Chapter 1
The Boy Who Followed the Whispering Wind
In a quiet village wrapped in golden fields and sleepy rivers, there lived a boy named Arin. Unlike other boys who chased kites and climbed mango trees, Arin chased questions. He often stood at the edge of the forest, staring into its emerald darkness, feeling as though something inside it was calling him.
One evening, when the sky was painted in
shades of burning orange and violet, a strange wind passed through the village. It did not howl or roar. It whispered.
"Come."
Arin felt it brush against his ear like a secret. Without telling anyone, he stepped into the forest.
The trees grew taller and closer, their branches weaving together like ancient fingers. Fireflies blinked like scattered stars, guiding his path. The deeper he went, the quieter the world became — until even his own heartbeat sounded loud.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shimmered.
A hidden door of light opened, and Arin fell — not downwards, but forward — into another world.
He landed on silver grass beneath a sky of floating islands. Rivers flowed upward into the clouds. Mountains drifted slowly across the horizon like giant ships. And in the center of this impossible land stood a crystal tower, glowing with soft blue fire.
A voice echoed around him. "You heard the wind."
From behind a floating rock stepped a creature unlike anything Arin had ever seen — half-eagle, half-lion, with eyes like molten gold.
"I am Kael," it said. "Guardian of the Lost Sky. Our world is fading. The Crystal Tower is dying. Only someone from beyond can relight its heart."
Arin's fear trembled inside him, but curiosity stood stronger.
"What must I do?"
Kael spread his vast wings. "Climb."
The tower had no doors. Only floating shards of crystal circled it like a broken staircase. Arin leapt from one shard to another. Below him, clouds swirled endlessly. Above him, lightning flickered silently.
Halfway up, shadows rose from the air — dark shapes that tried to pull him down. They whispered doubts.
"You are just a boy."
"You will fall."
"You do not belong here."
Arin almost believed them.
But then he remembered the wind. It had chosen him.
With courage burning in his chest, he climbed higher.
At the very top, he found a dim, fading flame trapped inside a crystal sphere. It pulsed weakly, like a dying heartbeat.
Arin placed his hand upon it.
He closed his eyes and thought of his village — the golden fields, the laughter of children, the warmth of the sun. He thought of wonder, of curiosity, of brave steps into the unknown.
The flame burst into brilliant light.
The sky roared with color. Floating islands steadied. Rivers sparkled. The shadows vanished like smoke in sunlight.
Kael soared beside him. "You have restored what was almost forgotten."
The wind returned, gentler this time.
Arin felt himself being carried back.
When he opened his eyes, he was once again at the edge of his village forest.