Every adventure begins with a choice. Sometimes a difficult dilemma. A decision that will seal one's own future forever.
Most mortals believe they are the masters of their destiny—that they can influence it with each decision, steer their boat as they please, and bend causality to their will. But it isn't always so. Some exceptional beings are not spared from the end that awaits them. And even if they fight with body and soul, the outcome will remain the same. Because, after all, the future is predefined by something greater than they are.
Day after day, new lines are drawn, new roads take shape. And in a singular world named Midgaïa, it is now a young mage's turn to face it. In one of the many libraries of Horizon's Kabbalah, she had made her decision—chosen what she wanted to do, decided where she intended to go. And yet, the rough voice of an old man tried to dissuade her, echoing through the vast space around them:
— I'm truly disappointed, Lysandra… To think that an elementalist as talented as you would risk her life over such trifles.
The young girl stared at the floor as she listened to the speech she felt as a reproach. Disagreeing, she finally lifted her head with fierce resolve.
— But… Master Raijin! I already gave you the reason for my resignation… I… I'm not going to stay here forever reading the works of my elders! And besides… I… I'm only leaving the Kabbalah temporarily!
He grumbled as he stroked his white beard, dissatisfied with his student's justification:
— You are far too young to go adventuring, especially in times like these. It would be an immense loss for this school if anything happened to you!
He had known her since childhood. He had watched her grow and flourish. Beneath his stern tone, he was ultimately expressing nothing but a warm kind of care.
— Everything will be fine! she shot back, forcing a smile. The Guild is a serious organization, and besides… I don't see what danger could possibly arise in a region as peaceful as ours!
Lysandra tried to reassure the old man as best she could, but it did not seem easy. Even with all her enthusiasm and unwavering determination, he still wasn't convinced by her fragile arguments.
— I… I can't promise I'll be back in the months to come, but… I really need to leave and search for answers…
— Well then, you could find them here! he exclaimed.
He stretched an arm toward the shelves—crammed with an infinity of scrolls and manuscripts of every age—clearly determined to make her see reason:
— We haven't studied Midgaïa for so many cycles for nothing!
The elementalist lowered her gaze again. Aware of the wisdom in his words, she clasped her hands as if pleading:
— The… the answers I'm looking for aren't in those books! Actually… it's a personal quest, and I… I would like to find my biological parents! Please, Master Raijin. Try to understand…
The old man looked at her, stunned. A foreign emotion flickered through his eyes for an instant. He swallowed—but the young girl didn't notice.
Even though she had hidden her true intention at first, it did not surprise him. Deep down, he had known—like a father sensing it in his daughter. After teaching many apprentices before her, he was not naïve about their ambitions. He simply didn't like his talented students leaving the nest so early, and without a good reason.
That legitimate justification backed Raijin into a corner. He couldn't oppose her—and the sincerity shining in Lysandra's azure gaze only made it stronger. So he nodded, approving, and finally released her:
— Very well. I can't stop you from pursuing such a noble quest. In any case, you earned your diploma brilliantly. In a way, nothing holds you here anymore. Still… I truly hope you'll come back to us once you're finished. Even if you leave the organization today, you will always be welcome among us.
Surprised by this sudden reversal—and as if freed from a heavy burden—Lysandra let out a breath. The old man, meanwhile, pressed his hand to her shoulder with feverish insistence.
— Hm… Young people are so stubborn these days! he chuckled. I hope you find what you seek with such fervor. May Chaos guide you!
With those solemn words, he limped away, tapping the floor with small knocks from his long black staff. Before leaving the room, he turned back to support her one last time:
— Oh! I almost forgot… If you have any trouble with the Guild, don't hesitate to come see me. I'll make sure it gets settled… cordially, he declared with another little chuckle.
Lysandra narrowed her eyes slightly, then took a deep breath.
"I didn't think talking with him would be so exhausting…" she thought as she stepped out of the building's grounds.
The protective shadow of the imposing academy still covered her in its darkness, holding her until her small strides finally freed her from it. When the sun ultimately touched her, she felt released from its grasp. The young girl turned one last time toward that warm home that had watched her grow, thanking it silently for everything it had given her. She was leaving it behind to walk into the unknown, not knowing whether she would ever return.
*
Lysandra is a young, certified elementalist, graduated after several years of study in a magic academy—more commonly called a "kabbalah." These are institutions that teach the occult arts to aspirants who have the capacity for them. The Kabbalah also refers to an ancestral organization that gathers the most learned and powerful mages of this world. It teaches its apprentices that magic is governed by the elements—works of the Primordial God, Chaos.