The night sky in the world of Aetherion is never truly dark. The two giant moons of Auris and Lunaris hang in the sky, casting a golden and silver glow that blankets the land. Below, Technocratic cities stand majestically with towering metal towers, gleaming with neon. Magic and technology have blended in fragile harmony, creating a world where the boundaries between nature and machine become one.
But far from the glimmer of these great cities, there are regions nearly forgotten, where ancient ruins hide beneath a thick layer of fog, holding secrets that should never be discovered. It is in one of these ruins that Aveline's journey begins.
Aveline has never considered herself special. Her long black hair, often tied carelessly, now hangs in disarray, sticking to her rain-slicked face. Her eyes, emerald green, reflect the glint of light from the artifact she holds. Her body is small and slender, not from training, but from years of poverty. Her worn leather clothing betrayed her status as a lowly explorer, one who risked great things to find artifacts to sell on the black market.
But tonight was different. The artifact she had found was no ordinary scrap of metal or shard of crystal. It was the Prisma Eternis, one of the most legendary relics that supposedly connected this world to another dimension. Aveline knew little about it, except that people would kill to possess it.
"I was an idiot. I should have left this behind," she muttered, though deep down she knew she would never let it go. The Prism, though small, felt like something bigger, more important, than herself.
Behind her, the drones grew closer, echoing off the towering cliffs on either side of the suspension bridge. The world of Aetherion, though beautiful, was a harsh place. The wild forests were teeming with savage magical creatures, and the borders between the Technocratic cities were often a battleground between the technocrats and the magi who still held on to the old traditions.
Aveline knew she was a nobody in this great conflict. She was just an explorer trying to survive in a world that never gave her a chance. But tonight, for the first time, she felt like her life had a purpose.
As the drone in front of her locked onto its target, Aveline realized she couldn't stop. This artifact wasn't just about money or freedom. It was about something bigger, perhaps even the fate of the world.
"I won't give up!" she muttered, gripping the artifact tighter. Her hands shook, not from fear, but from the weight of the responsibility that had suddenly fallen upon her shoulders.
The ropes of the bridge creaked loudly as the storm rocked it, as if wanting to send Aveline into the gaping chasm below. The rocks on the cliff face looked menacing, sharp like the fangs of a wild beast.
Suddenly, the sound of the engine stopped. The sudden silence was more terrifying than the previous roar. Aveline stopped running, her body frozen. She knew what was coming.
"Target locked," an emotionless mechanical voice said from the drone hovering a few meters in front of her.
A flash of red light shot out from the tip of the drone, blinding Aveline's eyes. She jumped to the side, and the explosion shook the bridge, sending some of its wooden planks flying into the air. Her body was thrown, but her hands clutched desperately at the bridge rope.
"I must... stay alive," she hissed, hanging in the air with her feet floating. In the distance, she saw the blue light of the prism begin to fade, as if answering her anxiety.
But then something happened. The artifact's light changed. From bright blue, it began to flash golden white. A foreign voice in a language she had never heard before whispered in her mind.
"My choice has fallen on you."
Before Aveline could comprehend what was happening, the artifact pulsed once more, and a circle of light appeared beneath her feet. A great portal opened, pulling her body with an irresistible force. The drones, the storm, and her own screams disappeared in an instant as she was enveloped in darkness.
And when she opened her eyes, the world she knew had changed.