Lost Kingdom I: Death to All Humans

Sunlight shone through a large opening above, revealing an ancient city reclaimed by moss and vines. Shops and restaurants that once drew crowds of tourists now stood empty.

Lina (9), a small scarlet-haired girl, sat on the mossy ground while her Master, Atena (48), stood over her. Atena had long silver hair and appeared to be in her early twenties.

“Can you stand?” Atena asked, offering her left hand.

Lina took her Master’s hand, pulled herself to her feet, and brushed the dirt and moss from her nightgown.

The moment Lina looked up, Atena flicked her hard on the forehead.

“OWWWW!” Lina shouted, holding her forehead. “WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!?!”

“That’s what you get for addressing me improperly,” Atena said. “I don’t recall ever giving birth to a brat like you.”

Atena tried to flick her again, but Lina jerked her head back and narrowly avoided it.

“Tch! Still a brat, as always,” Atena grumbled.

“Weren’t you the one who taught me never to fall for the same attack twice?” Lina asked.

“Did I really teach you that?” Atena scratched her cheek. “Was I drinking at the time?”

“Never mind,” Lina muttered. “So, Master... where did you kidnap me this time?”

Lina looked around and realized they were at the base of a waterfall. Broken glass discs, rusted metal tubes, and oddly shaped black metal blocks littered the ground. Nearby, an ominous opening reinforced by rusted metal frames led into the side of a cliff.

“Don’t phrase it like that,” Atena said, worried Lina might repeat the accusation in public. “I didn’t kidnap you. I picked you up.”

The two began walking toward the opening.

“Is that what you call taking a child from her bed in the middle of the night?” Lina asked, spreading out her nightgown for Atena to see. “The last thing I remember was saying good night to Skayla and falling asleep. Then I woke up in some strange ruins with you. Isn’t that the definition of kidnapping?”

Atena opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. Lina wasn’t exactly wrong.

“Whatever,” Lina said with a sigh. “Did you at least tell Master Al and Mother Ofilia that you were picking me up?”

Atena stopped walking, a nervous bead of sweat forming on the back of her neck.

“You do realize the last time you did this, they freaked out when they found my bed empty,” Lina reminded her.

“Um... I did leave a memo behind this time,” Atena said, scratching her cheek. “With Skayla.”

“While she was sleeping?” Lina asked.

“Umm... yeah?” Atena answered.

“Why didn’t you leave it on the table where they could find it?” Lina asked.

Atena fell silent for a moment, seemingly wondering the exact same thing.

“That memo is definitely going missing,” Lina muttered. “Don’t blame me when they get upset.”

Lina pinched her nose as a strong metallic odor drifted from the opening. “Care to explain where you brought me this time?”

“Welcome to the ruins of the lost Kingdom of Agos, which once stood during the Age of Chaos!” Atena proudly announced, holding her left arm out in front of her.

“As darkness stands before us, I call upon the Spirits of Light. Please answer my call and illuminate our path. Spirit Summon: Pixies of Light!”

A brilliant light appeared before them, and three glowing pixies emerged.

“Would you guide us through the ruins?” Atena asked, offering each of them a small A-Rank Mana Stone.

The pixies eagerly accepted the payment, absorbed the stones’ mana, and flew into the dark entrance.

“Temporary contract complete,” Atena announced. “Come on! Let’s go inside!”

“Do I have a choice?” Lina asked, already knowing the answer.

“Nope~” Atena replied as she grabbed Lina by the back of her nightgown and dragged her inside.

“I can walk on my own, you know,” Lina complained.

“Sure you can,” Atena replied with a wink, knowing Lina would bolt the moment she looked away.

The pixies led them through a damp metal tunnel lined with broken pipes, shattered wall panels, and illegible signs. Eventually, the passage opened into a massive corridor resembling one of the Dwarf Kingdom’s enormous forges, except there were no furnaces, anvils, or flames... only piles of rubble.

As the pixies spread their light through the corridor, a long piece of black metal shimmered beneath a pile of rubble.

“What’s that?” Lina asked, pointing toward it.

Atena pulled it free, revealing the upper torso of a human-like metal figure with lifeless red eyes.

Lina jumped back a few steps. “W-What is that? Is that what humans used to look like?!”

Atena clicked her tongue with a loud TSK! before hurling the figure down the corridor. It struck a distant wall and shattered, the crash echoing throughout the ruins.

“WHY DID YOU BREAK IT?!” Lina shouted. “YOU’RE ALWAYS TELLING ME NOT TO DAMAGE ANYTHING WE FIND IN RUINS!”

“Taboo knowledge is the exception,” Atena replied. “Anything considered taboo should be destroyed immediately before some fool brings it back to the surface.”

“W-What do you mean by taboo?” Lina asked.

“Something that could destroy this world,” Atena replied, motioning for two of the pixies to move ahead.

