On a quiet night, filled with cold breezes and a silence that felt almost dreamlike, a strange middle-aged man appeared. He was wrapped in a dark blue aura—majestic in presence, terrifying in its stillness. His face bore no sign of anger or sorrow, only a solemn expression of dignity and severity. In his arms, he held a tiny infant, barely a few days old. The child slept peacefully, unaware of the world around him.
The man approached an old orphanage on the city's outskirts—a place long ignored by the world. He knocked gently on the door, then placed the child at the threshold, beside a strange ring engraved with a single symbol: "The Guardians."
In the blink of an eye, he vanished—so swiftly, it was as if he had never been there.
Moments later, a middle-aged woman opened the door. She was a simple lady in modest clothing, with warm, kind features. She looked around in confusion, seeing no one—until she heard the soft cry of a baby. Looking down, she found a basket. She lifted the cover to reveal the innocent face of the child, and beside him, the strange ring.
Without hesitation, she gently picked him up and carried him inside. That moment marked the beginning of a new life for the child.
He was named Arkan, and the woman raised him as her own. He grew up among other orphans, went on to study at university, and eventually landed a prestigious job. But Arkan was no ordinary man—he possessed a sharp intellect and a deep hunger for knowledge, especially about myths and legends.
Arkan and his closest friend shared an obsession with collecting books of ancient lore. They often traveled long distances searching for rare scrolls or forgotten tomes. One day, while discussing Arkan's hunt for a new book, his friend mentioned a rumor about an old, isolated library hidden in a deserted alley.
That weekend, the two of them set off to find it. The library looked as though it belonged to another era—its walls coated in dust, and its shelves groaning under the weight of ancient books. They were greeted by the owner: a strange man with a mysterious aura, dressed in a long cloak, his voice deep and haunting, his eyes filled with secrets.
"You…" the man said, staring at Arkan. "You carry a heavy fate. You will endure betrayals and forge alliances. You will uncover the truth behind your name… and free those who must be freed."
Arkan was taken aback, thinking the man was deranged, but he said nothing. He continued browsing the shelves until a book caught his eye—its title read: "The Guardians and the Twelve Realms."
Driven by curiosity, he opened it and began reading eagerly. Page after page, his excitement grew, until he came across a strange map—a mountain that looked oddly familiar.
It was the same mountain behind the city where he lived.
Arkan wanted to borrow the book, but the man refused.
He thought to himself, "Even lunatics don't lend their books… Well, I never planned to just borrow it anyway."
He glanced around, made sure no one was looking, and quietly tore out the page with the map. He slipped it into his pocket… and walked away.
— End of Chapter