20 years in the past…

The sky bled red as if the heavens had caught fire, casting a hellish glow over the town. A low, unearthly hum pulsed through the streets as the sound of Lumina energy ripped the town apart. Panic spread like wildfire. Women screamed men shouted for loved ones, and children were dragged from their homes as the once-thriving town crumbled into chaos.

Terror gripped the air, thick with smoke and destruction. Buildings cracked and splintered under the force of Red Clan's Lumina blasts. Homes collapsed, sending debris raining down on those still fleeing for safety. Some made for the woods, desperate to escape the carnage, while others cried out in vain for help. Above them, thick plumes of smoke rose into the crimson sky, choking out what little daylight remained.

At the far edge of town, a small boy stirred beneath the wreckage of his home, his body half-buried under the rubble of a fallen beam. In his hand, he clutched a ragged, stuffed animal, his only comfort in a world gone mad. His eyes fluttered open, the acrid smoke stinging his lungs. For a moment, all was silent in his mind—a fleeting sense of calm amidst the chaos.

Then he saw it: the sky, drenched in red as if the heavens themselves had bled. The boy's heart pounded in his chest, a cold fear gripping him. Trembling, he crawled out from the debris, clutching his stuffed animal tighter, his eyes wide with disbelief at the devastation that surrounded him.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him. He looked up, and his breath caught. A Red Clan soldier stood there, his eyes glowing with an unnatural, violent light. The soldier's armor shimmered with the crackling energy of Red Lumina, radiating power. His lips curled into a snarl as he raised his hand, red light flickering like lightning between his fingers.

The boy froze in terror. There was no escape. Nowhere to run.

But before the soldier could unleash the deadly blast, a streak of blue light flashed across the sky. In the blink of an eye, a Blue Clan soldier landed between the boy and the Red Clan warrior, his armor gleaming with the soft glow of Lumina energy. With a swift motion, the Blue Clan soldier raised his hand, summoning a barrier of Blue Lumina that deflected the incoming attack.

The Red Clan soldier snarled, preparing to strike again, but the Blue Clan warrior was faster. He slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave of energy through the earth. The ground buckled beneath the Red Clan soldier, and with a roar, the Blue Clan warrior lunged forward, striking his opponent with a powerful blow that sent him crashing into the ground.

The boy gasped, his wide eyes fixed on the scene before him. The Red Clan soldier lay motionless, his red eyes dimming as the life faded from his body. The Blue Clan soldier turned to the boy, his expression softening.

"You're safe now," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Stay low and find shelter."

The boy nodded weakly, clutching his stuffed animal to his chest as he hurried away, disappearing into the shadows of the ruined town.

Above, the battle raged on. Flashes of blue and red light tore through the smoke-filled sky as more Blue Clan warriors arrived, their Lumina energy clashing violently with that of the Red Clan. The town was a battlefield now, and the fight for its survival had begun.

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At the heart of the chaos, Commander Elion stood tall, his Lumina-forged sword shimmering with blue energy. He swung the blade in a wide arc, sending a surge of energy through the enemy ranks. Beside him, Captain Vaedon moved with lethal precision, his twin daggers glinting as they cut down Red Clan soldiers one by one.

"Hold your positions!" Elion bellowed, his voice rising above the din of battle. "We can't let them push any further!"

Vaedon, panting from the exertion of battle, deflected an oncoming energy blast with a swift motion. "They're relentless, Commander. We can't hold them off much longer!"

Elion scanned the battlefield, his heart heavy. The Red Clan was overwhelming them. Their soldiers fought with unbridled fury, their Lumina energy scorching the very earth beneath their feet. The town teetered on the brink of collapse—buildings crumbling, the sky darkening under the weight of smoke.

And then, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath them. A low, haunting sound echoed through the air as if the earth itself were groaning.

"Varda…"

The word was barely a whisper, but its power was undeniable. Elion and Vaedon froze, their bodies seizing as an invisible force pressed down on them. Their limbs felt impossibly heavy, and the weight grew unbearable as their knees buckled beneath them. Around them, Blue Clan warriors collapsed, pinned to the ground as though the very force of gravity had turned against them.

Elion's heart raced in his chest as he struggled to breathe, his vision blurring. Through the haze of smoke and rubble, a figure emerged—King Theron, ruler of the Crimson Dynasty. His dark robes billowed around him, and his eyes glowed with the terrible intensity of Red Lumina energy.

Theron strode through the battlefield with an air of absolute authority. His gaze swept over the fallen Blue Clan warriors with cold indifference. Each step he took sent a ripple of energy through the ground, destabilizing everything around him.

"Where is it?" Theron's voice cut through the chaos, filled with venom.

Elion gasped for air, his body still crushed under the weight of the invisible force. "What… what are you looking for?" he managed to croak.

Theron's eyes narrowed, and the air around him pulsed with energy. "You know exactly what I seek. The crystal. Where is it?"

With a grunt of effort, Elion struggles to raise his head. "You'll destroy everything in your path. Is power all that matters to you?"

For a moment, something flickers in Theron's eyes—something darker, deeper. His jaw tightens, and he steps closer to Elion, towering over him like a shadow.

"Power?" Theron's voice is low, almost quiet. "You think this is about power?" He leans in, his gaze hardening as he speaks through gritted teeth. "I am no stranger to loss, Commander. What I seek... I cannot afford to lose again."

Elion stares at him, confused, but before he can reply, the intensity in Theron's eyes returns. The moment of vulnerability vanished, replaced by ruthless determination.

Vaedon, still on his knees beside Elion, groaned in pain. "You won't… find it here."

A cruel smile twisted Theron's lips. "Perhaps not. But I will find it." His hand began to glow with a deep red light, the Lumina energy swirling in a storm of controlled violence. "And I will tear apart every town, every village, all of Chromatis until it is mine."

With a roar, Theron unleashed a blast of Red Lumina energy. The ground trembled as the destructive force ripped through the battlefield, crashing toward the fallen Blue Clan warriors. Elion tried to raise his sword, but the power was overwhelming. In a flash of red light, the blast consumed him, and his body disintegrated into flickers of blue lumina.

As the dust settled, General Zira stepped out from the smoke, her eyes sharp and calculating. "The crystal isn't here, my lord."

Theron's gaze smoldered as he surveyed the destruction. "Then we move. This world will burn until the crystal is in my hands."

Without another word, Theron turned, his dark robes trailing behind him as he marched toward his army. The town lay in ruins, the once-vibrant streets now reduced to rubble and ash. Behind him, the Red Clan forces surged forward, their relentless advance unstoppable.

The search for the crystal had only just begun.