Kael blinked against the rain, staring at the girl who had appeared from the shadows. Her silver hair clung to her shoulders, damp from the storm, but it seemed to glow faintly in the dark. Her violet eyes were sharp, almost piercing, yet calm. She held herself with confidence and grace, and Kael felt, somehow, that she was far stronger than anyone in Aeris Village.
"I… I'm Kael," he said, his voice trembling. He held up the glowing crystal in his hand. "I didn't mean to… I just—"
"You shouldn't have come here," she interrupted, her gaze fixed on the shifting ruins. "But you did. Fate has its own reasons."
Kael swallowed hard. Fate? He didn't understand, but the air around him hummed with power. His heart raced, and he couldn't stop staring at her. She seemed… otherworldly.
"My name is Lyra Vale," she said, finally. "And you've awakened something you can't yet control."
Kael frowned. "Control what? What's happening to me?"
Lyra's eyes softened slightly. "That crystal… it's part of an ancient power hidden in the Skylands. And now it's tied to you." She stepped closer, rain dripping from her hair. "You've always been different, Kael, even if you didn't know it."
Kael looked down at himself. His black hair was plastered to his forehead, and his green eyes shone with a strange light, faintly reflecting the crystal. His shirt was soaked, clinging to his lean frame, and his boots were caked with mud. He felt small, ordinary, and completely unprepared for whatever this "ancient power" meant.
Lyra crouched to examine the crystal in his hand. "It's reacting to your energy. You can see memories… fragments… things left behind by the world itself. Only a rare few can ever do this."
Kael's eyes widened. "Memories? Fragments? What are you talking about?"
Before Lyra could answer, a shadow detached itself from the wall behind them. It slithered like smoke and formed into a humanoid shape, its eyes glowing red. The air grew cold, and Kael's hair stood on end.
"Another one?" he whispered.
Lyra stood instantly, her hands glowing faintly as energy swirled around her. "Stay behind me," she commanded. The shadow moved toward them, twisting unnaturally, its form flickering like a broken mirror.
Kael froze for a moment. Fear threatened to take over, but then he remembered the crystal. He gripped it tightly, and for the first time, he felt its warmth flow into him. His green eyes glowed brighter. Images flickered before him—memories of the ruins, of battles, of strange beings who once walked these islands. One image stood out: a figure in silver and violet, holding a glowing crystal—just like Lyra.
The shadow hesitated, as if sensing Kael's awakening. Lyra's eyes met his. "Now, Kael. You have to try."
He took a shaky step forward and pointed the crystal at the shadow. A beam of light shot from it, hitting the creature. It hissed and writhed, then dissolved into a mist that vanished into the air. Kael's heart pounded, his hands shaking.
"I… I did it?" he asked, incredulous.
Lyra nodded. "Yes… but you're only beginning. That power… it's tied to your soul. It can reveal the past, and it can change the future. But it's dangerous if you're not careful."
Kael's mind raced. "So… all those legends about the floating islands… treasures… powers… they're real?"
Lyra smiled faintly. "Real. But more than that… they are tests. Every island, every dungeon, every secret in the Skylands is a challenge to see who is worthy. And Kael… you're already on that path, whether you know it or not."
Kael swallowed hard. The storm raged around them, wind whipping through the ruins, rain blurring the edges of the shifting walls. The crystal in his hand pulsed again, like a heartbeat. He realized he couldn't go back. The ordinary life he had known in Aeris Village was over.
"Where do we go now?" Kael asked.
Lyra's violet eyes scanned the horizon. "First… we survive the ruins. Then… we find the Labyrinth of Shadows. That is where the Skylands' secrets begin. And Kael… I promise, you'll understand soon enough why fate chose you."
Kael nodded slowly, determination replacing the fear in his chest. He tightened his grip on the crystal, feeling its warmth spread through him. His black hair plastered to his forehead, green eyes shining in the dim light, he took a step forward beside Lyra.
The ruins whispered around them, walls shifting and opening new paths. Shadows lurked, waiting. But Kael felt something he had never felt before—power, purpose, and the first taste of an adventure he could not escape.
As they moved deeper into the ruins, a faint voice echoed in his mind:
"The Horizon watches all… and it chooses."
Kael swallowed. He had no idea what lay ahead, but he knew one thing: his life—and the Skylands—would never be the same again.