Chapter 1 — The Call of Destiny
In the heart of Warnia, Nario, a city that buzzed with the familiar rhythm of human life, a mystical force was stirring. Its tendrils crept through the city’s servers, past circuit boards, processors, and the countless data streams coursing through its veins. The city was a confluence of the mundane and the magical, and it was here that our hero, Graros, lived.
“Graros!” Ava’s voice echoed from the kitchen, “Aria is struggling with her new computer game. Can you help her?”
“Sure thing, love,” Graros responded with a smile. He enjoyed sharing his passion for technology with his children.
Graros was not a hero in the traditional sense. He did not wield a blade, nor did he ride into battle. Instead, his battleground was in front of a computer screen; his weapon was his intellect. Graros worked as an IT Professional, a gatekeeper who defended his city from the digital threats of this technological world. And yet, Graros led a double life. When he was not fighting digital dragons, he retreated to the wilderness, bow in hand, hunting to support his family.
“Dad, tell me a story about when you hunted the deer!” their eight-year-old daughter, Aria, pleaded. Graros smiled warmly, weaving a tale of his solitary pursuit in the wilderness.
His wife, Ava, a radiant and resilient woman, and their two children, Aria, a lively eight-year-old girl, and their seventeen-month-old son, were the center of his universe. Graros had met Ava in an online forum, a haven for amateur writers. Their love story had blossomed in the realm of words and stories, a testament to their shared love of the written word.
“Don’t ever forget, Ava,” Graros whispered to his wife one night as they lay in bed, “You are my world, and I would face any danger to protect our family.”
Ava’s past was fraught with pain and abuse, and Graros had made it his mission to give her the life she deserved, a life filled with love and devoid of any trace of her past sufferings. Their children were their world, and every second Graros spent away from them, either behind a screen or in the wild, was for their sake.
One ordinary day, as Graros was ensnared in the throes of his job, a message popped up on his screen. “Graros,” it read, “Your skills are required. Nyers Bay, Nario. The Council awaits your arrival.”
Ava, noticing the change in Graros’s demeanor, questioned, “What’s wrong, Graros? You seem… distant.”
Startled, Graros looked around the room, but his colleagues were engrossed in their work, oblivious to his predicament. The message was peculiar, but it was not the content that puzzled Graros but the medium. It was not an email or a notification; it was as if the message had manifested itself out of thin air.
The message persisted, seeming to seep into his very mind and echoing in his thoughts. A strange, unshakable feeling took hold of him – a feeling that he was being guided by a higher power, a power that he wasn’t sure if he could trust.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Graros packed his bags, bowed in hand, and bid his family goodbye. Ava watched him with a look of uncertainty in her eyes. Graros could not reassure her, for he himself did not know what awaited him.
“I don’t know what’s ahead, Ava,” Graros admitted, clutching her hands, “But I promise you, I will return to you and our children. You are my strength.”
He held his family close, imprinting their smiles, their laughter, and their warmth into his heart. The world outside was fraught with unknown dangers, but the thought of his family gave him strength.
As Graros began his journey, leaving behind his city, his family, and his life as he knew it, he was filled with a mix of trepidation and determination. The drive to Nyers Bay was long and lonesome. He could feel the sadness seeping into his heart, a reminder of the family he had left behind.
However, a resolution came along with his sadness. A resolution to face the unknown, fulfill his destiny, and return to his family. And so, with his mindset and his resolve steeled, Graros set forth towards his destiny, towards Nyers Bay.
Maxfield Willow 