Arcadia was a city perpetually covered in shadows, where dark clouds hovered like harbingers of sorrow, and the air was dense with despair. Cursed by malevolent demons long ago, humanity found itself in an endless struggle against the forces of darkness. The remaining population clung desperately to fragments of hope and remnants of normalcy, surviving day by day under the ever-present threat of demonic attacks.
Rex, a young man of eighteen, lived on the margins of this shattered society. With a permanent injury to his left arm, he was often viewed with disdain, labeled weak and incapable by those around him. His existence was a meager one, sustained by low-profile jobs—cleaning streets, running errands, scavenging for supplies. Despite the hardship and the scorn of others, a fierce determination burned within Rex. He was resolved to find a way to change his fate and that of his cursed world.
One evening, after finishing his day's work, Rex sought solace in his sanctuary: a secluded spot by the river just outside Arcadia. Here, he could momentarily escape the harshness of his life. As he sat by the river, lost in his thoughts, he noticed something strange—the water began to glow faintly, casting an ethereal light on the surroundings.
Intrigued and slightly unnerved, Rex followed the glowing current upstream. The further he went, the brighter the light became, drawing him deeper into the forest. The journey was perilous; the dense, twisted forest was enshrouded in perpetual twilight by the dark clouds above. Rex had to stay constantly vigilant, narrowly escaping capture by demonic creatures multiple times. Once, he hid inside a hollow tree as demons passed by, their glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness. Another time, he climbed a steep cliff to evade a pack of demons, staying hidden among the rocks until the danger had passed.
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Finally, Rex found himself standing before an ancient temple, too massive to find its top , overgrown with vines and moss yet exuding a powerful, mysterious aura. The temple's stone walls were adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes of ancient battles between gods and demons. At the entrance, a crystal embedded in the stone pulsated with an otherworldly light and was the very source of the light that guided him.
Rex hesitated, but his curiosity and desperation to change his fate propelled him forward. As he entered the temple, the air thickened with an otherworldly energy, and his heart pounded with a mix of excitement and fear. He ventured through the inner chambers, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls and eventually, he discovered a hidden room, its entrance obscured by centuries of dust and debris. With trembling hands, he brushed aside the cobwebs with his bruise filled hands and pushed open the heavy door, revealing a sight that would change his life forever.