The Crown Trials [The Crown Saga I]

Prologue

Blood.

A thick substance coursing through our veins, supplying each cell in our body with vital oxygen and nutrients essential for life — something that science has yet to replicate.

The first blood was as red as the petals of a crimson rose, but three thousand years ago, that changed.

Today, blood is not necessarily inherently red, and in our world, that color defines us.

The change originates from a mysterious mutation that modifies the genetic code of our DNA. It alters the color of our blood and grants us abilities previously believed to be limited to mere fairy tales. Yet, not all are affected.

The mutation is irregular and isn't passed down from parent to child. It doesn't target specific people or affect us at birth. It is impossible to predict who will receive its gifts and when, making it as random as life itself.

Although, it may not be as random as we are led to believe.

One individual is guaranteed to receive the gifts — the golden heir.

It is an exception to the rule that has left generations to wonder about its mysteries. Scientists have grown old before their time, attempting to unravel its secrets; travelers have become lost, seeking the place rumored to be its origin.

All have so far failed to produce any conclusive answers.

Only one truth remains certain: the beginning — a narrative passed down since the last drop of crimson blood solely shaped the World.

Details may have been lost, and elements may have changed through modern translation, but we all know that Jonathan Pavo was the first of us.

It all started long ago, back when the World was still divided by culture and language.

According to the scribbled legends, Jonathan was once a young explorer scouring the wild sea for treasures claimed by the untamed spirits.

One day, he stumbled upon a cave hidden beneath the ocean's peaceful waves, undetectable to oblivious eyes from above.

Despite his disciplined ability to hold his breath for longer than humanly possible, he found himself breathless when a sight of riches and beauty surrounded him.

Gilded stone, shimmering in the dim light from his ancient dive lamp, covered every surface of the cave's heart.

Looking closer, Jonathan soon realized that while the stone resembled the desired element that would make any man richer than the gods, it was different. It wasn't gold but something else — something new.

Jonathan brought a sample with him to study his new discovery, not knowing that he would change everything we once knew to be true about the laws of Nature.

Mere days after returning to his island, Jonathan found that his blood had become the color of the ocean depths, gifting him the ability to make water bend to the will of his mind.

Remarkably, Jonathan wasn't the only one affected by the stone's power.

Once the stone had come into contact with the air above, particles separated from the material and became part of the air we still breathe.

The miracle spread like wildfire, blood colors changing in every corner of the past World, and magic shifting from fantasy to facts of existence.

Jonathan then sold everything he owned to travel the World and write about his findings.

In his notes, he describes the many people he met who didn't all share the same color or ability.

Some wielded air, while others controlled the blazing fire. But, it wasn't only the four elements.