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Prologue: The Awakening
Leon: I awoke in an unfamiliar hospital room, disoriented and surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds. It was as if I had surfaced from the depths of a profound slumber. The world I once knew had dissolved into an unrecognizable landscape. My mind swam with confusion and anxiety, and I instinctively reached for the remote to check the news. What unfolded on the screen sent shivers down my spine. The world had metamorphosed in my absence—strange technologies, unfamiliar politics, and a tapestry of mysteries governed this new reality. All that lingered in my memory was the haunting echo of a catastrophic event seven years ago—a cataclysm that had plunged me into an enduring, dreamless sleep.
Leon (Continued): My name is Leon, and today should have been my sixteenth birthday. Yet, the tale I'm about to share transpired on a seemingly ordinary summer day back in 2016.
Leon (Continued): I was born into the Gilbert household, renowned for its lineage of brilliance, in a quaint eastern country. On the cusp of my ninth birthday, tradition dictated that I accompany my father to meet my betrothed, a girl named Eien. I recall thinking her name was peculiar—unique in a way that etched itself into my memory. Our engagement didn't spring from affection but from age-old bonds between our families, crafted through generations of friendship between the founders of Eien's clan and the Gilbert household.
Leon (Continued): As we approached the enigmatic clan, Eien was revealed to me. My first impression painted her as the embodiment of elegance and grace, yet beneath her surface, an intangible allure beckoned. Our initial exchange unveiled the depths of our shared genius. Eien, the sole daughter of her clan, wasn't just intelligent; she radiated brilliance, perhaps even surpassing my own. Despite this unspoken truth, I held my silence, pride locked within.
Leon (Continued): Three days drifted past, and I left, bidding Eien farewell with a heavy heart, returning home beside my father. It marked the dawn of my academic journey as I approached my ninth year. But fate had its own designs, and it chose to unveil them on that very day. The sky morphed into a menacing shade of crimson, thunder resonated like the fury of the gods, and meteorites rained from the heavens, heralding an era of chaos and ruin. As the world crumbled around me, I surrendered to unconsciousness.
BACK TO THE PRESENT: Following my awakening, a woman entered my room, examined me, and departed, her purpose veiled in mystery. Moments later, my father arrived, embracing me with tearful joy. His emotions mirrored my own, and as he held me close, he disclosed that he had pressing matters to attend to. Returning later with a set of clothes, he escorted me home.
Leon (Continued): It wasn't until I crossed the threshold of our home that the staggering truth emerged—this was a reality far removed from my memories. My mother and sister were absent, vanished without a trace. And it wasn't just them; a multitude of souls remained missing, leaving gaping holes in the tapestry of existence. Suddenly, my thoughts veered toward Eien, a name etched into my soul. When I questioned my father, he uttered a chilling revelation: everyone from Eien's clan had vanished, leaving me with an abyss in my heart, a void I could not ignore. I had to find her.