The concept of darkness was something the human mind could never truly comprehend, yet the consciousness of a girl was caught within its empty grasp. Her mind did not dissipate within the endless void, but her senses were paralysed by the emptiness. Nothing entered her vision - not even the sight of her own body, though she knew it existed.
The passage of time seemed irrelevant within the girl's mind, for she had no recollection of when her existence had begun. Fear, panic, and disbelief swirled within her, but the suffocating void prevented her emotions from fully surfacing.
Suddenly, a mellow voice rang through the darkness, as if breaking the emptiness of her current state.
"Thou art singular, set apart from all others. The world hath need of thee. I shall bestow upon thee great power."
She could not determine the gender of the speaker, nor where the voice had come from. Yet, somehow, its words resonated within her very soul.
"Go forth and aid the denizens of this realm. Gather unto thee those deemed worthy. Drive out the invaders and cleanse the land."
As the voice slowly faded, the girl gradually regained her senses.
Her hearing returned first, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing that vibrated through her eardrums. Then came the sensation of soft silk brushing against her body. Her eyes opened, and she saw a shining figure slowly receding into the distance. At the same time, the distinct aroma of blooming spring flowers filled her nose.
Despite the bizarre experience, the girl remained motionless.
Until she tasted blood.
An iron-like scent assaulted her senses as a sudden fever erupted within her, burning her from the inside. Then, as though the void had finally released its hold on her, she felt the air rush beneath her.
She was falling.
The speed of her descent increased, and so did the temperature. Her body began to burn as the wind howled around her, yet she remained powerless to react. A searing pain assaulted her head, growing more intense with every passing moment until she felt as though her brain would explode.
She screamed within the prison of her own mind.
Until...
"Uwahh...!!" She woke up drenched in sweat.
The girl sat upright and looked around, trying to determine where she was. The room was small, containing only a wooden table and chair, a small wooden cabinet, and the bed she currently sat upon. Faint light pierced through the window, signaling that the sun had barely risen above the horizon.
"What was that dream?" She asked herself in confusion, her head still throbbing. She tried to brush it off as nothing more than a nightmare, but her intuition told her there was more to it.
Just then, someone knocked on her door at the corner of her room.
"Miss Aria, are you awake? It is time for your morning practice." A female voice came from the other side.
"Yes, I am awake. Please come in." Aria replied as she got out of bed and tidied her wrinkled clothes.
"I am coming in."
The door opened, and a beautiful young woman wearing a traditional maid uniform entered. She had long blonde hair tied into a ponytail, turquoise eyes, and a gentle demeanour. She walked towards Aria, who was standing beside the cabinet.
"Thank you, Mona, for always helping me. However, I feel bad about making you wake up earlier than everyone else just to help me."
"Oh, please. I am not bothered at all. I owe my life to your late mother, and that extends to you as well. Besides, I am happy that you are considerate towards a mere maid. Watching you grow has been a source of pride and joy for me."
"Hehe, you sound like a proud mother, even though you're still single - and only eighteen at that."
"Oh my, how rude."
Their banter helped Aria calm down and shifted her thoughts away from the nightmare she had experienced. However, the uneasiness still lingered within her heart.
She changed from her nightgown into a pair of long pants and a shirt before heading outside with her wooden sword. After walking along a narrow corridor, she exited the small wooden cabin and stepped into the courtyard. The morning air filled her lungs, invigorating her for her routine exercises.
She began with one hundred sword swings, followed by various static exercises, before finishing her routine with fifty laps around the courtyard.
"Miss, you never fail to impress me with your daily training. Being able to do this much at the age of ten makes me believe that you could become the youngest candidate to enter the knight order."
"Thank you for the compliment, Mona. However, that is only if Father approves, and if any military company is willing to take in a young female recruit who has yet to reach adulthood." Aria retorted cheekily as she walked back towards Mona. "I believe being an adventurer would be a better option for me. I can travel around the world, hunt down some beasts, and eat all kinds of food. There are still so many regions left unexplored, and I am going to bathe in the wonders of those unknown lands."
Mona looked at Aria warmly, a smile naturally forming on her face, but a tinge of sadness welled within her.
"That would mean you will be leaving this house soon."
