Chapter One: The Map That Breathed
In the quiet mountain town of Asterfall, where clouds brushed rooftops and old legends slept beneath cobblestone streets, lived a sixteen-year-old boy named Arin Vale. He was known for three things: his restless curiosity, his habit of climbing forbidden cliffs, and the strange compass he wore around his neck—a relic left behind by his missing father.
One stormy evening, while sheltering in the attic of his ancestral home, Arin discovered something hidden behind a cracked beam: a map—old, frayed, and warm to the touch. As thunder roared, faint lines on the parchment shifted, like veins under skin. Symbols rearranged themselves, forming glowing words: