Chapter 1: "The Call of Destiny"
Aria's cottage stood on the circumference of the village, not far from the whispering Eldenwood, and it was small and cozy. They were not rich by any measure but the warmth that came from the doors of the home was purer than liquid gold. On this evening, the small family came together at their wooden dining table, the room bathed in warm light given off by a burning candle stick.
"Father. tell me about the Arcanum again." Aria asked, her eyes wide with wonder, because that had always been that inquisitive curiosity which set her apart from other children.
Her father was a man of few words but full with deep wisdom ad he laid his spoon back on the table and smiled. "The Arcanum, my child, it's the heart of magic in our world. It's a source of endless wonder--guarded by forces beyond our understanding."
"But why is it hidden? Why can't everyone see it?" Aria's questions were a nightly ritual.
"Because, Aria, not all of the hearts are pure enough for such power. It's a gift and a responsibility," her mother chimed, her voice as gentle as the breeze outside.
Later night, after the candles were blown and the village subtended into a dreamy slumber, then Aria lay in bed and the moon casting shadows across her room. Legends and questions intertwined mind and thought. The Arcanum was more than just a bedtime story to her; it was a mystery calling to her soul.
That night light and shadow wove tapestries, forests whispered with secrets as the trees played host to moonlight and darkness. She woke with a start, the draw of the Eldenwood too powerful to be ignored. She tugged on her gown, slipped from the house into the cool balm of the night.
Walking deeper into the woods, anticipation held its grip. The trees that felt familiar suddenly seemed to have some kind of sight that judged their long years over her existence as ancient beings of wisdom and truth. There was a soft glow from a clearing ahead and she moved towards it devoid of conscious thought like a thread pulling her along.
There, in the clearing, stood an old stone altar, bathed entirely in moonlight. The air around it seemed to shimmer with an odd power. Aria feared her heart would batter itself right out of her chest, making her dizzy between fear and elation.
"You have been chosen, Aria of Elden."
The voice seemed with neither origin nor direction, nowhere and everywhere all at once. And then a spectral figure took form before her, its nature ethereal and shifting like mist.
"Who are you?" Aria's voice quaked as she softly spoke those words, eyes wide with wonder.
"I am a Guardian of the Arcanum, one who protects the balance," came the reply. "A darkness grows, to devour the light it seeks. You, Aria, must stand against it."
"Me? But I'm just a village girl. I don't understand."
"Within you lies a strength still untested. You shall travel to Valoria, seek out the others who are called, and together guard the Arcanum."
The voice finally faded into her mind leaving her beneath the starry
Aria stood in the moonlit clearing, alone with her palpitating heart hammering for a mix of fear and excitement. The revelation from the Guardian Spirit left her overwhelmed. She, a common village girl of 18, chosen for something so grand and dangerous. It didn't seem real, like a fragment out of her vivid dreams.
So many thoughts raced through the mind as she made her way back through the woods. How could she leave from her family, and everything that she had known? Yet the spirit's words echoed inside of her, igniting a spark of destiny that she couldn't turn her mind away from.
Arriving home, Aria slipped into bed - her family still sound asleep, blissfully ignorant to the monumental change unraveling in her life. The night infinite to her - every thought sparked another, keeping her from sleep. By dawn's break, she'd made her choice. She would go to Valoria. She had to know why she was chosen and what this meant for her future.
Finally, over the breakfast table, Aria announced her decision. Both of her parents exchanged looks of worry but also understanding. They knew all too well that Aria had always been different, marked by a kind of curious and spiritedness that wanted to carry her beyond the borders of Elden.
"Aria, are you sure about this?" her mother worriedly asked.
"Yes, I have to find out why I've been chosen. This. it feels bigger than anything I've ever known," Aria resolvedly responded with a glint in her eyes.
Her father steepled his fingers and nodded solemnly. "Then we will support you, just promise that you will be careful and don't forget that you always have a home here."
The next few days were a blur of packing. Aria packed essentials, and practically – her mother helped her with advice while her father showed her a few basic moves of self-defense. The village blacksmith was a close friend of the family who had gifted Aria an antique small but sturdy dagger – "for protection," he had said sternly but kindly.
Finally the day of departure came. The whole village seemed to have turned up for bidding her a farewell that day as a tribute to the love and respect her family had in Elden. There were tears and smiles, promises of safe return, and life giving hugs. Aria felt a surge of gratitude and love for her village, her resolve strengthening.
The journey up to Valoria was thrilling and a little daunting at once. Passing lands larger than her imagination had ever fashioned – rolling hills speckled with wildflowers, dense forests whispering secrets, wide rivers mirroring the endless canvas of sky overhead.
