Kairon stepped outside into the cool morning air. The scent of damp earth filled his lungs, and the soft breeze tugged at his clothes, carrying the fresh smell of the forest. Yet the familiar calmness of his village brought no comfort. The dream lingered at the edges of his mind, refusing to fade.
The village was waking up. The small, wooden houses clustered together in the clearing were bathed in the early light, and the smoke from morning fires curled lazily upward. Villagers were starting their daily routines — tending to livestock, gathering water, and preparing breakfast. Children laughed as they played near the well, while the elders sat around the village center, sharing old stories as they always did.
Everything looked so ordinary, so peaceful.
Yet, Kairon couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
His feet carried him toward the village square, where an ancient stone stood in the middle of a wide, open space. The stone was old — older than the village itself, its surface etched with faded runes no one could read anymore. It was said to be a guardian stone, a relic from a time when the world was full of magic. Now, it was little more than a curiosity, a symbol of forgotten legends.
Kairon reached out, brushing his fingers across the cold, rough surface. For a moment, everything seemed still, until the stone trembled beneath his touch. He snatched his hand back, heart pounding.
"What...?" Kairon whispered, a chill running down his spine.
Before he could think, the sky darkened overhead. Thick, swirling clouds gathered unnaturally fast, casting the village into shadow. The wind picked up, howling through the trees, and a distant rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. Villagers stopped what they were doing, turning their heads toward the heavens, eyes wide with fear.
The air was heavy with foreboding.
Kairon's chest tightened. The voice from his dreams whispered again, faint but undeniable: "You cannot escape fate."
His mind raced. This couldn't be a coincidence. The storm, the trembling stone... It was as if something had been set in motion, something far beyond his control.
Before he could act, the ground beneath him shuddered violently. Cracks split open in the earth, snaking through the village with terrifying speed. People screamed, dropping their tools and running for cover. The air was thick with panic.
"Run! Earthquake!" Kairon shouted, though his own feet were frozen in place.
Just as he turned to flee, the ground beneath him gave way, and a brilliant golden light erupted from the crack at his feet, enveloping him in its blinding radiance.
Kairon's breath caught in his throat as a familiar warmth flooded his body. It was the same power he had felt in his dreams, awakening within him.