Mona handed Aria a cloth, which she used to wipe away the sweat she had worked up despite the cold weather.
"My eleventh birthday is coming in a few days. The day when I have to leave this house... leave this family of mine." Aria lowered the cloth and stared towards the mansion. "By then, I will no longer be the daughter of the Sultier Earl House. I'll just be Aria, the adventurer."
"Miss... I truly believe that you will succeed in your future endeavours. You are smart, strong, brave, and kind. Both Madam and I are happy with the person you've become." Mona smiled gently before clapping her hands together. "Anyway, it's time for breakfast! An egg sandwich and milk!"
As the sun rose, the shadows retreated, and the scenery was illuminated by a yellowish hue that brought the colours of the world to life. A beautiful garden stretched from the courtyard towards the distant mansion. The Sultier Family's grand estate was decorated with ornate statues, vibrant flowers and trees, and exquisite architecture that displayed their wealth and authority.
Aria ate her breakfast while watching the mansion slowly come to life with activity.
"Mona, you should return. I don't want you to get into any more trouble."
"Miss... understood."
Mona left to join the other maids in their daily duties, leaving Aria alone.
The contrast between the extravagant mansion and the shabby cabin where she stayed was glaring. After her stepmother took full control of the estate, Aria had been banished here while her stepsister took over her position as the heir to the Sultier Earldom.
"Well, I guess father would not really care. Besides, having someone with high magical power as the heir would benefit the family the most... but to treat me like I am invisible..."
Aria sighed before returning to her cabin.
As usual, she prepared to cleanse herself with water magic. Standing before a large wooden basin, she began chanting her spell. "Water. Heed my call and condense. Water Flow."
Water formed out of thin air, as though the surrounding space were a wet cloth being squeezed dry. However, unlike usual, the flow did not stop. More and more water poured into the basin until it began to overflow.
"Huh?! Why?! Stop! Oh no, the room is going to flood!" The water finally stopped and Aria stared at the overflowing basin in disbelief. "My level of magical affinity should only be at level one, shouldn't it? This is clearly beyond that!"
Her thoughts immediately returned to the dream - the mysterious voice that had promised to grant her power.
"Is this what that voice meant? But what does it mean by the world needing me? And what are these 'invaders'?"
Aria remained confused, but there was little she could do about it for now. She cleaned up the mess before finally taking a dip in the cold water and washing herself. Yet, as the hours passed, her uneasiness only grew stronger.
Until the day finally came to an end. Aria found herself floating in the abyss once more.
Beyond her eyes stretched an endless expanse of darkness. Several balls of light emerged from the void around her, twinkling in unison as Aria struggled to make sense of what she was seeing.
Without warning, the lights converged upon her. A blinding white light filled her vision, and a torrent of information surged into her mind. Her head spun as though her brain were being drilled from within.
Aria awoke in a state of panic, clutching her head as pain coursed through her skull. Foreign information flowed naturally into her mind. She could picture various creatures she had never encountered in any of the literature she had read - in this world, at least.
"What in the world...? Ugh!" A pang of pain struck her head, as though it had been seared by fire. The sharp sensation soon faded, spreading throughout the rest of her body and leaving her numb and tingling. Yet beneath that strange sensation, she could feel something else: power was surging through her body.
"Hah... hah... Is this going to happen every night?" Aria turned her head towards the window and watched as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. "Sigh... I hope not..."
Yet, each night, Aria would experience the same kind of nightmare. However, her body felt lighter with each passing day and her movements with her wooden sword changed as well, as if an unknown force was directing her through instinct.
Aria could feel her muscles straining less despite the intense exercises, and she was weirdly elated about the changes. However, a pang of unease had taken root in her heart. With each passing day, she grew stronger, yet she could not help wondering what price she would eventually have to pay for the power she had been given.
***
"Mona, thank you for everything. From today onward, I will be forging my own path."
"Miss... please stay safe... and... Happy Birthday." Mona took out a small wooden box and handed it to Aria.
"Mona, you did not have to, you know."
"Please, Miss. It's the least I can do to repay your mother. Use it to buy yourself proper equipment for your adventures."
"Thank you." Aria hugged Mona tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I will never forget what you have done for me."
