Prologue – Guardian of the Eternal Flame
A torrential downpour engulfed the Valtherion Mountains, shrouding the night in thunder and relentless flashes of lightning. Amid the storm, a battalion of dark gray-skinned Orcs moved like shadows, creeping closer to a small fortress perched atop a cliff. That fortress, Solhaven, was the last remaining defense for the Eternal Flame Crystal—a source of power that could determine the fate of the world.
"Elden, we don't have much time!" shouted a young woman named Lyra, her sword slick with blood. Her face was tense, yet her eyes blazed with courage.
Inside the fortress's core chamber, Elden, an old mage cloaked in tattered blue robes, stood before the Eternal Flame Crystal. His hands trembled as he traced a magical circle in the air. The blue light from the crystal began to dim, signaling that their time was running out.
"This crystal cannot stay here any longer," Elden rasped. "If Varion or his Orc army seizes it, the world will end."
Lyra glanced at Elden and then at the door, which was barely holding against the Orcs' battering rams. "What are you planning, Elden? We can't fight them all!"
Elden turned to her, determination glinting in his weary eyes. "I'm going to send the crystal... to a place where Varion will never find it. To another world."
Before Lyra could respond, the fortress doors exploded with a deafening crash. Dozens of Orcs poured in, followed by a massive warrior clad in jet-black armor with glowing red eyes. General Krogar, one of Varion's ten generals, stepped forward, wielding a colossal warhammer.
"You think you can escape me?" Krogar growled, his voice like the roar of a storm. "Surrender the crystal, and I'll grant you a quick death."
Elden gave a faint smile. "You're too late, Krogar."
With those words, Elden completed the magical circle. The Eternal Flame Crystal flared with brilliant blue light, blinding everyone in the room. But before the teleportation could finish, Krogar surged forward with blinding speed, slamming his warhammer into Elden. The old mage was flung against the wall, blood spilling from his lips.
"Pathetic human!" Krogar roared, swinging his warhammer toward the crystal.
Just as the hammer was about to strike, the crystal erupted with a radiant burst of blue energy. Time seemed to freeze as the light consumed the room. In an instant, the crystal vanished, escaping the clutches of the Orcs.
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Another World – Earth
Kaelan Ashford awoke in the dead of night, sweat pouring down his face. Strange dreams of war, monsters, and an old mage still lingered in his mind. But before he could make sense of them, a bright blue light filled his room.
"What the—?!" Kaelan shouted, but his body felt pulled by an unseen force. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his room.
When he came to, Kaelan found himself in a place unlike anything he had ever seen. The sky was a shade of violet, the forest glowed with an ethereal light, and ancient ruins surrounded him.
In the center of the ruins stood a dimly glowing blue crystal. As Kaelan approached, a deep voice echoed in the air.
"Kaelan Ashford, you have been chosen as the Guardian of the Eternal Flame. The fate of this world now rests in your hands."
Kaelan shook his head, trying to process the situation. "Wait, wait. What do you mean, 'the fate of the world'? I don't even know how to fight!"
Before he could get an answer, heavy footsteps echoed from beyond the ruins. Red-eyed Orcs emerged, wielding massive axes in their hands. Kaelan stumbled back in panic.
"Please tell me this is just a nightmare," he muttered.
The blue crystal suddenly flared with light, enveloping Kaelan in its glow. In an instant, his body was cloaked in a burning blue aura, filling him with a strength he had never felt before. With no other choice, Kaelan had to fight—and thus began his journey.
From a mountaintop in the distance, Lyra and a wounded Elden watched the light pierce the night sky.
"He has arrived," Elden whispered, his voice weak but filled with hope. "The Guardian has been summoned."