A luxurious carriage passes by, with two stalwart stallions trotting along a dirt path ahead of it. The first has its head drooped down, while the other has sweat dripping down its back, due to the scorching sun.

“Here Mistress, have some bread—you look famished.” A couple of servants are seated in the carriage, alongside a lady with blonde hair, looking really elegant.

“No, I’m fine, you eat it.” She shakes her head, her golden hair flowing smoothly down her back. The lady glances out of the carriage window, admiring the meadow, before swiftly jumping off of her seat and screaming.

“What's wrong!” The servants hurried to help her, some even drawing their weapons. “T-There’s a man lying out there!”

And she was correct, a man was lying there. Unkempt black hair, clothes that seem not from this age, and pale skin.

Each servant looks at each other before a knight heads out to go check if the man is dead. “Since all of you are chickens, I, the great sir Davenshen of Darkmoor, will head to the brigand, and slay him for my honour is at risk!”

He slowly pokes the man with a stick, right on his back, eliciting a yell from the fallen lad.

“What’s wrong with you! Why would you do that?” He slowly stands up, rubbing his backside, his eyes dazed and back hunched. “You don’t wake someone up like that, you know.” He glances at the knight, who is now terrified—his face scrunched up in horror.

The knight points a trembling finger at the now standing man. “U-Undead! It's an undead!”

At his call, all the other servants but one—staying by the lady's side, make their way to the terrified knight with their weapons drawn, standing on guard.

“Undead? What’s that? Like a zombie?” The man scratches his head, looking utterly confused.

“He’s babbling nonsense! Kill him! Protect the lady! For the Darkmoor!” The servants charge, each one yelling something about honour.

“Woah.. Woah, woah, wait! I’m not a bad guy!” The previously fallen man puts his hands up, before realising surrender is useless. He then darts off running towards the nearby forest, where large trees are sure to block his trail.

“He’s running, chase!”

The lady sighs, slowly sitting back down. “You all, come back here at once! We have to make it to Eryndral by sundown!”

A servant stammered, “But mistress, h-he—” “I said now!”

And so the carriage set off once more, like nothing happened.

“Hah.. Hah, what was that?” The man pants, his hands on his bent knees. They just totally tried to kill me for no reason! And where even am I, is this a dream?”

He looks around, before pinching his arm.

“Ouch! Not a dream? I swear, I was just writing, and then I went to sleep, and then-and then..” His face falls as realisation dawns on him.

What were those colours? What was I feeling? I thought it was just a dream.. It had to be a dream.

His hands raise up to grip his hair before tugging at it.

“IT HAS TO BE A DREAM!”

Stained paper, marked with dark writing on it—possibly a talisman, is held in front of an old man with bushy brows and a long white beard. “Hmph, you’re telling me this thing was worth 600 Zelks?” His voice reverberates with disdain, as he pounds his fist on a table, causing small glowing blue crystals to fall onto the floor.

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A young boy, draped in dark navy robes, shudders at the old man’s shout—his eyes closed tightly and lips trembling. “I’m sorry master, it.. It was the cheapest one I could find!”

“Cheapest eh?” He spits on the floor, his wrinkled hands crumpling up the talisman. "Well you better lead me to that scumbag, tell him why no one ‘round these parts messes with Old Cane!”

A golden clock ticks in the stale silence, the room forsaken.

“Aaaand.. Got it!” An orange fish flops for its life, as its body is squeezed under a pale hand.

The water ripples as the pale hand is drawn out of it, holding the fish. “You’ll be my food for tonight.”

The man from before walks away from the lake, his garments sullied with dirt. He carries the fish to his previously set-up campfire and slowly roasts it.

The moment of peace is ruined when a bow is pulled sharply, pointing at the man. “You there! State your name!” A hooded person with a lithe figure stands on top of a tree branch, their voice a melodic tune.

“Woah there!” The man puts his hands up. “Why is everyone in this world so aggressive? Is it because of my clothes? I mean they’re not from this time, I mean from what I’ve seen so far—the carriages, the knight—this might be the past, maybe the 1400s? I remember writing a book set in that time..”

“What are you blabbering about? What language is this? We elves are a race of knowledge—knowing even the language of the spirits, but never had I ever heard these words before!” She pulls her bow back even further. “It might be a madman!”

“Why does everyone think I’m crazy!” He starts to panic. “I can understand you, but you can’t understand me?” He looks to the side, before looking back at the hooded person. “Wait, did you just say ‘elves’? And ‘spirits’? Is this a fantasy world? Why does it all seem so familiar..”

“Should I shoot him? Or I shan’t, what a hard decision—My father says to shoot all madmen on sight, but my mother says to always have mercy..” The person paces back and forth, their bow still aiming directly at the “Madman”

“You asked for my name? Didn’t you? Well my name is.. My name is.. What was it?” His eyes slowly start to open wide, his mouth gaping low. “WHAT WAS MY NAME?” He grabs his hair yet again, yanking hard.

“It really is a madman! Stay back!” The person commands.

“My name.. My name.. If I don’t have one.. I’ll just make one up, yes, yes, that’s right!” He looks up with a “I just proved you wrong” look on his face, before putting one leg up on a rock and raising his arm towards the sky. “My name is, the Great Aldric!” He grins, a tooth from his pearly white teeth. “Aldric Bane.”

“I might have to call up my tribesmen for this.. This seems like a big deal, especially if there's others like him around the forest.” The person leaps back into the trees, disappearing into the dark night.”

“Aldric Bane, why that is me! The one and only, Great Aldric Bane!” He exclaims, hopping repeatedly.

The sun slowly comes up, waving goodbye to the moon.

“Why, that was fantastic of me! Coming up with a name on the spot! Aldric, Aldric!” Aldric’s face spreads into a big toothy grin, his grown-ass skipping on a dirt path.

“And when people hear my name, they’ll be very, very happy!” He smirks, holding his head up—lost in his imagination. Before he rams into a big, burly person.

“Oi, watch where you’re going mate.” A green-skinned, hairy person towers over Aldric, his white tusks standing out the most in his incredible description. He dons plain stretched out clothing.

“A-an orc?” Aldric glances up, his face slowly contorting in horror. “Please don’t kill me sir!” He holds his hand out.

The orc’s eyebrow shoots up, his arms crossed. “What’s up with this fella ‘ere?” He slowly prods Aldric’s face. “You alright?”

“C-can you understand me?” Aldric sees a sign of hope.

“What’re you saying? I can’t understand you, I only know Orcish.” The orc grumbles

“Not another..” Aldric’s shoulders slump, his only spark of hope dwindling into ashes.

The orc puts a hand on Aldric’s shoulder. “Well, if you’re not from around here, Eryndral’s that way.” He gestures towards a direction, before making his way forward.

“Eryndral? Maybe I can find some help there!” That spark of hope from before? It’s back—and now it’s shining brightly, brighter than the sun!

Aldrics sets off in the direction the Orc gestured towards, in hope of learning what this place is and how he got here.

A dark heart burns, each beat causing a ripple of a translucent wave to charge down a crystal tunnel, making its way to an open space, where an intricate grooved symbol floats solemnly—its dark red glow illuminating the room, giving it an eerie feeling.

The symbol swirls around slowly, absorbing the translucent wave.

And with each absorption, the symbol’s grooves grow longer—its aura of mysteriousness grows alongside it.

Darkness is all that exists outside of this space. The heart will continue beating, and the symbol will continue absorbing.