Chapter 1 - The Bakers

The overwhelming power of the sun was wielded in expert fashion as she fended off the beasts invading the city. They all fell to the ground while wave after wave of spells were sent against them as she protected the walls from atop the tower by the city gate.

The sense of greatness and importance felt incredible. Guards looked up at her with stars in their eyes as she kept the beasts at bay, cooperating with the adventurers fighting in squads.

The amulet on her chest filled her with power, feeling both familiar and foreign. It glowed softly in conjunction with her spells, almost like it was conscious. Every blast from her sun seemed more intense than the last.

But the light from the sun started to overwhelm her, gradually blinding her completely with its light of dawn. Even her closed eyes weren’t enough to stop it, forcing her to turn around under the covers.

‘Aww, it was such a good dream! Why does it always stop at the best parts?’ she asked, burying her face in the pillow and wishing herself back to the battlefield. But it was no use; she was stuck in reality once again.

She sighed deeply before sitting up and stretching her arms in the air. The position of the sun told her it was time to get up and help Gramps in the bakery, so she begrudgingly got out of bed and started getting dressed.

‘Another day in the bakery… My dreams are getting further away every time I wake up. I’m already eighteen, so I guess it’s time to…’

She reached for the amulet on the nightstand but stopped mid-movement. The amulet had seemed important in her dream, filling her with power somehow. She knew very little about its origins other than it being an heirloom of sorts.

Still, she put it on like usual and tied back her fiery red hair before briefly checking herself in the mirror. Then, with a sense of routine resignation and a dose of nostalgic warmth, she headed down the creaky wooden stairs to the bakery kitchen.

With its familiar scents of fresh bread and pastries, the bakery always wrapped her in a blanket of comfort and nostalgia. 'This place, it's like a cozy little bubble,' she thought, feeling caught between the yearning for adventure and the soothing lull of the familiar.

Her grandfather, a robust old man with a smile that warmed the room, was already at work, his skilled hands shaping dough with practiced ease. "Morning, Gramps," she greeted with a groggy voice from sleep.

Gramps looked up, and his eyes lit up with joy. "Good morning, Lilly! You're up early today," he noted, placing a freshly baked roll on a plate for her.

Lilly took the roll, feeling its comforting warmth. “That sounds sincere coming from you, morning bird,” she joked, knowing he had been up for hours already.

“I’m always sincere, didn’t you know? Your hair looks perfect, by the way,” he said with a clever smirk.

Lilly made a mental note to fix her hair before going anywhere. She hesitated slightly before starting to share her thoughts. "I had a cool dream last night. I was protecting the city from the beasts, standing on the walls. The amulet seemed to give me power somehow. Do you think it… hides some secrets?"

Gramps listened intently as his expression shifted to one of thoughtful contemplation. "It has always been a bit of a mystery," he acknowledged. "It's been in your grandmother’s family for generations. She always said it was special."

Lilly touched the amulet, tracing its intricate designs. "Yeah, I feel like there's something more to it, but I have no idea how to figure out what," she mused, feeling resigned to leaving it a mystery.

Gramps nodded while his hands paused in their work. "It's good to be curious, Lilly. But remember, some things take time to understand. Don't rush into seeking answers without considering what they might bring."

Lilly considered his words, sensing the unspoken caution behind them. "I know, Gramps. But maybe it’s really incredible? It would be a shame not to figure it out, or at least try."

Gramps sighed softly with a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "Maybe it is, Lilly… You could look in the library to see if you find anything about your family there, or something about old amulets."

"The library? How would I get access?" Lilly knew getting into the library was no easy task. Access to the regular sections normally required a pass and payment.

“Well, I know a guy that owes me a favor or two,” Gramps told her, clearly taking a harrowing trip through memory lane. “I could probably get you an hour at least. But you need to think about where to look. You could get lost in the rows upon rows of books in that place.”

“Really? Only an hour?” Lilly felt a bit of regret; there were so many things she would like to look at in the library once she had access.

“You should know how many secrets and spells that hide in the shelves of that place, Lilly. Obviously, getting access is no small feat,” Gramps told her, making sure she understood how impressive it was that he could get her even an hour of access.

“But that’s why I want more time! Imagine what I could do with a day in there,” Lilly said, looking into the air and fantasizing about the dreams she’d had for so long.

