Leo opened his eyes, groaning softly as he rubbed his temples to soothe the headache.
As the pain in his head began to fade, his breathing grew calm and the light was gone.
But the sight before him rendered him speechless.
What appeared before him was greenery. Endless, vibrant greenery. Towering trees, strange plants.
There was no balcony. No apartment. No city.
"What is this place?"
"Just a moment ago, I was sitting on the balcony!"
His gaze swept the unfamiliar surroundings.
"How did I end up here?"
Confused and disoriented, he took cautious steps forward, searching for anything that could explain where he was or how he had arrived.
As he kept wandering through the strange terrain and the exhaustion began to weigh on him, a town finally came into view in the distance.
"That place might have some answers." Leo murmured, a quiet urgency in his voice as he pressed forward.
As he neared the village, the differences became stark.
The architecture was unfamiliar—graceful curves and weathered stone blended with materials he couldn't name. The people moved with an unhurried rhythm, dressed in garments unfamiliar to him.
Stepping cautiously into the village, Leo immediately drew attention. A few curious glances followed him. Children paused mid-game to stare, their hushed whispers carrying on the breeze. An elderly man stacking crates in front of a modest store looked up and nodded slowly to Leo.
Doing his best to not to sound desperate, Leo stepped closer and asked, "Excuse me... could you tell me where I am"
The old man lifted an eyebrow, eyeing Leo with a cautious gaze. "You're not from around here!" he said in a calm but firm voice. "This is Alden Village."
Leo frowned. "I've never heard of it."
The old man shrugged slightly. "It's just a small village, rarely visited by outsiders. Where exactly are you from?"
Leo opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't know what to say. "I... I think I just happened to be here. One minute I was home, and now..."
The old man scratched his head, visibly confused. "Sorry, I can't help you," he said, returning to his work.
Leo remained where he stood, watching the man resume his work, a familiar heaviness settling once more in his chest. The village was strange, yes—but what unsettled him most was something deeper, something he couldn't explain.
He understood them.
He had spoken and been understood. The words, the signs—they made perfect sense.
How?
"How can I speak and understand this language?" he whispered, eyes scanning his surroundings."How can I read these signs?"
A torrent of questions surged through his thoughts.
His gaze drifted to a nearby wooden plaque mounted on a post. It bore delicate carvings and symbols entirely unfamiliar to him—yet somehow, he read it as clearly as his native tongue:
"Alden Village Central Market."
His heart pounded.
None of this is normal. The language, this world—none of it made sense.
Scanning his surroundings, Leo's eyes settled on a building that stood out from the rest. It looked like an old library—tall, arched windows framed by weathered stone, a wooden sign above the entrance carved with the image of an open book, and a short flight of stone steps leading to heavy double doors. It stood slightly apart from the bustling market square, quiet and almost solemn.
Driven by the need for answers, Leo made his way toward it.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted. The air was cool and still, filled with the faint scent of parchment and aged wood. Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, packed with books, scrolls, and worn manuscripts. Lanterns flickered gently overhead, casting a warm amber glow across the interior. Behind a broad wooden desk, a silver-haired woman sat in silence, calmly writing in a thick, leather-bound ledger.
She looked up as Leo stepped inside, her eyes narrowing—not with suspicion, but with a quiet curiosity.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked, her voice calm and measured.
Leo gave a polite nod. "I'm looking for any historical records or maps of this region."
Setting her quill down with care, the woman rose from her seat. "Come with me," she said gently.
She guided him to a quieter section at the rear of the library, where the shelves were filled with aged, leather-bound volumes. The air grew thicker with the scent of old paper and dust. Selecting a worn book from the shelf, she handed it to him.
"This book contains the town's historical records," she said. "If there's anything to learn about Alden—or the continent we live on—it'll be within these pages."
Leo accepted the book with a quiet nod and carefully opened it. The title page read: Chronicles of the Star Continent.
He frowned. "Star Continent?"
Curious, he settled into a nearby reading table and began turning the pages.
The Star Continent, as described in the opening chapters, was an immense land spanning from the frozen peaks of the northern mountains to the lush, untamed jungles of the south.To the east stretched an endless desert of golden sands, while the western lands were known for their ceaseless rains and winding rivers.
The Star Continent, as described in the opening chapters, was an immense land spanning from the frozen peaks of the northern mountains to the lush, untamed jungles of the south.To the east stretched an endless desert of golden sands, while the western lands were known for their ceaseless rains and winding rivers.
Leo flipped through more pages, each one rich with history—tales of ancient wars, fallen kingdoms, and dynasties lost to time. Yet, over the past thousand years, only one empire had endured and ruled over the land:
The Kairo Empire.
Its founder, Marcus, had once been a disciple of the legendary sage Lucas—known throughout history as The Star Master.
The sage Lucas was the first recorded being to wield the power of the stars, a feat that earned him eternal reverence and respect accross the generations.