The night was quiet—too quiet for Dawn Village. Normally, this hour was filled with the sound of crickets, the soft wind brushing through the trees, and the faint laughter of late drinkers coming from the old tavern. But tonight, the silence felt heavy, like a blanket pressing down on the village.
Aria, carrying a small basket of herbs, felt the unease crawl across her skin as she walked along the narrow dirt road. Her sandals crunched against the gravel, echoing far louder than usual. She looked around, frowning.
"Strange," she whispered. "Where did everyone go?"
The marketplace had closed earlier than usual. Even the baker, who often stayed late to finish his loaves, had shuttered his stall before the sun went down. A part of her wanted to run straight to her small hut near the outskirts, but another part told her that something was wrong—terribly wrong.
As if to confirm her suspicion, the air suddenly grew cold. A faint growl echoed in the distance, low and guttural, sending shivers down her spine. The basket nearly slipped from her hands.
And then, the sky cracked.
A shadow—no, dozens of them—emerged from the forest's edge. Red eyes gleamed in the darkness, followed by the shape of beastly figures made of smoke and claws. Their bodies rippled as if barely solid, their presence choking the air.
Aria's breath caught.
"Shadow Beasts…" she muttered, her voice trembling.
Screams erupted across the village. Doors slammed. Torches were lit. The peaceful Dawn Village was suddenly alive with terror.
"Run! To the center!" someone shouted.
"They're here again!"
Aria froze in place, her body refusing to move. She had heard of Shadow Beasts before—creatures of nightmare said to come from a world that existed alongside theirs. They weren't supposed to be real. At least, that's what she had always told herself.
But now, reality clawed at her throat.
One of the beasts turned its gaze toward her. With a guttural roar, it charged, claws glinting under the moonlight.
Aria's legs finally moved. She dropped her basket and sprinted, her breath ragged as the beast's growls thundered behind her.
"No, no, no, no!" she gasped, glancing back at the monster that was almost upon her.
And then—
> Ding!
[Emergency Quest Activated: Defend Dawn Village.]
Objective: Protect at least 50 villagers.
Reward: +300 Points, Skill Unlock.
Failure: Village Destruction.
A glowing blue screen appeared before her eyes, words etched across it as if carved by light. Aria's panic doubled.
"What the—?! What is this?!" she shouted, stumbling as the screen hovered in front of her.
The Shadow Beast leaped. Aria raised her arms to shield herself—
—but a spear of light intercepted the creature, piercing through its smoky chest. The beast howled before dissolving into black mist.
Aria fell to her knees, gasping. Standing between her and the monster was a tall man clad in dark silver armor, a spear glowing faintly in his grip. His hair was tied back, his eyes sharp and cold.
"Move," he said firmly, not looking at her.
"W-Who are you?!" Aria demanded, still shaking.
The man spun his spear in a flourish, cutting through another beast that tried to pounce. "Not now. Run to the village center. If you stay here, you'll die."
Aria clenched her fists. Every fiber of her being told her to run, to hide, to pretend none of this was happening. But the glowing blue screen still hovered before her eyes, its words burning into her mind.
> Failure: Village Destruction.
She looked toward the chaos—the villagers screaming, the houses burning, the children crying. If she ran now, people would die.
Her necklace, the silver one she had worn since childhood, suddenly pulsed against her skin. Warmth spread through her chest. And with that warmth came a new message:
> [Skill Unlocked: Energy Bolt]
Condense your energy into a projectile and release it at your enemy.
Aria's eyes widened. She didn't know how, she didn't know why—but something inside her awakened.
She raised her hand. A faint light gathered at her palm, unstable and flickering. The Shadow Beast in front of her growled, ready to leap again. Aria gritted her teeth and screamed.
"Go away!"
The ball of light shot forward, striking the beast in the chest. The monster staggered before dissolving into mist, its roar echoing into the night.
Aria stood frozen, her hand trembling. She had done that. She had actually done that.
The armored man glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "So, it's true…" he muttered under his breath.
Before she could ask what he meant, more beasts surged from the forest. The ground shook with their numbers. The villagers cried out in despair.
Aria's necklace pulsed again. Another screen appeared.
> [Secondary Objective: Survive the Siege.]
Reward: +150 Points.
She swallowed hard.
This wasn't a nightmare.
This wasn't a hallucination.
Her ordinary life was over.
She was part of this battle now—whether she wanted to be or not.
Aria raised her hand once more, her eyes blazing with fear and determination.
"Fine. If this is what it takes… then I'll fight!"
And so began the Siege of Dawn Village, the night when an ordinary girl's destiny as the Forgotten Princess truly awakened.
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