Chapter 1: More Than Just a Fairy Tale
A man sat in his daughter's room, right beside her bed, telling her a bedtime story so she could fall asleep.
"Long ago, in the land of Anglos, there was a kingdom filled with prosperity and beauty. Its king was kind and generous; all of his subjects were happy, from the noblest to the humblest," he began. "Until one day, he appeared: a vast shadow that covered the sky, with eyes red as rubies. A winged monster—the Dragon of Shadows, or as the villagers called him, the Shadow Scale."
The Black Scale ravaged and devoured everything in its path, knowing no rest. On its ruthless face one could clearly see how much it delighted in destruction.
Desperate before the unstoppable threat, the king gathered a battalion so powerful it could conquer an entire country. The army, led by the king himself, found the beast in the Valley of the Rose of the Winds. A fierce battle broke out, but it was in vain. No sword, spear, arrow, or even catapult could pierce the dragon's hard armor.
The surviving knights lost the will to fight. Even the king despaired, and in sorrow, ordered a retreat.
The battle seemed lost... until, among the knights who withdrew, one stepped forward. He wore white armor and carried a sword that shone as brightly as the sun.
The Radiant Knight and the Shadow Scale clashed. In that moment, time itself became uncertain—no one knows if they fought for minutes, hours, or days. In a single careless moment from the dragon, the knight struck, driving his blade into the beast's chest, piercing through its scales and reaching its heart.
The Black Scale roared to the heavens before collapsing, defeated. The Radiant Knight had triumphed. After the battle, he vanished without a trace. No one knew who he was, where he came from, or even his name.
Impressed by this feat, the king ordered that his story never be forgotten. Thus was born the legend of a warrior unlike any other:
The Legend of the Luminous Knight.
A cold day covered the city of Brighthaven. At Green Mountain High School, classes had already begun.
Katherine Holmes, a 17-year-old girl with pale skin, pink eyes, short black hair, and large glasses, sat at her desk dozing off. She was slender, about 5'5'' tall, and had stayed up late reading the night before.
Teacher:"Katherine Holmes! Wake up this instant!"
Laughter filled the classroom. Kathy opened her eyes, looking drowsy.
Teacher:"Miss Holmes, this behavior will not be tolerated. Go wash your face."
Kathy:"Alright, ma'am."
She stood up and walked to the restroom. While splashing water on her face, she recalled the books her father used to read to her when she was little, especially her favorite: The Legend of the Luminous Knight.
She returned to class. Time passed, and the bell finally rang. Students began to leave, but the teacher stopped Kathy.
Teacher:"I know you've been distracted because this is the time of year your father died."
Kathy lowered her gaze, holding back her sorrow.
Teacher:"But it's been many years now. You should put it behind you and focus on your finals. You're an excellent student—it would be a shame if you didn't get into a good university."
Kathy:"I understand… I'll keep that in mind."
She said goodbye and walked through the streets of Brighthaven.
(Thinking): "It's not easy to forget my father. Ten years have passed, and I still remember his warm smile... the stories he used to tell me. He was a wonderful man, passionate about his work, and he loved Mom and me deeply. Everything changed when he disappeared on an expedition. I was only seven years old. The police declared him missing, and months later, they pronounced him dead."
She arrived at the train station, bought a ticket, and sat on a bench, gazing at a photograph of her younger self with her mother and father. Around her were posters of missing people.
(Thinking): "Even though everyone accepted his death—even Mom—I still believe he's alive."
The train arrived. Kathy boarded, but as she looked out the window, she saw a man in the crowd who looked exactly like her father. Rubbing her eyes, thinking she was imagining it, she froze as the man looked straight back at her.
Kathy:"It can't be... it's Dad!"
She rushed off the train.
As the station emptied, a young man in a red sweater and gray pants watched her from a bench.
(Thinking): "Maybe I imagined it... Am I losing my mind?"
In the distance, on an abandoned rail line, she saw the man again.
Kathy:"It's him. Definitely him."
She ran after him. The man entered a disused tunnel, and Kathy followed—so did the mysterious young man.
Kathy:"It's so dark... Where are you, Dad?"
As she advanced, the tunnel began to glow. The concrete vanished, giving way to a forest blanketed in flowers.
Kathy:"This forest... it looks like the one Dad used to take me to as a child. He always said there was a mystical tree deep inside. What's happening? Am I dreaming?"
From the tunnel's entrance, the young man watched as a dark mist seeped inside.
Young Man:"That energy... Nox. This is bad. What should I do?"
A soft female voice whispered in the wind.
Voice:"Help the girl."
Kathy kept walking and saw her father sitting by a tree, holding a book.
Father:"At last you've come, my daughter. I've been waiting for you."
Kathy:"Dad... why did you leave? Why didn't you write? Mom and I needed you!"
The man smiled, opening his arms. Kathy burst into tears and ran to embrace him. But before she could reach him, someone touched her shoulder.
Everything vanished. The darkness of the tunnel returned.
Young Man:"What you saw wasn't real. It was an illusion."
Kathy flinched. The young man was tall and broad-shouldered, with long chestnut hair, crimson eyes, and pale skin.
Kathy:"Who are you? Another illusion? What are you talking about?"
Young Man:"Look closely."
Kathy looked back. Where her father had been, now stood a massive, serpentine creature with glowing red eyes.
