The Crimson Moon hung low over Eldara, bathing the village in blood-red light. Its glow spilled over jagged cliffs and the Whispering Forest, turning every tree into a dark silhouette of shifting shadows. Most villagers slept, unaware of what was coming.
But Kael wasn't like most villagers.
He sprinted across the mossy ground near the forest's edge, boots barely making a sound. The wind whipped his hair across his eyes, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears. He was chasing the lights — tiny, flickering sparks that darted like fireflies, but brighter, sharper, almost alive.
"Come on… show me," he muttered, gripping the silver pendant around his neck. It hummed softly, thrumming in perfect sync with his pulse. His mother had given it to him before vanishing years ago, leaving only a note that said: "When the hour comes, follow the light."
The lights darted ahead, forming a circle in a clearing. Kael froze. The pendant screamed in his chest, vibrating so violently he almost dropped it. Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.
Tall. Lean. Limbs unnaturally long. A hood masked its face, but molten golden eyes glowed from beneath. It moved without a sound, yet every motion screamed power.
"You're late," it said, voice like metal scraping silk.
Kael swallowed. "I… I don't know you."
"You will," the figure replied. "When the hour strikes."
The pendant flared. Light shot from it in a beam that cut through the night like a sword. Kael's vision swam. When the glare dimmed, the forest was gone.
In its place, a city of impossible geometry stretched before him: towers that spiraled into the crimson sky, bridges twisting like serpents, streets glowing with molten stone. Magic pulsed through the air, tangible and electric.
"You have been chosen," the figure said. "Chosen to awaken what must not sleep."
Kael's chest tightened. "Chosen… for what?"
"You'll learn. But first… survive the first trial."
From the darkness behind the figure, shapes slithered into view. Creatures. Too many legs, too many eyes, bodies that flickered between shadow and solid form. They circled, moving in perfect synchronization. Kael's heart sank.
The pendant flared again. This time, a sword of silver light appeared, floating before him. It pulsed with energy, resonating with his heartbeat. Kael reached out, gripping it. The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, the creatures hissed, shrieking like a chorus of broken bells.
Kael swung blindly, each strike scattering shadows. But for every creature that fell, two more replaced it. The world seemed to warp around him — the city stretching, the sky folding, the ground trembling.
A voice echoed in his mind, deep and distant:
"The hour is upon you, Kael. Choose… or everything ends."
Kael's eyes shot upward. A rift tore open the crimson sky, lightning dancing along its edges. Something fell from it — a figure he recognized instantly.
His mother.
She landed in the rift with a silent thud, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. Kael's breath caught. The pendant burned hotter, the sword shivered in his grip. The shadow creatures paused, sensing the rift's power.
The figure stepped closer. Its golden eyes pierced Kael's soul. "Time has betrayed you, Kael. Soon… it will betray everyone."
Before Kael could react, a wave of dark energy surged from the rift, sweeping the clearing. He stumbled. The sword slipped. The pendant cracked. Darkness swallowed him whole.
And Kael fell.