Prologue: The Death of a Healer
The scent of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the faint traces of blood and fur. Dr. Adrian Wren stood in the dimly lit operating room, his gloved hands steady as he stitched a deep wound on a young wolfdog's leg. The animal's owner, a frail elderly man, watched anxiously from behind the glass window.
"Hang in there, buddy," Adrian murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He had been working non-stop for over fifteen hours, moving from one emergency to another. It wasn't just a job—it was his purpose.
A weak whimper escaped the wolfdog's throat, and Adrian felt a familiar ache in his chest. He had spent his entire life dedicated to healing animals, yet no matter how much he did, there was always suffering beyond his reach.
The clock on the wall read 3:47 AM.
A sharp pain shot through Adrian's chest. His vision blurred, and his breath hitched. He barely had time to react before his knees buckled beneath him.
The cold tile floor rushed up to meet him.
Darkness. Silence.
Then—light.
Adrian opened his eyes to an endless sky, painted in soft hues of gold and silver. The air was warm, weightless. He was no longer in his clinic.
Before him stood a towering figure draped in robes of flowing light. His presence was both overwhelming and serene.
"Adrian Wren," the figure's voice echoed in the space around them, calm yet absolute. "You have lived a life of selflessness. You have healed, mended, and sacrificed. But your work is not yet finished."
Adrian struggled to find words, his mind still racing. "Who… are you?"
"I am Vernis, the God of Healing."
Adrian's breath caught. He was dead—wasn't he?
"Your soul has been chosen," Vernis continued, his luminous eyes gazing into Adrian's. "There is a world beyond this one, a land where the suffering of the innocent goes unanswered. A land where the beast folk are cast aside, wounded, and forgotten."
The words struck a chord deep within Adrian. Forgotten? Neglected? Just like so many animals in his world?
"I offer you a choice," Vernis said. "Rest, and let your soul fade into the eternal cycle… or be reborn in a world that desperately needs a healer."
Adrian clenched his fists. He had spent his entire life fighting to save those who could not save themselves. Was this truly a choice?
A determined fire lit in his heart.
"I'll go," he said. "I'll heal them."
Vernis smiled. "Then rise, Healer of Beasts. Your new life begins now."
The light consumed him.
Adrian felt himself falling—no, soaring—toward a world unknown.
And thus, his new story began.
Chapter 1: Awakening in the Wilds of Myr'Valon
Part 1 - The Awakening
The world was nothing but darkness.
Adrian Wren could feel the pull—an oppressive emptiness that gnawed at his very soul. It was like drowning, yet not. He couldn't remember the exact moment of his death—only the fragments that had slipped through his fingers like water, a flash of lights, a rush of blood, and then... the void.
But then, a whisper. A flicker. The sensation of something… more.
When Adrian opened his eyes, the world around him was alive. There were no sterile hospital walls, no white coats, no beeping machines. No familiarity, no comfort. The scents of pine and damp earth flooded his senses, and the chill of the evening air cut through his clothes.
He tried to sit up, but his limbs felt heavy, sluggish. His mind was still disoriented, like waking from a dream that was quickly slipping away. The rustling of leaves and the calls of distant creatures reached his ears, but there was something more. Something out of place.
The woods around him were dense and untamed, far different from the quiet forests of home. The trees were twisted and colossal, their bark a dark shade of emerald. Giant vines crawled along the trunks, their leaves shimmering faintly in the moonlight.
Adrian's chest tightened. This wasn't just a forest. It was unnatural. It felt... alive in ways he couldn't explain.
He instinctively reached out for his medical bag, but it wasn't there. His heart raced. His mind spun in panic as memories began to reassemble. He was a veterinary doctor, a healer of beasts and animals—those with no voice, no choice, and no help but his own. He had saved so many, but now, he couldn't even remember how he had gotten here. What was happening?
His body tensed, and he tried to rise to his feet. That's when he heard the growl.
A low, guttural rumble that echoed through the trees. His instincts screamed at him to move, but his body wouldn't listen. Then, a shape leapt from the shadows, landing with a heavy thud before him.
Adrian froze. His eyes widened in shock. The creature before him wasn't a mere beast. It was alive, like something out of myth.
A beastfolk, a humanoid creature with the body of a wolf and the strength of an apex predator. It stood taller than any human, its fur thick and dark like the night, with sharp claws and eyes that glowed amber, reflecting a ferocity in their gaze.
Adrian stumbled backward, heart pounding. His survival instincts screamed at him, but his mind remained lost in confusion. This couldn't be real—yet everything in his being told him it was.
