Becky woke up in her bed wrapped in the blankets trying to escape the gentle breeze carrying the cold morning cold air. It was unusually quiet, Becky thought but didn't mind. Becky didn't want to get up and go to school. Light Pierced through the blanket. "What time is it?" Becky thought to herself, not wanting to leave the blankets she reached her hand out to grab her phone off her nightstand. Beckys hand met the air, she was struggling to find the nightstand to the point Becky poked her head out from the blankets only to find she was no longer in her room. Becky found herself sitting in her bed in the middle of a dense forest before an ancient archway. Becky sat there frozen, she had no idea what happened.
In front of her stood a majestic stone archway which looked like it had been hidden for centuries beneath layers of time and nature. The archway was etched with intricate runes and symbols that seemed to shimmer faintly in the dim light. two stone pillars Stood on either side of the archway with steps coming down to meet the forest.
"Where am I, and how did I get here?" Becky asked herself. "Wait, that wasn't a dream, I really went to another world!"
Becky stepped out of the bed touching the grass with her bare feet realizing she only had her Pajamas. The rest of the close were still at the inn. Becky trembled with fear, her shivering intensified by the biting cold air. She quickly grabbed a blanket, draping it over her shoulders and head like a cloak.
Becky decided to go to the archway. With every step she took towards the archway the air grew cooler, telling Becky she was going in the right direction. The air had the scent of damp earth and ancient stone. Flickers of blue light danced along the steps, casting eerie shadows that made the archway appear almost alive.
The floor beneath Becky's feet was a smooth, polished stone, and with each step, the path ahead glowed a brilliant blue, lighting her way closer to the archway. The light was mesmerizing, creating a sense of otherworldly wonder and guiding her forward with a gentle, yet undeniable pull.
Once Becky reached the center of the archway, Water began cascading down the archway like an endless waterfall, emerging from nowhere and flowing continuously. It glowed with an ethereal light, its luminescence spilling into the space below, where it seemed to vanish at the bottom, only to be replaced by more. The surface of the water shimmered with a radiant energy. As Becky approached the archway she thought to herself, "please take me somewhere warmer".
As Becky stepped through the waterfall to her surprise she wasn't hit with the water instead but as she stepped through the woods dissolved right in front of her eyes. Once she was completely through she was left in darkness.
Becky was left in the middle of what looked like a never ending room filled with nothing but darkness. She couldn't turn back. "There's no door, no walls, and probably no ceiling", Becky thought to herself, only worsening her fear.
Becky walked cautiously through the darkness of the Abyss, the shadows pressing in around her. Suddenly, a distant light flickered ahead, and she began to run toward it, desperate for a way out. As she drew closer, the light revealed itself to be a warm, glowing stone fireplace. Next to it were two deep red chairs, one of which was occupied.
In the chair sat an older man, his gray beard catching the flickering light as he sipped from a cup, as if waiting for someone. Without even turning to look at her, he spoke in a calm voice, "Come, take a seat. I've been waiting for you."
Becky hesitated, then slowly approached and sat down across from him. "How did you know I was going to be here?" she asked, still trying to catch her breath.
The moment she settled into the chair, the vast, dark room transformed. It shrank into a small, cozy space with old green, tattered wallpaper and a dark wooden floor. Becky glanced around in disbelief, noticing that the only light came from the fireplace, and there was no door in sight.
The man cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. "My name is Alaric," he said with a clear, steady voice. "I've been waiting for you to stop by, Becky. But I didn't think it would be this soon."
"How does he know who I am, how does he know that I was going to end up here." Becky thought, trying to not show her fear.
The man sitting across from Becky, patiently waiting for her to settle in, was an older gentleman who looked as though he possessed untold secrets. "He was wearing semi formal clothing, nothing like the clothing of the people in the world I was just in", Becky thought.
In a composed voice, Alaric siad, "Becky, would you like some tea?"
Then out of nowhere a door appeared on the wall, the door looked like it belonged there. It matched the room with its age and dark color. After a second the door opened, there was nothing beyond the door but darkness. In the doorway stood a female servant holding a metal tray with a teapot and two tea cups. The servant set down the tray then poured tea into the two cups and left the room. After the door closed it disappeared just as it appeared.
"Take a cup while it's still hot, then we can start talking." Alaric siad, he looked happy like he hasn't had a guest in sometime.
"Thank you" becky said, trying to calm herself of her nerves
"Don't worry", Alaric said with a reassuring voice, "after this you can go back, i'm not going to keep you here. After all, you are my guest."
Becky didn't know what to feel, her emotions were all over the place. Becky couldn't help being scared, but she was also curious what Alaric wanted to speak to her about.
"Let me tell you a story about the history of this world" Alaric said to Becky, "you might have heard some of this before."
Becky looked at Alaric, but couldn't tell what he was thinking. "Is this about the government that took over?" Becky asked in a usher voice.
