Chapter 1: The Artifact
Amanda had never been one to believe in magic. The idea of it seemed like something straight out of a children's fairy tale—stuff for people who had too much time on their hands or too much imagination. She was a practical person, focused on the mundane aspects of life: exams, assignments, and the occasional Netflix binge.
The day had started like any other. Amanda rolled out of bed, yawning as she scrolled through her phone, checking emails from professors, text messages from friends she hadn't heard from in ages, and social media updates that had absolutely no real impact on her life. Her mind was already on the pile of homework waiting for her in the library. Another day in the life of an overworked student, she thought.
"Okay, let's do this," she muttered to herself as she grabbed her bag and headed to campus. Her stomach grumbled, but she couldn't be bothered to eat anything more than a granola bar. She'd be starving by the time she got to the library anyway.
Amanda reached the campus library, the one place where she could always escape the chaos of her daily life. The smell of old books and the silence of the place was a welcome contrast to the noise and drama she encountered every day. The only problem? The library was always filled with people who seemed to have everything figured out while she was still stumbling through her university life, trying to figure out what she wanted to do.
As she walked down the aisles of ancient, dusty bookshelves, something caught her eye—a glimmering, faint light flickering from behind a stack of books near the back of the library. She frowned, stepping closer, curious but slightly apprehensive. It was probably just some weird reflection from the old lamps above.
But when she nudged the pile of books aside, there it was—an intricately carved wooden box, glowing with an eerie light. What the heck? Amanda thought, kneeling down to get a better look. It was small, no bigger than her palm, and the carvings on its surface looked like something out of a medieval fantasy novel. The kind of thing she'd seen in movies but never imagined actually finding.
"Well, this can't be good," she muttered under her breath. She'd read enough fantasy novels to know that touching strange glowing artifacts was basically a surefire way to get thrown into an alternate dimension or cursed for life.
Still, she couldn't help herself. Her curiosity got the better of her, and before she could stop herself, she opened the box. Inside was a ring, gleaming in the dim light of the library, with a deep blue stone at its center. The stone seemed to shift, like it had its own little universe swirling inside of it.
Amanda tilted her head, inspecting it more closely. "Okay, this is definitely weird. But it's probably just some old prop or something." She snorted, slipping the ring onto her finger without giving it much thought. "What's the worst that could happen? It's not like I'll be sucked into another world or anything."
Famous last words, she thought, but before she could even finish her thought, the room around her began to warp and twist. The air grew thick, and the walls of the library seemed to collapse in on themselves. She staggered backward, grabbing at the bookshelves for support.
"Uh, okay, I definitely did not sign up for this," she muttered, her voice shaky. The library faded out of existence as the ground beneath her feet disappeared, and she felt herself falling through the air.
For a moment, everything was a blur. She couldn't make sense of it—one moment, she was standing in the library, and the next... she was somewhere else entirely.
She landed with a soft thud on the ground, dust flying up into the air. Amanda groaned and rubbed her head. This is not how my day was supposed to go.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the strange sky—a swirling mix of purples and blues, unlike anything she'd ever seen. Her surroundings looked... well, magical, to put it simply. Towering trees with leaves the color of fire, mountains looming in the distance, and a strange, sparkling mist hanging in the air.
Amanda slowly stood up, her body still feeling the effects of whatever whirlwind had just tossed her into another world. "Okay, no big deal," she said to herself, dusting off her jeans. "I'm dreaming, right? Or maybe I'm on some weird trip I don't remember signing up for."
But as she turned around, she spotted movement. A group of armored soldiers was charging toward her, their horses galloping at full speed, swords raised. Amanda's heart stopped. "Okay, definitely not a dream," she whispered, panic creeping into her chest.
One of the soldiers shouted as he pointed his sword at her. "Move! Now!"
"Move?! You're the one coming at me with swords!" Amanda yelped, instinctively stepping back. She turned around to flee, but in her panic, she slipped on the gravel and stumbled backward. The soldiers closed in on her. Great, I'm going to be attacked by medieval knights, and I still have no idea where I am.
But before she could figure out her next move, a tall figure on horseback appeared between her and the soldiers. A man, dressed in regal armor, his face set with a look of determination. His piercing eyes locked onto her, and something about him looked... familiar.
The man's voice was commanding, his tone sharper than the edge of his sword. "Stop! She's not one of them."
Amanda blinked, her confusion deepening. Wait. Did he just call me... not one of them?
The man dismounted from his horse with a fluid motion and walked toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. "You... are not from here," he said, his voice softer now but still filled with authority.
Amanda opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was, "Uh, yeah, you're right. I'm definitely not from here. Could someone, anyone, explain what's going on? Please?"
The man raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by her tone. "You're... not the prophecy," he muttered to himself.
"Excuse me? What prophecy?" Amanda asked, finally finding her voice. She was about to demand more answers when she noticed something—the man was staring at her with a mix of confusion and something else. Was it... interest?
"Who... are you?" she asked, suddenly more intrigued than scared.
The man smirked, stepping closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "You'll know soon enough."