1.3 THE ONE 3

So that we're all on the same page, let me do a quick introduction with a little bit of a history lesson added in. 

Around five hundred years ago, Earthlings (normal human beings and all manner of existence on the planet) discovered that there are parallel worlds very much like Earth that have existed as long as Earth has. By worlds I don't mean planets. I mean, they exist in a different dimension altogether. I'm sure there's a very comprehensive scientific explanation for this, but it's way to complicated for me so I won't bother. But the point is, these worlds were able to coexist without interfering with one another for ages. Which is why there was a point in time in human history where people believed aliens and extradimensional travel was nonsense (stupid, right?). 

This was proven false when one of the said parallel worlds imploded with enough force that it created several dimensional rips. Earth, being a younger and bigger world than the others, survived mostly intact. In comparison to the elf world Ellenis and the dwarf world Oren, Earth was in relatively good condition even though we lost most of our continents. There weren't many records left during this period since 70% of the people on Earth died. It took a while for the world to recover from such a massive catastrophe, but it managed to move on because of one thing: magic. 

The world that self-destructed was found out to be Gaia, which according to the elves, was a world that was always in a state of chaos anyway because it was too full of magic. Before the implosion, there were only the barest traces of magic on Earth.

 Researchers suspect that's why Earth still managed to retain most of its physical structure and the changes to the planet were mostly surface-level (like the continents breaking apart, but the planet itself remaining whole). They say that the magic from Gaia flooded to Earth when the first rips appeared, and managed to cushion the blow when the true implosion happened. Ellenis and Oren weren't so lucky, because they've been exposed to Gaia's magic all too suddenly. 

With the natural barriers between the four worlds pretty much shredded, it was inevitable for things to change. Elves and Dwarves that survived the blast found themselves on Earth, while some very confused and ignorant humans found themselves in an entirely different world. Years passed, and wars broke out, and cities and kingdoms were rebuilt. You know how it goes. 

Ellenis and Oren and Earth became one (sort of). There was no point in designating one city belonging specifically to one race, since there were as many humans as there were elves and dwarves. That would be asking for trouble, and everyone's tired of killing each other especially since the Anomalies are doing such a great job of it. One factor that united the three races was defending against their common predator, which were the Anomalies.

They were called Anomalies, because they were creatures that were not supposed to exist. Even now, no one knows what exactly Anomalies are. The best explanation so far is that Anomalies were enchanted remains of creatures native to Gaia. During the implosion, instead of being destroyed, they were transformed into the ravenous beasts we know today. Their bodies are made up of a mix of magic and alien biology, which explains their desire to eat flesh and absorb the magic in the things they eat. The biggest problem with the Anomalies is the fact that they appear in places where there are dimensional Breaches--space and time rips left behind by the Gaia Incident. These pop out unexpectedly, in places where the barriers between the dimensions were especially weak. 

To counteract this, many City States have employed a Border System. This refers to using a very strong barrier spell to cover a set area over a specific period of time to ensure that there are no Breaches that can form in that specific place. 

Now, the Border System was the brainchild of a man who called himself Alamo Vega. He was a renowned Mage in his time, a clever but gentle man who wanted nothing more than to protect his family and ensure their safety. With his team of researchers, they came up with a new spell that guaranteed a safe haven for people against the threat of the Anomalies for generations to come. The Border System enabled people to rebuild entire cities without worrying about a Breach or an Anomaly attack. Alamo became known throughout the worlds as a genius and a hero. And that man was my great-great-great-great grandfather.

Several generations later, the Vega family continues their grand tradition of contributing to society. With the immense fortune that Alamo started to accumulate, the Vega family delved into the world of business and politics and brought forth several notable individuals who, in one way or another, managed to make their own marks in history. Great uncle George was a renowned doctor who managed to perfectly merge cloning technology and healing magic to regrow severed limbs and synthesize perfectly person-compatible organs. His cousin, Louisa Vega-Housten, founded the Vega Foundation, in memory of our ancestors, which is currently responsible for funding thousands of philanthropic organizations across the worlds. Then there's great-grandfather Owen, who started Vega Industries, a conglomerate with a finger in almost every pie: entertainment, technology, transportation, magical research, and artficing, among others. We had several relatives in politics and government and even produced a few notable Adventurers. 

Currently, my father Gregory Vega, is the head of our clan. He was a Rank S Mage during his Adventurer days, which were cut short when grandpa died. He was an only child, and so he had no choice but to lay down his armour and put on a business suit and settle himself to a life behind a desk. Because he was not particularly active in the family businesses when grandpa was alive, a lot of people wondered if Dad would make it as the head of one of the wealthiest family-owned businesses in all three worlds. Running around uncharted territory to discover treasure and slaying Anomalies is a completely different thing from leading Board meetings and being responsible for the lives of several thousands of employees. But despite my Dad's rough looks (even now you could mistake him for a gangster) he had a reputation for leading one of the safest parties ever. He hardly loses anyone during raids and missions because he always puts his people first. 

He's a people person, like me. Business is business, you gotta be a hardball if you want something done. But he never forgets that the company is made up of people and not machines, and that makes all the difference. 

Which is why I found myself being crushed against my father's chest the moment he entered my hotel suite.

"Dad! I'm okay! Really!" I gasped out, awkwardly patting his back as he squeezed the breath from me. 

"I nearly had a stroke when I heard you were attacked! What were you thinking, going out like that without a single bodyguard!" Even at his age he could easily lift me up off the floor with a hug. My Dad is one of the strongest people I've ever known.

"Dad, I haven't had a bodyguard since I got my Mage license."

"And what good did that license do you, when you don't even bother to learn basic combat magic?" he demanded, settling his large frame into the couch. 

"I had a barrier spell," I said defensively. "Unlike you, I can't draw much magic. Combat spells are impossible for me."

"Tsk. I don't know where you got your gentleness from, sweetie. Your mother and I must have been too soft on you."

He was telling the truth. I'm the youngest of four siblings. I was spoiled rotten. There was a reason for that, though, but I'll explain later.

I changed the subject. "There shouldn't have been any wild Anomalies on this island."

My father nodded. "The Anomaly Guard is investigating as we speak. I had a word with the man in charge and they guaranteed a report by the end of this day."

I smiled, sparing a little sympathy for the person whom my father 'had a word' with. 

"But I heard something interesting on my way here though," Dad continued, giving me a look. "Something about a boy."

Of course he would have heard. This is the difficulty of having an overprotective Dad who has everyone on his payroll. So I didn't bother to dodge the issue. If I had the right read on Jester's personality, I was going to need all the help I can get.

"A young man, actually," I corrected him. "And I'm a young lady now Dad."

"Doesn't matter. So. Who is he?"