He rarely had visitors. Even less frequently could anyone avoid his protectors. "Come in," he announced, stretching on the bed.

The door opened, and two men entered. One was serious, bearded, and tall; the other was relatively lively and cleanly dressed.

"Don! Bugator! When did you come back?!" Hope called out and ran towards the guests.

They both smiled when they saw him. "We just came to the city. We got ourselves settled and headed straight here to meet you."

"Very good. How glad I am to see you!" The boy looked genuinely happy and hugged them both warmly.

Then they started to observe him. In the last three years, Hope had grown in height, his muscle mass had also changed, and he had come to look like a fully matured adult.

At the same time, his bright blond hair had spread to his shoulders. It hung like golden threads. His face was still childish and tired, but the delicate lines matched his nature.

His lips weren't pale, like the shadow of that invisible smile that he couldn't always reveal.

"Hope, how is your training going? Besides, these days you also have a ritual. Gods, how quickly time has passed. I remember it like it was yesterday when we brought you to the city." Don spoke, but Bugator smacked his shoulder.

The boy bowed his head. Disappointing their hopes would be painful for him. "They don't call me Hope anymore. Despair is my new name."

"Hope." Bugator began as if he hadn't even heard his previous words. "Don't you want to listen to stories about our adventures? We haven't told anyone yet."

"Really? How long have I been waiting for this?" The boy said and invited them to sit down. "But wait… Are you sure you can tell me? Shouldn't you report it to the overseer first?"

Fragments are charged with a certain power. A direct understanding of them gave the greatest benefit, and each subsequent narration, however, weakens the impact.

Because of this, each unit has its supervisor. The elder should be the first to hear about the prophecy so that they will see the most benefit. Society was based on a similar structure, allowing key figures to collect fragments without them directly risking their lives.

Seeers didn't need to see primary fragments. As long as they acquired them, they would be able to find and decipher them.

There is no collection of fragments until the bond is forged with a god. Until then, it only becomes information, which means sharing it with Hope would be wasteful.

But his guests didn't think so—or didn't care at all. "Who better to tell than you? Besides, no one will punish you, and you know we have nothing to fear."

Don said with pride and awe. Judging by his voice, they had received important prophecies.

They started to tell the story, and the boy's heart began to race. Fragments were collected in the form of poems, fairy tales, and prayers.

Some were discovered while defeating monsters; others were encountered in abandoned temples. The ancient world hid many secrets, and a three-century expedition wasn't enough to explore it.

Moreover, according to the Seeers, they hadn't even collected 10% of the prophecy. This task was for Hope to overcome.

It took over a day to listen to fragments that had been collected over three years.

Hope's mind was blown. He didn't have the strength to be nervous anymore, although there was little more than a day left before the ritual.

In a few hours, his fate and future would be decided. He would see if he could live up to the prophecy. The main thing was that he would soon find out if the gods chose him to seek their power.

He fell asleep peacefully, replaying the fresh stories in his mind. As if to leave even the last pain in the sober world.

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In the morning, before the sunlight reached his impenetrable room, Hope heard the voice.

Someone was standing at his door and was about to sneak in.

"Two visits in a row? That's rare."

There was no fear because he already felt safe. He sat up and opened his eyes.

The door opened, and it seemed as if light had entered. In bounced a playful girl, acting as if she owned the place.

"Avi, what do you want this early in the morning?" the boy asked, hiding his smile behind a forced irritation.

The girl pushed her brown hair behind her ears, bent at the waist, and brought Hope's face close. Her hazel eyes were wide and bright.

"How could you ask why I'm here? Tomorrow is your birthday, and the ritual is approaching." She looked delighted.

"Nothing good comes of it," he replied with a note of reluctance.

The girl held his face, pinching his cheek with vigour. "How many times do I have to tell you not to keep your nose down? No matter what happens, you will always be our Hope. The Chosen One!"

The boy tried to let go of her hand, but the girl put her hand in his blond hair. Her eyes—green like the earth itself—fixed on the boy again. "You will command the entire army of Binders and Seeers."