The twilight sky barely provided enough light to illuminate the snowy road Aria walked along. Behind her, the mansion grew smaller and smaller, leaving her secluded past farther behind.
As a new dawn approached, so too did the beginning of her new life.
Aria had kept her recurring dreams a secret from Mona, believing that revealing them would only complicate matters and cause unnecessary unease in the maid.
"First things first, I will head to the nearby church. Let me see if those dreams have any meaning. Perhaps they are a prophecy from God... or maybe they are just random dreams."
The nearest city to the Sultier mansion was only an hour's walk away. It was a bustling city filled with markets selling various harvests, shops offering equipment, potions, and magical items, and eateries ranging from cheap establishments to luxurious restaurants frequented by nobles and wealthy merchants.
Lapis, the capital city of the Sultier Earldom, was named after its founder's favourite gem.
The church within Lapis stood in the center of the city. Its interior was decorated with ornate paintings covering the ceiling and several marble statues depicting generations of royalty, nobles, and popes who had contributed to the church.
The most magnificent statue stood at the back of the great hall. It depicted the being worshipped by the Sol faith- the God of Creation, God Flare. The statue portrayed a man dressed in a silk robe, standing with his arms spread wide. He had short, swept-back hair and an androgynous face that exuded both beauty and masculinity.
Aria approached the statue, knelt down, and prayed with her hands clasped together and her eyes closed. She felt nothing for several minutes. Just as she was about to give up, however, a burning sensation suddenly spread across both of her palms.
Aria opened her hands and inspected them. A mark resembling a wing had appeared on each palm. "What is the meaning of this...? I think I should wear gloves to cover these..."
"Hello there, young lady. Are you all right?"
Aria turned around and saw a nun standing nearby with a gentle expression.
"It is rare to see such a young girl this early, especially one with such beautiful silver hair. Did you come here alone?"
"Yes. I just came here to offer my prayers."
"Oh my, how pious. Is there anything I can help you with? The church is always open to anyone who wishes to make a confession."
"Umm... no, I am fine. Although, I do have a question... does a wing symbolise anything?"
"If you mean a single wing, then yes. It represents the messengers of Lord Flare. We call them Angelos. Many people don't know this, but the Angelos have several ranks, and their designs represent their different ranks." The nun smiled as she continued. "Angelos are said to grant blessings to people, and those who receive them have accomplished incredible feats... or so it is written in our sacred texts. I have never actually seen any of these people, though."
"I see. Thank you for the information." Aria hastily left the church as soon as the nun finished explaining.
"Huh? Wait! Don't you want to hear more about our sacred teachings?!"
***
"All right. Sword, pouches, and leather armour... all set." As Aria was checking all of her equipment, she stared at the mark engraved on her palms. The marks were unlike those painted upon with ink, but rather the sculpting of her own flesh twisting itself into art. "This looks disturbing..."
Aria donned on her gloves and made way to her next objective: the Adventurer's Guild.
Aria had been saving the money her father had given her to sustain herself in the wooden cabin. She would occasionally sneak out and walk around Lapis, and the city had gradually become familiar to her. Thus, she managed to reach the Adventurer's Guild without getting lost.
As she entered the building, the crowd briefly turned their attention towards her. While most quickly returned to their activities, some continued to marvel at her rare silver hair and crimson eyes.
Aria ignored the gazes and proceeded to the counter to register as an adventurer. The process took some time. She had to fill out a form, listen to an explanation of the guild's rules, and wait for the guild staff to hand her adventurer's tag. She naturally started at the lowest rank: Glass.
"So, from Glass to Copper, then Bronze, Iron, Steel, Silver, Gold, and finally Platinum, huh? That's a long way to go."
As Aria pondered the road ahead, the marks on her hands throbbed and she was immediately assaulted by a flood of information that left her in a state of stupor. In the second after Aria became overwhelmed, the guild's door suddenly burst open and a group of men hurried inside.
"We're a Steel-rank adventurer party, Raging Bull. We would like to have a few words with the guild master." A man who appeared to be their leader approached the staff member standing nearest to the entrance.
"Huh? Wait, what's the issue? Didn't you guys just set out a few hours ago to subjugate a raging boar? How did you get back so quickly?"
