Year: 2435 A.D. | Location: The Forbidden Citadel, Selcaris
The sky hung heavy, an oppressive weight of crimson and gold, as though the heavens themselves were stained by a history too ancient to remember, yet far too potent to ever forget. Selcaris—the Forbidden Citadel, perched atop the jagged cliffs of Calanthir, stood as the final witness to a world that had forgotten its own beginnings.
The wind whispered secrets—secrets only the earth understood, ancient murmurs of the blood spilled long ago in a war that had shaped not just the land, but the very fabric of time. There, within the heart of this desolate citadel, stood an altar forgotten by men and gods alike. It was said that on this altar, the balance of the world had once been forged, and on this same altar, the final unraveling would begin.
The sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting the land into a twilight that no mortal had ever truly witnessed. For centuries, the people had lived beneath the rule of the Eclipse—a never-ending shadow that stretched across their kingdoms, binding them in a cycle of unease and dormant magic. No one knew when the shadow had first cast itself over the realms, but it was said that it would only lift when the Earth had forgotten its past and remembered what it had lost.
In the heart of the citadel’s crumbling halls, hidden in the deepest chamber, lay the first key to understanding this eternal darkness. Not a key of metal or stone, but one forged from forgotten bloodlines and lost prophecies.
Kaelen stood before it, his hands trembling—not from fear, but from a weight of destiny that none could escape. His eyes, bright like the distant stars, bore the mark of a lineage that had been erased from the annals of history. He was the last of his kind, the final descendant of the Arcane Wardens, those who once kept the threads of time intact. But that was a story for another time.
"Are you prepared, Kaelen?" a voice asked—a voice not of the living, but of the ancient spirits who had long since passed into the aether.
The young man’s lips parted, but no words came. Instead, his thoughts swirled like the tempest raging outside the citadel’s walls, trying to find their place within the vast expanse of history. He had spent his life preparing for this moment, learning the forgotten languages of the ancients, deciphering the runes left by those who had come before him. Yet, now that the time had come, nothing seemed real.
In the distance, a rumble echoed—a tremor in the earth that sent ripples through the very fabric of the world. It was as if the land itself was awakening, stretching its limbs after centuries of slumber. The signs were clear. The Eternal Eclipse was coming to its end.
Kaelen took a step forward, his boots clicking against the cold stone floor. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the surface of the altar. The moment he made contact, the world seemed to exhale. The air grew thick, charged with the pulse of magic, of something old, something forgotten.
From beneath the stone, a symbol began to glow—an ancient sigil that had once been the seal of the Arcane Wardens. Its light was both blinding and alluring, drawing Kaelen in, beckoning him toward the unknown.
The room seemed to shift around him, the walls bending and warping as though the very laws of time and space were collapsing under the weight of this moment. A vision unfurled before him, not one from the past, but from the future—a future that had yet to be written, a future that would come to pass because of the decisions made in the present.
He saw a great storm tearing through the sky, its winds howling like the cries of a thousand lost souls. Below, cities burned, their people fleeing into the unknown, while in the shadows, a figure stood—tall, cloaked in darkness, with eyes that gleamed like molten silver.
The figure spoke, and Kaelen’s heart froze. The words were not ones he had ever heard, yet they resonated within him as though they had always been a part of his soul.
“The fate of the realms lies not in the hands of gods, but in the broken hearts of those who dare to remember.”
And then, the vision shattered.
Kaelen gasped, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he stumbled back from the altar. The room, the entire citadel, seemed to pulse with energy, as if the very stone itself was alive, aware of what had just transpired. The ancient spirits that had been silent for so long whispered once again, their voices melding into a single unified cry that shook the foundations of the world.
"The time has come, Kaelen. You must seek the Broken Ones—the ones who remember the lost truths of this world. Only they can guide you to what is hidden beneath the veil of the Eclipse. But beware, for the past has a way of twisting the future.”
Kaelen’s head swam with the weight of their words. The Broken Ones. He had heard the legends—fragments of tales passed down through the centuries. Those who had been lost to time, their memories shattered by an ancient cataclysm. But he had never truly believed. How could anyone? And yet, the sigil on the altar had whispered their name, as though the very fabric of reality had bent to its will.
The door to the chamber creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. A woman, draped in the tattered robes of the Arcane Wardens, her face hidden beneath a hood. Her presence was not one of life, but of something... older. Kaelen knew her instantly.
“Ana,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
The woman nodded, her eyes glinting in the dim light. "It’s time. The Eclipse cannot be lifted by your hands alone."