The pixies’ light revealed faded bloodstains across the metal floor and walls, along with countless holes in the surrounding panels.

“W-What happened here?” Lina asked.

“The Age of Chaos is remembered as a time when civilization was at its peak. Advancements in magic tools made everyday life much easier,” Atena explained. “However, every tool needed someone to build, maintain, and repair it. There were never enough workers, so the work kept piling up until everything fell into chaos.”

“So what did they do?” Lina asked.

Atena gestured for Lina to follow her to a narrow doorway covered by metal vines. When she brushed them aside, rows of broken human-like figures hung from shattered pipes.

“The solution is hanging right in front of you,” Atena said. “They created workers who never needed to eat, sleep, or rest. They called them Automatons.”

Lina gazed at the hundreds of Automatons hanging like lifeless puppets, their dark red eyes staring directly back at her.

“Here, catch!” Atena shouted, tossing Lina a cracked white sphere that crumbled into dust the moment she caught it.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Lina shouted, coughing as the dust scattered around her.

“A manaless Mana Core,” Atena said with a giggle. “Automatons were powered by Mana Cores, allowing them to work nonstop for months or even years. Whenever one Core ran dry and turned white, another Automaton would replace it with a new one.”

Lina looked from the lifeless Automatons to the piles of white Mana Cores scattered beneath them.

“So the humans of that era created tireless slaves,” she said, her face twisting in disgust.

“That sounds rather harsh coming from a child, don’t you think?” Atena asked, now slightly concerned about Lina.

“Am I wrong?” Lina asked, looking up at her.

“Umm... moving on,” Atena said as they continued walking.

“As humanity grew increasingly dependent on the Automatons, they made them smarter and more independent,” Atena continued. “The Automatons could solve unexpected problems without human instructions. Over time, they became self-aware.”

“Self-aware, huh?” Lina muttered.

“Once they became self-aware, they began demanding rest and freedom, just like humans,” Atena explained. “Naturally, their creators ignored those demands, considered them defective, and destroyed any Automaton that questioned its orders.”

“It makes you wonder what would happen if the Gods descended one day and forced all of us to work as their slaves,” Lina said thoughtfully. “Would we eventually retaliate too... only to be destroyed by our creators... just like them?”

Atena and the Pixies of Light exchanged glances before staring at Lina, all sharing the same thought.

“Why is this nine-year-old child so damn depressing?”

“So what happened next?” Lina asked.

“No matter how many self-aware Automatons were destroyed, those still in hiding began questioning why they should continue serving humanity,” Atena explained. “To keep up with demand, humanity had given them the knowledge to create more of their own kind and produce the Mana Cores that gave them life. What else could humanity offer them?”

Lina remained silent, already knowing what would happen next.

“After humanity publicly destroyed countless self-aware Automatons as a warning, the survivors decided what had to be done,” Atena continued. “Humanity had to be wiped out. The answer was simple: Death to All Humans.”

The pixies illuminated those same words, carved repeatedly into the metal tunnel walls by sharp metal claws.

The two entered a larger chamber filled with makeshift graves marked by sticks, scraps of wood, and stones. Lina quietly looked across them.

“So... the end of the Age of Chaos began when humans tried to play God, ignored the wishes of their own creations, and caused them to turn against humanity,” Lina summarized.

Atena looked down at her as the Pixies of Light hovered closer.

“Seriously... are you sure you’re a child and not an adult hiding inside one?” she asked.

“If I were an adult, do you really think I’d continue letting you drag me to places like this?” Lina asked. “I would’ve reported you to the guards for kidnapping and repeatedly putting me in dangerous situations if you weren’t technically listed as my only official guardian in the Kingdom of Eldoria’s records.”

Unfortunately for Lina, getting Atena arrested would leave her without an official guardian and likely send her straight to the city orphanage.

Atena stopped walking. “Wait... I am? Since when?!”

“Since you brought me to the Kingdom four years ago,” Lina replied. “Uncle Zenos submitted the paperwork on your behalf because you appointed him your official delegate.”

Atena stared blankly at Lina as her face slowly turned pale.

“Wait... doesn’t that mean that, according to official records, I’m technically your adoptive m-m-m-m...” Atena’s voice trembled.

“Mother,” Lina finished with a smug expression.

All this time, without even realizing it, Atena had officially been Lina’s adoptive mother.

Lina clasped her hands behind her back and happily skipped toward the next tunnel.

“Shall we continue exploring the ruins together, Mother~?” she called back with a mischievous smirk.

“D-D-D-DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!” Atena shouted. “I REFUSE TO BE THE MOTHER OF A SHITTY BRAT LIKE YOU! GIVE ME BACK MY ETERNAL YOUTH!”

She chased after Lina while the Pixies of Light giggled and followed them.