Chapter 1: A Fateful Night
The wind howled through the ancient pines as a storm gathered over the village of Eldoria. Lightning crackled in the distance, illuminating the cobbled streets and the stone cottages huddled together as if bracing against the coming tempest. Inside one such cottage, a boy named Kael stared out the small window, his golden eyes reflecting the streaks of light dancing across the sky.
Kael had always known he was different. While other children in the village struggled to wield even the smallest sparks of magic, he had always felt something powerful stirring within him—something forbidden. He had never spoken of it, fearing the wrath of the Elders, who controlled all magic in Eldoria with an iron grip.
Tonight, however, was different.
A knock at the door sent a shiver down Kael's spine. His mother, Elara, rose from her chair, exchanging a glance with her husband, Marek. There was something urgent—almost desperate—about the pounding.
As Elara unlatched the door, a cloaked figure stumbled inside, drenched from the rain. The flickering lantern light revealed a face Kael had only seen in whispered legends—the exiled mage, Orin Shadowbane.
"You must leave," Orin gasped, his piercing blue eyes locking onto Kael. "They know."
Kael's breath hitched. "Who knows what?"
Orin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he grasped Kael's arm, and the moment they touched, a surge of energy pulsed through him—an undeniable recognition, as though something deep within Kael had just woken up.
Elara clutched her son's other arm. "You can't take him!"
"If he stays, he dies," Orin said grimly. "The Elders have discovered the truth. Kael is not just gifted—he is the last heir to the Lost Bloodline. If they catch him, they will never let him live."
Thunder roared outside, shaking the walls of the cottage. Kael's heart pounded as he looked from his parents to the mysterious mage. In a single night, his life had changed forever.
"We have to go. Now."
And with that, Kael took his first step into a destiny far greater than he had ever imagined.