Hm. Where shall I begin? Perhaps I can start with a quote that my dear brother told me.

“Fate, as the gods have said, moves in one direction, and is inevitable. Destiny, as mankind has discovered, is a concept that is shaped- one that could be changed by the very own hands of every individual.”

That’s right. This was a story of fate and destiny clashing against one another. Fate says that everything is predetermined, while destiny says that we shape our future. But which is truly correct?

…

Let me at least say this. The story that I will tell isn’t one of triumph, but rather one of tragedy- a tale of misfortune that a single boy was forced to be burdened with since the day he was born.

…

Dragging his feet across the heavy, towering snow, the boy steadily made his way forward at a snail's pace. The sun was nowhere to be found as the massive blizzard completely consumed it while the enormous trees, although naked of their leaves, were blocking the view of the sky. The white snow continued building up atop the young boy’s bare head as he trudged forward, covering him in its burning frost.

After a few more desperate seconds have passed, the boy’s eyelids began loosening, slowly shutting themselves as his legs were left with no choice but to give out.

*Slosh*

And there he lay face-planted into the mass of frosty white below. The boy had given up.

…

…

…

But although his life seemed to have ended then and there, the boy was fully aware of his consciousness. The snow had disappeared, the trees vanished, and the blizzard was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was pure darkness that engulfed his mind.

I…I’m still alive…? The boy wondered. Where am I…?

…

…

…

<”Wyliame, your journey begins here.”> a soft, ethereal voice spoke out. The boy glanced around, trying to find out where the voice came from, but it seemed as though every direction was met with the same murk of darkness.

Eventually, the boy began, “Who are you?”

<”My name is Emma, and I am one of the deities who govern the Land of Ember- a place of magic, beauty, and a land that has existed long before your own world had.”>

“A land that existed before my own world…?” Wyliame repeated after her. “I’m confused…”

<”Perfect. Look’s like everything’s set up correctly. I’m afraid that your memories have vanished. But no matter, Wyliame. In your previous life, you lived miserably. Your family had rejected you, leaving you to rot alone, while the only girl you ever loved abandoned your kindness for another man. Your legs were crippled, and your neck was near-paralyzed. You were born mentally and physically weak.”>

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“...”

<”Your body in the other world is dead, though your soul lives on. Thus, I have brought you here to bless you with another chance at life.”>

Hearing that, the boy was left speechless. He had no memories of his prior life and no sense of identity. Whether or not this was a tragedy or a blessing, the boy was not able to decide.

<“Although I have said that the Land of Ember was a world of beauty, things have changed over the past century. One hundred years ago marked the beginning of when the land first became engulfed in chaos, destruction, and hatred. Thus, I have summoned you here to be the one who ends this madness.”>

“Me…?”

<”The land used to be bountiful. Trees grew beautiful leaves and vibrant fruits, animals roamed freely and happily, while rivers flowed with ease. But that all came to an end when the land became buried in frost.”>

The goddess took a deep breath before continuing. <”Ninety percent of all beings were wiped, and a single beast was responsible for this entire apocalypse.”>

“A single creature killed ninety percent of all beings?”

<”Cervos was the name that was given to it. It was a creature that was born with anger imbued within it, an unstoppable force that had strength like no other. ”>

…

Just then, Wyliame had already figured out exactly why he was called forth by the goddess. “So you’ve brought me to this world to slay that creature, am I right?”

<”Good. You catch on rather quickly.”>

The boy let out a chuckle of confusion. “Hah… I don’t understand. You, a god, want me to slay a beast instead of doing it yourself?”

<”It’s a rule that was mutually agreed upon by all of the gods. We cannot directly impact this world in any way. That’s why I’ve summoned you here.”>

…

“Summoning a soul from another world- me- isn’t breaking the rules?”

<”It is. But it is a crime that nobody will ever find out about if you were to stay silent.”>

…

“And if I refuse?”

<”Then the Land of Ember will perish. You’ll waste your chance at a second life and your soul will shatter before you could’ve achieved greatness.”>

…

<”And, though I cannot say, you have a gift waiting for you when you return to the world. That gift will guide you to success. So, tell me, Wyliame. Will you take on the task that I’ve placed upon you?”>

Reluctantly, Wyliame murmured, “I don’t have any other choice, do I?”

The goddess became audibly pleased at the boy’s response, letting out a sigh of relief. <”From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Wyliame. Truly.”>

Then there was silence. Neither the goddess nor Wyliame spoke a single word for the next couple of seconds.

…

Well, this is awkward… he thought.

…

<”*Ahem* As I said earlier, this world has magic. Inevitably, you’ll have to use magic to slay Cervos. I’ll explain it to you quickly. There are four main elements in this world- fire, earth, water, and wind. Each of those elements could also be divided into subcategories like lightning, metal, ice, and sound. However, you will have neither of those magic types. You will have to utilize dark magic, one of the two vanished magic types from the land, with the other one being light magic.”>

Suddenly, the sounds of crumbling walls began ringing through Wyliame’s ear.

<”It seems that our time is up, boy. Remember your task. Kill Cervos. I wish you the best of luck.”>

…

And with that, everything fell silent.

…

...

...

Oh, and for those of you who heed my tale, you may call me Narrator.