"That's not the point right now! We've just encountered something else along the way. In the Forest of Beginners, the shortcut to the Hell Savannah, we came across a couple of unusual creatures killing off some local critters. It may be a sign of a stampede."
"What?! Understood! I'll call the guild master right now!"
"There is no need for that. I am here." A dignified voice echoed throughout the guild hall. "Did you manage to collect any of the creatures?"
A man in his forties descended the stairs. He had a stern face, a goatee, and an ornate suit that symbolised his authority.
"We didn't manage to get all of them, sir. We got four. They're fast and caught us off guard when we chased them. Liam, Tom."
The two largest men in the group placed their loads on the floor. The bodies were covered in thick cloth, which they pulled away to reveal bizarre creatures almost as large as an average man. They had frills, long legs, short arms, slender, scaly bodies, and long necks. Several gashes covered their bodies, likely from sword strikes, while light-purple hues covered their posterior sections.
"We got two of them here. As you can see, we've never seen anything like this. They may be a new species, but something this large should have been seen by someone long before now."
"Indeed, I have never seen these creatures—not in my twenty years of adventuring throughout this region." The guild master approached the carcasses, knelt, and inspected them closely.
"It may not, however, be a sign of a stampede. I have lived through two of them, and they usually involve an irregular increase in the numbers of local species, not foreign creatures that have come from other regions." He paused and stood back up. "Besides, we have been constantly monitoring several local biomes, and I have yet to receive any reports from the scouts indicating the usual signs of trouble."
The guild master looked around the hall. "Has anybody seen such creatures before?"
"Those are Jaggis."
"!"
Aria instinctively answered whilst in the trance before snapping back and realising what she had said. She immediately covered her mouth in shock. However, it was too late as everyone's attention had turned towards her.
"Young lady, you know about them, don't you?" The guild master's gaze sharpened. "Explain."
"Umm... I, I..." Aria did not know how to respond.
"Come to my office."
"Yes..."
Aria sat across from the guild master in his office. The room was ornate, yet stacks of papers, books, and scrolls covered nearly every surface, giving it a surprisingly messy appearance.
"I know you want to keep things secret. It's just you and me now, little miss. You can tell me everything. I promise to keep your secret."
"I... I have no idea either. I don't know why I have such information. It's as if I instinctively know what those creatures are... as if I've encountered them numerous times before."
"Have you heard of the 'Blessed Ones', Miss Aria?"
"!?" Aria put her hands together, trying to hide the marks that God had given her.
"You only registered as an adventurer today, so of course I would know about you. Contrary to this room's appearance, the guild keeps things extremely well organised. It wouldn't take long to find information about you - or any other registered adventurer. Besides, that rare silver hair and crimson eyes..."
The man leaned back in his chair. "My name is Granzial Oleid. You don't have to be wary of me. Now, back to the topic of the 'Blessed Ones'. Have you heard of them?"
Aria let out a silent sigh of relief and shook her head.
"They are people who have been blessed by Lord Flare or by other gods from distant lands. To be precise, they have been granted special powers."
"I thought Angelos were the ones who gave people power?"
"So you have heard of them." Granzial's eyes narrowed slightly.
"True. Angelos, the servants of the gods, can grant blessings. However, they are still human in nature. The 'Blessed Ones' are different. They are humans who possess the same authority as the Angelos themselves." He paused before continuing. "They are humans who can bestow blessings upon others. They are also those whom the gods have entrusted with tasks. They may possess knowledge that we do not."
Granzial looked directly at Aria. "You are one of them, aren't you?"
Aria remained silent. She considered telling him about the dreams, but she had no idea whether she could trust him.
"I do not know if I am what you assume me to be, but I do have dreams where I see myself hunting fantastical creatures. I vaguely remember those creatures as Jaggis." She hesitated. "It is not much of a threat. We simply ignore them."
"Nothing else? No other changes to your body?" The guild master's expression became sceptical.
"No, sir."
A deafening silence followed as the two stared at each other.
"I see." Granzial finally broke the silence. "Trust is something you build over time. You are not as naive as I thought you would be, considering your age."
He stood from his chair. "I hope you will open up to me eventually. Off you go."
Aria began walking towards the door in a hurry, but the guild master stopped her and smiled. "Oh, and... welcome to the world of adventurers."