Five years earlier

  In the north of the Hinokuni country, not far from the border with the neighboring country, farming families had settled in the many valleys of the mountain range separating the two countries to take advantage of the fertile land, away from war. Grouped together in hamlets, there was one house in the distance, isolated from all others, hidden away across the meadows. As the full moon illuminated the hollows of the mountain, two small eyes shone skyward, perched on the tiles of her house. Tsukinoko admired the Milky Way, lost in thought.

  She had long black hair and small dark circles, inherited from her father, and amethyst-colored eyes, inherited from her mother, accompanied by a small upturned nose that sat proudly in the middle of her face. She was wearing her pale blue pyjamas, barefoot after discreetly climbing out of her bedroom window, despite the autumn chill.

  Since birth, Tsukinoko had lived in the hamlet, alone with her parents. She never left the valley floor, never saw what lay beyond the rocky ridges, never heard of Hanamura, the capital. It was a loneliness that weighed more and more heavily on her, as if she'd been in a prison, cut off from the world, for seven long years.

  His parents had lived in Hanamura all their lives, then moved here a few months after he was born.

  Yet, according to her father, the village leaders were after them, they had been forced into exile in the valley. She often thought of this Village, which her mother only told her about at bedtime; a haven of joy, a wonderful place

  Before going to bed tonight, his mother had told him yet another anecdote about his childhood with her clan in the Village, the Anba clan, among the many that made up the Village. Finally, her mother confessed that the Village was only a few long hours' walk away.

  Tsukinoko didn't know who to believe, but one thing was certain: she wanted to see more, more than this house, more than this valley and its plots, its fields of flowers and its dark forest, to see further than the mountain tops. Confident that she'd make it to the village undetected, her father laid a warm blanket over her shoulders.

  - Will you tell me a bedtime story?" she changed the subject, lying back on his lap. Let's hear it!

  - So be it. Do you know the meaning behind your first name? Tsuki-no-ko..." he said slowly. It means "Child of the Moon". I was the one who chose it-

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  - That's not a story, I already know that, Dad .

  - That's not all," he said, stroking her hair, "you're old enough to understand now...

  He took a deep breath before continuing.

  - This world is scarred by wars, people are blinded by hatred, all because of a source of power. A power that many have believed inexhaustible for centuries. Everyone wants to become more powerful than the other, and we kill each other to obtain these powers and steal the treasures of others. That's why I fled the Village, to keep you safe and avoid this madness. But there is a way to stop this cycle of hatred. To tap into this tremendous energy. The original source was divided and passed on to every being on this planet, remember?

  Tsukinoko nodded, hiding in the blanket because she wasn't too keen on the story that obsessed her father every day.

  - At the dawn of this world, the Original, the direct descendant of the source, inherited all these powers and became the most powerful soldier in history. He had two sons, and his powers were divided between them," he continued. And with each generation, the powers were gradually distributed to form our world as we know it today. Scattered among the clans. This is the origin of the hatred between the Karumin clan and the Anba clan, the pillars of our country, which continues to this day. A hatred for power, for peace. But they've been wrong from the start," he scorned abruptly.

  - What do you mean?

  - The solution is to unite the two clans, not pit them against each other. Since I'm sure that peace will never come from them, I don't need their help anymore. They're blinded by hatred," he repeated. There is a solution that is certain to bring peace...

  - A solution? What's a solution? Does that mean you're going to bring peace? Can I go out then? We won't have to stay here anymore! she suddenly enthuses.

  - You can travel the world as much as you like," he said gently, pinching her nose.

  - Ouch... But when? How are you going to do it?!

  - We still need time. Many years.

  - Years... she lamented.

  - I've been working on it for many years now," he continues. First, we had to gather the powers of The Original, which reside essentially in the Moon.

  Tsukinoko sighed, playing with her father's long hair with a sulky air.

  - But I'm sick of it, Dad... Years go by... I'm bored here, I want to go out and-

  - It's late, Hōseki , he cut her off. Go to bed.

  - So, what's this got to do with my name? You didn't... you didn't tell me," she yawned softly as he smiled.

  - A few minutes after your birth, I went to the Naka Temple with you while your mother rested. At that very moment, you opened your eyes for the first time, so bright and hopeful. Your destiny was sealed at that moment, in front of the stele, as I watched you draw your first breaths.

  - And so..." she asked, squinting. The Moon I get, but what's the Moon got to do with me?

  Her father lost himself in thought as he gazed at the faint moon, but Tsukinoko pointed at it with a sneer.

  - Are we going to live there?!

  Jinmuya looked down to tenderly caress her face, looking thoughtful. His daughter yawned again, then finally fell asleep in his lap, unable to get any answers.

  Tr: Precious stone. Affectionate nickname

  Sacred temple of Japanese mythology.