Through the Ashes
The sky was ablaze.
Andy Junior sprinted through the crumbling ruins of his hometown, the air thick with smoke and the screams of those who hadn't made it. The once-vibrant world of Eltheria was now a graveyard of memories. Buildings collapsed like sandcastles, and the ground trembled beneath his feet. He clutched a glowing crystal — the last gift from his father, who had vanished in the chaos.
"Find the portal," his father had whispered. "It's your only chance."
Andy didn't know where it led. He only knew he had to survive.
As he reached the edge of the city, a shimmering vortex pulsed between two fractured monoliths. The crystal in his hand vibrated, reacting to the portal's energy. Without hesitation, Andy leapt through — just as a monstrous shadow lunged behind him.
Silence.
Then light.
Andy awoke in a forest unlike any he'd ever seen. Trees glowed with bioluminescent veins, and the air smelled of ozone and wildflowers. Strange creatures chirped in the distance, and two moons hung in the sky like watchful eyes.
He was alive. But he was alone.
"Where… am I?" he whispered.
A voice echoed from the trees. "You are in Virelia, child of Eltheria. And your arrival was foretold."
From the shadows emerged a cloaked figure — a girl with silver hair and eyes like molten gold. She held a staff carved with ancient runes.
"My name is Kaelith," she said. "You are the last of your kind. And the fate of both worlds now rests with you."
Andy's heart pounded. He didn't understand. But he knew one thing: he couldn't go back. And whatever lay ahead, he would face it — for Eltheria, for his father, and for the truth behind the destruction of his world.
Andy stood beneath the twin moons, catching his breath as the forest pulsed with quiet life. The girl named Kaelith studied him, her golden eyes narrowing with curiosity.
He looked down at himself for the first time since the escape.
His once-crisp school uniform was torn and scorched, the navy blazer hanging in tatters over his shoulders. Beneath it, a black undershirt clung to his lean frame, stained with ash and streaked with dried blood. His pants — once part of a formal academy set — were now ripped at the knees, the fabric singed from the fires of Eltheria.
But it was his eyes that told the real story.
A deep, stormy gray, flecked with silver — eyes that had seen too much for someone barely sixteen. His hair, jet black and tousled, fell just above his brows, matted with soot and sweat. A faint scar curved along his left cheek, a reminder of the final battle before the portal opened.
Around his neck, the crystal his father gave him still glowed faintly — a soft blue light that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Kaelith tilted her head. "You carry the mark of the Riftborn," she said. "You're not just a survivor. You're a key."
Andy didn't know what that meant. But he knew this: he wasn't the same boy who had run from the flames. This world would test him — and he would rise to meet it.
The Echo of Eltheria
Andy followed Kaelith through the glowing forest, each step stirring memories of the world he'd lost. The trees whispered in a language he didn't understand, and the ground beneath him pulsed faintly — as if the land itself was alive.
Kaelith walked with purpose, her silver hair trailing behind her like moonlight. "You're not the first to arrive through the Rift," she said. "But you may be the last."
Andy's grip tightened around the crystal. "What do you mean?"
She paused at a clearing where a massive stone stood, etched with symbols that shimmered in the moonlight. "This is the Echo Stone. It remembers all who pass through the Rift. Touch it."
Andy hesitated, then reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed the surface, a surge of energy coursed through him. Visions flashed before his eyes — battles, ruins, a council of cloaked figures, and a monstrous being cloaked in shadow. He saw his father, standing before the portal, whispering something he couldn't hear.
Then… silence.
Andy staggered back, gasping. "What was that?"
Kaelith looked solemn. "Fragments of your past… and glimpses of your future. The Rift doesn't just transport. It transforms."
Andy looked down at his hands. The veins beneath his skin glowed faintly blue, the same hue as the crystal. Something inside him had changed.
Kaelith nodded. "You're awakening. The power of Eltheria flows through you now. But it's unstable. You'll need training — and allies."
Andy straightened, the weight of destiny settling on his shoulders. "Then let's find them."
Kaelith smiled for the first time. "Good. Because the shadows are already moving. And they know you're here."
🌌 Chapter 3: The Academy of Echoes
The morning sun in Virelia rose in hues of violet and gold, casting long shadows through the crystalline trees. Andy walked beside Kaelith, still reeling from the visions the Echo Stone had shown him.
"Where are we going?" he asked, brushing dew from his tattered sleeve.
Kaelith glanced at him. "To the Academy of Echoes. It's where Riftborn like you are trained."
"Riftborn?"
"Those touched by the Rift — survivors from other worlds. You're not the first, Andy. But you might be the most important."
They emerged from the forest onto a floating stone path that spiraled upward into the clouds. Andy's eyes widened as a massive structure came into view — a castle suspended in the sky, its towers wrapped in vines of glowing runes. Dragons circled its spires, and waterfalls cascaded into the air, vanishing into mist.
"Whoa," Andy breathed. "This is a school?"
Kaelith smirked. "Not just any school. The Academy is older than most worlds. It's where magic, memory, and destiny intertwine."
As they approached the gates, a group of students in flowing robes turned to stare. Some whispered. Others looked at Andy with curiosity… or suspicion.
A tall boy with crimson eyes stepped forward. "Another Riftborn? We don't need more unstable anomalies."
Kaelith stepped between them. "He's under my protection. And he's here to learn."
Andy clenched his fists, the crystal around his neck pulsing. "I didn't ask for this," he said. "But I'm not backing down."
The boy sneered, then turned away. Kaelith led Andy through the gates.
Inside, the Academy was a maze of floating classrooms, enchanted libraries, and training arenas where students sparred with elemental spirits. A massive tree grew at the center of the courtyard — its leaves shimmered like stardust.
"This is where your journey begins," Kaelith said. "You'll learn to control the Rift energy. To fight. To remember who you are."
Andy looked up at the sky, then back at the students around him. He was no longer just a survivor. He was a student of the unknown.
And his story was only beginning.