Kaelen’s heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"You must gather the Broken Ones," Ana repeated, her voice heavy with the burden of truth. "But be warned. Each one you seek will come at a price, and the cost may be higher than you are willing to pay."
With those final words, Ana stepped aside, revealing a doorway that had not been there moments before. Beyond it, the lands stretched out before them—lands of untold mystery, of forgotten histories, and of secrets buried so deep they could never be unearthed without unleashing a storm that could undo everything.
The first steps toward the end of the world had been taken.
And as Kaelen crossed the threshold, the wind howled, carrying with it the whispers of the past—the echoes of a time long gone, and the promise of a future yet to unfold.
The Eternal Eclipse was coming to an end. But for some, it was only the beginning.
Kaelen’s footsteps were quiet, almost as if the earth itself was holding its breath. He crossed the threshold and stepped into the unknown. The air outside the chamber was thick with a kind of silence that seemed to drown out all other sound. The wind had stopped, and the distant thunder that had rumbled earlier now seemed like a memory, a prelude to something darker.
Beyond the citadel’s broken walls, the landscape unfolded like a canvas of destruction and rebirth. Crumbled ruins stretched as far as the eye could see, remnants of a civilization long past its prime. Towering statues, their faces eroded by centuries of neglect, watched over the forsaken lands. In the distance, the dying sun cast long shadows, its rays fractured by the dark clouds overhead. The landscape, once a thriving kingdom, was now a wasteland—forgotten, ignored, and left to decay.
Yet, amidst the desolation, there was life. Strange flora that glowed with an ethereal light grew in the cracks of stone. Rivers, dark as ink, flowed through the shattered earth, winding like serpents. The land itself seemed to pulse with an ancient energy, an energy that was both terrifying and alluring.
Ana moved swiftly beside him, her presence a quiet shadow in the fading light. She did not speak as they made their way down the crumbling steps of the citadel, but Kaelen could feel the weight of her gaze on him, as if she were measuring the very air between them. They had known each other for years, but this moment—this journey—felt different. There was an unspoken understanding that neither could escape the path that had been set before them. It was not a path of their choosing, but one that was already written in the stars, long before either of them had taken their first breath.
The Broken Ones. Kaelen’s mind kept returning to those words. Ana had spoken them as though they were the key to everything, yet the deeper he delved into their meaning, the more elusive they became. Who were these Broken Ones? Were they truly what Ana had described them to be—fragments of a lost history, scattered across the world, forgotten by all except the oldest of legends?
"We must find the first one," Ana finally spoke, her voice cold and steady, betraying no emotion. "The one who holds the key to the darkness within you, Kaelen."
He turned to her, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean, the key to the darkness within me?"
Ana’s eyes glimmered with something ancient—something Kaelen couldn’t fully understand. "You carry the curse of your ancestors, Kaelen. The blood of the Arcane Wardens flows in your veins, and with it comes the power to either save the realms or doom them forever. It is your choice, but the cost will be high. You must embrace your past to unlock the future. Only then can you hope to break the chains of the Eclipse."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Kaelen's heart raced. The power of the Arcane Wardens was not something to be taken lightly. It had been said that those who wielded it could manipulate time itself, shape the very fabric of existence. But such power came at a terrible price—a price that had driven the Wardens to madness. The last of them had vanished centuries ago, their legacy erased from history.
"But where do we begin?" Kaelen asked, his voice steady despite the fear that clawed at his chest.
Ana raised a hand, pointing toward the horizon. "In the far north, beyond the Ruins of Ishtar, lies the first of the Broken Ones. His name is Elion, and he holds the last fragment of the Lost Prophecy. He is the one who can guide us to the others. But beware, for the Ruins are not a place for the faint-hearted. It is said that the shadows themselves dwell there, waiting for those who dare to trespass."
Kaelen took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Then we go."
Ana nodded, her lips forming a thin line. "We must move quickly. The Eclipse is growing stronger. Every passing moment brings us closer to the end of all things."
With that, they set off, their steps determined but cautious. The path ahead was long, and they had no idea what dangers awaited them, but one thing was certain: there was no turning back.
The Path Ahead:
As they traveled deeper into the wilderness, the world around them seemed to warp. The land was ancient, steeped in power that had long been forgotten. With each step, the very ground seemed to pulse beneath their feet, as though the earth was alive and watching. Strange creatures stirred in the shadows—beasts of myth, with eyes that gleamed like fire and fur that shimmered with a silver glow.
Kaelen had heard tales of such creatures, of monsters born from the very fabric of the world’s forgotten magic. But seeing them now, their forms more terrifying than he had imagined, filled him with an unease that he could not shake. He glanced at Ana, who walked ahead, her expression unreadable, as if this world was nothing new to her.