(Trembling): "What... what is that thing?"
Young Man:"That is a Shadow Scale. It was all an illusion."
Shadow Scale:"That scent... a Luminario. And that woman is my prey!"
Kathy:"That name! Shadow Scale... I remember it... from Dad's story."
Shadow Scale:"I was so close. Her happy face when she saw her 'father' made it all the more... delicious."
It took her father's form again, stretching out its hand.
Father (illusion):"Come, my daughter. Aren't you happy to see me?"
The young man stepped between them.
Young Man:"Monster... toying with such precious memories... I won't forgive you."
Shadow Scale:"Don't interfere, Luminario! After you, the girl will be dessert. I am the Illusionist!"
Black flames filled its jaws.
(Thinking): "Did he say... Luminario?"
Illusionist:"Flames of Despair!"
The black fire surged through the tunnel. Kathy thought she would die. She shut her eyes as a tear fell.
Illusionist:"Oops... did I burn her too? What a shame..."
But then a blinding light erupted through the flames. A pillar of white radiance rose. At its center stood the young man, now clad in white armor with silver engravings and a red sword emblem across his chest.
(Thinking): "That glow... it feels so warm. Is it... him?"
His eyes shone blue. His helmet revealed part of his face. Kathy heard her father's voice echo, like in her memories:
Father's Voice:"And when all seemed lost, a knight appeared, bearing a sword that shone like the sun..."
Kathy:"The... LUMINOUS KNIGHT!!!"
With a violent swing of his sword, the knight unleashed a gust of wind that snuffed out the black flames. He then took a firm stance, eyes fixed on the monster.
White Knight:"Your end has come."
The beast roared, shaking the tunnel.
The knight charged. Kathy watched, frozen, her heart pounding, as the story her father once told overlapped with reality. The legend and the present became one.
The Shadow Scale summoned a shadow portal beneath its tail, vanishing only to reappear before the knight in an instant. It lashed out with its sharp appendage, but the knight evaded the strike with a precise zigzag. The monster opened several portals, launching its tail from multiple angles, yet the knight dodged each one with absolute control and agility.
At last, when he drew close enough, the knight leapt, aiming straight for the beast's head, intent on decapitating it. But the Illusionist conjured a final portal before its face and managed to strike the Luminario, forcing him back.
Illusionist:"You are no match for me, Luminario."
The knight rose quickly, a faint, defiant smile on his lips.
Knight:"Is that so? Look at your tail."
The monster glanced back and let out a furious roar upon seeing a piece of its tail missing.
Kathy:"Even with that speed... I saw it! Just before being struck, the knight cut off the monster's tail! He even dodged at the very last moment... he's incredible!"
The Illusionist, breathing heavily, began to retreat.
(Thinking): "At this rate, he'll kill me. I must escape. Once I devour enough humans, I'll evolve... and become stronger than this wretched knight."
Knight:"What is this I sense from you? Could it be... fear?"
The beast opened a massive shadow portal behind it, desperate to flee.
Knight:"I will not let you escape."
He channeled a surge of radiant energy, flooding the tunnel with blinding light that erased the portal completely. Then, he focused all that brilliance into the blade of his sword.
Knight:"This is your end... Dawn Cleaver!!!"
With a war cry, he unleashed a massive arc of light in a sweeping horizontal slash. The radiant wave struck the Illusionist full force, disintegrating its body bit by bit until nothing remained.
Silence filled the tunnel. Kathy trembled, unable to speak. The knight approached her gently, placing his hand on her face as a warm light enveloped them both.
Knight:"Do not fear... it's over now."
Kathy gasped awake in her bedroom. She was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. Wiping tears from her cheeks, she whispered:
Kathy:"So... it was only a dream? But it felt so real."
She turned and saw the book The Legend of the Luminous Knight beside her.
Kathy:"Of course... that's why. I was reading it. If I keep dreaming like this, I'll have enough material to write my own story."
She got up and began preparing for school as usual. Walking through the streets of London, she headed toward the train station, just like every morning.
Kathy:"For a dream... it was far too real. And besides... the young knight was actually very handsome."
As she waited to cross the street, she noticed a mother and her small child on the opposite side. The woman let go of the boy's hand to answer a phone call. Spotting a coin on the asphalt, the boy ran toward it, unaware of the speeding car coming his way. His mother didn't notice either.
Kathy:"WATCH OUT!!!"
Everything slowed down. The boy was about to be struck... when a flash of white streaked across the street in the blink of an eye, setting the child safely back onto the sidewalk.
Kathy's eyes widened in shock.
(Thinking): "No... it can't be... that glow...!"
A white gleam faded into the distance.
Kathy:"What if... it wasn't a dream?"
She searched frantically for the source of the light. Then, looking up, she saw it.
Upon the rooftop of a nearby building stood the silhouette of a knight. His white armor gleamed in the morning sun.
Kathy:"It's... it's him. The Knight!"
From above, the knight turned his head slightly, watching her for a moment. Kathy held her breath.
Kathy:"Then it was real. It wasn't just a dream. The Luminous Knight... exists."
Without a word, the knight turned away. His body shone with radiant light, and in an instant, he vanished before her eyes.
Kathy stood motionless, her heart pounding. A faint smile curved her lips.
Kathy:"In that moment, I understood—there are stories that go far beyond the pages of a fairy tale."
End of Chapter One.