In the dark abyss, a place full of chaos and destruction, a light appeared. It was faint at first, like a flickering star in an endless void, yet it held a warmth that the abyss had never known.
The light gathered itself, slowly taking form. By the tenth day, it had turned into a radiant bright blue crystal, glowing softly. For many days, the crystal floated silently in the darkness, but it wasn't lifeless. It was changing, preparing for something greater.
Time passed. By the hundredth day, the crystal began to change. Shards of light fractured and reassembled, carving humanoid features from its once-abstract form. Eyes—deep and filled with an otherworldly glow—blinked open for the first time.
The crystal continues to float silently in the darkness. It was a year later that the crystal began to gain consciousness. "Kaelus", a voice whispered to the crystal, its tone both commanding and gentle. "You are the Light Bringer, destined to restore peace to the Abyss."
With that, the crystal ceased its floating and set foot on the barren land of the Abyss for the first time. Kaelus began to explore the vast lands of the Abyss.
Kaelus wandered the Abyss for days. The ground was dry and cracked, with jagged rocks and sharp towers scattered like broken bones jutting from the earth. The air was thick with heat, but Kaelus felt nothing - his crystal form was immune to the burning atmosphere. The sky above him was a strange mix of swirling red and violet, casting an eerie light over the lifeless landscape.
Every step he took echoed faintly in the silence. The ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet. Sharp black spikes rose from the cracks in the earth, some broken, others towering like twisted columns. The place felt empty and abandoned, as if nothing had lived here for centuries. It was in this desolate land that Kaelus found ruins.
The ruins loomed in the faint fog of the Abyss, their crumbling walls and shattered towers a silent reminder of an era long gone. Broken stones scattered across the ground, half-buried in dry, ashen soil, and vines twisted through the cracks, their blackened tendrils clinging to what remained. The air was thick and still, carrying the faint, musty scent of decay.
As Kaelus stepped cautiously through what might have been a grand archway, the crunch of his feet on loose gravel broke the silence. A faint sound followed - a soft, rhythmic clatter. Skeletal figures emerged from the shadows between broken columns, their movements slow but deliberate, the dim glow of their hollow eyes focused on him.
Kaelus was surprised as the skeletal warriors closed in, their hollow eyes fixed on him. His gaze shifted to the glowing crystal floating beside him, and for a moment he hesitated. What was this strange object? Why was it following him? Cautiously, he reached out with his mind, almost as if he were silently speaking to it. To his astonishment, the crystal shot forward, moving exactly as he had imagined, slicing through the air like an arrow.
An arrow whistled toward him, released by the skeleton with the bow. Instinctively, Kaelus willed the crystal to block it. The crystal responded instantly, shattering the arrow into shards. It returned to his side, hovering and pulsing faintly, as if waiting for his next move.
Kaelus dodged a skeleton's sword thrust and sent the crystal out again. This time it slashed out in a wide arc, slicing into the ribs of two of the creatures and scattering bones on the ground. A third skeleton lunged at him, but Kaelus ducked just in time and willed the crystal to strike. It sliced clean through the undead warrior's skull, crushing it to dust.
The archer fired again, but Kaelus was ready. With a flick of his wrist, the crystal shot forward, shattering the bow and sending the skeleton sprawling. The fight was over in moments.
Kaelus looked down at the skeletons' remains. Some of their clothing and armor had survived the fight. Though it was torn and ragged, it was better than nothing. He picked out a sturdy cloak, a pair of boots, and some leathers. It's not much, but it would do for now.
As he adjusted his clothes, he turned his attention back to the crystal. It floated silently, as if waiting for him. Experimenting, Kaelus imagined it forming a shield. To his surprise, the crystal shifted, expanding into a flat barrier. He then wanted it to take the form of jagged spikes, and it obeyed, transforming into a deadly weapon.
With the crystal at his side, Kaelus ventured deeper into the ruins. The fog seems thicker now, the air colder. The walls whispered as he passed, their ancient carvings too worn to read. The ground beneath his feet felt unstable, as if the ruins themselves were alive and watching.
Bracing himself, Kaelus stepped forward. His crystal hovered close at hand, ready for whatever was to come.