Today was a historical day for the kingdom. 

 

It was not a time for celebration. Instead it was a day of mourning. 

 

Mourning for the loss of the greatest hero they had ever known. 

The man whose existence in their world was on the level of a god. 

 

People lined the streets.  

 

Everyone. 

From nobles and royalty itself, down to the peasants and the homeless. 

 

Even the poorest of towns gathered together. Offering up small things of little value in order to make an offering unto the Goddess. 

 

A young boy dressed in rags led a sobbing little girl by the hand. 

The little girl placed a dirty stuffed rabbit with the rest of the offerings and looked up at her brother. 

 

He took her hand again as she tried not to cry. 

 

“I promised I would return it to him… But now he’s gone…. Please bring the Hero back Goddess…” 

 

The poor villages cried together, echoing her plea. 

 

“Please bring the Hero back Goddess!”

 

Behind the offering table was the entire village. Kneeling on the dirt ground they bowed in respect. Praying that everything would be alright.

 

Hoping that their efforts would convince the Goddess to grant mercy upon his soul and allow the Hero to be granted new life. 

 

. 

 

For years their world had been in an apocalypse. 

 

Day by day the separation of species and races faded away as incomprehensible unknown forces destroyed every creature in its path. Eating away at their world and destroying energy and magic itself. 

 

To survive this threat the people of this world had to give up their pride and establish a unified force to fight against the unknown. 

 

But it was useless. 

 

By the time they were fearful enough to throw away their pride those things had already taken away their main forces. Their strongest warriors, mages with the most magic potential, generals with a history of ending wars were all long gone and dead for the most part. 

The citizens were fearful and cowardly. No one could be trusted and people would sooner sell themselves as slaves than die a lonely death on the streets where no one would help no matter how loud they screamed. 

 

.

 

‘To fight something outside of our understanding we need another force that is not from our world’ 

 

This was the thought of a grand sorcerer from what was once the empire. 

 

Unfortunately, the empire would not stand for it. 

 

“The people are dying as we speak. Bodies line the streets just beyond this capital. You wish to fight the unknown with even more beings capable of things beyond our understanding? Beings outside of our control?”

 

The Grand Sorcerer was written off as a fool. 

 

At that point in time it was a much smaller threat. 

In order to prevent the masses from panicking even more, the Emperor would not dare to make such a controversial and risky decision.

Even if it was ultimately for the sake of the people, he still would not take that risk. 

 

The Grand Sorcerer was a good man who wanted the best for the people. Unfortunately, there was no one to support him and his research. Seeing that no one would even give it a chance he left the empire and struggled to survive alone for multiple years. Slowly working towards his goal of saving the world. 

 

He watched everything fall apart around him, including the remnants of the empire. Putting all his hopes for the future on the success of the summoning, he worked desperately. 

When he belonged to the empire he had maintained a youthful image. After so many years of struggle and defeat he now had the appearance of a very tired old man. 

After so long, he truly was very tired. 

 

He picked up his weary body time and time again to make an attempt at summoning magic.

Their world was on its last legs when the summoning finally worked.