Lost to legend and buried within old folklore, there exists a place of unimaginable prosperity—a kingdom of many names, but known to most as Victoria. It was a realm unlike any other, where magic pulsed through its streets and wove itself into the very fabric of existence. Riches, power, and enchantment made Victoria the envy of all, its reputation spreading far beyond the lands of those who believed in its reality.
Within its grand walls dwelled beings of legend—swordsmen who could cleave mountains, timelords who bent moments to their will, and shapeshifters who walked among the stars. To most, Victoria was nothing more than a fairy tale, a bedtime story meant to lull children into dreams of wonder. But to the few who believed, those who sought its hidden grandeur, the kingdom remained an obsession.
Yet, no seeker ever returned triumphant. Victoria stayed lost, shrouded in mystery, its inhabitants retreating further into secrecy to escape the greed of humankind. Over time, the world forgot. Victoria became a myth, its name spoken only in whispers.
Then, one day, it returned.
A heavy silence fell upon the land, suffocating and absolute. The kingdom stood once more, its towering spires and intricate streets untouched by time. But something was horribly wrong.
The city was empty.
Not a single soul roamed its paths. No merchants, no warriors, no beasts in the wild. The magic that once thrived in its veins had gone still. Every man, woman, and child—every living thing—had vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a crumbling ruin where life once flourished.
Present Day
The rustling of leaves underfoot filled the evening air, the only sound accompanying a lone hunter as he trudged through the forest. His worn boots scuffed against the dirt path, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion.
"A whole damn week," he muttered, raking a hand through his tangled hair. "Not a single catch. It's like the animals decided to vanish into thin air."
Frustration lined his face as he walked, his empty satchel slapping against his side. He had run out of food hours ago, his water supply nearly depleted. Every step ached. The sun, now a fiery stain on the horizon, reminded him how close he was to being stranded in the wild after dark.
"Great. Just great, I'm definitely gonna lose my mind at this rate " he grumbled. "If I don't pick up the pace, I'll have more than hunger to worry about."
Quickening his steps, he forced himself forward, but fate had other plans. His boot snagged on an exposed tree root, sending him sprawling with a startled grunt. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, and before he could recover, the ground beneath him gave way. He tumbled down the hillside, the world a blur of dirt and sky before he crashed, unceremoniously, into the icy embrace of a lake.
The water swallowed him whole. He surfaced with a gasp, cursing as he pushed his dripping hair from his face. "Son of a—!"
His words caught in his throat.
Before him, rising like a specter from the past, was a city that should not exist. Towers stretched toward the heavens, their once-gilded surfaces now dulled by time. Streets that should have been bustling lay silent. The air felt thick with something unspoken, a presence unseen.
"No…" His voice was barely a whisper. "It—it can't be. Victoria?" He blinked hard, as if the city would vanish upon second glance. But it remained. Solid. Real.
A sound cut through the silence.
A child's cry.
A chill ran down his spine, but his feet moved before his mind could protest. He waded out of the lake, soaked and shivering, gripping his rifle with white-knuckled hands. He should turn back. He should leave before whatever unnatural force lay within this place swallowed him whole.
But he didn't.
The cries grew louder as he pushed through the overgrown ruins, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. The hunter stopped at a cluster of bushes, breath unsteady, and hesitated before slowly parting the leaves.
Wide, frightened eyes stared back at him.
A little girl, no older than three, clutched a baby tightly in her small arms. Her red hair, matted with dirt, framed a face both defiant and terrified. The infant beside her wailed, his tiny fists trembling in the cold.
The hunter froze. A thousand questions flooded his mind, but the first words that left his lips were the gentlest he had spoken in years.
"Hey now… I'm not going to hurt you."
The girl stiffened, holding her brother closer. He could see the wariness in her expression, the silent calculation of whether to trust him. Slowly, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, weathered piece of bread, offering it with an open hand.
Still hesitant, she watched him before cautiously reaching out, snatching the food and tucking it away as if afraid he might take it back.
His gaze fell to the lockets around their necks, their silver gleaming even in the dim light. He leaned in, brushing damp strands of hair from his face, and read the names etched into the metal.
Rosella.
Romeo.
He sighed, running a hand down his face. "Well… I guess that settles it."
The baby whimpered. The girl, Rosella, pulled him closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you taking us?"
The hunter swallowed. He had never planned on being anything other than what he was—a man scraping by, living off the land, avoiding attachments. But looking at the two children before him, abandoned in the ruins of a forgotten legend, he knew there was only one answer he could give.
"Yeah," he murmured. "I'm taking you home."
Rosella's grip on her brother tightened, but she nodded.
As the hunter stood, lifting the baby into his arms and offering Rosella his hand, he glanced once more at the hollow city behind them.
Something terrible had happened here. And somehow, these two were the only ones left.
He didn't know what fate had in store for them.
But whatever it was, he had just become part of it.
NEXT- CHAPTER I: A New Life.