Chapter 2 – The Burden of the Legacy
The rain had begun to fade, leaving behind only a gentle drizzle that kissed the earth like a fading memory. Adrian ran without looking back, his heart heavy, each step pounding against the soaked pavement as if trying to outrun the ache inside him.
The streets shimmered beneath the pale glow of streetlamps, their golden halos flickering through the mist. Puddles scattered along the road mirrored a warped, broken world — reflections blurred by the tremble of raindrops. The scent of wet earth mingled with the delicate aroma of flowers from nearby gardens, petals bowed under the weight of the storm but still clinging to life.
Maria's words — and his own — echoed through his thoughts like a drumbeat.
She only wants what's best for us… he thought, his breath ragged from the run. But I can't… I can't bear that pain again. Not again. Not ever.
The image haunted him: loved ones fading in his arms, their eyes begging for salvation he couldn't give. That kind of powerlessness wasn't just pain — it was destruction. It hollowed a person from the inside out.
To live like that again, stripped of strength and choice… to Adrian, it would be worse than death.
He didn't know how long he'd been running. His body was numb, carried by instinct and emotion. Eventually, he reached the old lake on the city's outskirts — a place etched into his childhood like a dream now too distant to grasp. This was where his parents had brought him to play, where laughter once echoed under the trees.
But time had reshaped everything.
The trees were taller, their limbs twisted like ancient arms reaching toward the sky. Their shadows stretched over the still water, dark and restless. The lake, once alive with skipping stones and sunlit ripples, now stood quiet — like a mirror for forgotten ghosts.
Adrian sat on a weathered bench, its damp wood creaking under his weight. The air was cold, laced with the earthy scent of moss and time. He stared at the trembling reflection of the moon, rippling faintly on the lake's surface.
"There's no forgetting," he said softly, barely louder than the whispering breeze. "I lost everything that day…"
And the memories came — uninvited, unstoppable.
His mother's arms wrapping around him like a warm blanket after a nightmare.
His father's booming laughter during Sunday morning pancakes.
The smell of coffee drifting through their quiet home.
And then — the crackle of fire. The shattering of glass. Screams that split the sky.
He wasn't the only one.
Director Maria. Theo. Lia. Noah…
Each of them carried scars from that day. Each had buried someone they loved.
So how could he move on? How could he let it go?
His hand rose to the silver pendant around his neck — a feather, simple and delicate. His mother's final gift. He clutched it tightly, pressing it against his chest like a shield.
It didn't shine. It didn't pulse with magic. But to Adrian, it held more power than any weapon in the world.
"I'll pursue that legendary legacy," he whispered. The words came not as hope, but as a promise. "It's the only way I can protect what still matters."
He had heard the stories — myths passed down in hushed voices. Ancient legacies hidden deep within forgotten realms, sealed by divine spirits and shrouded by the ruins of old gods. To most, they were fairy tales. Fables for dreamers.
But to Adrian, they were real. They had to be.
If I want to protect those I still have…
If I want to stop others from suffering like I did…
Then I have to change my fate.
Just then, the clouds broke apart, revealing a sky strewn with stars — a silent canopy of light over the lake. A breeze swept across the water, lifting leaves and scattering ripples across the surface. The moonlight brightened, casting its glow upon Adrian like a soft benediction.
And somewhere beyond the veil of the mortal world…
Something ancient stirred.