The sun had barely risen when Kael set out for his usual morning trip to the village square. His mother had sent him with a cloth bag to buy some bread and vegetables, and it was a routine Kael had done countless times. The air was cool and crisp, with only a few villagers already up and about, preparing for the day. As Kael made his way down the cobbled streets, he waved to a few familiar faces, exchanging brief pleasantries with the market vendors setting up their stalls.

His mind, however, wasn’t fully focused on the errand. It kept drifting back to the events of yesterday—the strange encounter with Dren and the mysterious story about King Khafel Vodark. Then, of course, there was the unease he felt after hearing about the ancient kings. Something about it gnawed at him, like a secret just beyond his reach.

He completed his errands quickly and decided to make a detour toward the square, where the travelers had been. Though they were now packing up and preparing to leave the village, Kael couldn't shake the strange feeling they had left him with. There was something about the way they looked at him—almost as if they had seen something in him that he didn’t yet understand.

Kael paused by one of the market stalls, watching the travelers pack their belongings onto their carts. He caught a glimpse of their strange attire—cloaks of deep reds and golds—and the unusual symbols that adorned their belongings. One of them, a man with a weathered face and a glint of wisdom in his eyes, caught Kael’s gaze. For a moment, they locked eyes, and Kael felt an odd, almost unexplainable connection, a stirring deep in his chest. It was gone as quickly as it came, and the man turned away without a word.

The travelers left, and the square slowly began to empty. As Kael was about to head back toward home, something caught his eye—an object that had been left behind in the clutter of the square. It was small, partially buried beneath a pile of discarded papers and wares. He bent down and picked it up, brushing away the dirt and dust to reveal a small, worn box.

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The box was unremarkable at first glance—wooden, with intricate carvings that seemed almost ancient. Kael felt a chill run down his spine as his fingers traced the surface. The symbols on the box seemed familiar, but Kael couldn’t place where he had seen them before. They looked like nothing from the village or any of the nearby lands. They seemed older, far older.

Curious, Kael carefully pried the box open, his breath catching in his throat as the hinges creaked. Inside, wrapped in faded cloth, was an object that sent a shiver through him. It was a small pendant, with strange markings etched into its surface. The moment his fingers touched it, Kael felt a strange jolt, like a current of electricity running through his veins. His heart raced, and for a fleeting moment, he felt a strange compulsion to keep it—to protect it at all costs.

He quickly tucked the pendant into his bag, unsure of why he had reacted so strongly. It felt significant, like something that was meant for him, but he couldn’t understand why. He glanced around, but the square was empty now—only a few stray villagers remained, preparing to leave for the day.

As Kael made his way home, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. The pendant felt like a key, though to what, he wasn’t sure. His mind raced with possibilities as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

He barely made it home before a loud clap of thunder echoed across the sky. The storm had arrived suddenly, with dark clouds swirling above the village. Kael’s heart pounded as he hurried inside, the pendant still hidden in his bag. The storm was fierce, but it was the strange vision that struck him next that left him breathless.

As the storm intensified, Kael found himself staring out the window, watching the rain lash against the glass. In the brief moments when lightning illuminated the sky, Kael caught a fleeting vision. A man, standing on a hill, drenched by the rain, his silhouette towering against the storm. He stood fearlessly, his cloak billowing in the wind, his posture commanding and regal. Kael felt an eerie sense of recognition, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t place who the man was.

The vision vanished as quickly as it had come, and Kael was left standing there, his heart racing. The storm outside raged on, but inside, Kael could feel something stirring within him. Something ancient, something he couldn’t explain. And for the first time, he wondered if the pendant he had found was more than just an artifact—it might be a key to something much larger.

He had to learn more, but for now, all he could do was wait. The answers were out there—waiting for him to find them.