Part of it is, Alaric said, before starting his story. The government, though driven by a desire for power and control, allowed magic to persist but with increasingly strict regulations. To use magic, citizens were required to wear government-issued runes that restricted their abilities, enabling the authorities to monitor and control all magical activity. The cost of acquiring these runes, coupled with the high price of magical education, made magic inaccessible to many, especially in poorer regions. As a result, magic began to fall out of favor, particularly in struggling towns where survival took precedence over arcane knowledge.
Amid this growing divide, a resistance group emerged, calling themselves the Order of the Purified Realm. They fought to protect the people's right to use magic freely, challenging the government's tightening grip. However, their defiance made them a prime target for government crackdowns. The authorities launched a propaganda campaign, twisting the legacy of the Eight Founding Fathers of Magic—the revered figures who had established the magical foundations of their world. By tarnishing their image, the government sought to control the growth of the Order and discredit its mission.
As tensions rose, society began to fracture. A divide emerged between those who were bound by government-controlled magic and the so-called "free magic users" who practiced without runes. This rift led to increasing hostility, with conflicts erupting between the two factions. Schools, once dedicated to the teaching of magic, shifted their focus to more conventional subjects as interest in magic waned, especially among those who could no longer afford the education.
The situation escalated when riots and protests broke out, leading the government to intervene with force. They arrested those deemed to be disturbing the peace, as well as criminals. However, rumors spread that the government was specifically targeting free magic users, driving many of them into hiding to avoid persecution.
In the midst of this turmoil, a new figure rose to prominence: Ravus, a charismatic leader with radical ideas. Unlike the Order, Ravus sought to use magic not just freely but as a means to revolutionize their world. He proposed a dangerous plan—to merge their realm with another, believing that the other world, where the Eight Founding Fathers had been banished, held untapped magical potential that could transform their society. Ravus knew the risks were great, and his knowledge was based on hypotheticals, but he was willing to gamble everything for the chance to bring about a new era.
However, the story of the Eight Founding Fathers was more complex than even Ravus knew. In truth, only seven of the Fathers were banished. The eighth, a powerful mage and father, secretly entrusted his child to me, a wise elder who saw the danger in revealing the child's true heritage. I took the child to the other world, reuniting them with their mother and ensuring they would live a normal life, unaware of their extraordinary past.
Now, as the lines between worlds blur and ancient secrets threaten to resurface, the fate of both realms hangs in the balance. Ravus's bold plan, the government's iron grip, and the hidden legacy of the Eight Fathers all converge, setting the stage for a conflict that will determine the future of magic and the world itself.
Becky sat in stunned silence, her mind reeling as Alaric's words echoed in her head. The story he had told her was more than just a history lesson; it was a revelation that turned everything she thought she knew upside down. A world where magic was real, where people fought for the right to use it freely, and where her existence might be tied to a forgotten legacy—it was all too much to take in.
"Why are you telling me this?" Becky finally asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "What does this have to do with me?"
Alaric's eyes softened as he regarded her. "Because, Becky, you are not just an outsider who stumbled upon our world by accident. There is a reason you've been drawn here, a reason the magic of this realm called out to you."
Becky's heart raced as she tried to make sense of his words. "But I don't know anything about magic. I don't even know how I got here, or why this is happening to me."
Alaric nodded, understanding the confusion and fear that clouded her thoughts. "The answers are not simple, and I won't pretend they are. But you must trust that there is a purpose to all of this—a purpose you are meant to discover."
He reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small, glowing stone. It shimmered with a soft blue light, pulsating gently as if it were alive. "This is an eclipsing Stone," Alaric explained, holding it out to her. "It will help you find your way when you're lost, and it will connect you to the magic of this world, even when you feel alone. Keep it with you, and it will guide you."
Becky hesitated for a moment before taking the stone. The moment her fingers touched its smooth surface, she felt a strange warmth radiate through her, a feeling both comforting and unnerving. The stone seemed to hum with energy, resonating with something deep inside her that she couldn't quite understand.
"But… what am I supposed to do with this?" Becky asked, clutching the stone tightly.
Alaric smiled faintly. "For now, keep it close. The path ahead will be revealed in time. And remember, you are not alone. There are others who seek the same answers you do, and in time, you will find them."
Before Becky could ask anything else, the room around her began to fade. The flickering firelight, the old green wallpaper, and the dark wooden floor all dissolved into a swirl of colors, and she felt herself being pulled away, back to where she had come from.
When the world finally settled again, Becky found herself standing in the middle of her room at the inn. The familiar sights and sounds of the place were a stark contrast to the strange, otherworldly atmosphere she had just left behind. But the eclipsing Stone in her hand was real, its soft glow a reminder that everything she had experienced was not a dream.
Becky sat down on the edge of the bed, her mind racing with a thousand questions. She didn't know what was coming next, but one thing was certain—her life would never be the same again. The magic, the secrets, the fate of two worlds—they were all intertwined with her own, and she would have to find her place within this unfolding story.
As she stared at the glowing stone, a resolve began to form within her. Whatever this world had in store for her, she would face it head-on. She would uncover the truth about her past, and about the magic that seemed to be calling out to her.