Chapter 11

Neyvar was walking in the dark night when he suddenly heard a voice:

"Help..."

He was startled. He focused on the sound and ran toward it until he reached a dark and empty alley.

Inside the alley, there was nothing. He looked around, and suddenly, saw a young boy standing with his back to him.

Neyvar called out:

"Hey… kid, are you okay?"

No answer. A few moments passed. Neyvar kept staring, and then suddenly the boy said:

"Who are you?"

Neyvar felt uneasy and took a defensive stance. The boy turned around… and Neyvar was stunned.

It was himself. His 9-year-old self.

Neyvar asked:

"Why do you look so much like me?"

The boy smiled and said:

"Ah... so you are me... you've changed... and that's not a bad thing."

Neyvar: "What? You're me?"

The boy said:

"Good that you've become stronger... but be careful..."

He began to slowly fade away and whispered:

"Beware of the Crimson Pearl..."

With that final sentence, the boy completely vanished and a wave of darkness like an explosion spread around. Neyvar felt dizzy and passed out.

When he woke up, he found himself in his bedroom. Morning had arrived. He immediately ran downstairs. Alicia, the maid, saw him and said:

"Wait, young master!"

But Neyvar didn't listen. He ran toward the alley from last night… but when he arrived—there was no alley. Just three connected buildings. Neyvar was extremely confused. He clutched his head and returned home.

Back at home, he asked Alicia:

"Miss Alicia... how did I get home last night?"

Alicia replied:

"When you went out, I wasn't worried at first. But after three hours passed and you didn't return, I went to check… and you were lying unconscious at the gate."

Neyvar thought to himself:

"What? Three hours? But I swear I was out for no more than twenty minutes… Who was that boy? And what did he mean by Crimson Pearl?"

Still confused, Neyvar decided to clear his head with a walk through the marketplace. There, he came across a shop selling magical weapons. He entered.

Inside, the shopkeeper greeted him:

"Welcome, young man. Looking for anything specific? Swords, spears, staffs?"

Neyvar said:

"I just need a weapon... something cheap and reliable."

The shopkeeper showed a few high-quality swords:

"This one's got enchanted steel with shock absorption. This one's fire-resistant, and this one can store mana."

Neyvar replied with a sigh:

"I don't have money for these… and honestly, I don't like any of them."

The shopkeeper smiled and said:

"In that case, follow me. I have something... old but special."

He led Neyvar to the back room and pointed at a black, worn-out sword.

"It may not look impressive, but it has a strange energy. No one has ever been able to awaken it… maybe it's waiting for the right person."

Neyvar hesitated for a moment, then took the sword.

"It's not pretty… but I'll take it."

He walked out of the shop and reached the city's central square, where a golden statue of a man stood tall. Neyvar looked at it and said:

"Who's this guy?"

Suddenly, a gentle voice beside him replied:

"He's the savior of this city."

Startled, Neyvar turned to see a beautiful girl standing next to him.

He asked: "So he was a great man?"

She smiled and said:

"You don't know him? That's Velmara Eugene Delacorus… or as they called him… the Crimson Pearl."

— End of Chapter 11 —