PROLOGUE:
It was a quiet night.
A single oil lamp glowed beside a small bed, its flame swaying gently as the wind brushed the window. Outside, the city slept in peace, unaware of how fragile that peace truly was.
A mother sat beside her son, slowly brushing her fingers through his hair.
"Mother," the boy murmured, his eyes half-closed, "tell me the story again."
She smiled softly.
"The same one?" she asked.
"The greatest one," he said. "The rebellion."
Her smile faded into something solemn.
"Very well," she said.
"Listen carefully."
"Once upon a time," she began,
"long before the world became calm, there existed an age when even the heavens trembled."
The boy turned toward her.
"In those days," she continued,
"humanity was protected by the Hexarchs—six supreme archangels chosen by the heavens themselves."
"They were good, right?" the boy asked.
"They were just," she replied. "And they loved humans dearly."
She paused.
"But among them… there was one who fell."
The lamp flickered.
"He was their leader. A being of authority and brilliance. Yet doubt grew in his heart, and guilt consumed him."
"Guilt?" the boy whispered.
"Yes," she nodded. "For committing the greatest sin."
She lowered her voice.
"He created a demon."
The boy stiffened.
"He twisted a human into something unnatural. That demon then corrupted others. Families fell. Streets followed. Cities drowned in darkness."
She spoke calmly, as though reciting something she had learned long ago.
"Before anyone could stop it, nearly all of humanity had been converted into demons."
"But humans survived," the boy said quickly.
"They did," she smiled. "Because the Hexarchs never abandoned us."
She raised a finger slightly.
"The remaining humans were blessed. They became Heroes, wielders of divine power."
"And they fought the demons?"
"Yes," she said. "And they defeated them."
Her voice softened.
"The demons were destroyed. Humanity was restored—every life returned, every memory preserved. To the world… it was as though nothing had ever happened."
"And the devil?" the boy asked.
Her expression darkened.
"The Hexarchs confronted him," she said.
"They fought to deliver justice."
"But…"
"But he defeated them," she admitted quietly.
The boy's eyes widened.
"Not because the Hexarchs were weak," she added quickly,
"but because the devil was consumed by guilt."
She leaned closer.
"After winning… he refused to continue the battle. He created a portal with his own power and fled, sealing it from the outside."
"No one knows where he went," she continued.
"No one knows what became of him."
She smiled again, warm and reassuring.
"And that," she concluded,
"is why demons no longer exist."
The boy yawned.
"The rebellion is over," he murmured.
"Yes," she whispered, kissing his forehead.
"So sleep peacefully."
The lamp dimmed.
Outside, the bells stopped ringing.
And far beyond the sky—
beyond sealed portals and forgotten truths—
something ancient continued to exist.
CHAPTER 1
Aru Almost Died Because He Overslept
Aruford Lucien almost died.
Not to monsters.
Not to magic.
Not even to training.
He almost died because he overslept and skipped breakfast.
"—I'M LATE—!"
Aru shot out of bed, tripped over his blanket, and slammed face-first into the floor.
"…Ow."
He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
His name was Aruford Lucien—long, formal, and rarely used. Everyone called him Aru, and at some point, he stopped correcting them.
Groaning, Aru pulled himself up and rushed out the door, half-dressed and completely unprepared for the day.
◇
The Adventurers' Guild of Belpheria was already loud.
Shouting. Laughing. Complaining. Someone was arguing about reward cuts while someone else was being dragged out for starting a bar fight before noon.
Aru slipped inside quietly.
"Late again," a dry voice said.
Aru winced.
Rexil leaned against the quest board, arms crossed. His daggers rested openly at his waist, flames occasionally flickering along their edges before vanishing into misty steam.
"You know," Rexil continued, "most people die because of monsters. You'll die because of bad time management."
"Good morning to you too," Aru muttered.
"Barely," Rexil replied.
A loud CRASH followed.
"WHO PUT THIS TABLE HERE?!"
Feron stood up from the remains of a shattered bench, muscles flexed, eyes blazing with excitement rather than embarrassment.
"I swear it attacked me first!"
"It was a table," Mirelle said calmly, setting down her staff. "It has been in the same place for three years."
"Well, it shouldn't be," Feron declared.
Mirelle sighed and cast a gentle healing spell—on the floor.
"Sit down before you break something else."
Feron pouted but obeyed.
Aru relaxed.
This was normal.
Their guild was called Demon Hunters, despite the fact that demons hadn't existed for centuries.
Rexil once said the name sounded cool. Feron agreed immediately. Mirelle didn't care.
Aru just went along with it.
◇
Their quest was simple.
Clear low-rank monsters from a forest trail. Escort a merchant caravan. Nothing dangerous.
"Easy job," Feron said, cracking his knuckles. "I'll handle the front."
"You handle everything with punching," Rexil replied. "Try not to vaporize the road."
"No promises."
Mirelle glanced at Aru. "You okay?"
Aru nodded. "Yeah."
That was a lie, but a small one.
As always, his element felt… strange.
Void wasn't like fire or water. It didn't answer naturally. It didn't resonate. It just existed, silent and heavy, like something that didn't belong.
Most people couldn't even sense it.
Hero Academies certainly couldn't.
Every time Aru tried to enter one, he felt unbearably sleepy and got escorted out.
"Talentless," they called him.
Aru didn't argue.
◇
The monsters appeared quickly—oversized beasts, claws and fangs bared.
Feron charged in with a roar, flames and wind exploding outward.
Rexil vanished, reappearing behind enemies in bursts of steam and fire.
Mirelle stayed back, healing wounds before they could fully form.
Aru stood near the rear.
One beast slipped past.
Too fast.
Too close.
"…Crap."
Instinct moved before thought.
The ground beneath the monster vanished.
Not exploded.
Not shattered.
Gone.
A small section of forest collapsed inward, swallowed by a silent darkness that closed just as quickly.
The beast disappeared with it.
Silence.
Rexil blinked. "Huh."
"Did the ground collapse?" Feron asked.
Mirelle tilted her head. "Strange. Natural erosion, maybe."
Aru swallowed and stepped back.
"Yeah," he said quickly. "Lucky."
No one questioned it.
They never did.
◇
The quest ended successfully.
The reward was average. Feron complained. Rexil negotiated for more. Mirelle accepted quietly.
Aru stared at his hands.
VOID EATER, he thought.
Absorbing a forest fragment was nothing.
Weak.
Tiny.
Still… it scared him.
High above Belpheria, the sky shimmered for the briefest moment.
No one noticed.
And Aru went home thinking tomorrow would be just another normal day.