Kaelion's eyes opened hazily, surrounded by a gray mist. The wind howled in his ears like a mournful lament. Something felt deeply wrong. As he looked around, shadowy figures blurred by the mist came into view. Were they familiar? Or was his mind playing tricks on him?
The last thing he remembered was an ordinary day in his world. But then, a woman's scream pierced through the stillness. The voice was sharp and filled with terror. Kaelion's chest tightened. Who was she? Before he could make sense of it, the scream abruptly stopped, and the figures around him disappeared.
Suddenly, a sharp pain seared across Kaelion's forehead. He felt as though a strange symbol was being etched into his skin. Whispers echoed in his mind:
"The blood of Ascaris calls to you..."
Kaelion found himself in a damp forest. The trees were unlike anything from his world. Their leaves were black, with veins glowing a venomous green. The ground seemed alive, vibrating slightly, as if it sensed his presence.
"Hey, who are you?" came a voice. Kaelion turned to see a graceful elf holding a silver bow. Her name was Sylvaine. Her eyes locked onto the glowing mark on Kaelion's forehead.
"This can't be," Sylvaine whispered. "Don't tell me you're Ascaris's heir..."
Kaelion wanted to respond, but his throat was dry. The name was foreign to him—Ascaris.
Sylvaine led Kaelion to the ruins of a village. It was empty, with black stains and strange markings on the ground. Sylvaine gestured to the marks. "Do you see these?" she asked. "This is Mordain's dark magic. He must be hunting lost souls."
In the center of the ruins, Kaelion found a stone with ancient inscriptions. The words seemed to resonate in his mind:
"The blood will find you. The lost souls will follow you."
Sylvaine's expression shifted from suspicion to fear as she realized Kaelion could understand the message.
Just then, a low hum echoed from the depths of the forest. Shadows began to move. Emerging from the darkness was a tall, menacing figure—Mordain. Behind him stood the lost souls of the village, their eyes empty and filled with despair.
"Ah, the heir of Ascaris," Mordain sneered as he approached Kaelion. "So we meet at last. Your father's legacy will be a heavy burden, child."
Sylvaine quickly drew an arrow and aimed it at Mordain, but he merely smirked and raised his hand, shattering her bow with ease. Kaelion felt something awaken inside him. The symbol on his forehead burned, and dark energy began to emanate from his hands.
Mordain laughed and stepped back. "You're not ready yet," he taunted. "But soon, you'll understand the darkness of this world, heir."
As Kaelion collapsed, Sylvaine caught him. "If you want to understand this world, you must seek the ancient gods," she said. "But first, you have to accept the power of your own blood."
Kaelion realized he was not alone, but unraveling the mysteries of this cursed world would take much more than courage.
Sylvaine's words echoed in Kaelion's mind:
"You must accept the power of your blood."
But what did it mean? Who was Ascaris? Why had Kaelion found himself in the heart of this dark world?
Kaelion and Sylvaine set off toward an ancient temple deep within the forest. Sylvaine believed it held the key to Ascaris's secrets. Yet along the way, Kaelion's thoughts were filled with fragmented visions of his old world.
Each image was incomplete. He was holding a woman's hands—was it his mother? Her face was a blur. There were screams, explosions, and a shadowy figure... Everything felt like a nightmare.
"Kaelion?" Sylvaine's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you ready? We've reached the temple."
The temple was surrounded by massive stone pillars, its walls covered in inscriptions written in an ancient language. Sylvaine turned to Kaelion. "Can you read this?"
To his surprise, the inscriptions felt familiar. The whispers returned to his mind:
"Blood carries ancient knowledge."
Slowly, Kaelion began to read:
"The heir of Ascaris is the keeper of balance among souls. But without accepting the darkness, one cannot walk in the light."
Sylvaine's expression turned to shock. "This is your destiny," she said. "You could be this world's savior—or its destroyer."
Before Kaelion could respond, the temple began to tremble. Stones fell from the ceiling, and a shadowy figure emerged—a soul reaper, one of Mordain's creations.
Sylvaine quickly chanted a spell, forming a protective barrier. "Kaelion, you have to use your power! Only you can defeat it!"
Kaelion focused on the whispers in his mind:
"Let the darkness shape you… Do not fear."
His eyes glowed with black light as dark energy surged from his hands, striking the soul reaper and shattering it. But the effort left him drained.
Sylvaine helped him to his feet. "This is just the beginning," she said. "If you don't learn to control this power, this world will destroy you."
Kaelion shook his head. "What does this world want from me? Why me?"
Sylvaine's gaze softened. "Because Ascaris's blood chose you. But whether it's a blessing or a curse… That's up to you to decide."
Kaelion, Thalrik, and Veyra would soon form a reluctant team, each with their own fears and doubts about Kaelion's power. Yet as the mysteries of Ascaris unraveled, it became clear that the choices Kaelion made would determine not only his fate but the fate of the entire world.