The rain tapped softly against the windows of Kael's small attic room, a gentle rhythm that did little to calm the restless thoughts in his mind. For as long as he could remember, he had been drawn to stories of magic and forgotten lands. Tonight, however, those stories felt different—as if they were calling him.
Kael rummaged through dusty boxes, old books, and cracked trinkets left behind by his grandfather, a man whose tales of the Lost Realms had seemed more fantasy than truth. But tonight, amidst a pile of yellowed parchment, he found something extraordinary: a map. Its edges were frayed, the ink faded, yet the lines depicted forests, mountains, and rivers he had never seen. At the corner, written in careful script, were the words: "The Lost Realms await those brave enough to seek them."
Heart pounding, Kael traced the path with his finger. He felt a shiver of excitement mixed with fear. This was no ordinary map—he could feel it hum beneath his touch, alive with possibilities.
Suddenly, a shadow crossed the doorway. Kael spun around to see his younger sister, Lyra, peeking in.
"What are you doing up here?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Kael hesitated but knew he could not hide it. "I… I think I found something. Something incredible."
Lyra stepped closer, her own sense of wonder igniting. "The Lost Realms?"
Kael nodded, a smile breaking across his face. "It's real. And I think… I'm supposed to find them."
As the storm raged outside, Kael felt a surge of destiny stirring within him. Tonight, the adventure that had haunted his dreams for years was beginning—not in stories, but in the world waiting just beyond the map.
He rolled it carefully, tucking it under his arm. Tomorrow, he would begin his journey. But tonight… tonight was for planning, for imagining the impossible, and for daring to believe that magic was not lost forever.
And somewhere, deep in the shadows of the Lost Realms, something ancient stirred, as if acknowledging the first step of the one who would awaken its secrets.