In the continent of Athera, on the border of one of its 3 reigns, there was a small village, with a little more than 400 residents, the name of this settlement is Korazu.
Here life is hard and monotonous, but peaceful, a thing that in this world is rarer than gold.
Being immersed between mountains and forests it never stood a chance to expand or start a stable trading root with the external world. Not only because of the terrain, but for all the dangers that where always present in evry corner; bandits, monsters and creatures of every kind.
For these reasons the villagers started being weary of the outside, in fact basically everyone never even dreamed about leaving, be it for fear of the unknown or for not wanting to restart their entire life.
But there was an exception, Reivo, a boy of 9 years, taller than the average, with brown - black hair, a pair of green eyes, and pale skin, that lives here with his family since the day he was born, but contrary to everyone else he has an incredible curiosity and enough bravery to back it up.
His parents gifted him a book, a book about legend's, his father always boosted that he managed to aquire it from a wandering merchant that randomly stumbled upon the village in one of his travels.
This book inspired him since the day he read it, its pages filled with myths, long-lost heroes, and creatures that defied imagination. His favorite was a tale of an ancient warrior who stood alone at the mouth of a five-star dungeon, wielding a blade said to be gifted by the Will of the World itself. Every time Reivo read it, his eyes gleamed with longing—not for glory, but for understanding.
What lay beyond the mountains? What truths were hidden in the ruins spoken of in whispers? Why did the world choose to gift some with power and leave others behind?
He often snuck out into the edges of the forest, where the trees grew dense and the air carried the scent of moss and mystery. Armed only with a wooden sword carved by his father, he'd pretend to fight back monsters, calling out the names of made-up skills like "Dragon Slash" or "Phantom Step." The villagers thought he's strange, but smiled—children had their dreams, after all.
His family never tried to stop him. His mother, a gentle herbalist with tired but loving eyes, always prepared a pouch of dried fruits for his little expeditions. His father, once a hunter, now a woodcutter, simply reminded him to be home bre dusk. His younger siblings—Mira and Senn—watched him with wide eyes, clapping when he returned with tales of imaginary beasts.