Veda
Veda stepped into the corridor,her confident stride betraying a trust forged through adversity.
In her twenties,this freelance engineer from Northeast Africa carried the marks of a life heavy with responsibilities.
Orphaned of her father,she bore on her shoulders the weight of her family: a fragile mother and a younger brother still a child,whom she protected and supported with determination.
This family responsibility shaped in her a passionate, sincere, and sometimes impulsive character.Her fiery temperament was both a strength and a weakness,for while she advanced with remarkable fervor,she could also be brusque or impatient,especially when faced with injustice or weakness.
From an early age, Veda proved to be a prodigy.Graduating from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before even reaching adulthood,she specialized in mechanical and energy engineering.
Passionate about sustainable innovation,she quickly established herself as a freelance engineer capable of designing complex automated systems,combining technical efficiency and environmental respect.
Her exceptional journey was both a source of pride and pressure.Veda felt a constant urgency to succeed,not only for herself,but especially to ensure the survival and wellbeing of her family.
Each project, each challenge, was for her a battle to provethat she could rise above the limitations imposed by her humble origins.
Despite her sharp intellect and ability to solve complex problems,Veda did not seek to fit into a rigid system.She hated rules imposed without reasonand preferred to carve her own path,often defying authority or conventions.
This attitude earned her as much admiration as hostility,but she moved forward without concern for others' opinions.
Her frankness was direct, sometimes harsh,but always sincere.
She was a force of nature,ready to do anything to defend her convictions,even if it meant taking risksor facing more powerful enemies.
A flame burned in her eyes —that of a woman who had known loss,responsibility,but refused to give in.
She was both a brilliant engineer,a devoted protector,and a born warrior,ready to face the trials ahead.
Suddenly, Veda found herself in a corridor plunged into thick darkness,barely lit by a faint bluish glow that seemed to float in the air.
She moved cautiously,each step echoing against the cold walls.
Her sharp gaze scanned the space, tense and wary.Then she felt her heart quicken as the air around her grew colder.
Every sound seemed amplified in the heavy silence of the corridor.
As she advanced,a silhouette took shape before her,slowly emerging from the shadows.
A man, clad in a dark coat,still and mysterious,fixed her with an intense stare.
— Who are you? she asked,her voice firm but tinged with disbelief.— What do you want?
The silence hung for a moment,then the man's deep voice calmly replied:
— I am the one who will guide you through what is to come.
She squinted, wary,searching for a hidden truth behind these words.
— You are a stranger,I don't know you.Why should I trust you?
The man did not answer immediately,his piercing gaze seeming to probe her soul.
Then, softly:
— Trust is earned,but time will force you to reconsider your judgment.
— You speak of preparation,but for what exactly? asked Veda, frowning.— What is this path you speak of?
The Guide crossed his arms,his piercing gaze weighing on her.
— It is a road you will have to walk.A road strewn with obstacles, choices, dangers.
Veda tilted her head, intrigued.
— A road... a trial, perhaps?
The Guide smiled enigmatically.
— Call it what you will.What matters is what you make of it.
She shrugged,her impetuous temperament rising again.
— I like challenges.The bigger they are,the more willing I am to face them.
The Guide nodded, satisfied.
— Very well.But know that willpower alone is not always enough.You will need to learn patience,discernment,and resilience.
A silence settled,heavy with promises and mysteries.
— And when will this road begin? asked Veda,her eyes shining with curiosity.
— When the time comes.You will know it.
Then, like a curtain lifting on an unknown stage,the Guide opened a glowing rift in the air.
— The moment has come.
He reached out his hand to her.
— Ready or not,you are entering a new reality.
Veda hesitated for a moment,then took his hand,ready to face the unknown.
Adam
Adam, about thirty-five years old,was an American archaeologist whose life was a turbulent blend of passion,contradictions,and inner struggles.
At first glance, he embodied the sarcastic charmer,able to joke even in the tensest situations.His carefree smile and sharp remarks were masksto hide a deep painand a feeling of insecurity he struggled to control.
