Chapter 2 – The Burden of the Legacy
The rain had started to ease, leaving behind only a gentle drizzle that kissed the earth like a fading memory. Adrian ran without looking back, his heart heavy and his eyes clouded with emotion.
The streets glistened under the pale glow of the streetlights, puddles reflecting a distorted world around him. The scent of wet earth mingled with the faint fragrance of flowers from nearby gardens, barely surviving the torrential downpour.
The words he had spoken to Maria still echoed in his mind:
"That's if I'm lucky enough to survive..."
But to Adrian, continuing to live that way — empty, powerless — was worse than death.
He wandered the outskirts of the city until he reached the old lake where he used to play with his parents. The trees around it were taller now, their twisted branches casting long, skeletal shadows over the surface of the water. Once vibrant and full of laughter, the place had become a silent, solemn tomb of memories.
He sat on the worn-out bench, the damp wood creaking beneath him, and gazed at the trembling reflection of the moon on the water.
— "There's no way to forget," he murmured, his voice nearly drowned by the whispering wind. "I lost everything that day..."
The memories hit like sharp blades.
His mother's warm embrace.
His father's booming laughter.
The smell of coffee drifting through the halls on peaceful mornings.
And then — fire. Chaos. Screams that tore through the sky.
The headmaster... Theo... Lia... Noah...
They all lost someone that day.
How could he forget?
His hand moved instinctively to the pendant around his neck — a simple silver feather, the last memento of his mother. He clutched it tightly, as if drawing strength from its fading warmth.
— "I will chase that legendary legacy," he whispered, eyes burning with determination. "It's the only thing that can give me the strength to fight."
He had heard the stories. Whispers of divine spirits and ancestral legacies hidden in ruined realms — sealed by long-forgotten pantheons, guarded by trials meant for the worthy.
Many called it madness. Others dismissed it as myth.
But to Adrian, it was the only path left.
If I want to protect those I still have...
If I want to keep others from losing everything like I did...
I must change my fate.
And at that moment, as the clouds finally parted to reveal a starlit sky, a calm wind swept across the lake. The moonlight grew clearer, as if the very world had paused to acknowledge his vow.
Somewhere, far beyond the mortal veil, something stirred.