In the vast expanse of nothingness, a spark of light flickered, faint but persistent. This wasn't just any spark, though. This was the dawn of something bigger. The beginning of something grand.
"Caelan," a voice echoed through the void, authoritative but calming. It was like a father waking up his kid after letting them sleep in for just a few more minutes.
Caelan groaned, blinking his eyes open to the sight of Seraphis—the Seraphis, the ancient spirit of light, decked out in this radiant, holy armor, practically glowing. But he wasn't intimidating. He looked... chill.
"Wakey wakey," Seraphis said, raising a hand toward Caelan. "Time to start your journey, kid."
Caelan sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Wha—wait, journey? Dude, I'm still half asleep. Can I, like, get five more minutes or something?"
Seraphis shook his head, a grin creeping up. "You think I'd waste my ancient powers waking you up if we had time for five more minutes?"
Caelan groaned again, pulling himself to his feet. "Okay, fine. But where am I?"
"You're in the Sanctuary of Solaria," Seraphis explained, crossing his arms. His voice deepened with purpose. "And you, Caelan, have been chosen as the Warrior of Light. It's your duty to spread light to every corner of this world, which, surprise surprise, is drowning in darkness right now."
Caelan blinked. "Warrior of Light? Spreading light? Wait, wait, so I'm like... the guy now? The one who fixes everything? No pressure or anything?"
"None whatsoever," Seraphis chuckled. "I mean, unless you count the weight of the entire world on your shoulders."
"Ha, great. Exactly what I wanted at... what time is it? Am I still dreaming?"
"Not a dream, kid. This is real." Seraphis pointed his glowing finger at Caelan's chest, and Caelan felt a warm rush of energy flow through him. His heart raced. "That's the Light of Solaria inside you now. Use it wisely."
Caelan took a moment to process. "So... where do I even start? The world is kinda big and, uh, dark from what you're telling me."
"That's where he comes in." Seraphis motioned behind him, and from the shadows stepped Elden, the last knight of Solaria. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had this intense look on his face that made Caelan feel like he was already in trouble.
"Ah, so we're doing the 'serious guy meets goofy guy' dynamic, huh?" Caelan muttered to himself.
Elden raised an eyebrow. "You must be the new 'chosen one,'" he said, voice low and measured, like he was always in the middle of planning something. "I'm Elden. Knight of Solaria. Last of my kind. And you… you're the one who's supposed to bring back the light?"
Caelan threw up his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just as surprised as you are, man. One minute I'm taking a nap, and now I've got world-saving duties. No big deal, right?"
Elden glanced at Seraphis. "You're sure about this?"
"He'll grow on you," Seraphis said, trying to hide a smirk. "He's got the potential. He just… needs to get used to it."
Caelan sighed. "I feel like you're talking about me like I'm some kind of houseplant."
Elden ignored him and turned away, adjusting his sword at his side. "We don't have time for jokes. Darkness spreads faster than you think."
"Dude, I'm always joking," Caelan grinned, stretching his arms above his head. "It's part of my charm."
Elden shook his head. "Right. Well, let's see how charming you are in battle."
Before Caelan could crack another joke, the ground trembled. From a distance, a swirl of dark clouds started brewing, heading straight for them.
"Looks like you're getting a crash course," Elden said, unsheathing his sword, the blade gleaming even in the dim light of the storm. "Stay close. And try not to die."
Caelan, despite the sarcasm, felt his stomach flip with excitement. "Okay, I'm kinda into this now. Let's go!"
---
They weren't alone for long. As they crossed the barren, darkened landscape, a cackle filled the air. Not the villainous, "I'm about to kill you" kind of laugh, but the "I'm possibly insane but not in a bad way" kind.
From the shadows, a young man appeared, twirling his staff like it was some kind of toy. His hair was wild, and there was this manic gleam in his eyes that immediately screamed, Danger. But fun danger.
"Hey! You guys out here saving the world too? 'Cause I've been trying to summon lightning for the past hour and all I've gotten is a burnt stick," the young man said, grinning widely.
Caelan pointed. "And who is that?"
"That," Elden said, rolling his eyes, "is Zaimond. A sorcerer with more enthusiasm than skill. But don't let that fool you—he's got potential."
Zaimond struck a dramatic pose, his burnt staff still smoking. "Zaimond the Great, if you please. Master of chaos, beginner of catastrophes, and soon-to-be lord of... something cool! Haven't decided yet."
Caelan burst out laughing. "Oh man, I like this guy! You're like, chaotic energy personified."
Zaimond winked. "And you, my friend, are a walking light bulb."
Elden groaned. "Focus. Both of you. We have a job to do."
But Caelan couldn't help it. With Elden being the stern, brooding type and Zaimond being... well, Zaimond, this was shaping up to be the weirdest, most awesome adventure he could've asked for.
"All right, fellas," Caelan said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go light up this world. Or, you know, blow some stuff up. Whatever comes first."
Zaimond gave a wicked grin, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Now that I can get behind."
And so, with a half-crazed sorcerer, a stone-cold knight, and a light-powered hero who couldn't take anything seriously, the journey to save the world began.
Because if they didn't... well, at least they'd have fun trying.
End of Prologue.