at had told the story of his life had disappeared as if they had never existed.
'Am I... alive?' His voice echoed faintly, as if the forest itself were responding to his whisper. He sat up slowly, feeling every muscle move with a lightness he hadn't experienced for decades. In his previous life, his body had already been consumed by the weight of battle. Now he felt refreshed, but he couldn't ignore the disquieting emptiness inside him.
Tharion looked around. Tall, ancient trees surrounded him, with leaves that seemed to glow with a light of their own. In the air, glowing particles floated like fireflies caught in an eternal dance. He reached out, trying to touch one of them, but the light dissipated before he could reach it. Everything in that place was different from anything he had known in Oryndral.
When he stood up, he realised that he was unarmed and wearing simple clothes made of rustic fabric. A shiver ran down his spine. He didn't know where he was or how he had got there, but one thing was certain: that world was not his own.
A Mysterious Encounter
As he walked through the forest, guided by the sound of the stream, Tharion felt a heaviness in his heart. Something was calling him, an invisible presence that seemed to be watching him. He tried to ignore it, focussing on exploring his surroundings, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone.
When he reached the stream, he knelt down to drink from the crystal-clear water. The reflection he saw in the liquid almost made him recoil. He expected to see the face of a middle-aged man, scarred by time and battle, but what he saw was the countenance of a young man. His eyes, however, still carried the weight of his memories.
'Rebirth,' he whispered to himself. 'Is that what happened to me?'
Before he could reflect further, a sound cut through the silence - the rustling of leaves. Tharion stood up quickly, his warrior instincts awakening. He was not alone.
From behind a nearby tree, a figure emerged. It was a young woman with golden hair that fell like a waterfall over her shoulders. She held a simple bow, but the way she pointed it at Tharion showed that she was no amateur.
'Who are you? What are you doing here?' Her voice was firm, but there was a trace of curiosity.
'I don't want to cause trouble,' replied Tharion, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. 'I... just got here. I don't know where I am.'
The young woman narrowed her eyes, assessing him. 'Where did you come from? No traveller passes through these lands unnoticed.'
Tharion hesitated. He couldn't simply explain that he had died and been reborn in a young body in an unknown world. He decided to opt for the partial truth. 'I don't remember everything. All I know is that I woke up in this forest.'
She lowered her bow, although she didn't look completely convinced. 'My name is Elara. This is the forest of Lumaria. You are far from any village or town.'
'Lumaria...' Tharion repeated, feeling the name resonate inside him. 'Can you help me find my way to the next village?'
Elara tilted her head, as if trying to decipher who this stranger was. After a moment of silence, she nodded. 'Follow me. But be warned: if you try anything, I won't hesitate to use this.' She gestured with her bow.
Tharion smiled slightly. 'I promise I'm not a threat. Thank you for your help.'
As they made their way through the forest, he couldn't help but wonder: why had he been brought to that world? And who or what was behind his rebirth? The answers, he knew, would not be easy to find.
The Call of Destiny
As they walked towards the village, Tharion felt that distant presence again, like a whisper on the wind. Something was calling him, pulling him into the unknown. He looked at Elara, who was walking ahead with light steps, and realised that she too seemed uneasy.
'Do you feel that?' he asked.
She stopped and looked at him in surprise. 'Feel what?'
Tharion hesitated, but he knew that this sensation was no coincidence. He looked up at the sky, where the leaves danced against the light. 'Fate.'