The soft light of morning barely pierced the thick veils of fog that enveloped the Valley of Echoes. Caelum had woken early, his heart still heavy from the nightmares of the night before. He struggled to comprehend the world he now lived in, a world so different from the one he had grown up in. He wandered the halls of the refuge, trying to find some semblance of peace.
Lyra awaited him in a room carved into the rock, its walls decorated with ancient symbols. Flickering crystalls cast dancing shadows, creating an eerie atmosphere. She sat at a stone table, a map unfolded in front of her, her eyes fixed on the intricate details it contained.
Caelum approached silently, sitting across from her. She looked up and offered him a reassuring smile.
"This morning, I will teach you something important, Caelum," she said, pointing to the map. "You are destined to rule this world, but to do so, you must understand where we come from."
She began to tell a story that few truly knew, a story that was sometimes whispered in the darkest corners of Arkhadia, but remained a closely guarded secret to those who were in charge.
"Five thousand years ago, the first humans arrived on Arkhadia. But our true origin, the one we never speak of, lies on another planet, a world called Earth. Earth… our lost home, destroyed by the greed and mistakes of our ancestors."
She placed her hand on a faintly glowing energy crystal, lighting her face with a blue glow.
"Earth was once a place of great civilization, a prosperous world where technology reigned supreme. But with that technology came destruction. Nations were torn apart, and what had been built over millennia was annihilated in an instant, in a nuclear apocalypse. Earth was nothing more than an irradiated wasteland, a barren land where life as they knew it could no longer exist."
Caelum listened, captivated by Lyra's words, his imagination trying to imagine this other lost world.
"In this chaos, a man, a scientist now called the Mad Scientist, attempted the impossible. He wanted to create a machine capable of traveling through time to prevent this apocalypse. But time was running out, and he only succeeded in unlocking the secret of space travel. With this knowledge, he built a *Space Gate*, a stargate capable of transporting humans to other worlds. »
Lyra paused, her eyes fixed on the map of Arkhadia, where the areas conquered by humans were marked.
"He took fifty pairs of children, orphans born in this ruined world, and brought them through the *Space Gate*. It was their only chance of survival. They landed on this planet we call Arkhadia, a strange and dangerous world, where nothing they knew worked as it did on Earth."
She traced a line across the map, showing the first regions explored by humans.
"Arkhadia was vast and inhospitable, populated by creatures and forces that humans could not understand. But the Mad Scientist, before succumbing to the disease that was eating away at his body, made one last discovery: energy crystals. These crystals, scattered across the planet, were the only source of energy capable of powering human technology. Thanks to them, our ancestors were able to harness the indestructible black iron and begin building what would become our civilization."
Caelum was fascinated. "And that's how we conquered Arkhadia?"
Lyra nodded, but her gaze darkened. "Yes, but this conquest came at a price. Power crystals are rare and hard-fought, and black iron is both our greatest asset and our greatest curse. It has allowed for the construction of invincible citadels and weapons, but it has also aroused greed and sparked endless wars."
She leaned toward him, her tone becoming more serious. "Caelum, you must understand that our history is built on survival and power. But with power always comes darkness. The Fallen you've faced are proof of that. They covet the secrets of Arkhadia, and they will not hesitate to destroy anything to obtain them. »
Caelum felt a shiver run down his spine. "But why don't we use the *Space Gate* to return to Earth or to escape?"
Lyra sighed softly. "The *Space Gate* was lost, buried beneath the rubble of time and battle. Some say it was destroyed, others say it is hidden in a forgotten place on Arkhadia. But even if it still existed, returning to Earth would be pointless.
The old world is dead. Our future, our battle, lies here, on Arkhadia."
The young prince remained silent, weighing the revelations Lyra had just made to him. He understood now that his fight was not only to avenge his kingdom, but to protect what was left of humanity on this planet. Arkhadia was not only a land of exile, it was their only home, a strange and beautiful world, but where every day was a struggle to survive.
Lyra stood and approached him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "This knowledge is a weapon, Caelum. You must use it to lead your people, to face the dangers that come. But remember, it is not strength that will make you a king, but your wisdom and your determination."
Caelum nodded, feeling a responsibility rise within him that he had never considered. The weight of history, of his family, of all humanity now rested on his young shoulders.
Lyra left the room, leaving Caelum alone with his thoughts. He turned to the map, his fingers brushing over the mysterious symbols that dotted it. He understood that to reclaim his throne, he must first uncover the secrets of Arkhadia, and most importantly, master the power of the energy crystals.
Caelum's journey had only just begun, a journey not only to reclaim his kingdom, but to understand the hidden truths of this world. The shadows of Arkhadia were already whispering his name, waiting to see what kind of king he would become.