“Well, if you find something, it might be worth it. You should look for the name Vermilius. That’s the part of your family your grandmother got the amulet from,” Gramps told her, after recalling the name he hadn’t heard in so long.

Lilly was excited to enter the library and learn more about her ancestors. “I’ll try to look for it, Gramps! Do you know anything about sections to look into? Or should I ask when I get there?” Lilly wondered, hoping to make the most of her limited time.

Gramps smiled. "You should just ask; I’m sure the librarian can point you in the right direction. I’ll be out for a little while to get you that access, but I’m sure you’ll manage alone for a short while."

Lilly’s pride as a baker could hardly handle such obvious provocations unanswered. “Don’t underestimate me! I could manage with both hands tied behind my back! I would have to mash my face into the dough a few times, but I’m sure the customers wouldn’t notice.”

Gramps chuckled. “Hah, I think some would pay extra for that. But those aren’t the customers we want, so you might want to use your hands after all. See you later!”

With Gramps out of the way for the moment, Lilly donned her apron and began her day's work in the bakery. The rhythm of kneading dough, the precise measuring of ingredients, and the comforting routine of baking were tasks she had mastered over the years.

As she worked, the bakery filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, a scent that was as much a part of her as her own name. Gramps returned not long after, confirming that she could go to the library later, which made Lilly feel a rush of anticipation.

Customers came and went, each greeted by Gramps with a warm smile and a friendly word, and Lilly with her more reserved, yet equally sincere, nods and smiles.

As the day waned and her work in the bakery came to a close, Lilly's excitement grew. The thought of visiting the library and uncovering secrets about the amulet gave her a sense of purpose she hadn't felt before. With a quick clean-up and a promise to Gramps to return before it was too dark, she stepped out into the streets of Thundrel.

As the sun slowly approached the horizon, casting a warm, golden hue over the city, Lilly made her way to the city library. The streets were gradually lit up by hundreds of magical lights, bringing an ethereal feeling to the winding streets.

The library was an imposing structure of aged stone and dark wood, looming at the edge of the city square. Its tall, narrow windows gave everyone a taste of the wealth of knowledge sheltered within as if to tempt them with its hidden treasures.

Two stern-faced guards stood in front of the large oak doors, their presence a clear sign of the treasures that lay beyond.

As Lilly approached, the guards appraised her with a scrutinizing gaze. She straightened her posture, mustering confidence as she stated her name and purpose. One guard nodded slightly before stepping aside, allowing her to approach the creaking doors.

Pushing open the heavy oak, Lilly was greeted by a librarian who looked up from a ledger with an air of bored expectancy. She cautiously approached, hoping everything was in order.

“Uh, Edward Baker should have made a reservation for me,” Lilly told him nervously, needing a short moment to remember Gramps’ actual name. She felt like the librarian could see more about her than anyone normally would at a glance, but it might just be her nerves.

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“Ah, here it is, made earlier today. You must have some important friends to get access this quickly, miss.” He crossed off something in a ledger before turning back to Lilly. “You have one hour,” He said, as he handed Lilly an hourglass of some sort. The sand within it seemed to flow at the same pace as another one on his counter, probably used to keep track of visitors.

‘Judging by that reaction, it must have been a valuable favor,’ Lilly thought, feeling even more grateful to Gramps.

“Oh, thank you, sir! Uhm, where should I go to find information about family history or old artifacts?” Lilly asked, hoping to spend most of her time reading instead of searching. The librarian simply pointed towards a row on the left without even looking up from whatever book he was reading, and Lilly started walking.

The library’s interior was a labyrinth of towering shelves, each crammed with books of all sizes and venerable ages. The air was rich with the scent of old paper and leather, enveloping Lilly in an atmosphere of ancient knowledge.

Lilly's footsteps echoed softly as she moved through the library. The section she was directed to was quiet, with its shelves holding old books filled with historical accounts and family lineages. They were clearly worn by time, and their pages were filled with stories and knowledge from generations ago.

As she searched, Lilly kept an eye on the hourglass. She knew her time here was limited, and she couldn’t afford to get lost in the vast collection. ‘Focus, Lilly,’ she reminded herself, ‘Vermilius, or the amulet, that’s what you’re here for.’

Her fingers traced the spines of the books as she looked for anything related to her family name or ancient artifacts. She looked through several promising books, searching for the snippet of information that could help her.

