.
"My king…" another soldier whispered, voice trembling,
"this… this is not ordinary objects. It belongs to the gods."
Celdric nodded slowly.
"Yes. I can see it," he said.
"This artifact demands mana beyond mortal limits. You will die if you try to touch it."
He gazed at the relic, mind filled with questions.
"Who made this…?"
"And why they leave it in here?"
Celdric took a deep breath.
"Retreat. All of you."
He stepped forward alone.
His hand gripped the spear.
In that instant, lightning filled the cave.
The ground trembled.
The storm outside roared as if answering an ancient call.
Celdric summoned all the power he possessed.
And the spear… was freed.
The crown among the rubble began to tremble, lifted, and floated toward him.
Light enveloped Celdric's body.
His form transformed.
The shattered armour he wore became the golden armour, radiating unmatched power.
Mana surged through his veins.
Lightning danced along the tip of the spear in his hand.
Months later, the conquest began.
One by one, kingdoms fell.
The defeated who surrendered were not slaughtered—they were united under his strength and rule.
Years passed.
Above the valley that was once dark and dead, a majestic kingdom stood.
Aetheria.
Golden palaces rose high.
Verdant forests flourished.
All races lived under a single rule.
War ended.
Famine vanished.
But beneath the peace…
vengeance never dies.
Some still waiting to revenge.
Patiently counting the time.
Waiting for the crown to fall into the wrong hands.
And when that moment comes…
Aetheria will bleed again.