The wind howled across the cliffs of Aeris Village, tugging at Kael's black, messy hair and chilling him to the bone. He stood at the very edge, his worn boots pressed against the cold stone, staring at the floating islands that hung above the horizon like giant islands of dreams. Jagged peaks jutted out of the clouds, and the sunlight glinted off strange crystals embedded in their cliffs.
Kael's sharp green eyes reflected the golden streaks of the sun breaking through the clouds. His face was smudged with dirt from climbing rocks earlier, and a long scar ran across his left cheek, a memory of a childhood accident he'd never forget. He was thin but strong, with quick hands and a restless energy that never let him stay in one place for too long.
The villagers often warned him, "Don't stare too long at the Skylands, boy. You'll fall into the curse." But Kael didn't care about curses. The islands called to him in a way no one else could understand. Adventure, mysteries, treasures—everything he had dreamed about lay beyond the horizon.
"Another storm tonight…" Kael muttered to himself. He tightened the strap of his satchel across his shoulder. It was old, patched in several places, and rattled slightly as he moved, carrying his few belongings. He didn't have much—just a few scraps of food, a map he had drawn himself, and the journal where he scribbled notes about the floating islands—but it was enough.
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the cliffs and the forests below. Then, something strange fell from the heavens. A glowing crystal, small enough to fit in his hand, tumbled through the air, spinning with a light that pulsed like a heartbeat. Kael's eyes widened.
Without thinking, he ran. His boots pounded the wet stone as he raced down the narrow path toward the ruins at the edge of the cliff. Rain poured down, soaking him, but he barely noticed. The crystal landed inside the ruins, a place forbidden for decades, with jagged walls and moss-covered stones.
The ruins were silent except for the patter of rain and the occasional crack of lightning. As Kael stepped inside, he noticed the carvings on the walls—ancient symbols that seemed to shift slightly when he blinked. The air smelled of earth and something else he couldn't name, something old and powerful.
Then shadows moved. Dark forms slid across the walls, twisting unnaturally, whispering in a language Kael could not understand. Fear shot through him, but it was mixed with excitement—his heart pounding, his green eyes wide, shining with determination. He reached for the crystal.
Suddenly, a surge of energy exploded from him. It was like fire and wind and electricity rolled into one. His hair whipped around his face as his emerald eyes glowed for a brief moment. Images flashed in his mind—battles he had never fought, faces he had never seen, and a voice whispering, "You have come too far… yet not far enough."
Kael staggered back, clutching his chest, feeling both terrified and powerful at the same time. Then he heard a soft voice cutting through the chaos.
"You shouldn't have come here," said a girl stepping out of the shadows. Her silver hair shimmered like moonlight even in the storm, and her violet eyes glowed faintly. She moved with grace, almost floating, and a strange aura surrounded her. In one swift movement, she raised her hand, and the shadow creatures scattered like smoke.
Kael's heart raced, and he couldn't look away from her. She was tall for her age, with a slim, athletic frame. Her clothes were simple but elegant, flowing slightly in the wind, and a small pendant hung around her neck, glowing faintly. There was something mysterious about her, a strength Kael could feel even before she spoke again.
"Yet… fate brought you anyway," she continued, voice calm but carrying an intensity that made Kael's pulse skip.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Instead, he only stared at the glowing crystal in his hand and the girl who had just saved his life. The ruins trembled suddenly. Stones shifted. Walls seemed to reform themselves, creating new paths and shadowy corridors that had not been there a moment ago.
A whisper echoed through the air, low and almost musical:
"The Horizon watches all… and it chooses."
Kael swallowed hard, gripping the crystal tightly. His hands shook a little, but he felt an unfamiliar heat of courage rise in his chest. This was no longer a story from the villagers' tales—this was real. The Skylands, the ruins, the crystal, even the mysterious girl—they were all real. And they were calling to him.
He took a deep breath, letting the wind whip across his face. Rain soaked his shirt, plastered it to his lean frame, but he didn't care. He looked out through the newly shifted doorway, toward the horizon, the floating islands, and the storms beyond. His sharp green eyes gleamed with determination, reflecting the endless blue above.
"If these islands hide secrets… I will uncover every one of them," he whispered to himself.
A flash of lightning lit the ruins one more time, and Kael knew—he had just stepped into a world far bigger, far more dangerous, and far more mysterious than anything he had ever imagined.
The adventure had begun.