Finally, she found a thick tome titled "Ancient Artifacts and Their Histories." She read through the table of contents, looking for anything interesting. ‘Royal artifacts, no. Heroes and their artifacts, interesting, but no. Artifact types, maybe… Artifact awakening? Let’s look at that.’

She flipped the pages to get to the right chapter and read the summary, primarily finding mentions of awakening artifacts using blood. ‘Could that work on the amulet? Is it even worth trying? I guess… It wouldn’t hurt too much.

Lilly felt her heart racing with anticipation and carefully reached out to touch the amulet, feeling a warmth spread from the metal into her palm. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and bit her finger, trying to get some blood out. It was painful, but she managed to make a small rift on the side.

A single drop of blood fell onto the amulet, and instantly, the library's atmosphere shifted, as if time itself was holding its breath.

As her blood mingled with the amulet, a subtle vibration began, a hum of energy that felt ancient and powerful. The amulet started to glow faintly, spreading its warmth up her arm and wrapping her in its power.

Lilly's eyes widened as the glow intensified, casting shadows among the dusty tomes and ancient scripts. It was as if the amulet was coming to life, syncing with her own magical essence.

‘Whoa, I feel so much power suddenly, like my mana has become way bigger… The amulet really was special!’ Lilly thought, feeling shocked by the incredible revelation. ‘I should test it, safely.’

She recalled a basic spell from her early education—the creation of a simple orb of light, perfect for avoiding accidentally destroying anything. She had cast this spell countless times, but something told her this time would be different.

Extending her hand, she whispered the familiar incantation. She could feel the mana in her body start to move in the direction of her hand, activating the spell in an instant. The usual modest sphere of light transformed spectacularly, turning into a radiant orb of brilliant light. The orb's light danced across the library, casting long shadows and bathing the ancient texts in its golden glow.

Lilly was shocked by the immense power but still did her best to stay silent in the library. ‘Oh gods, that’s incredible! It’s like a small sun in my hands.’ She moved her hand, and the orb followed, responding to her gestures with an agility and responsiveness that felt almost alive.

As the orb finally faded, Lilly stood in silent awe. The spell, intended to create a light for reading, had become a grand display of light under the amulet's influence. ‘If it can do that to a light spell... If such a simple spell can be enhanced this much, what more could it do?’

Her thoughts drifted to the tales of legendary mages and adventurers she had grown up hearing about, the kind of stories that had always seemed like distant dreams. But now, with the amulet's power, those stories felt within reach. A thrill of excitement surged within her, and she could barely wait to see what the future had in store.

Carefully, Lilly placed the old book back on its shelf, letting her fingers linger on the spine as she silently thanked it for its insights. With a quick glance at the hourglass – its sands almost completely run through – she knew it was time to leave. She walked back to the front desk, where she gently placed the hourglass down, nodding to the attendant as she did so. He simply nodded back, seemingly satisfied.

As she moved towards the exit, Lilly's mind buzzed with thoughts and questions about her family's past and the amulet's history. She passed by the guards on her way out, offering a small, grateful nod, and continued on her way home.

Walking home under a canopy of stars, Lilly's thoughts were abuzz with possibilities. She imagined herself mastering complex spells, defeating great beasts, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest mages in the land. The cool night air did little to diminish the warmth of the amulet or the excitement in her heart.

She was somewhat disappointed about not finding anything about her old family name, but otherwise, the visit to the library had been a huge success.

Finally, she stepped into her home, excited to tell Gramps about her discoveries and plans for the future. She found him in his usual chair with a book resting in his lap. His eyes lifted to meet hers with a gentle, intrigued gaze. "Ah, back from your investigation, are you?"

"Gramps, the amulet," she began, unable to properly express her excitement, "it's incredible. I performed the light orb spell, but with the amulet, it was, it was unlike anything I've ever seen. So much more powerful, so vivid!"

Gramps furrowed his eyebrows, looking concerned. "What? Lilly, calm down! What do you mean, what did the amulet do?"

Lilly took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts. She explained, more calmly this time, "The amulet, it... it empowered my spell by a huge amount when I held it. The light orb was so much stronger!"

"That's... Lilly, you should be careful using something like that. It might be dangerous to empower spells without knowing why it happens," Gramps replied, making his stance clear.

