In a remote and isolated village…

  “The end,” said a woman.

  She seemed to be telling a story to the children. She had been reading to them for hours.

  “What’s synergy?” one of the children asked.

  “Synergy is believed to be the mythical power used by beings who defend the world from evil. Synergy exists within everyone. It’s something all people have inside them, but not everyone can control it—at least not without proper training,” the woman replied.

  The kids were clearly fascinated. Their imaginations ran wild, as often happens with children listening to stories. The creativity of their minds was remarkable.

  “Can you keep reading, pretty please?” one of the children begged.

  The woman shook her head.

  “I’ll read more tomorrow. I promise,” she said.

  Everyone dispersed and went about their day. The village was deeply secluded and rarely interacted with the outside world. However, there were always a few villagers who would leave and later return, bringing back news, goods, and stories—such as the one about the Heavens.

  The woman was one of the most well-known people in the village. Everyone knew her, and she knew everyone. It was a small enough community that remembering names and faces wasn’t difficult.

  She was in her early thirties, with short, straight blonde hair that reached her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes and slim figure gave her a youthful appearance. She was kind and nurturing, always watching over the village children. She loved talking to people and was incredibly social.

  She also had three children of her own, all living in the village. Two of them, Rhosa and Rhitta, were 15 years old. The third, Deniz, was 16. While they were no longer small children, they weren’t yet adults. Rhosa and Rhitta were especially close, always together. Though they were also close to Deniz, the bond between the two sisters was on another level. Their mother’s name was Forte.

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  Forte was a controller of synergy. She had once lived at a sanctuary but left when she gave birth to her children. She didn’t want them to be raised in that environment, so she brought them to this remote village to protect them. Now that Deniz had turned 16, she planned to begin training him to control synergy.

  Time passed, and life in the village remained peaceful. Conflicts were rare, and the villagers resolved their issues together. It was a place of harmony, safe from outside threats due to its isolation.

  Far away in the forest, Forte and Deniz were beginning his training.

  Deniz was a slightly tall boy with messy, short spiky black hair that stuck out in all directions. Unlike the rest of his family, he had heterochromia—one eye was blue, the other brown. He was strikingly handsome.

  “I’m going to teach you about synergy, Deniz. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: synergy exists in all living things—people, animals, even plants. Everyone has synergy within them, but not everyone can control it. Today, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know.”

  She spoke calmly, hoping her words would sink deep into his memory.

  Deniz listened closely, making sure to memorize every word. This was an important moment in his life.

  “To explain further, when you learn to control synergy, you can perform superhuman feats and unlock special abilities. Every person has their own set of abilities—some shared, some entirely unique. I don’t know what abilities you have yet, but we’ll find out soon enough.

  “To begin your training, you must clear your mind and focus. Everyone has synergy inside them, so try to feel it. Once you sense it, you need to rotate it. That’s how you activate synergy.”

  Forte recalled how difficult it was when she first learned. It took her a long time, but eventually, she succeeded. She hoped Deniz would learn faster—he was a very smart boy.

  “If you focus, you’ll be able to feel it deep in your soul. Think of it like a small ball you have to spin steadily in place. That’s what it feels like to rotate your synergy. Your synergy resides deep in your soul in what’s called the ‘synergy base.’ That base holds your synergy. Rotating it allows you to channel that power through your body.”

  Though she remained calm on the outside, inside she was worried. She didn’t have much time. For months, she had felt a creeping sense of death. The feeling had grown stronger and more oppressive with time. Now, it was nearly unbearable.

  She had no choice but to hurry.

  If her feeling was right—if her death truly was near—then at least her son would know how to use synergy. He could pass it on to his sisters, even if she wasn’t around to guide them.

  Meanwhile, in an unknown location…

  “It took much longer than expected, but we finally found her.”

  “She left the sanctuary to raise her children. That’s against sanctuary law. The punishment for that is death. However, since it’s her, if she agrees to return, we can overlook it. Bring her back. But if she resists… don’t hesitate to kill her. And if it comes to that, don’t hold back. She’s a fearsome woman—you must kill her at all costs.”

  These chilling words came from a man with a deep voice.

  “Yes, sir,” replied two men cloaked in darkness, their identities concealed. With that, they vanished.

  What is the identity of these two figures, And what does the future hold for the fearsome woman, Forte?