Long ago, an ancient conflict between the Sun and the Moon left behind a crystal of absolute magic, bearing witness to the end of an era. The two entities had once walked the earth in human form, wielding immense power that remained bound by the limits of the universe. When their war reached its peak, one of them fell, while the other vanished without a trace. Only the crystal remained, cast into the flow of a never-ending river, where the magic within it fell dormant and no longer influenced the world.
Centuries later, the rulers of Notchollow, the Northern Land; Gaelvorn, the Eastern Land; Ilgnisar, the Southern Land; Zepharia, the Western Land; Nimurelle, the Western Center; and Solcendria, the Eastern Center gathered within a grand assembly hall.
The towering stone walls were adorned with royal emblems, while six principal seats were arranged in a circle facing a long table at the center of the chamber. The two central seats were occupied by the rulers of Nimurelle and Solcendria, while the seat belonging to the magi remained empty, represented only by a king who carried authority on their behalf. The meeting proceeded in an atmosphere both tense and orderly, for the matter under discussion concerned not merely politics, but the balance of the world itself.
The discussions began with reports of faint signs believed to be connected to the awakening of the crystal. Several rulers voiced concerns that the crystal could become active again if discovered and touched by someone. The representative of the magi argued that such power must never rest in the hands of any individual. He emphasized that the world had already learned from the devastation of the past and must not repeat the same mistake.
The deliberations continued with proposals for a formal pact. The rulers agreed that the stability and peace of their people had to be preserved through complete control over the crystal. Beneath their words of peace, however, lay a shared interest in ensuring that such power would not fall into the hands of any force capable of shaking the order that had long been established. After lengthy debate, all the rulers finally signed a joint decree that would apply across every land.
When the meeting came to an end, the representative of the magi rose and read the final decree with a firm voice that echoed throughout the hall.
"Anyone who conceals or uses the crystal shall be regarded as an enemy of the world… a fugitive across all lands."
---
A full day at sea, yet there is not enough fish to trade for dinner. They say I bring bad luck. They want me dead. Sometimes I think maybe they are right.
I walk to the river. The water is clear, but it brings no comfort. My face appears in the reflection—dull, exhausted, barely human. A tear falls, forming a small circle on the surface. I bring my hands together, scoop up water, and drink it slowly.
As I pour the rest back out, a blinding light flashes into my eyes. I squint, lean closer, and see it—a necklace caught among the stones at the riverbed. At its center, a black crystal gleams like a night sky scattered with stars.
I lift the crystal necklace toward the sky before me, staring at it in awe, curious about the light shimmering from within.
I hesitate for a moment, but curiosity is stronger. My hand touches it.
ARRKKHH—Instantly, my vision is dragged out of my body—to a place I do not understand. The universe spins, light streaks all around me, and my body convulses violently.
I try to pull my hand back, but the grip will not release. I choke back the sound—I do not want to draw anyone's attention.
Then everything stops. The crystal falls. My breath comes in gasps, my body goes limp.
My hand burns and seals at the same time. The stone lies on the ground as if it did not just try to kill me. I am shaking so hard it is pathetic. Magic? A curse? I do not know.
The relic shop. Yes.
---
The bell detonates in my ears as I enter and place the necklace on the counter.
The old man looks at me as if I am already guilty. I look down. My fingers twitch without stopping.
"Where did you steal this, boy?"
Of course. That is the first thing he says.
"I did not steal it."
He slaps me hard; my ears ring before my mind even finishes forming a sentence.
"Did you steal it?" he says, his words sounding faint.
His breath is rotten.
He wants a different answer. He wants an excuse to throw me out harder.
"I SAID I FOUND IT!" I snap without thinking. My stomach growls loudly right after—perfect timing. Embarrassing, twice in a row.
He grabs my collar like I am a stray mutt and screams me out of the shop. Fine. I am already walking before his last "GET OUT!" stops echoing.
I climb the village hill. The same wind, the same sea, the same annoying trees. I sit. I wait. For what, I do not know. Hunger bites, but I have had worse.
DUAAR—An explosion. Smoke. Fire rising from—no way. The relic shop?
---
The place collapses in minutes. Charred wood, sparks, heat—then something glints in the ash.
The crystal.
I do not think. I tie it around my neck. I leave. I grab my cloak on the hill and go. No one is going to call my name anyway. It feels like I do not even have one anymore. At all.
Night comes quickly. Hunger, even faster. The water tastes strange, but I drink because I am too tired to choose. My body folds in on itself again. Pain everywhere.
I hit the ground.
Blur.
Light fades.
Sight fades.
Darkness takes everything.
Something touches me. Wet. Soft. Sniffing.
I open my eyes. A small cat walks to the river. Tail raised. In hunting mode.
It makes a pitiful sound as it dives in and comes back with a fish.
It sits and eats. It snorts without looking at me.
Fine.
I get up. I can do it too. Maybe. I take a stick, pull a knife from my small waist pouch, and sharpen the tip.
A spear.
I step into the river. Cold. My knees shake. The cat watches now, as if it knows I am going to fail.
Whatever. Just one fish.
I close my eyes. My vision goes dark. The current grows quiet. Or my mind does. My sight returns… stretches? Bends? I can see around the bend of the river what is coming. The shadow of a fish twisting in water I am not supposed to see through.
What—why—how—
They draw closer.
Hold.
Hold.
Now—
I drive the spear down.
I freeze completely.
Just like that? Is that the price of today?
A fish thrashes on the tip of my spear, fighting as desperately as I am. Instinct makes me glance toward the trees, ready to call for the cat—idiot. It is obviously gone.
"Of course," I mutter. "Eat this fish and sleep like royalty."
I build a fire. The scent of roasting fish fills the air, and my body reacts faster than my mind—relief, raw and embarrassing.
One fish disappears quickly. My stomach still feels like an empty room, but I do not have the strength to catch another. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I must sell this cursed crystal.
The fire dims. Sleep wins.
---
Morning drags me back with too much light. I wake, grimacing. My stomach complains, but not as violently as yesterday—enough to try again before heading to the next village.
I walk to the river. I try to reach that strange silence—whatever once bent the world long enough to hand me a fish I did not deserve.
Nothing.
Birds chirp. Water runs. The world refuses to bend for me again.
I try again. And again.
All I gain is an hour wasted.
"...yes. Of course," I mutter. "Why would anything be easy twice?"
Hunger is not my enemy. Hunger is more like my oldest companion, arriving the day my father dies and never leaving. Hunger walks beside me, a reminder that no one will step in if I fall.
I follow the river downstream toward the village across the way—Edevane Village, of course, to sell this black crystal.
The only thing that feels alive is the black crystal tapping against my chest, cold and heavy like a warning. I can still see yesterday's fire—the relic shop exploding, the old man's screams swallowed by smoke. I want to believe it is not my fault.
"Still alive, are you?" a voice cuts through the air.
Close. Too close.
I stop. My body reacts first—shrinking, tightening, calculating. I hide behind a tree and peek out. Someone stands on the hill, wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
He walks down slowly, each step measured. The crystal on my chest vibrates, as if it recognizes him.
Steel whispers.
"I walk all night without rest," he says, his voice dry, "and the first thing I hear is you touching it."
My throat locks.
He stops a few steps away. Something shifts in his voice.
"So you truly are holding it."
My mouth refuses to move. My legs root themselves to the ground.
"Boy." He now stands directly in front of me.