When the stars line up in the sky
The world shakes with thunder, The shadows of the past will rise, The wheels of destiny will turn, and a chaotic future will come.
A soul that does not know itself will rise, it will walk an unknown path, leading the world to the crossroads of destiny
The Hero will be Chosen (Justice), the Saintess will be born (The High Priestess), the Hermit will embark on a journey (The Hermit), the King and Queen will choose their successors (The Emperor and The Empress), and the Sun and Moon will align (The Sun and The Moon).
At that moment "The Fool" will rise and bring the world to a crossroads of destiny.
# # #
The blinding white light slowly faded, replaced by a golden dimness that filtered through the cracks in the worn wooden planks.
Nael Hawthorne blinked, feeling a strange sensation beneath him—not his soft mattress, but a pile of dry leaves rustling gently.
The smell of damp moss and ragwood hit his nostrils. He tried to get up, but his head throbbed painfully as if he'd been hit by a sledgehammer.
"Ugh...where am I?"
Nael muttered, his voice hoarse. He found himself lying inside a small, dilapidated hut. The walls were made of haphazardly stacked tree trunks, and the roof was woven broad leaves that were now slightly yellowed. An old oil lantern hung in the corner, but it wasn't lit.
"What happened? How did I get here?"
His mind was blank, as if a memory had been deliberately erased. He remembered the last time he'd stayed up until the early hours of the morning, completing the latest event in "World of Destiny," his favorite fantasy MMORPG. After that, everything went black. With great difficulty, Nael dragged himself out of the hut. His eyes were immediately greeted by a sight both stunning and familiar.
The vast forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Giant trees with moss-covered trunks towered high, their canopies of leaves forming a green roof that obscured the sky. The chirping of exotic birds filled the air, blending with the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.
"This... this can't be,"
Nael whispered, his steps halting. He walked slowly, feeling every grain of wet earth beneath his bare feet. Something was off.
This forest, this hut... it all felt like déjà vu.
Nael took in the small details: The blue moss growing between the tree roots, the distinctive shape of the Whispering Willow's leaves, even the small, gurgling stream in the distance.
"Wait a minute... That Ancient Treant tree with red eyes over there... and over there, the Moonpetal Flower that only blooms here..."
His eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
Nael shouted, his voice bouncing through the trees. All the pieces of the puzzle suddenly came together, crashing into his mind like a tidal wave. This was the Lost Woods, the initial tutorial area in World of Destiny!
This dilapidated hut was the starting point for every new player who chose the Human race! Nael's heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping through his body. He pinched his arm hard. It wasn't a dream. This was real. He was really inside his favorite game!
"How is this possible? I... I'm trapped in the World of Destiny?"
His mind raced, trying to process this absurd new reality.
"How could that be? I..."
However, his surprise didn't stop there. A strange sensation appeared in his head, as if something had just "awakened" within him.
A transparent interface suddenly appeared before his eyes, visible only to him.
[Nael Hawthorne]
[Title: None]
[Arcana Awakened: The Fool]
Nael read the inscription over and over again. "The Fool?"
Arcana. It's a hidden power system within World of Destiny, an ancient power that can only be awakened by a handful of important NPCs or extremely lucky players. There are 22 types of Arcana, each with its own power, and "The Fool" is one of the most mysterious.
In the game's lore, "The Fool" symbolizes the beginning of a journey, unlimited potential, freedom, but also emptiness and confusion. Players who awaken "The Fool" will gain a unique, random skill set, often difficult to control, but with the potential to become the most powerful if mastered. It's the rarest Arcana to awaken due to its nature. The unexpected.
"The Fool... of all the Arcana, why this one?"
Nael sighed, half in shock, half in disbelief. He was a tanker in the game, preferring to rely on defense and crowd control. This Arcana didn't suit his playstyle at all.
However, the interface didn't disappear. It was as if it had become a part of him.
Nael tried to focus his thoughts, remembering the in-game menu system.
A new window appeared.
[ Status]
[Nael Hawthorne]
[Race: Human]
[Class: None]
[STR: 5]
[DEX: 5]
[INT: 5]
[WILL: 5]
[LUK: 10 (+5)]
[Arcana Skill: The Fool]
[Passive Skill: Beginner's Luck (LUK +5)]
[Active Skill: Arcana Shift (Rank F) - Activates one of The Fool's various random effects. Cooldown: 15 minutes]
"Class None? Beginner's Luck?"
Nael read every detail, his brows furrowed. The stats were pretty standard for a new player, except for the slightly higher LUK.
And Arcana Shift? This was the ultimate skill of "The Fool," which allowed the user to manifest Arcana effects randomly. So unreliable!
He tried to activate Arcana Shift. In his mind, he imagined the skill button being pressed.
Suddenly, a warm sensation spread from his chest, and his surroundings seemed to flicker slightly. Nothing specific happened.
"What the hell? This doesn't look like a game skill!"
he grumbled. He was expecting a burst of energy or a flashy visual effect.
[Arcana Shift activated! Effect: "Message in a Bottle" - A mysterious message appears inside an empty glass bottle]
Nael looked at the ground in front of him. There, a clear glass bottle had appeared out of thin air, filled with a small scroll of parchment tied with string.
"Seriously? A message in a bottle? Is this some kind of weird Arcana tutorial?"
Nael took the bottle and pulled out the scroll.
He unrolled it. The writing was in an ancient script he shouldn't have understood, yet somehow, he could read it.
Oh lost traveler,
You have been guided by destiny to a new world.
The newly awakened power within you is both a key and a burden.
Seek the light in the darkness, and the truth behind the illusion.
Your path will begin at the Arcana Academy.
Follow the path east, towards the nearest village.
There, your destiny will await.
"Arcana Academy?"
Nael frowned. The Academy was one of the most important locations in the World of Destiny, where Arcana users and other talented individuals honed their powers.
"So, not only am I stuck in the game, but I also have to go to the Academy? And how am I supposed to get there with this obscure 'The Fool' skill?"
However, one thing was certain: he couldn't stay brooding in this hut. A new reality had unfolded before him.
Nael threw away the empty bottle, took a deep breath, and began walking. He chose east, following his gut—and also the clues of that strange "message in a bottle."
In the midst of that strange yet familiar forest, an ordinary gamer had begun his journey as "The Fool" in a world that once existed only on his computer screen. He had no idea what dangers awaited, or what destiny his new Arcana had revealed. Clearly, Nael Hawthorne's adventure had only just begun.