The boy didn't give up. He grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled himself free. "You're the only one who thinks that."

Avelinea was Hope's classmate and single friend. She was the sole child of the city chancellor and was spoilt in every way.

Her status wouldn't come close to Hope's, but she was the only one who was allowed to touch him like that. Only she had faith in the boy and always tried to lift his spirits.

"I believe that you will be able to prove it and show your true might." She seemed confident. "If not today, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then some other day. Until then, I will always have hope in you."

At that moment, her childish sincerity sparkled. Her emotions often affected the boy as well. His mood improved this time, too.

"Avi, guess who came back?" Avi was a nickname not everyone could use.

She didn't have to think about the answer and immediately called out. "Don and Bugator."

Then she got an all-knowing expression and added. "My father told me yesterday. Because of the importance of the fragments they collected, they went directly to him."

Then she continued with a hint of bitterness, "I haven't met them yet. I'm waiting for them to finish."

Now it's time for the boy to be proud. "I already saw them." Now he held his head up. "They also told me about the prophecies," he whispered. "But don't tell anyone."

Avi's breath quickened, and her mouth hung open in admiration. She also wanted to hear about fragments herself, but she held back.

They were engrossed in conversation when the door opened without a knock.

Shon enters the room—a Binder and Hope's guardian. He didn't have one eye, which he never tried to hide.

Because of this, looking at his face for a long time wouldn't bring pleasure to anyone. His bald head bore the god's Mark, tattooed as if painted by divine hands.

Those who bore the gods' marks were called Binders

Casting a sharp look at them, Shon stated bluntly, "It's time!"

He never liked to talk. Perhaps it was simply that his sentences were brief and all his phrases consisted of one or two words.

The boy never tried to resist. Shon stood up behind him. Hope waved goodbye to Avi from afar. "I will see you at school."

They passed down the stairs of the house without a sound. The Binders were strange. They represented different archetypes, and it wasn't easy to get them. Don and Bugator were a rare bunch.

Shon was on the Echo tier, which was the fourth and penultimate level of divine connection.

Not much was noted about his skills. Only its association with fog was known.

"Not at school." He announced to the boy out of nowhere, and after leaving the house, he led him in another direction.

"What do you mean?!" Hope was surprised. "Today is the last day of my teaching; if not at the school, then where are we going?"

"You'll see!" Shon cut him short and continued on his way. He never showed signs about Hope's failure.

He always seemed disinterested, as if he was never concerned about humanity and its fate.

The boy didn't make a sound. He knew when words weren't welcomed.

The rest of the way went without speaking. Dreadvale wasn't an old city, built decades ago by Avi's father, and was declared a protected area.

The population did not exceed a few million, and contact with the rest of the world was strictly regulated.

Humans fall behind the technological development that existed before the cataclysm. Survival was the main concern of the planetary government.

Food, shelter, and, most importantly, security weren't easy to find. People had to fight every day, and it had its consequences.

Most of Dreadvale's population never left the city. Only Binders sent on expeditions go beyond its walls, and they too have a time limit on their return.

Contact with the outside world was made only by the chancellor and the people chosen by him.

One would always hear songs while walking down the street. People loved to tell fragments, and many stopped to listen to them.

Those who gathered and studied these fragments became known as Seeers.

As for storytellers, they weren't ignored, captivating the hearts of children with each telling.

Many times, Hope longed to stop and join them. Unfortunately, his guards never allowed that.

Besides the Shon, he was tailed by others. Whom he had only heard of and had never met. The powers of Binders were mysterious and varied.

Many kept their skills a secret and protected them at the cost of their lives.

"Here we are." Standing in front of a large building, Shon said, waving his hand towards the entrance.

'Damn it. Shit. Shit. I knew something unpleasant would happen.'

The building was familiar to Hope. It was there that his story of failures had begun.

A place where he was repeatedly presented to monsters. Yet every time, it was others who had to save him.

Even now, they brought him here and decided to make a final trial before presenting him to the gods.