The village which was once home to the valiant Clara felt her absence deeply.
At the center of it, all was Clara's family. The nights were the hardest. In the day, routines kept their minds occupied, but nights brought with them an aching void. Clara's husband took to the mantle of his wife's s responsibilities. The pain was evident in his eyes, but he masked it well for the sake of his family.
However, it was young Lyria, Clara's granddaughter, who felt the strongest connection to her grandmother. Night after night, Lyria dreamt of sprawling cities, glowing screens, and towering structures – worlds she had never known, sights she had never seen.
In one recurring dream, she found herself wandering through a labyrinthine library, filled with ancient books, but also with strange devices glowing in hues of blue and gold. A name kept echoing – "Time Nexus." The dreams felt so real that sometimes she'd wake up feeling the cool metal of those devices on her fingertips.
Every morning, she'd sketch out her dreams in a journal, her drawings filled with the wonders and mysteries of the modern world. She even drew a woman, who felt so familiar and yet so distant. Lyria had never seen her in Erisia but was sure she knew her.
During one evening, while the family gathered around the fireplace, Lyria shared her dreams, her sketches sprawling on the wooden table. The family listened in awe, trying to make sense of these vivid imaginations.
Everyone while sifting through the sketches, stopped at the image of the woman. "This… this looks like Mother, but different, more... modern."
Elara, Clara's friend, her eyes widened in realization. "These aren't just dreams. Maybe she's not lost forever."
Lyria, filled with a mix of hope and confusion, whispered, "But why these strange places? These odd devices?"
Elara mused, "She may be in a different realm, a place where time flows differently. If we could decipher these visions, maybe we can find a way to reach her."
Lyria, under the glimmering night sky, whispering to the stars, "Grandma, wherever you are, I'll find you."
The streets of Erisia buzzed with life as dawn heralded a new day. The village market was in full swing, the chatter of barter and daily news echoing around. But for Lyria, the world had taken on a new layer, one of mystery and intrigue.
Following her visions, she'd taken to wandering the outskirts of village , sketching landmarks and trying to find anything that resembled the devices and symbols from her dreams. The local children, enamored by her tales, often accompanied her, making games out of the search.
One day, as she was sketching near the ancient runes at the edge of the village, one of the stones began to glow, resonating with the same hue she'd seen in her dreams. She approached it cautiously, the patterns on her sketchbook aligning perfectly with the patterns on the stone.
As she touched the stone, a projection, much like a hologram, appeared before her. It showcased the same sprawling city from her visions, and amidst the hustle and bustle, there was Clara, looking lost but determined.This is the very stone where Clara gave up her magic and even though her magic was now gone with Clara but her sliver of essence remained which tethered her to her home world .
Back in the village, Elara was engrossed in deciphering a set of old scrolls when Lyria burst in, her excitement palpable. Showing Elara the sketch and narrating her discovery, Elara's face grew serious.
Word spread quickly, and by evening, a gathering formed around the glowing rune. The village's wisest minds convened, debating the meaning of this connection between realms. Lyria, recalling tales Clara told her of her adventures, wondered aloud, "Could this be a bridge? A link between our world and wherever Grandmother is?"
A shadowy figure, unnoticed in the gathering, keenly observed the glowing stone and Lyria's sketches. As the villagers dispersed, this enigmatic stranger approached the stone, his touch causing it to pulsate differently.
Lyria, leaving no stone unturned in her quest, decided to visit the mystical forest of Silvaris the next day, a place Clara often ventured to during her quests. But as dawn broke, she woke up with an uneasy feeling, her dreams now filled with shadows and whispers, and that mysterious stranger from the gathering.
With the shadowy figure standing at the edge of village, whispering incantations as dark tendrils began to emerge from the forest, reaching towards everyone.