The Second Age was an era of growing tension and mistrust between the elemental spirits and humans. After the First Age ended with the creation of the mythical beasts and the world recovering, the scars from the conflict between the spirits and the Abyss began to fade from the land but not from the hearts of the people. This age saw the rise of the Cataclysmic Twins, who would play pivotal roles in shaping the world of Rafflasia, though not in the way anyone could have foreseen.

The Lie of the Abyss

The Cataclysmic Twins were born into a world that still held onto the elemental balance, but darkness had already begun to seep in from the Abyss. The Elder Twin, Kaelrion, gentle and wise, held a strong connection to the elemental spirits and sought to protect their harmony. He believed that the Life Tree, which maintained the balance of the elements, was the key to keeping the Abyss from consuming the world. His life was dedicated to this cause, and he began to distance himself from his younger brother, always focusing on the protection of the Life Tree.

The Younger Twin, Draveth, however, felt a growing sense of isolation. Kaelrion, in his dedication to the Life Tree and the spirits, neglected their bond as siblings. The Abyss saw this opportunity to sow division. It whispered lies to Draveth, claiming that the spirits had enslaved humanity. The Abyss spun a tale of betrayal: the Life Tree was not a symbol of harmony but a chain binding humans to the will of the elemental spirits, forcing them into servitude. The Abyss told him that destroying the Life Tree would free humanity from their spiritual shackles and allow them to take control of their own destiny.

Draveth, feeling abandoned by his older brother and seduced by the possibility of freeing humanity, fell for the Abyss's deception. He believed that Kaelrion's dedication to the Life Tree was proof that he had become a puppet of the spirits, caring more for the tree than for his own family. Consumed by this belief, Draveth turned his back on the spirits, aligning himself with the Abyss.

The Cataclysm

The Abyss's whispers reached their peak when Draveth launched a direct attack on the Life Tree, aiming to fulfill his newfound belief that its destruction was humanity's only path to freedom. Kaelrion, sensing his brother's betrayal, rushed to defend the Life Tree. A cataclysmic battle erupted between the brothers, one fueled by the elemental spirits and the other by the dark power of the Abyss.

Their fight was unlike anything Rafflasia had ever seen. The ground trembled beneath their feet, mountains crumbled, and the skies burned as their powers clashed. As they fought, the landscape was irrevocably altered. The once-majestic southern mountains were shattered, and the land was torn apart, creating a vast desert where there had once been fertile fields and rivers. Lava surged through the fractured earth, forming a molten river that divided the northern and southern regions of Rafflasia, a permanent scar left by the brothers' battle.

Despite Kaelrion's best efforts, he could not bring himself to destroy his brother. His love for Draveth stayed his hand, and instead of delivering a final blow, he chose a different path. He convinced the elemental spirits to help him create a Spirit Barrier, a magical shield that would contain the Abyss's influence in the south and prevent Draveth from reaching the Life Tree. It was a temporary solution, but it bought Kaelrion the time he needed to protect Rafflasia from further devastation.

Draveth, furious and blinded by his belief that Kaelrion had betrayed humanity, retreated to the south. There, he began to rebuild, establishing the Abyssal Kingdom. He gathered an army of dark creatures from the Abyss, preparing for the day when he would shatter the Spirit Barrier and finish what he had started—the destruction of the Life Tree.

Kaelrion's Retreat

Kaelrion, heartbroken by the rift between him and his brother, fled north. He had seen the consequences of his neglect, and now he sought redemption not only for himself but for all of Rafflasia. He retreated to a remote island in the northeast, far from the reach of the Abyss and the corrupted influence of his brother. There, he studied the ancient teachings of the spirits, seeking a way to protect the future of Rafflasia.

It was during this time that he discovered a secret technique known as the Lifelink. This powerful magic allowed him to create clones of himself, each imbued with a fraction of his power and knowledge. These clones would go on to become the Village Elders, the wise leaders of the four major villages in the northern region of Rafflasia: Kaedris, the village of strength and earth; Thalys, the river village of water and wisdom; Aerilum, the highlands of wind and agility; and Emberlyn, the fiery heart of the north's resolve.

Kaelrion believed that through these clones, he could guide the people of Rafflasia and prepare them for the prophecy that foretold the arrival of the next generation of twins, who would be destined to finally end the war between the Abyss and the elemental spirits.

However, the lifelink technique had an unintended consequence. Draveth, still connected to his brother through their shared bloodline and magical bond, discovered a twisted version of the lifelink. By corrupting the link with the Abyss's power, Draveth learned to channel his energy into weak Abyss creatures, giving them the ability to slip through the cracks in the Spirit Barrier. These creatures were small and weak, but they carried with them a shadow of the Abyss's influence, spreading corruption slowly but surely in the north.

The Slow Corruption of the North

As the years passed, Kaelrion's clones—the Village Elders—kept watch over the northern kingdom, guiding the people and maintaining the Spirit Barrier. However, they were unaware of the true extent of the Abyss's influence. The Abyssal creatures, empowered by Draveth's dark version of the lifelink, began to evolve as they passed through the cracks in the barrier. Each time they crossed, they became stronger, more resistant to the spirits' power, and more adept at evading detection.

The elves, who had once been the guardians of the Spirit Forest, were the first to sense the growing danger. They foresaw the coming of the Eclipse Twins, the ones destined to either save or doom Rafflasia. Knowing the Abyss would seek out these twins, the elves took it upon themselves to protect the prophecy. But the Abyss was relentless. As the creatures evolved, they hunted down the remaining elves, leaving only a handful of survivors.

The Abyss's leader, now dwelling in the corrupted body of the Younger Cataclysmic Twin, grew ever more impatient. He had waited centuries for the Spirit Barrier to weaken, and now, with the lifelink giving him insight into the north, he knew that the time was approaching. The Eclispe Twins were coming, and with them, the final judgment day for Rafflasia.

The stage was set. The Spirit Barrier, once a mighty shield, was now weakening, tethered to the life force of Kaelrion, whose strength had been drained by the life link that unknowingly fed the Abyss. Isolated on a remote island, Kaelrion remained in deep meditation, conserving what remained of his power, awaiting the arrival of the Eclipsed Twins, as foretold by the visions of the elves. Meanwhile, the northern kingdom, blind to the slow decay, basked in the false peace. In the south, the Abyssal Army stirred once more, intent on shattering the barrier and annihilating the Life Tree, to cast Rafflasia into eternal darkness.