After a few minutes of being shocked by the scene around him and the many questions tormenting his mind, the boy managed to regain some composure and wondered, "How did I get here? The last thing I remember is being on the verge of falling off a cliff and then waking up surrounded by all this." The boy is Eric, who tragically had died falling from a cliff.
Eric examined his body for possible injuries and, surprised, said, "What happened to my body? Am I a child now?" He didn't understand what was happening. For him, it had only been an instant, but analyzing his surroundings and observing the three moons in the sky led him to a conclusion: "This place is clearly not Earth, and this isn't my body. If the last thing I remember is being about to fall off a cliff, it's possible I've died. Maybe I've been given a new chance at life, or maybe this is a very bad joke. I don't think this is hell."
Thinking about all this, Eric felt sadness realizing how his life had ended, and he lamented leaving behind his family and those he cared about. "I don't know what's happening or why I'm here, but I know they wouldn't want me to be dead. So, all I can do is hope to figure out how to survive this situation and not let them down. They would expect me to fight until the end."
After trying to process everything happening, Eric focused on the children in his carriage. They wore somewhat old-fashioned clothes, similar to those from the Middle Ages. He noticed there were six boys and five girls, ages ranging from 11 to 15. All were awake, and most seemed terrified by the situation. The youngest girl was crying while an older girl tried to comfort her.
As he sat there, Eric suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see an older boy than him. The boy wore better clothes than the others, some of whom might be considered rags. He wore a long-sleeve white linen shirt, dark gray pants, and black leather boots. "Are you okay? I almost thought you were dead because of how long you were unconscious," the boy said.
"I'm fine. Do you know what's happening?" Eric asked.
"We were kidnapped by black mages or warlocks, whatever you want to call them, while our caravan was heading to the Tower of Dawn. There was a big battle between the white mages and them. Many people died. I don't know if it's lucky to survive that or if something worse awaits us, but here we are, prisoners in cages. They'll probably take us to their tower," the boy explained.
"Will we die?" Eric asked.
"I don't think so, or at least not for now. I've heard from my father that they recruit children for their towers or also kidnap them on their way to another tower to avoid wasting time searching for children," the boy replied.
"Recruit them for what?" Eric asked.
"Ha, isn't it obvious? To become mages. That's why we were going to the Tower of Dawn. Even they need apprentices because, without them, they disappear. Though they don't have the best reputation due to their unorthodox methods. Anyway, I'm Aiden. What's your name?" the boy said.
"I'm Eric. Thanks for answering my questions," Eric said.
"Don't worry. I'm just doing you a favor. You're one of the few here who's calm," Aiden commented.
"You have a good point; it's easier to work with reasonable people. Besides what you told me, that place could be difficult; a bit of help never hurts," Eric said, glancing at the older girl holding the younger one.
"Yes, now the important thing is to stick together for what's coming," Aiden said, looking with a bit of disdain at the youngest girl for her fragility.
Suddenly, Eric felt a chill down his spine, as if a predator was lurking. When he turned around, he saw a huge spider with an ash-gray body and a metallic sheen reflecting the faint light of the moons. Its legs were robust and spiny, ending in sharp claws. Its eyes, grouped in an unsettling pattern, were a fluorescent green. Dark filaments emerged from its abdomen, moving like tentacles, and from its mouth, lined with countless sharp, knife-like fangs, oozed a viscous liquid that, upon touching the wooden carriage, began to bubble and emit vapors.
Seeing such a monster, Eric, like the other children in the carriage, was completely terrified, fearing what the spider might do to them. Seeing that it wasn't moving, no one dared to make a move or a sound for fear that the creature might kill them. They saw the monster open its mouth, as if preparing for a feast, when suddenly it spoke: "We are pleased to welcome the new apprentices to the Tower of the Eternal Night. My name is Adam. I'm delighted to see so much fresh meat and to see what potential uses each of you will have. Since today is a great day, I will give you a piece of advice: pray to your gods for a good rating upon arrival, because your life depends on it. Perhaps they will answer you, hahaha," said Adam, ending with a twisted, metallic, and broken laugh.
When the spider finished laughing, Eric saw it leap towards the front of the caravan, accompanied by other spiders in the carriages in front and behind his. These spiders headed towards the largest carriage of all, where a figure in a black robe and mask lay. Upon reaching it, the spiders leapt onto the figure as if trying to devour it, but Eric, due to the distance, could only see that they disappeared upon touching the figure.