End of the Chaos Era, Year 990
A warm wind weakly wafted over the cracked ground.
The gray sky stretched endlessly above. And in the midst of it all —
a sun blackened.
It was neither an eclipse nor an illusion.
It was the sun that had died.
As Sheena observed her surroundings, dark shadows began to creep into her mind, like a shroud of despair covering every glimmer of hope. The whispers of the wind carried messages from a faded past, intensifying the deep longing for a life that was lost. Each breath felt heavy, as if every exhalation reminded her of the dark secrets that remained unspoken.
With a heavy breath, Sheena opened her eyes.
Her body trembled. Around her, corpses lay stretched out like a silent ocean.
Not one. Not a hundred.
Millions, akin to the dark secrets buried in memory.
"Where... am I now?" she whispered, her voice barely audible to the world that had turned to stone. In the chilling silence, her mind struggled with shifting shadows; fleeting moments of joy that seemed unforgettable, even amidst this darkness.
Sheena tried to stand. Her left leg was bleeding, punctured by a broken spear fragment.
Her steps were unsteady. Each movement tore at the wounds on her body, but the pain had become an old friend.
Within her — a small life that had yet to be born.
It was the only reason she held on.
Sheena's attention was drawn to the dark clouds moving slowly overhead. Occasionally, flashes of light appeared in the distance, like faint and unreachable hopes. With every step, she seemed to stake her life on the altar of suffering, as if there were nowhere else to go.
"Even the sun has turned black..." she murmured softly.
In this shattered land, even time felt as though it had come to a halt.
With a vacant stare, Sheena walked through that field of death.
Without fear. Without pity.
This was not a nightmare.
This is reality.
Each passing second pulled Sheena deeper into the abyss of despair. She began to feel empty, as if her body were merely a shell of what once was. Amidst these sorrowful ruins, hope seemed like an illusion lost in the darkness.
"The sun sleeps peacefully," she whispered again.
For almost a full day, Sheena wandered aimlessly.
Vultures followed her, waiting for the moment her body would collapse as their meal. In her staggering steps, shadows of fear began to creep into her mind, like a thick fog obscuring the light of hope, reminding her of the unending journey; as if the world were a labyrinth without exits, poised to haunt her.
"I... am so tired."
As her consciousness began to fade, the sound of a horse echoed from a distance.
The rhythmic thundering broke the silence of the dead world. Amid her anxiety, her heartbeat trembled, clashing with the rumble of hope and fear. Who was approaching? A friend or a foe? All of it tore at her soul in the hollow solitude.
Fitran...?
The name slipped from her lips.
Before darkness consumed her. It was as if behind that black curtain, she felt the presence of a warmth long lost. Memories of a sincere smile flooded her mind, like the flickering light of a candle in the thick darkness.
When Sheena opened her eyes, she was greeted by the dim light of a tent. Her head felt heavy, pain piercing through like needles. Around her, the scent of damp earth and animal droppings filled the air, giving the impression of a place long forgotten by time. In that moment, the feeling of loneliness pierced deeper, as if she were trapped in darkness with no hope of returning to better days.
"Ah... you're awake," a soft voice from a woman broke the stillness.
The woman closed her book and helped Sheena sit up, offering her a drink. The water was bitter, tasting like rusty iron, but Sheena swallowed it without complaint. Half awash in consciousness, she stole glances at the woman. There was a faint longing in their gazes, reminiscent of a neglected hope in the dark corridor of life. How much had been lost? How much time had slipped away? All these questions swirled in Sheena's mind, as if she were trying to grasp memories that continued to fade.
"I thought you wouldn't make it," the woman said with a faint smile. "My name is Aphrodhite de Maria."
As if being swept away by an endless current of time, Sheena felt the dark sludge clinging to her soul and mind. The world before her resembled a shadow of darkness filled with the remnants of suffering life. Each second felt painful, a reminder of how fragile she was in this state.
Aphrodhite... de Maria?
Sheena fell silent. That name echoed strongly in her memory.
The first lady knight. A legend. A saint.
The dim light filtering through the cracks of the tent seemed to reflect the sadness enveloping this moment, intensifying the burden that weighed heavily on her heart and mind. Memories of the past haunted her, and Sheena's spirit rebelled against this new, painful reality, struggling to confront the shadows that seemed unwilling to disappear.