"I didn't feel anything different. I think it's fine, Gramps," Lilly reassured, though a small part of her wondered if she was being too naive.

"… As long as you're careful, I guess. But you should keep it secret at least. Something like that seems far too valuable to show off," Gramps advised. His expression softened slightly, but it was still marked with concern.

"I will be careful, Gramps, I'm not stupid," Lilly responded defensively. The responsibility that came with the amulet's power was not lost on her, and she felt its weight keenly.

Taking a deep breath, she knew it was time to voice the thoughts that had been swirling in her mind. "Gramps, I've been thinking," she began, trying to sound firm. "Now that I have this amulet, and an opportunity to... do something... I want to become an adventurer, and go beyond the walls to explore what's out there in the forest."

Gramps' face, already marked by worry, hardened further at her words. “Lilly… The forest is dangerous, more so than you know.” His voice was heavy with a deep-seated worry that seemed to age him further.

His reaction only strengthened Lilly's determination. She understood his fears, but the call of adventure, the new promise of greatness, was too strong to ignore. This was her chance to carve her own path, to walk in the steps she had wanted to follow since she was a child.

“I know it’s dangerous, but I’ll prepare! And my magic will be much stronger now. My defensive spells won’t be broken by any normal beasts anymore,” Lilly replied, hoping he would understand her.

“You don’t know that Lilly! And even if one beast can’t do it, you might be stuck, and they could call for more beasts. How many do you think the shield can stop?” Gramps countered, his eyes reflecting a deep-seated fear.

Lilly's eyes showed the stubborn determination that was all too common in their family. “Let me show you.” She stepped back, concentrating. With a quick incantation, a shimmering barrier of light materialized around her. “Try to push through it,” she urged Gramps.

Gramps stood up, looking at the barrier with admiration and concern, but he remained still, not taking up her challenge. “That’s not the point, Lilly,” he sighed.

“I said I’ll prepare, I can buy something from the magical emporium tomorrow!” Lilly’s voice rose in intensity, hoping to convey the significance of her dream.

Gramps shook his head as the lines on his face deepened. “What’s out there for you to even achieve, Lilly? Hunting beasts? Do you even have offensive spells?”

“But I can’t just— it’s my dream! I’ve always wanted to be a great mage, you know that!” Lilly’s voice cracked slightly, revealing the depth of her longing.

“Lilly, you know why I can’t let you do this,” Gramps said heavily, hinting at the painful past they both knew but rarely spoke of directly. Those scars were best left alone.

“I’m not them! I thought you would support me!” Lilly pleaded, feeling tears forming in her eyes. Her barrier flickered as her emotions surged.

“In anything but this, Lilly. Anything. Please don’t go out there,” Gramps pleaded back, reaching his hand out to her as if to pull her back from an invisible ledge.

Lilly’s barrier dissipated as her emotions peaked, tears now rolling down her cheeks. “I refuse to just bake bread all my life!” she exclaimed, the words escaping her lips before she could catch them. With a mix of anger and hurt, she turned and stormed off to her room, leaving Gramps standing alone with his hand still outstretched in a silent, unheeded plea.

Lilly retreated to her room with heavy footsteps. In the silence of her familiar bedroom, the day's emotions finally caught up with her. She sank onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow as the tears began to flow.

Her mind was a mix of regret and determination. She replayed the argument with Gramps, each word echoing with a mixture of pain and defiance. 'I shouldn't have said that about baking bread,' she thought remorsefully. 'But I can't just stay here, living a life with nothing to look forward to. Especially now that I have this.' she thought, looking at the amulet held in her hand.

Lilly's tears were not just born of the argument but also of the fear of staying trapped in a life too small for her dreams. She longed for more than the safe confines of the bakery and Thundrel. Her heart yearned for adventure, for the chance to prove herself, to discover the secrets of her amulet, and to follow in the footsteps of the family she missed so dearly.

As she cried, Lilly also felt a deep sense of love and gratitude for Gramps. He had raised her, taught her, and supported her in every way he could. His fears were not just the worries of an overprotective guardian; they were the fears of someone who had already lost so much.

Eventually, her tears subsided, leaving her emotionally drained but clearer in her thoughts. 'I need to apologize to Gramps,' she resolved. 'But still, I need to make him understand why I have to do this.'

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Lilly finally drifted into a restless sleep, her dreams a blend of magical forests and the warm, safe bakery.