Utopia Shattered Ideals Chapter 1

Ideals form power. And when ideals shatter, only power remains.

A small village — not wealthy, yet far from the poverty this world can offer — lay nestled in a wide green valley between dark forests and gentle hills.
For years it had known only quiet harvests and bright festivals.
Perhaps that was why no one noticed the shadow watching from the forest’s edge.

Simple but well-kept wooden houses lined the cobbled paths.
Little gardens of flowers and vegetables brightened their fronts, and the air smelled of fresh bread and herbs.

Some would call it paradise.
Others… boring.

“Hey, T, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Hmm… honestly, I’m happy as I am. I just want to live happily with Mom, Dad, and X.”

“Ha! You’re so boring!”
The white-haired boy flailed his arms for emphasis.
“Don’t you wanna explore the world? See everything out there Traveler Jo talks about? I’m gonna visit other countries, eat their food, win this one big tournament, even beat the Beasts! I’ll be the strongest in the world…”

He crossed his arms, grinning proudly.
“Then I’ll be the coolest.”

“Mc, you’re an idiot. You really believe the stories that old guy tells?”

“You’re the idiot! He says a lot of stuff that’s true. I asked Mom!”

“Just because some things are true doesn’t mean all of it is.”

“Yeah, yeah — while I’m out there beating The Bird, you can hide behind the barrier, you boring coward.”

“I’m not a boring coward! You listed six things you wanna do, and you won’t manage seven of them. Liar!”

“Don’t call me a liar just because you don’t have the guts!”

“I do have guts, you jerk!”

They tumbled in the dust — two eight-year-old friends scuffling the way only kids can.

Micael, Mc — white-haired, red-eyed, all restless energy.
Tragir, T — black-haired, whose deep, dark-blue eyes were as endless as the sea, eyes one could only get lost in.

Two sides of the same coin had clashed.
Harmless, childish — yet with consequences neither of them could ever have imagined.

Later, Micael came home, still smudged with dirt.
His mother looked up from preparing dinner.

“Look at you again! Your clothes are filthy! Do you know how long it takes to get those clean?”

“Yeah, Mom… but Tragir started it.”

He waited for comfort.
He didn’t get it.

“Oh, I’m sure little Tragir started it with you, big mouth.”

“He did!”

Micael turned away, frustrated.

She sighed.
“I’m sure there are two sides to the story. Go wash up, change, and come eat.”

“No! There aren’t two sides! For once you could just believe me!”

He slammed the door behind him.

Meanwhile, Tragir sat by the shimmering barrier at the edge of the village, lost in thought.

“Hey there, kid. What happened to you?”

A smiling stranger stood behind him, pointing at the dirt on his clothes and the scratches on his face.

Startled, Tragir jumped back.
“Ahh! Don’t scare me like that!”

The man bowed slightly.
“Sorry, sorry.”
He held up a silver badge.
“I’m a merchant from far away. I came to pick up goods, but no one told me your pretty little village is walled off by a barrier.”

Tragir stepped closer, eyeing the badge.
“Yeah… my dad says it’s for protection against monsters and evil creatures.”

“Good thing I’m neither,” the man said with a grin.
“Any way to get inside?”

“Normally there’s a trade day when the barrier’s lowered… but that was earlier.”

“That’s unlucky. Think there’s another way?”

Tragir hesitated.
“Well… the device that lowers the barrier belongs to Dad…”

The man laughed softly.
“Seems like you’re thinking about it.”

“I’ll have to ask my Dad first.”

“Ah, so your father’s a strong Awakened?”

“Yeah! Dad’s super strong!” Tragir said, puffing out his chest with pride.

“Wow… but I doubt he makes exceptions.”

Tragir shook his head.
“No! If I ask him nicely, I’m sure he’ll say yes!”

“Little guy, you don’t know us greedy merchants. If he did, boom — the rule’s pointless, and everyone starts arguing.”

Tragir giggled.
“You’re funny.”

“Thanks… but between us, I’ve got amazing goods. Don’t tell anyone — I even have rank-6 weapons.”

Tragir’s eyes sparkled.
“Really?”

“Really, but I guess I’ll just have to turn back…”

Tragir fell silent.
Micael’s words echoed in his head.
Boring.

His voice came out small and uncertain.
“Would that make me boring?”

The man chuckled.
“Depends. Some would call you boring. Others… righteous.”

Relieved, Tragir nodded.
“Yeah… my best friend always calls me boring, but I’m just wrighteous!”

The merchant smiled wider.
“Hm… I can at least promise, if you let me in, I’ll show you both something you’ll never forget. He’ll never call you boring again.”

Tragir glanced at the barrier.
“It’s not glowing red… so he’s not lying…”

The merchant turned as if to leave.
“Well then, I’d better get going.”

Tragir bit his lip.
He couldn’t just leave a friendly traveler outside with night falling.

And the merchant began to walk away.

“Wait!”
He stopped.
“I’ll be right back!”

“But please hurry,” the merchant said over his shoulder.
“Otherwise I’ll need to reach the next village before dark. Monsters love the night.”

At home, Tragir peeked inside.
“Dad?”

His older brother looked up from the table.
“Training. Mom went to fetch him.”

“Oh…”

Tragir’s shoulders drooped.
“What’s wrong?”

Tragir hesitated.
“X… am I boring?”

X laughed.
“You’re the sweetest, kindest, smartest boring kid I know.”

Tragir blushed.
“Oh… okay…”

“Come on, you’re filthy. Go change and sit down.”

“Okay…”

Slowly, Tragir padded through the house.
“Everyone says I’m boring… but the merchant said I could prove them wrong.
Would that make me as cool as X and Dad?
What would Mc do?”

He stopped.
“…Right. I’ve got a plan.”

Quiet as a mouse, he slipped into his parents’ room.
He knew where the barrier board was kept.
The black-metal case opened at the code his father had set — the birthdays of his sons.
After getting X birthday wrong the first time, a soft glow lit his face as he pulled the board free, hid it under his shirt, and slipped out.

“Hey! You didn’t even change! Where are you going?” X called.

“Forgot to tell Mc I was going home. He might still be waiting!”

X frowned.
“Okay… but don’t be long!”

“Yeees!”

Soon he was back at the barrier.

“Oh, there you are. Thought you’d leave me waiting.”

“No way — I’m wrighteous!”

The merchant grinned.
“So… can I come in?”

“Yeah — but promise you won’t hurt anyone or break anything.”

The merchant laughed.
“Me? Of course not.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The barrier didn’t glow red.

“Hey! Tragir! What are you doing? Get away from him!”

Suddenly X came running up from behind — but too late.

Tragir had already flipped the lever.
“It’s fine, X! I’m gonna show you something amazing!”

The barrier shimmered… and sank.

The merchant’s friendly smile twisted into a predator’s grin.
“Thanks for not being boring… fool.”

“Wait… what?”

The next second, figures burst from the forest.
In the blink of an eye, they had crossed the vanished line of safety.

The young Tragir had made a mistake.
A mistake that changed everything.

A mistake he would regret for the rest of his life.

A cold, commanding voice rang out:

“You know the orders. Kill everyone except the children. Let no one escape.“