The Search
In his studies and in search of a spell, a young wizard investigates an ancient power. But he finds only traces of something powerful, always associated with the same name: the blood brotherhood.
In the great libraries, he finds a small clue about Hardin, the famous wizard, but something doesn't add up, as it speaks of a circle of witches who are part of a coven. The young man, somewhat suspicious of this source, only says:
"Hardin, he's been missing for years and is now just a legend. But if anyone knows about this, it will be the witch Athrea."
When he visits the witch and tells her about his research, she reacts as if she knew or had been expecting this visit. With a chilling smile, she simply says:
"What you seek is beyond your capabilities. If you are willing to obtain it, you should search east of Ivory. It was once said that an old witch lived there; she knows what Hardin left behind."
"It will be a long journey," replied the young man. "I'd better rest and start tomorrow."
That night his dreams felt real, as if he were reliving someone else's memory—a battle, nothing more catastrophic, just bodies of all ages and a small town with a trail of blood.
Early in the morning, his journey began, still haunted by the strange dream.
The more he walked, the stranger he felt, a chill on the back of his neck, despite the daytime sun. He was surprised by how desolate the road was; it was odd these days not to encounter another traveler or bandit.
As he approached his destination in the twilight, he saw only a hill and a strange house.
"What a remote and strange place to live," he thought. "I hope it holds some answers."
When he knocked, no one answered. Only a deathly silence and a door conveniently ajar.
With each step he took inside the house, he felt the strange sensation intensify, as if eyes were piercing his back. But curiosity won out, and he moved toward a stack of books that looked brand new, as if time hadn't touched them, leaving them dusty and worn. Browsing and reviewing, he found information he'd never heard or read before: that the Einhasad church was corrupt, secretly worshipping a god, and that conflicts arose between castle lords, as if everything that would happen in the world were written here.
Suddenly, in an instant, everything went dark, and he heard only the voice of a little girl.
"You seek it, don't you, just like everyone else. Can you bear it?"
"What? Who are you?" he replied, trembling slightly.
But when he looked, he saw only a sword with a red gem that resembled an eye.
"What you want is power, and it's right in front of you. Take it; it's yours. It always was yours." The voice seemed to come from inside his mind, and almost unconsciously, his hand rose and reached for the sword's hilt. A powerful tremor coursed through his entire being, and the sky turned red before his eyes. Then he sees a small town as if he were transported there, and something called to him…
Now I'm looking for him, my friend, a young mage. He's a good guy, he'd never hurt a fly, but everything I've investigated leads me here, to a devastated town, a bloodbath, with no witnesses, only a book.
A book that seems to record what happens in this world. The more I examine it, the more what was written in it disappears, and now only one sentence remains: "Can you bear it?"
Server Black - Lu4 - Alkyon.
