Chapter 1

My worst nightmare unfolded before my eyes this evening. The devastation of the festival was already a heavy blow, but the situation took a darker turn when I heard the desperate cries for help coming from my school crush. A hooded figure, cloaked in mystery, had her in his grasp on the beach, illuminated by the full moon and countless stars. With a sinister smirk, he silenced her pleas for help, reveling in her distress.

Adjusting my glasses, I clenched my fists and locked my eyes on my foe, determination burning within me. I could no longer hide behind the safety of the large rock. The salty scent of the sea filled my senses, and a gentle breeze brushed against my skin. Amidst the sounds of the ocean waves and chirping crickets, I focused solely on sprinting towards the man in a desperate bid to rescue her.

"Release her immediately!" I yelled, my voice resounding over the shoreline.

As my school crush turned towards me, her eyes filled with hope and desperation, the cloaked man also turned his attention to me, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Ah, an unexpected guest. Allow me to demonstrate the consequences of interfering."

Chanting an incantation in a language foreign to my ears, the man conjured a dark, otherworldly creature with crimson eyes and obsidian scales. I stood frozen in shock, not only at the sight of the monstrous being but also at the realization that magic was indeed real, defying all my previous beliefs.

Quaking with fear, I took a hesitant step back, my gaze fixed on the menacing creature. The cloaked man commanded the beast, "Annihilate him.”

As the creature emitted a thunderous roar reminiscent of a raptor, a swirling vortex of purple-black light engulfed both the man and my school crush, causing them to vanish right before my eyes. In a state of incredulity, I expanded my hand, murmuring a frantic "No!" whereas furrowing my brows at their sudden vanishing. I found myself at a loss, uncertain of how to rescue her or overcome the monstrous entity.

Suddenly, the beast emitted another deafening roar, hurtling towards me with its jaws wide open, revealing its menacingly sharp teeth. It appeared eager to consume me. I let out a piercing scream and swiftly turned around, scanning my surroundings for anything that could incapacitate the creature.

However, all that met my gaze were sand, seashells, and a few rocks. The nearby rocks seemed too small to have any significant impact on the creature. With each subsequent roar, I anxiously glanced back and forth, realizing that the monster was drawing nearer. Sweat began to form all over my body, and my heart pounded relentlessly within my chest.

In a state of desperation, I cried out for assistance, shouting as loudly as I possibly could, but there was no response from anyone as the woods were devoid of human presence. Just as I was about to search for an alternative method to stun the monster, its footsteps grew louder, indicating its proximity. Furthermore, its colossal shadow loomed over me. I turned around, gazing up at the creature as it emitted a menacing roar from below.

Oh, shit! Oh, shit! OH, SHIIITTT!!!

The monster retracted its elongated neck and bared its teeth once more, preparing to strike. Because it charged towards me, I faltered over a sizable stone, causing me to shout, "Whoa!"

Losing my balance, I tumbled onto the sandy ground, sliding down and splashing sand onto my face. I hastily coughed, expelling the sand from my lungs, and vigorously shook my head to dislodge the grains from my hair.

My glasses were forcefully knocked off my face, causing my vision to become distorted. In a state of panic, I desperately reached out and tapped the ground, desperately searching for my glasses, all while feeling the creature gnawing on my leg. Suddenly, the creature lunged its neck towards mine and sank its teeth into one of my legs.

In immense agony, I let out a piercing scream, shutting my eyes tightly as my body crashed onto the sandy ground. The excruciating pain made me clench my teeth as I continued my frantic search. The monster pulled me closer, devouring my leg entirely.

The gritty sand invaded my mouth and nostrils, making it difficult to breathe. I attempted to exhale and cough out the sand, but the creature's strength was overpowering. I cried out, hoping that someone would come to my rescue, but my pleas went unanswered.

Resigned to my impending death, I mentally prepared myself until a man's voice suddenly shouted, "Oh, no you don't!"

Upon hearing a slashing noise from behind, the monster released my leg and emitted a cry of pain. As I observed the creature retreat, my focus shifted from my injured leg to the search for my missing glasses. Unable to find them nearby, I turned around and began crawling forward in search of them. With each step, the sound of slicing grew louder until the monster collapsed behind me, and footsteps approached in the sand.

A man's voice offered assistance, guiding my hand to my glasses. Once I put them on, my vision cleared, revealing a figure standing over me. The sea breeze tousled the man's long, brown hair as he stood beside a dark javelin, his attire concealing the color of his clothing. His beard and emerald eyes gazed down at me, and I expressed my gratitude with a grateful smile towards the stranger who had saved me.

"Are you alright?" the man inquired.

"Yes, thank you," I replied.

When the man attended to my injured leg, he turned back to me and uttered, "Alright, I will go fix your leg there."

I nodded in agreement. "Alright."

As he knelt down beside my leg, I observed him extending his hands and reciting an incantation in the same language. Unbelievable! This revelation widened my eyes, convincing me that this man belonged to the same realm as my previous adversary.

Subsequently, a green light emanated from his hands as he leaned them forward. The magic enveloped my wound. Shifting my gaze towards the trail of blood and the lifeless body of the monster, I was astounded by the fair and square defeat of the creature.

Observing the corpse lying near the woods, I noticed its head positioned upside down with its mouth agape and tongue protruding. A pool of blood had spread in its vicinity. There were a few gashes and a punctured hole on its body.

"There," the man stated as I faced him once more, "It's as good as new."

I turned my attention back to my leg and to my surprise, the wound had vanished, although there were still traces of blood on my pants. A smile formed on my face once again as I alternated my gaze between the man and my healed leg. I even moved my leg around to test if any pain remained, and to my delight, the pain had completely disappeared.

"Wow, that's incredible!" I exclaimed, turning back to the man, "Thank you once again."

The man smiled warmly at me. "You're welcome. Here." He extended his hand towards me. I glanced at his hand and grasped it, allowing him to help me up from the ground.

"Now, have you seen Aldora?" the man inquired.

"Oh, her…?" I looked down, feeling a sudden wave of disappointment, and let out a sigh. "About that…”

The man gave me a knowing look and raised his hand. "I understand the situation. It seems I have arrived too late to prevent her abduction," he said.

I gazed at him and inquired, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

"Oh, my apologies. I neglected to introduce myself," the man replied with a sheepish grin. "I am Frederick, a collaborator to Aldora's uncle. After his home was destroyed and he was found dead, he entrusted me with the task of locating her and ensuring her safety."

"And I am Finn. Nice to meet you," I said, closing my eyes and grinning.

Frederick returned the smile. "Likewise."

"And that person in the cloak, right?" I asked, reopening my eyes.

Fredrick nodded. "Indeed." He surveyed the area. "We must now make our way to Galvadore."

"What is Galvadore?" I asked, looking puzzled.

Frederick turned to me. "Galvadore is the world where my liege and his niece dwelled some time recently escaping from this domain."

"I see. How do we reach there?"

"Allow me to show you," Frederick said, facing the blood trail and extending his hands.

After casting a spell, an indigo portal materialized. Through it, I could see a crimson sky, I only saw nothing else but trees and bushes. There were no wild animals around.

"We will begin our mission to rescue Aldora right this moment," Frederick explained, turning back to me.

I nodded. "Understood.”