DISCLAIMER!

This novel is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This work may depict violence, alcohol consumption and

 profanity words.

The Mysterious Gates Of Asteria 

Chapter 1 - Blank Pages

In times long forgotten by man, there were two realms, Oria and Asteria, separated from each other by the endless flow of the great High Fairy’s Tears River, and connected by a glorious bridge made of glass, sturdy enough to hold a thousand dragons at once.

Various beings lived in harmony - humans, elves, fairies, and other living organisms, big and small, easily walked from one realm to another, trading magic, knowledge, skills and even brides, whether male or female.

However, peace came to an end when darkness descended upon Oria. The servants of a world never touched by the light of day began to slowly sow corruption and discord among the Orians, which gradually led to conflicts between them.

Seeing the grief caused by the ravaging wars and the decay of morals over time, the higher beings of Asteria took it upon themselves to restore the lost peace, by bestowing blessings on certain individuals, to aid them in banishing evil.

The wars lasted hundreds of years before the ones who were once enemies could hold hands again in firm union while darkness was pushed towards the wastelands of the desolate Aieon continent.

The losses were still far too great, and evil did not entirely dissipate. Millions of lives from every race were sacrificed during these conflicts and the once glorious bridge connecting the two realms was destroyed in the process, causing the gates between Oria and Asteria to close.

Yet, a promise was made right before the gates shut, that, whenever they were called upon, the beings of Asteria, whether high or low, would answer, bestowing blessings again on talented inhabitants of Oria.

Thus, seven heavenly pillars appeared, one on each continent, to stand tall as testimony of that promise and as gateways for the beings of Asteria to descend with gifts.

“Wait! What… what is this? What about the pillars?”, Aira asked, shocked, flipping page after page just to find that each of them was blank, crumbs falling from her mouth, choking on a few as she tried to speak.

“Cough! Is this... cough… are you kidding me? Did they run out of ink for this one? How did this book get published like this? …”

She chugged a glass of water down her throat. “Uh! I thought I would die.”

It was the third book of the author she loved. The second they wrote, ‘The Flower’s Tears’, ended abruptly, to Aira’s disappointment. After almost two years of waiting, she finally had the chance to get one of the first copies of the latest novel, but all to no avail.

“This must be a joke! Ah! I was so excited to read it that I forgot to check the contents.”, she cried, pulling out her hair.

The author’s works were the only comfort she had in her twenty years of life. Crafting works filled to the brim with magic, heroic adventures, heart-warming romantic stories, diverse villains and heroes, it was the only author who captivated her heart in her small world full of nothing but pitch darkness.

Orphaned since she was still learning to walk, she was raised by a relative whose only interest was to take the money her parents left for her after their deaths, along with their business, leaving Aira with no choice but to live as a modern slave to her uncle’s heinous family.

But, even if she did not have the same opportunities as her cousins, she still managed to graduate and get into a  well-known university. She moved out as soon as she started her first year, working as hard as she could to make a living and separate herself from her so-called family.

The small apartment she rented lacked in many aspects, not that she had better choices in that area. Thus, she spent her free time reading at the library when cold or in parks when it was warm outside. Her food consisted mostly of instant noodles. She only ate meat once a week, trying to save money for books and for a better future after finishing her studies. Yet that future she hoped for would take an unexpected turn.