One evening as she lay under the stars in the banks of the Silverstream River, a sense of loneliness insinuated itself over her. The enormity of what she had taken on pressed down on her and for a moment, she felt like questioning why was she here. But then she remembered words of Guardian Spirit, feeling somebody else and her doubts faded in front of this night sky's sheer vastness.
Finally, as she got nearer and nearer the outskirts of Valoria, awe took over. The sprawl of city before her was unlike anything else she had come across - buildings higher than anything she had ever seen, streets thrumming with people from all walks, and there was an anticipation in the air.
Once Aria came to the Valoria, the senses struck her. Here was the city where different cultures and races knocked into each other, where different stalls at the market were selling exotic goods, and street performers were gathering big audiences, and on the square, scholars were talking fervently at open forums. Here magic lived next door to real life.
But to seek out the Citadel of the Arcanum was a trial. The city was a veritable labyrinth of twisting streets and alleyways. She had asked direction to a kindly old woman which was in the vicinity, and who had not only pointed her the way but also shared tales of the city's history and of the legends of the Guardians.
Aria was mounting the long flight of stairs up to the Citadel, her excitement just growing and growing. It was an imposing edifice in front of her, filled with archaic magical symbols inscribed on the walls - runes filled with static power. She took a deep breath, crossing the threshold into the building and reconciled herself to her fatality - she was becoming a Guardian of the Arcanum.
She was taken breathless when she saw the sight within - the grand hall was big and lavished high-ceilinged with mural paintings that ornamented its walls relating to the history of Arcadia. There she saw others that looked like they were drawn by a purpose greater than herself like her. They were the other Guardians and into their eyes, saw reflections of her own doubts and her hopes.
Aria's first meeting with the other Guardians was mingling nervousness and inquisitiveness. It occurred in the grand hall of the Citadel, wherein she had been referred to Lyra, a fiery archer out of the northern tribes whose eyes had shown mischief a light inside of. Then there was Caden, a young and enthusiastic mage, whose hands seemed to constantly fidget with magical trinkets. Nia, a healer of the southern isles, gave Aria a warm and reassuring smile, while Theron, a stoic warrior hailing from the eastern mountains, merely gave her a respectful nod. It was time for introductions, and finally, it was Idris, the scholarly type, for whom centuries of wisdom existed in his eyes.
Their introductions are like a symphony of all the backgrounds and experienced lives. They shared snippets, just so briefly, of their little lives. Many threads that made up the collective fate in the fabric of the tapestry. Aria listens humbly, aware that they, as she, tried to scale down upon their roles.
One of the Elders of the Arcanum made his way into the hall as they spoke. He was an imposing figure, draped in robes that shimmered with a light that seemed to be woven from the very essence of magic. As he began to speak, the room went utterly silent.
"Guardians, your chosen by power greater thèn us all," he announced, his voice reflecting wisdom and great authority. "The Arcanum, source of all magic in Arcadia is under threat. A shadow grows in the north, a darkness that seeks to consume the light and unravel this fabric of our world."
The Elder's words hang heavy in the air, a sense of urgency embracing the room like a tangible thing. Aria feels a chill run down her spine. The adventure she had been picturing is now producing reality far more dangerous than what she ever could have anticipated. The Elder's gaze swept across the group, solemn and piercing.
"This is no mere adventure," he continued. "It is a duty, a calling that will test your courage, strength and your heart. You must journey together, learn the extent of your powers and face challenges that will be the very test of your souls."
Eerie silence followed the pronouncement of the Elder. Aria exchanged her gaze with her fellow Guardians. In they eyes, the reflection of her own awareness - mixed fear, determination and unspoken kinship through shared fate.
The meeting broke, and the Guardians were shown to their quarters within the Citadel. Spartan and simple, each room was adorned with its own tapestry telling tales of the legends of Arcadian history. Aria's window looked out onto the city - a massive tapestry of lights and life.
As she lay in bed that night, the enormity of her journey began to dawn on her. She was no longer just a village girl from Elden; she was a Guardian of the Arcana, chosen to protect that very essence within the world. It was terrifying and exhilarating both.
Other meetings with her fellow Guardians played through her mind, transplant Elder's grave words replayed in her memory, the vibrant pulse of the city. Her family, her village, everything that she'd left behind. A sense of longing tugged at her heart, but it was intertwined with a newfound sense of purpose.
Aria knew the path before her was a perilous one, strewn with Its own hazards. But she also knew that she wouldn't be alone There. Already she had met some of those who would join her as Guardians, and among them were some very special beings, each holding a dim awareness of their destiny.
As the moon cast its silvery glow through her windows, Aria vowed silently. She'd do anything within his power to protect the Arcanum, stand against the darkness that sought to destroy their world. With this resolve she finally drifted into a restless sleep - her dreams swirling magic and mystery and the adventure that awaited.