A thousand years after the Battle of Chaos...
Nikos had always been used to the whispers.
The villagers of Vennor never missed a chance to remind him of his lineage. His ancestors had sided with the Dark Lord, and though Nikos had no connection to that past, it was enough to taint his name. And so, Nikos became an outcast—the son of the cursed—walking through the streets with his head down, his every move judged by eyes that never saw him for who he truly was.
"Look who it is, Nikos the Darkspawn!" Lark's voice echoed through the marketplace as Nikos passed by.
"Don't call me that, Lark. You're the one who smells like spoiled cheese," Nikos shot back with a smirk, earning a few chuckles from the crowd. He could always deflect the insults with humor, but deep down, the words always stung.
Nikos kicked a stone, watching it bounce toward the well before turning and heading for the outskirts of the village. He needed some peace.
Out here, away from the prying eyes, he could breathe easier. The sky was clear, the air crisp, and the chirping of the birds calmed his mind. But even here, in the solitude of nature, he couldn't escape the weight of his past. It hung around him like an invisible cloak—an ever-present reminder of something he had never chosen.
That was when he found the dog.
It was lying by the river, blood seeping from its side, barely conscious. Nikos's heart twisted in his chest. He knelt beside it, gently stroking the animal's matted fur.
"Hey, buddy," Nikos whispered. "What happened to you?"
The dog, weak but still alive, whimpered in response. Nikos knew he had to help it—whatever the cost. He couldn't just leave it like this.
For days, Nikos took care of the dog, feeding it, bandaging its wounds, and speaking to it like it was his only friend. He named it Ali, after the gentle wind that seemed to always be near when the dog was around.
One night, as Nikos lay in bed, the soft breathing of Ali beside him, the air grew thick, heavy—like something was wrong. Then, suddenly, a glowing figure appeared before him.
"Aeonir?" Nikos whispered, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Aeonir has come to warn you," the figure intoned, his voice deep, carrying an otherworldly echo. "You are the Aetherborn, Nikos. The one who will protect the realms from destruction."
"Me? The Aetherborn?" Nikos laughed. "I'm just a guy with a funny mark on my hand. I can barely take care of myself, let alone save the world."
But before Aeonir could respond, the ground trembled beneath Nikos's feet, and the earth shook violently. He leaped to his feet, eyes wide with panic.
The village. He could see it. Flames had already begun licking at the edges of the town, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. A massive dragon, its scales black as midnight, soared above the village. With a roar, it released a blast of fire that incinerated a house in moments.
"No! No, no, no!" Nikos shouted, his heart pounding in his chest.
Nikos hesitated, fear gripping him like a vice. He couldn't just stand there. But he couldn't go to fight the dragon either. Not without any kind of power. He was just Nikos, the outcast. The coward.
And then, he saw her.
A small girl, no more than six or seven, stood in the middle of the street, helpless and unaware as the dragon swooped down, aiming to finish her off.
Nikos's heart skipped a beat. She'll die if I don't do something.
Without thinking, Nikos charged toward the girl, pushing past the fire and smoke. He could hear the dragon's wings flapping in the air, the ground shaking beneath him. He dove forward, throwing himself in front of the girl just as the dragon's fiery breath rained down upon them.
The blast was powerful, and Nikos barely had time to shield the girl before the heat seared through his skin. He managed to pull her to safety, but in the process, he felt a sickening snap in his arm.
"Ah!" Nikos screamed as he fell to the ground, clutching his broken arm. The pain was excruciating, but he forced himself to his feet, his eyes fixed on the dragon as it turned toward them with malicious intent.
The dragon's fiery breath came again, this time aimed directly at them. Nikos pushed the girl away from the flames, but he was too slow. His body collided with a pile of rocks, sending sharp pain coursing through him. Blood dripped from his head and limbs.
I can't do this. I can't win. I'm just... just a failure.
But then, something inside Nikos clicked. A surge of determination flooded through him, and in a last-ditch effort, he scrambled toward a pile of boulders. Using every ounce of strength he had left, Nikos grabbed the largest rock and hurled it at the dragon. The boulders tumbled down, crashing onto the beast's head, causing it to falter in midair.
The dragon roared in fury, but Nikos barely had time to celebrate his small victory before it retaliated. It swung its massive claws at him, sending Nikos flying across the ground. He landed with a thud, his body battered and broken.
"I can't... I can't..." Nikos gasped, tears of frustration in his eyes. He wanted to give up. He wanted to stop fighting.
Just then, a figure appeared beside him—his dog, Ali, who had somehow made its way through the fire. But this was no ordinary dog. Ali's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.
"You're not done yet," Ali spoke, to Nikos's shock.
Nikos's jaw dropped. Did... did you just speak?
"I'll explain later," Ali said, his voice calm yet urgent. "We need to fight. The village needs you. The world needs you."
Before Nikos could process what was happening, Ali leaped into the air, his form shifting and growing in size. He collided with the dragon with a force that shook the earth beneath them. But even Ali, mighty as he had become, was no match for the dragon's sheer power. The dragon knocked Ali aside, sending him crashing into a nearby tree.
Nikos felt a deep despair settle in. Everyone's going to die. It's all my fault.
But just as he was about to give up, his mark began to glow. A bright, blinding light shot from his hand, illuminating the sky above. The light was so intense that it seemed to pierce the heavens themselves, reaching even beyond the boundaries of this world.
Kael stood, his body torn and bloodied, the sword Flameblade now in his hand, a weapon forged by the gods themselves. The sword pulsed with energy as he charged at the dragon once again...
His knees buckled beneath him, and before he could call out, his world went dark.