"She lost another loved one"

The sun had barely begun to rise, casting soft hues of amber and violet across the sky, a peaceful morning that would be shattered forever.

 Nao stood at the entrance of their small, humble home, the faint wind tugging at the strands of her silver hair. She felt a strange sense of unease, an unsettling weight in her chest, but she brushed it off. Today was supposed to be her final day of training.

"Master," she muttered to herself, a rare smile tugging at the corners of her lips. He had always called her his "student," his "protege." But to Nao, he was much more than that. He was the man who had raised her, the man who had given her a future after everything had been ripped away.

 The man who had been there for her when her world fell apart.

His name was Thorne Valaris, a member of a race called the Aelvorians an ancient and mysterious people who had long been thought extinct. They were known for their strange affinity with nature, their ability to manipulate elemental forces, and their long lifespan. Thorne had looked after Nao since she was just five years old, after her parents were killed in the cataclysmic event known as the Annihilation a mysterious and brutal campaign led by a dark alliance of races determined to eradicate humanity.

Thorne had been a trusted ally of her parents, a confidant who had sworn to protect their daughter no matter the cost. But what Nao didn’t know back then was that her parents had been directly involved in the Annihilation’s horrifying plot. Their deaths were no accident.

And now, after all these years of training, after all the lessons, Thorne had told her that the time had come. She was ready to uncover the truth of what happened to her family. It would be a journey of pain, discovery, and vengeance. But first, this last test a trial in the forest to prove her strength.

As Nao entered the small clearing of the forest, the scent of damp earth and pine filled her nostrils. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. It had been years since she had felt anything but determination and anticipation when faced with a challenge. But something about today felt different.

Her footsteps slowed as she approached the training grounds where she had spent so many hours honing her skills. She could hear the rustle of leaves in the distance and the quiet chirps of birds, but there was no sign of Thorne.

“Master?” she called softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

No answer.

Her heart raced, a cold chill creeping down her spine. She stepped deeper into the clearing, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot the only sound in the otherwise quiet air. A few paces forward, and the sight before her made her stomach drop.

The floor of the clearing was stained with a dark, ominous pool of blood.

“No… no!” Nao gasped, her feet moving faster than her mind could process. She sprinted to the center of the blood-soaked ground, her hands shaking as she knelt down beside the lifeless body of her master, Thorne. His once vibrant Aelvorian features were now cold and still, his expression frozen in a mix of pain and surprise. His blood seeped into the earth, staining it forever.

“No!” Nao repeated, her voice breaking. She grabbed his hand, the cold, lifeless touch making her stomach churn. “Thorne! Wake up! Please, wake up…”

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Who could have done this? Who would dare kill him? Thorne had been an immovable force, one of the last of his kind. He had taught her everything how to channel the ancient elemental forces, how to defend herself, how to strike with deadly precision. He was the most powerful being she knew.

But now, he was gone.

As the shock began to wear off, a voice cut through her haze of grief, a deep, familiar voice, echoing in her mind like a ghostly whisper.

"Nao… you must go. You must survive."

Her breath hitched. Thorne’s voice… but it couldn’t be. He was dead.

Tears welled up in her eyes as her thoughts spiraled. Why would someone do this? she thought. Who could want him dead?

Her eyes scanned the ground for any signs of the attackers, any clue that could point to who had committed this act of violence. But there was nothing. No footprints, no weapons, no trace of struggle. Just the blood. The blood that spoke of a swift and brutal end.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a small parchment, half-buried in the dirt next to Thorne’s body. It was folded neatly, but the blood splatter around it made it look as though it had been placed there with deliberate care.

Nao’s fingers trembled as she picked it up. The parchment was covered in symbols arcane and cryptic, like something she had seen only in Thorne’s private texts. She unraveled it, the inked words searing into her mind.

“The time has come. Nao is the key. Find her before she discovers the truth.”

She froze. The words seemed to mock her, a sinister whisper in the darkness. Who had written this? What did it mean?

“Nao…” The whisper of Thorne’s voice echoed again, stronger this time, filling her mind with a sense of urgency. "You are not alone, but the path ahead is dangerous. Trust no one."

Her heart pounded as she looked around the clearing, the weight of the moment settling on her like a thousand boulders. Thorne’s death was no accident. She had been left behind for a reason. She was a target.

The quiet rustle of leaves made her freeze again. She spun around, her hand instinctively reaching for the sword Thorne had gifted her. But there was nothing.

Only the wind, and the weight of her grief.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm her breathing. “I won’t run,” she whispered to herself. “I’ll find the truth, no matter what it takes. And I’ll make them pay.”

Her journey had begun.

The air in the cottage was still, unnaturally quiet. The scent of dried herbs and old scrolls lingered in the air, a haunting reminder of the life that once filled this space.

 Nao stood in the center of the room, blood still staining the wooden floor where Thorne had fallen. Her heart ached, her eyes still puffy from the storm of tears she had barely managed to contain.

But there was no more time to mourn.

“You said to be strong, Master,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “I will be.”

She took a deep breath and turned toward the old wooden chest Thorne had hidden beneath the floorboards. She remembered the way he had spoken of it once, years ago, in a tone that was unlike him serious, distant, almost… afraid.

 “Nao,” he had said, “when the day comes that you must leave… only then should you open the box. Not before. Only when you’re ready to face what lies beyond these woods.”

And now… she was.

With trembling fingers, she pulled the chest from beneath the loose floorboard and set it before her. 

The iron latch creaked as she undid it, and a soft glow spilled out from within. Inside, wrapped in faded silk and enchanted cloths, was a sword unlike any she had ever seen.

It was long, elegant, forged with ancient patterns of Aelvorian design etched across the blade. It hummed faintly with energy as though it recognized her.

Lying beneath the sword was a folded letter, sealed with Thorne’s personal mark: a sigil in the shape of a leaf wrapped around a flame.

Nao opened it slowly, and as her eyes began to trace the words, tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

 “Nao, if you’re reading this… then I am gone. And that means the time has come for you to face the truth.”

 “You must travel East. To where the last of the human kingdoms once stood. It was wiped out during the final stage of the Annihilation, but the winds still carry whispers. 

You may find something there a clue, a shadow of what happened… perhaps even answers.”

She gripped the letter tightly, the pain in her chest growing sharper.

“This sword was forged by my ancestors. It will protect you when I no longer can. It holds more than just power. It holds memory.”

Her vision blurred with tears as she read the last lines, ones that tore straight through her heart.

 “I may not be your real father, Nao. But I loved you as my own. You are stronger than you think but you must not die. Not until you uncover the truth. Not until you shine light into the shadows we feared for so long.”

Her hands were shaking. The sword slipped slightly in her grasp, and she sank to her knees, clutching the letter to her chest.

 “Why now…?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Why did you leave me alone…?”

But deep down, she knew. Thorne hadn’t left her weak. He had raised her to be strong. He had prepared her for this moment.

And now, it was time.

She rose slowly, wiping her tears with her sleeve, then tightened the scabbard across her back.

 The weight of the blade was heavy, but comforting. As if Thorne’s spirit still lingered, watching over her.

“I’ll go,” she said aloud, her voice stronger now. “To the East. To the ruins. I’ll find the truth, no matter what it is. And I won’t die… not until I do.”

With one final glance at the home she had known her whole life, Nao stepped outside. 

The wind met her like an old friend, and in its whisper, she could almost hear his voice again:

“Go, my daughter. And never look back.”