The wolf-man, or Kael, as he would soon introduce himself, regarded him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "You're not from around here," he muttered, his voice rough like gravel.
Adrian wanted to respond, to explain that he had no idea where "here" was, but before he could speak, Kael's expression darkened. His body tensed. "You're... not here by accident, are you?"
---
Part 2 – The Revelation
Kael's words echoed in Adrian's mind as the beastfolk stepped forward. His movements were slow but deliberate, eyes scanning the surroundings with an intensity that made Adrian uneasy. Despite the intimidating presence, there was something almost… regal in the way Kael carried himself.
"I don't know what you mean," Adrian replied, his voice shaky but clear. "I just... I woke up here. I don't know how or why. What's going on?"
Kael narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing. "A human who doesn't know how they arrived in Myr'Valon. There's something strange about you."
"Who are you? What is this place?"
Kael's eyes softened, a flash of compassion mixing with the harshness in his gaze. "I'm Kael, one of the beastfolk. And this," he waved his hand to encompass the towering trees and endless horizon, "is the land of Myr'Valon. And you, human, are either incredibly lucky or incredibly cursed to be here."
Adrian's mind swirled. "I… I'm not supposed to be here. I'm a vet—"
"A healer," Kael interrupted, stepping closer. "Then perhaps fate has chosen you to help us."
Adrian furrowed his brow. "Help? How?"
Kael's eyes dropped to the ground, and for a moment, Adrian saw something more than just a wild beastfolk. He saw a leader. A protector. A creature burdened with an overwhelming responsibility.
"You see, human," Kael began, his voice quieter, "this land isn't as peaceful as it seems. The beastfolk are oppressed by the humans in this world. The Clinical Guild—those who claim to be healers—refuse to treat us. They think we're beneath them, like we're mere animals. Our kind suffers, and I…" Kael hesitated, his fists clenched at his sides. "I need help."
Adrian felt a knot twist in his stomach. He had never been a fighter, nor had he known how to fight for justice beyond his medical practice. He had always healed, fixed, and helped where he could. But this was something new. Something much bigger than he had ever imagined.
---
Part 3 – The First Conflict
Before Adrian could respond, the sound of footsteps cracked through the silence. He turned to see figures emerging from the shadows, cloaked and armed. Their eyes gleamed in the moonlight as they advanced, moving with precision.
Adrian's heart rate quickened. He recognized the uniforms, the weapons. They were part of the Clinical Guild, the very organization Kael had just spoken of—those who would ignore the suffering of beastfolk.
Kael stiffened, his amber eyes narrowing. "Not now. Not like this."
The leader of the group, a tall man with sharp features and a cruel smile, stepped forward. "Well, well. What do we have here? A stray beastfolk, and what's this? A human? You really think we'll let you help these mongrels?"
Adrian's body tensed, but Kael stepped in front of him, growling low in his throat.
"We don't want trouble," Kael said, his voice laced with restrained fury.
The man laughed, the sound harsh. "Trouble? You've had trouble since the moment you were born, beast." He snapped his fingers, and the group advanced, drawing their weapons.
Kael didn't wait for them to make the first move. He lunged at the nearest man, his claws flashing like steel. The guild members scattered, their swords drawn and ready.
Adrian's heart raced as he watched the scene unfold. His instincts screamed to run, to hide, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. He wasn't a warrior, but he was something else now. His hands felt warm—too warm—as though the very air around him had thickened.
He didn't understand it. He shouldn't understand it. But when he reached out—his power answered.
Golden light erupted from his fingertips, blasting the nearest guild member backward. The force of the magic sent the man crashing into a tree with a sickening thud.
Adrian stood there, stunned. His body was trembling, but the warmth still radiated from his palms, the power humming just beneath the surface.
Kael glanced back, eyes wide. "That's… you? What is that?"
Adrian couldn't answer. He didn't know.
But the guild members weren't finished. The leader, now furious, drew a massive sword. His eyes locked onto Adrian, and with a snarl, he charged.
Adrian held out his hand once more.
This time, the power that surged through him was darker—redder—like a deep, burning anger. A pulse of magic lashed out, binding the leader in place, forcing him to the ground.
Adrian gasped, feeling the weight of it. It wasn't healing. It wasn't even life-giving. It was destruction.
The leader writhed, gasping for breath as Adrian let the power wash over him. In that moment, Adrian felt something shift—something terrible, something dark, something uncontrollable.
And yet, as the leader fell unconscious, Adrian felt a strange satisfaction, a fleeting sense of power that unnerved him more than it exhilarated him.
Kael approached him, his expression unreadable. "You are not just a healer, are you?"
Adrian's heart raced, but for the first time, he felt something inside him shift. This world—this new life—wasn't about healing alone. It was about power, justice, and a war that was only just beginning.
As Adrian stood there, his heart pounding in his chest, the full weight of what had just transpired began to settle in. The flash of power—like an uncontrollable surge—had torn through the very air, leaving him breathless and uncertain. His hands trembled as they hovered in front of him, the golden and red hues still lingering faintly in his vision.
"What... was that?" he whispered to himself, the words heavy with confusion and awe.
Kael stood beside him, watching with an unreadable expression. The beastfolk's amber eyes were intense, flicking between Adrian and the fallen guild members, their unconscious bodies sprawled across the forest floor. It wasn't the defeat of these enemies that concerned Kael, though—it was what Adrian had done.
"You wield power," Kael said, his voice a low growl, "But it's not just healing, is it? There's something more... dangerous within you."
Adrian tried to steady his breath, glancing down at his hands, still aglow with a faint pulse of energy. The power had come from him instinctively—he hadn't even thought about it. It had been as though his very will had bent the fabric of the world, bending the magic to his purpose.
And yet, despite the satisfaction of overcoming the guild members, there was a coldness inside him, a fear. Adrian had always been a healer—a man who mended wounds, brought comfort to the suffering. This... this destructive force that had erupted from him felt foreign. He didn't know how to control it, how to make sense of it.
He turned his gaze to Kael. "I didn't mean to… I didn't know I could do that."
Kael's ears twitched, and his gaze softened. "No one ever does, not at first. But this power—it's yours now. And it's not just healing. It's a force beyond that. You'll have to learn to control it... or it will control you."
Adrian's mind raced. Could he really be a healer in a world like this? A world where power like his could destroy just as easily as it could save? The fear of becoming something he didn't want to be gnawed at him, a fear that perhaps his very nature—his kindness, his empathy—was being overwhelmed by something darker.
He stood there in silence, unsure of what to say or do next.
Kael, sensing his turmoil, placed a hand on his shoulder, his large fingers surprisingly gentle. "You'll figure it out. But first, we need to get out of here before more of them show up. The guild will send reinforcements. We need to move."
Adrian nodded absently, still shaken, but there was little time for hesitation. The world was moving faster than he could process, and in a place like Myr'Valon, he had no choice but to keep moving.
---
The Morning After
By the time dawn broke, the eerie tranquility of the night had given way to a new reality. The first rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting a soft golden hue on the forest floor. The night's battle was behind them, but the scars of Adrian's newfound abilities remained etched in his mind.
Adrian awoke to the sound of birds calling in the distance, but the comfort of the familiar was absent. The events of the previous day played through his mind like an unending reel. He had never imagined that his power—his gift to heal—could be anything but a force for good. But now, the destructive side of it was undeniable. That dark, red energy had been as much a part of him as the healing light.
He lay there in the soft bed of leaves, staring up at the sky. His thoughts kept returning to the guild—the Clinical Guild. He had seen their cruelty with his own eyes. He could feel the weight of their oppression on the beastfolk, but that wasn't all. What had unsettled him even more was the way his own powers had responded, not with mercy, but with force.
His breath caught. How do I reconcile these two halves of myself?
As he pondered, Kael's voice broke through his thoughts. "We move today," the wolf-like warrior said, his form already awake and alert, the morning sun reflecting off his fur. "We head for Sernar's Peak. It's safer there. You'll meet others who understand the struggle."
Adrian nodded slowly. Sernar's Peak. The name felt distant, almost mythical, but if it offered a place of safety, then it was where they needed to go. The journey ahead was uncertain, but Adrian had no choice. There was something important at stake, and he could feel it deep within him.
Kael continued, "I've seen what you can do. You may be new to this world, but your powers will be needed. We will train you, but more than that, we'll show you why you must fight."
Adrian stood up, the weight of Kael's words pressing heavily on his chest. The healer had always healed to protect, to save, but this power, this new aspect of himself—he wasn't sure if he could keep it in check.
"I'll do what I must," Adrian said, more to himself than to Kael. The words felt empty, but they were all he could manage. They were the only thing he had left, and in this strange new world, it was a step forward.
He had no choice but to press on. The beastfolk needed him. The people in this world, both human and beastfolk alike, were suffering. And if his powers could heal, perhaps they could also save.
But at what cost?
---
End of Chapter 1