"Do you know what lies ahead, Ana?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper against the eerie silence.
Ana did not answer immediately, her gaze fixed ahead as if she were sensing something beyond the horizon. When she did speak, her words were laced with a cold, detached certainty.
"The Ruins of Ishtar are a place of great danger. Not just because of the creatures that roam there, but because the land itself is cursed. It was once a great city, a beacon of knowledge and magic, but it fell in a single night. The very essence of the city was shattered, its soul torn apart by the forces it sought to control."
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Kaelen felt a chill run down his spine. The ruins were legendary—said to be the last remnants of a kingdom that had reached too high, only to fall in a cataclysm that had devastated the world.
"Why did it fall?" he asked.
Ana paused, her eyes flicking to him, her expression one of sorrow. "The city’s fall was not just a matter of pride, Kaelen. It was a warning—a warning that the powers of the past are not to be trifled with. But it is also the key to everything. Elion, the first of the Broken Ones, was the last survivor of that city. He alone knows the secrets that will unlock the power to stop the Eclipse."
Kaelen nodded grimly. "Then we have no choice but to find him."
The journey to the Ruins of Ishtar would take weeks, and Kaelen knew that every moment was precious. Time was a luxury they could no longer afford. The darkness that had haunted the world for centuries was stirring, and if they did not act now, it might be too late.
With each passing day, the tension between them grew. Ana had her secrets, and Kaelen could feel it. He had sensed it since the moment they had met—an unspoken truth that she kept locked away. But whatever it was, he knew that it would come to light in time. And when it did, it would either save them or destroy them all.
For now, they traveled in silence, each lost in their thoughts, each burdened with the weight of a fate neither of them could escape.
As the days passed and the Ruins drew closer, Kaelen’s thoughts turned inward. He wondered what Elion would be like. Would he be a man of wisdom and power, as the legends said? Or would he be another broken soul, shattered by the weight of a forgotten past?
And what of the other Broken Ones? How many were there? What had become of them? Kaelen did not know the answers, but one thing was certain: the quest had only just begun.
And with it, the shadows of the past would begin to rise once again.
The land stretched endlessly ahead, an expanse of untamed wilderness and treacherous paths. The sky above was a roiling sea of dark clouds, as though the heavens themselves were warning them of what lay ahead. The distant sound of thunder rumbled, an ominous reminder that time was slipping away. Kaelen and Ana pressed on, their journey growing ever more perilous.
As the days wore on, the terrain shifted. The wild forests that had once lined their path gave way to barren hills and jagged cliffs. The air grew thin, biting at their skin, and the temperature dropped. The Ruins of Ishtar lay to the north, a city swallowed by time and legend. Its very name evoked images of forgotten gods and lost empires, of power too dangerous to wield.
But there was something more—a whisper, a pull—something Kaelen felt deep in his bones. It was as if the world itself was calling him to the ruins, urging him forward, as though his destiny was entwined with the fate of the city. He could not explain it, but he knew it to be true.
Ana was silent, her expression unreadable. Her eyes were fixed ahead, her body tense with the weight of anticipation. Despite the growing darkness, she was steadfast, a beacon of resolve in the face of the unknown. Her movements were precise, calculated, as if she had been here before.
Kaelen glanced at her, sensing her discomfort. "You’ve been here before, haven’t you?" he asked, his voice low, yet laced with curiosity.
Ana did not look at him. Instead, she continued to walk, her gaze never wavering from the path ahead. "I have," she replied simply. "Long ago."
"Tell me about it," Kaelen urged. "Tell me what happened."
Ana’s steps slowed, her eyes narrowing as she thought for a moment. "The city of Ishtar was not just a place of power—it was a sanctuary, a crossroads between worlds. The Arcane Wardens once called it home, and it was there that they unlocked the secrets of the universe. But they paid the price for their arrogance." Her voice dropped, as though the weight of her words carried a haunting truth. "I was there when it fell."
Kaelen felt the weight of her words press down on him. He wanted to ask more, to press her for details, but he knew better. Ana had her own past, her own burdens, and some things were too painful to revisit.
They continued in silence, their only company the sound of their footsteps crunching against the frozen earth.
The Journey to the Ruins
After days of travel, they finally reached the outskirts of the Ruins of Ishtar. The sight before them was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The city, once a towering monument to ancient civilization, was now little more than a collection of crumbled stone and overgrown vegetation. The wind howled through the broken archways, sending a chill down their spines. The air was thick with the scent of decay and ancient magic, and the remnants of long-forgotten spells hung in the air like an oppressive fog.
