Chapter 1: Investigation
The dimly lit room was shrouded in shadows, candles flickering like fireflies in the darkness. Three men huddled together, their voices hushed.
"There are crazy rumors around the Xylonia empire nowadays," Man 1 said, his voice laced with concern.
Man 2 nodded. "Oh, that, about the despicable monsters?"
Man 1's eyes locked onto him. "So you've heard it, huh?"
Man 2 nodded again. "Yeah, I'm worried about the situation. They've been sending messages nonstop to the capital, searching for a hero."
Man 3 snorted. "Hero??''
''Yes, according to the legend..." Man 2 tried to explain but was cut off by man 3 who didn't like stories.
'The legend story again '. Man 3 said.
Man 1 shot him a warning glance. "Hey, shut up. I'm trying to listen."
Man 2 continued, "I don't know about this one, but I guess it's real." Man 3 muttered under his breath, "Real my foot..."
As the men discussed the legend, a dark figure lurked in the shadows, they spoke almost the same words.
"...almost killed me, but lucky for me, I survived using my skills," the figure growled. "Now these stories are being passed from generation to generation by these lowly humans. To them, I was..."
Meanwhile, in a cozy room, a father read a story to his son. "He was killed by that man, and he was the..."
Back in the dimly lit room, Man 2 exclaimed, "HERO!" Man 3 raised an eyebrow. "That hero guy died a long time ago, didn't he???"
Man 2 nodded. "Obviously, but... Man 1 interrupted, "There's something called an heir."
Man 3 scoffed. "Wait a moment, an heir? Come on, how are we going to know the heirs of that guy? I'm sure they won't be found that easily."
Man 2 smiled. "I'm sure they will; according to me, I can search about the heirs because they once became popular."
Just then, a female voice echoed through the room. "I will."
The men turned, surprised. "Mika???" Mika smiled, her eyes sparkling. "What's wrong, boys? Surprised to see me?"
Man 1 stuttered, "Ahh, i-immm..." Man 3 asked, "Wait, how are you going to help him??"
Mika's response was confident. "Investigation, obviously."
The Next Day
The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over the landscape. A 5-year-old boy, Akirion, played with his toys, a knight, a horse, and a demon. His mother called out, "Akie, Akie!"
Akirion ran to his mother, his face lighting up with a smile. "Yes, Mom."
His father, Eriolth, arrived, carrying a wild rabbit. Akirion's eyes widened. "Daddy!"
Eriolth chuckled. "WOW, that was quite a run, son."
As they sat down to eat, Akirion exclaimed, "I've made up my decision; I want to be a knight."
After lunch, Akirion ran outside to retrieve his knight toy. As he turned back, he saw black clouds gathering, and within them, a pair of scary red eyes stared back at him.