In the Dravenhold district of Vorlathis City, there was a shop named Lumière Lanterns. It was a shop that looked like a house. The shop was painted a deep teal color and had a mahogany-red mirror door. On the mirror of the door, there was a board in blue, and in white, bold letters, it was written "Open."
The time was 7:30 PM on December 31, 2024, in winter.
Inside the shop, there were soft ivory ceilings, sage green walls, and a chestnut brown floor. There were three dark brown tables and two blue cupboards. On the tables and inside the cupboards, there were lanterns with different old artifacts. The room was filled with the smell of old lanterns and artifacts. A boy who looked like he was in his teenage years, about 18 years old, was sitting at the yellow reception table.
He was wearing a deep burgundy scarf, a forest green sweater, charcoal grey pants, and dark brown Chelsea boots. He had an oval face, warm almond skin, a V-shaped torso, an Ivy League haircut, ash brown hair, and amber-green eyes. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall.
The boy hears the sound of the soft chime of wind chimes sent a whisper through the quiet shop. A figure emerged from the doorway 5 feet 11 Inches, tall and imposing, his face shrouded in tenebrous shadows beneath a deep black hood. The black robe hides his clothes and his hands. Boy stood up and went to greet the customer.
"Good evening, sir or madam! Welcome to the Lumière Lanterns shop. Which lantern would you like to purchase?"
"What's your name?"
The customer spoke in a low, almost distorted voice. From the voice, it was clear that the customer was a man. The words slithered through the dim shop, layered with an eerie reverberation, as if more than one voice spoke at once.
The boy froze for a second then replyed.
"Vidyakant"
"What's your surname?"
Vidyakant with eyes in sorrow replyed.
"I don't have any."
"Sorry for asking. I want an old fashioned antique lantern."
Vidyakant showed the man ten different old-fashioned antique lanterns, among which the man chose one.
The lantern looked like an ornate, old-fashioned lantern made of blackened silver, with intricate carvings of ancient symbols and constellations along its frame. The metal appears aged, yet it never rusts. The handle is made of cold iron, unnaturally smooth to the touch.
"Sir the cost of this lantern is 20 Tenner"
The hooded man removed a coin from his palm that was just outside the robe, while part of his hand was still inside the robe. Vidyakant took the coin and began to examine it, while the man turned around and walked toward the door to exit the shop.
The coin was made up of unknown dark metal, similar to obsidian but heavier than gold. It felt cold in his hand. The edges were slightly worn, as if ancient, but the engraving remain sharp.
Vidyakant looked at the hooded man and asked.
"Sir, looking at the appearance of the coin, it doesn't look like it is a 20-tenner. So what is it? You also didn't ask for the bill and didn't take the lantern before going away."
The hooded man opened the door, and before going outside, he said.
"The coin and the lantern is yours descendent. Keep your light burning, last heir of Umbraheart."
Suddenly, Vidyakant felt a tremendous pain in his body. Blood began to flow from his mouth, eyes, and ears, and his lips cracked, with blood also starting to trickle from them. His eyes turned red, and he collapsed on the floor, losing consciousness.
After some time, Vidyakant heard a voice calling his name. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a man in his 80s with blue eyes, white hair, and warm olive skin. He was wearing a black sweater, black pants, and black Chelsea boots.
"Kid are you ok?"
The old man asked.
"Mrrr. Luthrrrrennnn.... I aaammm ooook...."
Mr. Luthren froze for a second and said.
"Look at yourself first; you're in a worse situation and saying that you are okay, even though you can't talk correctly right now."
<2 hours later>
It was 10 PM, and Vidyakant was going back to his dorm. He was an orphan who had grown up in an orphanage, and he was studying at a university. The street was calm, and there was a chill in the air. His mind was filled with thoughts about the hooded man he had met and the voice that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who heard it.
He had reached his dorm and gone inside, and when he got to his room, he saw the lantern that the hooded man was about to buy sitting on his doorstep.
The lantern lit up; the flame was not a normal yellow-orange glow, but the flame inside burned black-blue. It cast shadows that seemed to move independently. The base, which was engraved with a sigil resembling an eclipsed sun, began to pulse faintly.
The flame flares up, and the entire area is engulfed in darkness. Seeing the darkness, Vidyakant opens his phone, but the screen begins to glitch. A text appears on the screen in a language that he doesn't know.
"It is time."
He heard a whisper. He turned 360° to see who had said that. By the time he understood what was going on, a white door emitting light appeared in front of him.