The Night the Sky Broke
Chapter 1
The village of Willowmere had always been a quiet place.
Nestled between emerald hills and the edge of the Whispering Forest, it was the kind of village where everyone knew everyone. Children raced through fields of wildflowers, merchants greeted travelers with warm smiles, and every evening the streets filled with the comforting aroma of fresh bread, roasted apples, and herbs from the nearby gardens.
To the villagers, magic belonged only to bedtime stories.
Old storytellers spoke of dragons that once ruled the skies, forests where trees could speak, castles floating above the clouds, and seven magical crystals said to hold the power of creation itself.
Most people laughed at those tales.
"They're just stories," the blacksmith would say.
"Stories are all that's left," the baker would reply with a smile.
Only one person never laughed.
Old Elias.
The oldest man in Willowmere sat beneath the Great Oak every evening, surrounded by curious children.
His silver beard reached almost to his waist, and his bright blue eyes always seemed to hold secrets no one else could see.
"The Seven Crystals were real," he whispered.
"They protected Aetheria before greed shattered the balance."
The children leaned closer.
"What happened to them?" one asked.
Old Elias looked toward the distant mountains.
"They chose to hide."
Another child giggled.
"Can crystals hide?"
"They can," Elias replied, "when the world forgets how to believe."
The children laughed and ran away as their parents called them home.
Only one child remained.
A thirteen-year-old with curious eyes and endless questions.
"Do you really believe those stories?" the child asked.
Old Elias smiled.
"I don't believe them."
"You don't?"
"I remember them."
Before another question could be asked, a cold wind swept across the village.
Every lantern flickered.
Birds suddenly burst from the trees.
Dogs began barking.
The Great Oak shivered although there was no storm.
Old Elias slowly stood.
His smile vanished.
"It's happening..."
The child looked up.
The night sky was changing.
Dark clouds spiraled together like a giant whirlpool.
Stars disappeared one by one.
Then—
A c***k of brilliant blue light split the heavens.
Not lightning.
Something far stranger.
The entire sky seemed to fracture like glass.
A beam of shimmering blue light shot across the horizon before disappearing deep inside the Whispering Forest.
Silence followed.
Even the insects stopped singing.
Old Elias gripped his walking staff.
"It has awakened."
"What has?"
"The First Crystal."
The old man's voice trembled.
"After a thousand years..."
Somewhere beyond the trees, a distant roar echoed through the darkness.
It was unlike anything the villagers had ever heard.
Not thunder.
Not a wolf.
Something ancient.
Something alive.
Windows flew open throughout Willowmere as frightened villagers stepped outside.
"What was that?"
"Did you see the sky?"
"Was it an earthquake?"
The village bell began ringing wildly.
High above the clouds, hidden from every human eye, a pair of enormous golden eyes slowly opened.
A massive shadow stretched across the moon.
For the first time in a thousand years...
A dragon had awakened.
Far away, inside a ruined stone temple buried beneath tangled vines, a crystal resting upon a forgotten pedestal burst into radiant blue light.
Ancient symbols carved into the walls blazed with energy.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Massive stone doors that had never moved in centuries began to open with a deep, echoing rumble.
From the darkness came a whisper.
"The Keeper has been chosen."
The adventure had begun.
