Damian gripped the steering wheel, his mind adrift as the sun dipped below the horizon. He had just graduated early from Yale, a milestone he hadn't yet shared with his family. Instead of heading straight to his parents' home in Dallas, he decided to spend some time with his Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben on their farm in West Texas. He wanted the Fourth of July to be a memorable surprise, the perfect moment to tell his parents about his achievement.
The drive had been long, hours of endless highway stretching before him, but as the familiar silhouette of Uncle Ben's farm came into view, Damian felt a surge of warmth. The small farm, with its neatly kept fields and weathered barn, had always been a haven for him as a child. Summers spent here were filled with lessons in farming, hunting, and even blacksmithingâit was where he learned the value of hard work.
He pulled into the gravel driveway, exhaustion threatening to pull him under, but the thought of surprising his aunt and uncle brought a tired smile to his face. Stepping out of the car, he walked to the front door and knocked. No answer.
Frowning, Damian pulled out his phone and called his aunt. After a few rings, she picked up.
"Damian?" Aunt Mary's familiar voice was warm but tinged with worry.
"Hey, Aunt Mary. I hate to bother you, but I wanted to surprise you and Uncle Ben. I'm at the house, but no one's here. Where are you guys?"
"Oh, Damian, I'm so sorry! Your uncle was bitten by a feral rabbit earlier today while checking the crops. We had to take him to the clinic to get checked for rabies."
"What?" Damian's voice rose in disbelief. "Feral rabbits? What's going on?"
"There's been a sudden surge of strange animal sightings in the area," Aunt Mary explained. "The rabbits are particularly aggressive. The clinic needs a sample to test for rabies. If you see any of them, please be carefulâand if you can, catch or kill one for the test."
Damian sighed, his relaxing weekend plans dissolving into a strange new reality. "Alright, Aunt Mary. I'll see if I can find one."
Hanging up, Damian muttered to himself, "Guess I'm hunting rabbits now."
He headed to the shed, where he remembered Uncle Ben keeping his compound bow. After a quick search, he found it, along with a quiver of arrows. It had been years since he'd used a bow, but the muscle memory came back quickly.
The sun was still high, its heat bearing down as he trudged through the fields. The farm was quiet, save for the rustling of the crops in the wind. After a while, Damian spotted movement near the edge of the vegetable patch. His breath hitched.
The rabbit he saw wasn't normal. It was the size of a house cat, with sharp teeth and a small horn protruding from its forehead. It tore through the vegetables with an unsettling ferocity.
"What the hell is this?" Damian whispered, his disbelief giving way to wariness. He nocked an arrow, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. Remembering his uncle's likely mistake of using a gun and startling the creatures, Damian stayed silent as he drew back the bowstring.
The arrow flew true, piercing the rabbit's chest. The creature let out a guttural screech before collapsing in a twitching heap. Damian approached cautiously, his eyes wide as he examined the beast. Its weight was surprising, and the sharp fangs and horn confirmed this was no ordinary animal.
"This thing isn't from here," he muttered, dragging the carcass back to the shed.
As he worked to skin the creature and remove its head for the clinic, something strange caught his eyeâa small, glowing crystal nestled where its heart should have been. He held it up, its light pulsing faintly in his hand.
Curiosity got the better of him. Without thinking, Damian placed the crystal in his mouth. It dissolved instantly, sending a jolt of energy through his body.
A glowing blue window appeared before his eyes, filled with floating text:
"Congratulations! You're the first to awaken. Please choose a reward."
Damian froze, staring at the options that appeared below the text:
â˘Â Beginner Fire Magic
â˘Â Beginner Earth Magic
â˘Â Beginner Wind Magic
â˘Â Beginner Water Magic
â˘Â Beginner Healing Magic
â˘Â Beginner Enhancement Magic
It looked like something out of a video game. Rubbing his eyes, Damian tried to make sense of what he was seeing, but the surreal events of the day made him hesitate.
"Well, if this is real, I'll need something practical," he thought, selecting Beginner Healing Magic.
The moment he focused on the choice, a surge of knowledge flooded his mind. It was as if he'd known the spell his whole life. He stumbled back, dropping the rabbit in shock as a new line of text appeared:
"Congratulations! You have learned Minor Heal. Congratulations! You have leveled up."
Damian stared at the glowing window, his jaw slack. "What the hell is going on?"