From a young age,Adam was driven by an insatiable curiosity for buried mysteries,both in ancient ruins and the secrets of his own history.
This quest led him to traverse perilous sites,to face death numerous times,but also to endure painful betrayals.
His profession as an archaeologist-plunderer often placed him on the marginsbetween rigorous science and darker interests,feeding his cynicismand skepticism toward the world.
Beneath this complex facade,Adam carried a heavy emotional burden:a feeling of never measuring up,a hidden wound linked to his pastand failed relationships.
This inferiority complex fueled his excesses,his sudden anger,but also his bursts of generosityand loyalty to those he considered true allies.
He was both a hardened survivorand a man seeking redemption,constantly oscillating between his desire to understand the past to save his future,and the fear of losing those he loved.
Despite his flaws and doubts,Adam possessed undeniable courage,remarkable resilience,and a capacity to adapt swiftly to the most extreme situations.
His duality made him an unpredictable character,sometimes irritating,but always deeply human.
The bar was almost empty.A yellowish light hung from the ceiling, flickering as if out of breath.An old radio murmured forgotten notes of nameless jazz.The counter was sticky.The air, saturated with warm alcohol and failure.
Adam was on his fifth drink.Or the tenth.He had stopped counting since memories began to hit again.
He laughed alone, sometimes.A hollow laugh.A way not to scream.
— You see that, Kael?I'm still alive.You should be proud, huh?
He stared at his reflection in the bottom of the glass.A blurry, puffy face,glassy eye,jaw clenched tight like a taut rope ready to snap.
He recalled their beginnings.The meeting.The hunger.The struggles.
Then Kael's strength.Inexplicable.Unbearable.
That guy had it all: charisma,power,even the curse —but it suited him like a crown of thorns.
And he, Adam,was just a witness.A background character.A blurry memory in the story of a prodigy.
And yet,he had always been there.Always.
So why did he feel he had never mattered?
He slammed a fist on the counter.The echo sounded false.The bartender did not move.In fact... he was no longer there.
In his place, a man.Black suit.Silk gloves.Dead eyes.
The Guide.
— Adam Loren.
The voice was calm.Too calm.
Adam stared, staggering.
— What... who let you... huh?I didn't call you!
— It's time.
— Time for what?What the hell?!I'm not ready, okay?!I'm not him!
The Guide looked at him long and then said, almost pityingly:
— Despite your potential,you don't measure up to him.It's disappointing.
A silence.Long.Suffocating.
Adam did not understand at first.Then the meaning of the words hit him.
He burst into a painful, broken laugh.
— Who are you talking about, huh?Say it. Come on. Say it!
The Guide did not need to answer.Adam already knew.
— Kael.
And then something broke.
— Fucking hell!I'm sick of that name!Kael this, Kael that!I bled with him, damn it!I risked my life for him!
And all I get is what?Shitty comparisons?!Pitying looks?!
He stood, staggered,pointing a trembling finger at the Guide.
— Fuck him,and his damn hero aura.He's just a monster disguised as a prophet!A fucking parasite with eyes too bright!
A sharp snap.No sound.But the Magia was there.
The Guide raised a finger.And the alcohol vanished.
In an instant, Adam came back to himself.Sober.Too lucid.
He saw himself.He heard his own words.He felt his soul recoil in horror.
— N... No... I...I take it back... I...
— Too late.
The Guide stared coldly.
— You want me to make you forget?It's possible.But nothing is free here.
Adam collapsed to his knees.
— I beg you... make me forget.I was... broken.I'm nobody.
— Then you will owe me a favor.A real one.One you might regret.
— I accept...I will do whatever you want...just... don't tell him.
The Guide held out his hand.A rift opened.Black.Fierce.Silent.
— Get up.You are still selected.
Adam, legs trembling, stepped toward the black light.Each step echoed like a sentence.
Before disappearing, he whispered to himself:
— I just wanted to be your friend, Kael...
And the rift closed.