Van Vallaga awoke drenched in cold sweat. The same dream haunted his sleep destruction a voice, a face that was blurred, and words teasing the edge of his mind but never fully forming. This dream had followed him for years, leaving him restless every night. Even now, its whispers tugged at his thoughts.
"Hey Van, when we grow up, will you...$&#@??$!... I'll be waiting..." The words always cut off, the ending shrouded in a haze he couldn't break through.
Sitting up on the old wooden bed in his modest room, Van glanced toward the window. The night wind swept through the cracks, carrying with it an unsettling chill. Lately, peace had become a foreign feeling.
For as long as he could remember, his life had been filled with unanswered questions. Why were his pupils the color of blood? Why did his gaze always seem sharp and hateful to others? Villagers whispered behind his back, calling him a devil for his unusual appearance. Even children shied away from him, hurling insults and taunts.
But Van had long stopped caring about the opinions of others. Solitude had become his companion. After the death of his parents, loneliness became a permanent resident in his life. Yet, beneath his quiet demeanor, he harbored a deep suspicion that something was inherently wrong with the world around him.
The recurring dreams were a testament to that. In them, a girl appeared night after night, her words seemingly laced with urgency. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the message she carried eluded him. Her figure was indistinct, her presence ethereal. But something about her filled him with an inexplicable sense of duty. What was it she wanted from him? Why did she haunt his sleep?
Van tossed off the blanket and stood, his mind sharpening with resolve. The dreams were no longer something he could ignore. If he was to find peace or purpose he had to seek answers. Without hesitation, he decided to leave the village that had been his lifelong cage. He didn't know where the path would lead, but he knew he had to uncover the truth about himself, his mysterious origins, and the shadowy whispers of the Outsider that echoed in his mind.
Several days into his journey, Van arrived at a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain. The place seemed peaceful at first glance, but something felt amiss. The air carried a tension he couldn't ignore.
Walking down the cobblestone path toward the village center, he noticed the unusual silence. The usual bustle of daily life was absent, replaced by furtive glances and hurried footsteps.
Stopping a man who was rushing by, Van asked, "What's going on? Why is the village so quiet?"
The man turned, his face pale with fear. "Our village… it's under attack by something we can't fight. We call it the Living Shadow. No one can stop it. Every night when the sun sets, it comes and destroys everything in its path."
"Living Shadow?" Van repeated, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
"It's a creature… a dark entity that emerges from the shadows. No blade or magic can touch it. It leaves only ruin behind. We have no choice but to run and hide. No one has ever survived its wrath."
The man's words struck a chord. Van's thoughts turned to the Fragments. In his dreams, the girl often spoke of fragments and the Outsider. Could this shadow have a connection? Was it somehow tied to the fragments he was meant to find?
"Where does it come from?" Van asked, urgency creeping into his voice.
The man hesitated, then pointed toward the edge of the forest. "There, deep in the woods, lies a ruined temple. Every time the creature appears, it retreats to that place."
Van thanked the man and turned to leave. His instincts told him that the answers he sought lay in those ruins. Without a second thought, he made his way toward the forest.
The forest was unnervingly quiet, its stillness broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath Van's boots. As he approached the ruins, an oppressive atmosphere enveloped him. The trees around the temple were scorched and twisted as if scorched by some unholy fire.
At the center of the ruins stood a broken black crystal, faintly glowing with an eerie light. Van approached it cautiously, his pulse quickening. The moment his fingers brushed the surface, a voice echoed in his mind.
"The first Fragment has been found. You're persistent, Van. But this is just the beginning."
The voice was hauntingly familiar. It was the same voice from his dreams. Stunned, Van stumbled back, the crystal still in his hand. Memories surged unbidden into his mind visions of gods locked in battle with a monstrous entity.
The Outsider.
The girl's voice rang clear in his thoughts, her words no longer fragmented. "The Outsider was sealed away long ago, its power split into twelve Fragments. You must gather them all to prevent its return."
Van's breath hitched. He could see the titanic struggle between the divine forces and the Outsider as if he had been there himself. The gods, desperate to protect the world, had sacrificed their very essence to forge the fragments. But the seal they created was weakening.
"Van," the voice said, softer now. "The fate of this world lies in your hands. Find the fragments. Unite them. Only then can you stop what is coming."
Van clenched his fists, the weight of destiny settling on his shoulders. He didn't know why he had been chosen or how he was connected to these events, but one thing was clear he couldn't turn away. The shadows of the past were reaching for him, and he had no choice but to face them head-on.
With the first Fragment in hand, Van stepped out of the ruins, determination etched into his features. His journey was only beginning, and the path ahead promised to be long and perilous. But for the first time in years, he felt a glimmer of purpose.
Whatever lay ahead, he would meet it head-on. For himself. For the girl in his dreams. And for the world that teetered on the brink of destruction.