When They Vanished

The World Beyond

"What's out there ?" Kairo wondered as stared at the snow freckled mountain disappearing behind the mist hiding the world beyond. The mountains were visible from almost everywhere in the village. They stood beyond the northern fields, no one went there, not because the was a wall, not because there were guards. There was simply a boundary. A line marked by three stone pillars, children were taught to never go there, Kairo had been told that rule at least a hundred times. Yet he crossed it...twice, he couldn't explore though as he was caught every time. Right now he was thinking to make it thrice.

He stood with one foot resting on the stone pillar beyond it was everything that he had seen, small settlements, ruins, forests stretching farther the eye could see. And according to the ancient stories the place where the creatures of resonance were believed to once dwell in.

Kairo wasn't sure he believed in those stories. But he wanted to find out. "Kai you're going to get us into trouble again", Kairo didn't turn around "I haven't done anything", Rei walked up beside him "You're standing on the boundary" "No I'm standing beside the boundary" "You're foot is literally on the stone" Kairo looked down "Oh." he moved his foot, Rei sighed.

Behind them Mira sat beneath a tree with a book open in her lap, she didn't even look up and said "You two are going to get yourselves banished one day", Juno immediately looked up from the strange collection of metal pieces in her hand.

"Wait, if they get banished can I come too?" asked Juno.

Tao who had been quietly doing pull-ups, got down, glared at Juno and said "No." "Why not?" Juno retaliated. "Because you'll make it worse?" Tao said, a little annoyed. "Hey I take offense for that, I make things better not worse" "Oh really?" Kairo jumped in "Yes really" "Dude, you somehow set the WATER PUMP on fire yesterday" "It was already broken" Juno tried to defend herself "It was working" Rei joined "It was boring" Juno, then the argument fell apart as Kairo laughed.

For a moment everything felt normal

The village was quiet behind them, smoke rose from chimneys of houses, somewhere int the distance a bell rang marking the beginning of the afternoon.

Kairo hated how much he wanted to leave.

Mira closed her book. "I was something interesting here", Kairo immediately turned "About the creatures?" Mira nodded. The book was old—older than anything they were normally allowed to touch. Its pages were yellow and its cover was almost completely worn away.

Resonance was a natural force that existed throughout the world.

It flowed through the earth, the oceans, the air, living creatures, and even the space between them. It could not be seen with ordinary eyes, but those capable of sensing it could feel its presence.

Every creature interacted with Resonance differently, depending on its nature.

Some could shape it into fire. Others could bend water, command the wind, alter gravity, or manipulate darkness.

Mira turned to a page covered in faded drawings. There were creatures on it.

A magnificent phoenix blazing with golden-orange flames, its enormous wings glowing like the rising sun.

The Solari Phoenixes, masters of light, heat, fire, and the sun. Their Resonance allowed them to command flames, generate intense heat, and harness the energy of sunlight itself. Their feathers carried a natural warmth, and their presence could illuminate even the darkest places.

A massive serpent emerging from the ocean

The Tidal Leviathans, masters of water and water pressure. They could command oceans, rivers, and even the smallest drops of water, while their immense strength allowed them to create crushing pressure capable of reshaping the deepest parts of the sea.

A winged figure surrounded by streaks of lightning.

The Tempestral Sylphs, masters of wind, lightning, storms, and air pressure. They ruled the skies, riding currents of air and summoning storms with their Resonance.

A gigantic creature covered in stone, with roots and vines growing across its body.

The Geonic Behemoths, masters of the land, plants, minerals, andeverything within the natural world. Their Resonance could shape the earth itself and bring life to places where nothing else could grow.

A mysterious antlered creature standing beneath a glowing moon.

The Astral Noctaris, masters of the moon, perception, and gravity. Their Resonance allowed them to distort what others could see and manipulate the forces that governed movement and weight.

A shadowy creature whose body seemed to disappear into thedarkness around it.

The Umbral Umbrins, masters of darkness, concealment, Resonance suppression, and the shadows themselves. They were among the most secretive of all the creatures, rarely revealing what they truly knew.

The Aetherian Dragons, masters of pure Resonance.

Unlike the other creatures, the Aetherians did not simply manipulate the Resonance that already existed around them.

They could create it.

They were the only creatures capable of producing Resonance itself.

For thousands of years, these seven kinds of creatures lived alongside one another.

Then, one day, they disappeared.

No warning.

No battle.

No explanation.

They were simply gone.

Their homes remained. Their ruins remained. Their relics remained.

But the creatures themselves had vanished into thin air.

No one knew where they went.

And without them, the world changed forever.

While the other creatures could shape resonance and manipulate it in all ways. Humans had always been different from the other creatures. They could only sense resonance. They could feel it's presence, But they couldn't manipulate it on their own. Then they discovered that they could do basic things like push, pull, concentrate, and release using creature parts. Still most couldn't manipulate it, those who could called themselves Resonants, and ruled the humans.

Mira flipped to the next page, seven parts that resembled each one that was needed to manipulate resonance

Sunheart plume- the longest warm tail feather of a phoenix worn as a scuff of hair extending from their heads just like a Phoenixs’ head feathers.

Tide mark core- found just under the Leviathans outer scale near their heart, a cool smooth oval shaped pebble with tiny currents moving inside then worn as a pendent.

Storm coat- the silver blue outer coat which is found after a Sylph sheds its then worn as a coat itself.

Worldshard- MUCH cooler than a rock, the shortest worldspine on a behemoth’s spine. A world spine is a toothlike mineral structure that runs on top of a Behemoths spine. It is worn just below the neck from where the spine starts.

Moondrop- It is the tip of a Noctari’s antler. After being separated it automatically turns into a crescent shape. It is worn as an accessory on top of the head.

Night glass- An Umbrin’s body naturally produces a small piece of solidified shadow which is produced once a year on a moonless night when the night is longest. It is worn as a monocle.

Resonance core- the hardened shedded form of a Dragons resonance core from which Dragons created resonance. When bonded imbeds itself into the user’s chest.

After the creatures disappeared all the parts were lost, some believed they were destroyed.

Then they all creatures and Resonants alike.

New Kingdoms rose. Old ones fell. Cities grew in creature settlements.

And for most that was the end of it. But some still wondered, those who looked the ruins and asked why they had been abandoned.

One of those people was Kairo.