So...
I have been thrown back to the past.
More precisely, to the end of the Era of Chaos.
"I... Sheena," she said softly.
But she quickly halted her words. You are Sheena Fate now.
"Sorry. My name is Sheena Fate."
Her heart trembled, caught between reality and imagination, between memories and what must be accepted. The feeling of alienation began to bind her, as if she were not a part of the flow of time. It seemed there was no place for her here, amidst the destruction that surrounded her.
Aphrodhite's eyes widened.
"You... you're not joking, are you?"
The expression on the woman's face sparked a glimmer of hope in Sheena's heart, but that hope was quickly overwhelmed by the uncertainty that loomed. Facing the destiny that awaited her was the most terrifying thing she had ever imagined. She had to understand that this was not merely a journey, but a catastrophe that would change everything.
"Of course not," Sheena replied, confusion evident in her bewilderment at the woman's reaction.
"You carry the name Fate. That... is very important."
Aphrodhite rose hastily. "Wait here."
Outside the tent, the whistling wind bore both hope and fear, creating a dark shadow that made Sheena shiver. It felt like this world was not her own; like a page torn from a history book filled with suffering and ruin. Each breath felt heavy, as if every particle of air she inhaled carried the weight of the cries of people lost in the embrace of time.
Not long after, four figures entered the tent.
Sheena immediately recognized them.
Saint Cosmo Jocasta, Saint Erina Creon, Saint Crystal Aristaues, and Saint Sofia el Gaia.
The Four Pillars of the Saints who would eventually be recorded in history as the saviors of what remains of humanity.
Behind their piercing gazes, Sheena felt a tormenting emptiness. They were like lost souls, struggling amidst the ruins of civilization. In this moment, it seemed that every breath could resurrect memories that were best left untouched.
"Is your name Sheena Fate?" Cosmo asked.
"Yes."
It was a simple question, yet it carried with it a sense of hope and disappointment. It was as if they were searching for something in that name, digging through the rubble of life. "It seems... she doesn't know what her name means," Erina murmured, glancing at Sofia.
When her gaze met Sofia's, her soul wanted to scream. Why was everything—both good and bad—so confusing? Crystal stared intently. "Where do you come from?"
Sheena bit her lip. "I... don't know."
Her heart raced, caught between unexpressed truths and a reality that could destroy everything. As this world stood on the brink of ruin, every word spoken could become a curse.
Sofia approached, her gentle smile illuminating her face, yet a shadow of tension lingered, impossible to ignore behind her friendly demeanor. The atmosphere around them was filled with debris, resembling mounds of memories from a lost world, adding to the somberness that enveloped them. With that same soft smile, she patted Sheena's shoulder. The scent of damp earth mingled with the smell of rusted metal, serving as a stark reminder of the chaos that had transpired.
"Please... don't lie."
"Relax. We're not interrogating you. It's just a regular conversation."
Sofia continued, "You're not alone here. Everyone carries their own burdens." Her voice was barely audible over the whispering wind that stirred shards of glass and metal. Sheena felt as if hidden eyes were watching them from the shadows.
"After all, from your articulate and authoritative way of speaking... it's clear you're not an uneducated woman, possessing knowledge that might run deeper than what appears."
Sheena took a deep breath. A sense of alienation and loneliness crept into her mind, enveloping her already fractured heart. Sofia el Gaia. The saint renowned for her ability to read a person's character.
Her heart raced, struggling to contain the growing unease. I have to be very careful.
And outside the tent, beneath the inky sky, the wheel of fate began to turn.
The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, seemingly mirroring the darkness within Sheena's heart, as the burdens of her past and future weighed heavily, intimidating every breath she took. What Sheena brought to the past was not just her body and her child, but also a profound sorrow that seemed to cling to every step she took.
Not only her body and child.
But also the secrets of the future that would determine the life and death of many souls.
The thoughts of what she had left behind became increasingly terrifying; the shadow of lost lives and the choices yet to be made danced in her mind, leaving a deep imprint, as if she could feel the despair of hundreds of souls lurking behind each decision she faced, waiting to see the outcome of the path she chose.