Part 1 – A New Chapter Begins

Kaelan stood frozen, his body trembling amidst the ancient ruins. The blue light that had enveloped him moments ago had faded, leaving a faintly glowing symbol etched on his chest. He struggled to steady his breathing, but the low growl from behind the rubble made his heart pound even faster.

From the shadows, two massive creatures emerged. They were Orcs—towering figures with rough gray skin, protruding tusks, and glowing red eyes filled with hatred. One of them hefted a massive axe, its deep, guttural voice breaking the tense silence.

"Little human... Do you think you can escape us?" the Orc growled.

Kaelan swallowed hard, his feet rooted to the ground. "Okay, this is a nightmare. This has to be a nightmare. I'll wake up any second now," he muttered, panicking.

But the Orc gave him no time to think. With a ferocious roar, they charged at him, axes raised.

Kaelan's instincts kicked in. He leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the first swing. The axe slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater. Kaelan stumbled, falling to the ground, and stared at the creatures in sheer terror.

"What is this?! I don't even know how to fight!"

As the second Orc approached, the symbol on his chest began to glow brightly. A searing heat coursed through his body, replacing his fear with something stronger—a courage he had never felt before.

Blue light flickered in his hand, forming a small orb of fire. Kaelan stared at it with wide eyes.

"Okay... This is cool, but how do I use it?"

The Orc lunged at him, ready to crush him. Without thinking, Kaelan swung his arm, and the fireball shot forward with incredible speed. It struck the creature square in the chest, sending it flying backward. The Orc hit the ground, its body engulfed in flames.

"YES! I did it!" Kaelan shouted, though his body still shook.

The first Orc, larger and visibly angrier, let out a deafening roar. It charged at Kaelan, its axe gleaming in the dim light. This time, Kaelan reacted faster, his body moving as if it knew what to do.

A rusty sword lay nearby amidst the ruins. Kaelan sprinted toward it, grabbing the weapon, though its weight made him stagger slightly.

"If I'm going to die, I might as well die fighting," he muttered, gripping the sword with both hands.

The Orc swung its axe again, but Kaelan tapped into his newfound strength. Blue light enveloped the sword, making it feel lighter in his hands. With a shout of determination, Kaelan jumped and slashed at the Orc.

The blue energy cut through the creature effortlessly, leaving a deep gash that brought the Orc crashing to the ground, lifeless.

Kaelan panted heavily, standing amidst the ruins and staring at the two fallen Orcs. He could hardly believe what had just happened.

"Did I just kill monsters? With a sword? And a fireball?" He chuckled nervously, the sound tinged with disbelief. "This is crazier than any game I've ever played."

Before he could savor his small victory, a rumbling sound in the distance caught his attention. Turning toward the noise, he saw more Orcs approaching from the hilltop—this time in far greater numbers.

"Oh, come on... This isn't going to stop, is it?"

---

Kaelan backed away slowly, his eyes fixed on the horde of Orcs approaching in the distance. His heart pounded wildly, but his body felt light, as though the blue energy coursing through him gave him the courage to stand tall.

"Okay, okay. Stay calm, Kaelan," he muttered to himself, trying to quell the rising panic. "They're just Orcs... giant monsters with huge axes and—oh crap, that's a lot of them."

The group of Orcs numbered at least a dozen, each wielding deadly-looking weapons. They moved like a wave of destruction, smashing everything in their path.

Kaelan gripped his old sword tighter. He glanced around, searching for an escape route, but all he found were towering walls of ruins and the dark forest behind him. There was nowhere to run.

"This is a total disaster," he mumbled under his breath.

As the first Orc leaped down from the hill, Kaelan nervously raised his sword. The blade felt heavy, but when blue light began to flow along its edge, a strange force allowed him to wield it with ease.

"Alright, bring it on! You want to die or what?" Kaelan shouted, trying to sound confident. Even he knew it was a poor bluff.

---

The first Orc charged with a terrifying roar, swinging its massive axe at Kaelan. Reflexes he had only just discovered kicked in, and he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack by inches.

He countered with a swing of his sword, now glowing with a blue aura. The blade struck the Orc's shoulder, slicing through its thick flesh and sending it crashing to the ground.

"Ha! One down!" Kaelan exclaimed, though he had no time to celebrate. Two more Orcs were closing in, their axes swinging toward him from opposite directions.

Kaelan leapt backward, raising his left hand instinctively. Blue light gathered in his palm, forming a small fireball. With all his strength, he hurled it at the Orc on the right, hitting it square in the face. The creature roared in pain before collapsing, its body engulfed in flames.

But the remaining Orc seized the opportunity to attack. Its massive axe slammed into Kaelan's sword with enough force to almost knock it from his grip. Kaelan stumbled backward, losing his balance.

The Orc raised its axe high, ready to deliver the final blow. Kaelan closed his eyes, bracing for impact.

But before the axe could fall, an arrow shot out from the forest, piercing the Orc's neck. The creature staggered for a moment before collapsing, lifeless.

Kaelan slowly opened his eyes, staring at the dead Orc in front of him. Then he heard light footsteps behind him.

"Looks like you needed some help," said a woman in a casual tone.

Kaelan turned to see a young woman emerging from the shadows of the forest. She wore light leather armor, a bow in her hand, and a confident smile on her face. Her long black hair was tied back, and her sharp eyes studied Kaelan with curiosity.

"Who are you?" Kaelan asked, still catching his breath.

"Name's Lyra," she replied with a smirk. "And you must be the idiot chosen by the Eternal Flame Crystal."

Kaelan frowned. "What do you mean 'idiot'? Hey, I just took down three of those monsters, you know!"

Lyra chuckled softly. "Oh, impressive. Three Orcs. The problem is, there are still ten more behind them. So, if you don't mind, maybe we should get out of here before they chop off your head."

Kaelan glanced at the approaching horde of Orcs and sighed deeply. "Alright, got a plan?"

"Of course," Lyra said, drawing her bow and aiming at one of the Orcs. "Follow me and don't die."

Kaelan could only nod and ran after Lyra toward the forest.

---

As they fled, Lyra skillfully shot down several Orcs that got too close. Meanwhile, Kaelan, though still clumsy, began to adapt to using his sword to survive.

When they finally managed to lose the Orcs, Kaelan collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. He looked at Lyra with a mix of gratitude and confusion.

"So... you know about this crystal? And why I'm here?" he asked.

Lyra sighed and sat down beside him. "I'll explain everything later. But for now, just know this: the world is in chaos, and you're our only hope."

Kaelan laughed weakly. "Great. No pressure at all."

Lyra's smile faded as she looked at him seriously. "Trust me, if you don't protect that crystal, everything will fall apart."

Kaelan glanced at the glowing symbol on his chest. Even though he still didn't understand what was happening, something in Lyra's words made him want to believe her.