Title: Volume 1, Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
The wind swept across the rocky mountains, rich with diverse flora and fauna. Beyond them lay meadows, and in those meadows, fields. In one of these fields stood a young man, about 21 years old. He was clad in a black outer garment that contrasted sharply with his dark-blue trousers, all covered by a black mantle. His long, dark-red hair swayed in the wind, framing a light-brown face with eyes as black as a void and a visible scar on his lip. Suddenly, the young man spoke:
*: "Ouch... that hurts. Why does my head ache so much? It's awful, just awful! Wait... where am I? Who am I, and why can't I remember anything?"
His gaze settled on the local landscape. Turning, he saw a village along a river and decided to head there for answers.
His short path led from a simple grassy field to a well-trodden trail, which he followed. Upon reaching the village, he saw a small but thriving community. As he walked through the village, a young woman with black hair approached him.
*: "Who are you? You're not from around here, are you?" she asked.
He stared at her with a strange expression, catching a glimpse of the villagers' disapproving looks from the corner of his eye.
*: "Uhm... I don't even know who I am," he replied.
*: "Seriously? You don't even know your own name?" she asked, surprised.
Suddenly, a spark ignited in his mind—a name that seemed destined for him.
*: "Ah! My name is Alpher! Yes, that's it!"
*: "Hm, Alpher, you say? Well, my name is Reyna! It's nice to meet you!"
Alpher: "Oh... okay."
Thus, two long weeks passed. During this time, the villagers' impassive gazes softened; they had even accepted him as one of their own. Alpher was given a place to stay not far from a farm. But suddenly, danger struck. The ringing of bells signaled an attack by wild animals. Many able-bodied villagers went out to fight, knowing that this time, too, they would lose someone. Alpher heard the commotion and wanted to help, but they wouldn't let him, as no one trusted a stranger who had only recently arrived. Yet, Alpher couldn't allow the villagers to suffer such a fate.
Meanwhile, the villagers were trying to fight off the wargs—wolves that were larger than usual, closer in size to bears than to their own kind. One of the villagers was bitten by a beast and dropped his spear, causing a breach in their defenses. The wargs began to wound one villager after another. Just when it seemed their defense was about to be completely overrun, a spear flew through the air, piercing one of the wargs directly in the eye. It turned out to be their leader. The wargs stared at their slain leader, then turned their gazes to Alpher, who held a similar spear.
Alpher: (What... what just happened? I just wanted to distract them.)
But there was no time for reflection, and the wargs charged at the killer of their leader. Alpher, as if on unknown instincts, rushed at his enemies with incredible speed. With a single strike, he broke one warg's neck, then pierced the body of another, and so on until the creatures' numerical advantage dwindled. Alpher looked at his bloodied hands and asked himself:
Alpher: (What is this strength? And why does my head hurt so much?!)
Memories of basic spear attacks and helping the weak flashed in Alpher's mind.
Alpher: (What are these memories? They feel like mine, yet they seem alien?)
A little while later, seeing their victory over the beasts, the villagers rejoiced and began to thank Alpher for saving them. It turned out no one had died; some had only suffered minor injuries. Suddenly, a shard appeared in Alpher's hand, like a fragment of his memories. Reyna asked:
Reyna: "What is that?"
Alpher: "I don't know, but I feel connected to this shard. And I feel that my being here isn't just a coincidence. I have to set out on a journey."
Later, with some help from the villagers to gather supplies, Alpher bid them farewell. As he walked further into the wilderness, his shard glowed, and a ring with strange symbols appeared around him. Memories of a certain tower began to flood Alpher's mind, but what was it? Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head.
A voice: "You are here for a reason. You must go all the way. I know who you are, but you do not know yourself. Soon, you will reach the truth. An ordeal awaits you—the trial of the floors. I wish you luck, Alpher. This will not be our last conversation."
When the voice faded, Alpher's head began to ache with renewed intensity. Realizing he had something he must do, Alpher made his decision.
Alpher: "I have to get out of here."
To be continued -->