Kaelen’s heart pounded in his chest as they approached the entrance to the city. The gates, though shattered, still bore intricate carvings, their symbols faded by time but still recognizable. He could feel the weight of history pressing in on him, the ghosts of the past whispering through the cracks in the stone. It was as though the very walls of Ishtar were alive, watching, waiting for something—or someone—to return.
Ana stepped forward, her boots silent on the ground. She glanced over her shoulder at Kaelen, her eyes hard with determination. "This place is cursed," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "But it is also where our path begins."
Kaelen nodded, feeling a strange sense of foreboding. "And Elion? Where do we find him?"
Ana gestured toward the center of the ruins. "He resides in the Temple of Light, a structure that still stands despite the decay. But getting to it will not be easy. There are those who guard these ruins, remnants of the past, beings that were once part of the city’s magic."
Kaelen felt a stir of unease in his gut. "Guardians?"
"Yes," Ana replied. "They are not human, nor are they entirely spirit. They are the remnants of the city's ancient protectors, bound to the ruins by a curse. They will not let us pass without a price."
Kaelen’s hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword, but Ana stopped him with a raised hand.
"Do not be so eager to fight, Kaelen," she cautioned. "The guardians are not like any foes you’ve encountered. They are part of this land, part of the very essence of Ishtar. To strike them without understanding their nature would be a mistake."
They continued into the heart of the ruins, the path narrowing as they entered the remnants of what had once been a grand courtyard. Broken statues, now nothing more than fragments, lay scattered across the ground. The remains of intricate mosaics could still be seen in the stonework, depicting scenes of powerful beings wielding unimaginable magic.
Kaelen's gaze fell upon one such mosaic, and he felt a strange stirring in his chest. The image on the stone was of a figure—tall, regal, and with eyes that seemed to pierce through time itself. The figure’s hands were raised, as if in command, holding something—a stone, a crystal, or perhaps a key. The image was too faded to make out the details, but Kaelen felt an undeniable pull toward it, as if the figure were calling to him.
"What is this?" Kaelen murmured, reaching out to touch the stone.
Ana stopped him with a sharp look. "That is the image of Ishtar’s last ruler, Queen Elira. She was the one who uncovered the truth of the Broken Ones—the ones who were scattered after the city’s fall. But her discovery came at a terrible cost."
"What happened to her?" Kaelen asked.
Ana’s eyes darkened. "She was consumed by the very power she sought to control. Her body was found in the Temple of Light, but her spirit was never at rest. It is said that her soul still wanders the ruins, bound by the curse of the city. She is both protector and prisoner."
The tension in the air thickened as they ventured deeper into the ruins. The walls seemed to close in around them, the shadows lengthening with every step. Kaelen felt the weight of the past pressing against him, and the ominous sense of something watching from the darkness only grew stronger.
Finally, they reached the entrance to the Temple of Light. The massive stone doors were etched with intricate symbols, glowing faintly with a pale, otherworldly light. It was here that their path would truly begin, where the secrets of the Broken Ones would be revealed.
But Kaelen knew, deep in his heart, that the true test was yet to come.
The Temple of Light
The doors creaked open as they approached, and an unsettling silence filled the air. The interior of the temple was vast, a cavernous hall with high, vaulted ceilings and walls lined with broken columns. The once-great tapestries that had adorned the walls now hung in tatters, their vivid colors long faded.
At the center of the temple stood an altar, bathed in the pale light that seemed to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at once. Upon it lay a single object—a crystal, glowing with an inner fire. It was both beautiful and terrifying, its surface shifting, as if it contained a swirling storm of magic.
Kaelen stepped forward, drawn to the crystal. He could feel the pull of its power, the same feeling he had experienced when he saw the mosaic. It was as if the very core of the temple was reaching out to him, beckoning him closer.
"Is this it?" Kaelen whispered, his hand hovering over the crystal.
Ana stepped forward, her expression grim. "This is what remains of the Lost Prophecy, the key to unlocking the truth of the Broken Ones. But it is not meant to be touched by just anyone. Only one with the blood of the Arcane Wardens can access its power."
Kaelen’s heart skipped a beat. "And that’s me, isn’t it?"
Ana nodded, her eyes locked on the crystal. "You are the one who must unlock its secrets, Kaelen. But remember, once you do, there is no turning back. The past will come to life, and the world will be forever changed."
With a deep breath, Kaelen stepped forward and placed his hand upon the crystal. The world around him shifted, time itself seemed to bend, and the shadows of the past whispered in his ears.
The journey had only just begun.
Kaelen’s fingers brushed the cool surface of the crystal, and in that moment, a surge of energy exploded through him. It was as if the very fabric of reality had been torn asunder. His vision blurred, and the temple around him seemed to dissolve, replaced by a whirlwind of colors and symbols too fast for his mind to comprehend. His heart raced, his breath shallow, as a voice—ancient, powerful, and filled with sorrow—echoed through the storm in his mind.
"The time has come... The blood will awaken... But the price is greater than you can imagine."
The voice faded, leaving a lingering emptiness that left Kaelen’s chest tight. He gasped for air, his body trembling as the crystal seemed to pulse with life beneath his palm. It was as if the very air around him had thickened, charged with a raw, untamed magic.
And then, suddenly, everything stopped.
The whirlwind of visions ceased, leaving Kaelen standing in the center of the temple, his hand still resting on the crystal. The temple was silent, unnervingly so. Ana stood frozen in place, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape, as if she had witnessed something she had not expected.
Kaelen pulled his hand away from the crystal, his mind reeling from the sudden rush of information. He couldn’t make sense of what he had seen or heard. The fragmented images—the symbols, the faces—were like shards of a broken mirror, impossible to piece together. But one thing stood out clearly: The price.
Before he could speak, a low, rumbling sound echoed through the temple—deep, primal, and unmistakable. It was a sound Kaelen had heard only in nightmares, the kind of noise that seemed to vibrate in the bones of the earth itself. It was as if something was awakening from a long slumber, a force beyond their understanding.
Kaelen’s eyes shot to Ana. "What is that? What’s happening?"
Ana’s face had gone pale, her body tense with fear. "No... It can't be... This is impossible."
The ground beneath them began to tremble, and the faint glow of the crystal flickered as if it were alive, feeding on the disturbance. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the once-still air now carried a strange, oppressive heat. The walls seemed to be closing in, and Kaelen could feel it in his bones—the pull of something ancient and powerful.
Suddenly, the temple doors slammed shut with a deafening bang, trapping them inside.
"Kaelen!" Ana’s voice broke through the chaos. She ran to the altar, her hands trembling as she reached for the crystal. But before she could touch it, a violent flash of light erupted from the altar.
A shadow, darker than the void, rose from the center of the room. It was not just an entity, but an overwhelming presence—a force of pure malice, long forgotten by time. Its form twisted and shifted, ever-changing, as if reality itself could not contain it.
And then, a voice—deep and hollow, reverberating through every corner of the temple—spoke.
"You should not have come. You should not have awakened me."
The words echoed, sending a chill through Kaelen's spine. He stepped back instinctively, his heart racing. "What... What is this?"
The shadow surged forward, its form taking the shape of a gigantic figure, towering over them. Kaelen could see the faces within it—countless souls, screaming in agony, trapped in its depths.
Ana’s voice was a whisper of fear, her hand reaching out for Kaelen. "We... we have unleashed it. The Broken One. The prophecy... it was never meant to be fulfilled. The ruin of Ishtar was not just a city—it was a prison. A prison for the most dangerous force the world has ever known."
Kaelen’s mind reeled as the shadow stretched toward them, its immense form darkening the entire temple. The crystal beneath their feet shattered, the pieces disintegrating into a swirl of energy that filled the air, igniting the entire temple in a blinding glow.
"You are not prepared for what you have unlocked," the voice boomed again, its resonance shaking Kaelen to his core.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked open, sending a shockwave through the air. The walls of the temple began to crumble as though they were mere sand, disintegrating into nothingness. From the fissures in the earth, shadowy tendrils shot up, wrapping around their limbs, pulling them into the abyss.
Kaelen fought against the pull, his strength failing against the overwhelming force. He reached out for Ana, but she was already being dragged away, her terrified eyes meeting his for the briefest of moments before the shadows consumed her.
"No!" Kaelen screamed, reaching for her, but it was too late.
And then, with a deafening crash, everything went black.
The sound of rushing water filled his ears. Kaelen’s body felt heavy, as though he had been submerged in cold, murky depths. His chest ached, and his limbs were sluggish, as though the very life force had been drained from him. He opened his eyes, blinking against the sharp light.
What he saw first was a horizon—a stretch of endless sea, dark and endless, under a sky that seemed to churn with unease. His breath caught in his throat.
He wasn’t in the ruins anymore.
He wasn’t even sure where he was. But he could feel something—something deep and malevolent—waiting for him on the horizon.
And then he remembered.
Ana. The shadow. The Broken One.
He pushed himself to his feet, his head spinning. He didn’t know where she was, but he had to find her. He had to fix this, no matter the cost. Because he now knew something—the ancient force they had unleashed wasn’t just tied to Ishtar. It was tied to him.
And the world was changing.