A thin veil of mist curled away under the violet moonlight, revealing silver runes etched into the frozen ground. A distant bell tolled—each chime slipping beyond space and time, embedding an unspoken command into the heart: "Awaken, Chosen One…"
Kai blinked, anchoring his thoughts on the glowing glyphs at his feet. Silence stretched in every direction, broken only by the fragile crackle of his breath crystallizing in the air. When he opened his eyes, an endless expanse of snow lay before him, flanked by two dim moons that watched like silent sentinels. A rush of icy magic surged through him, sending his heartbeat racing.
Chime:System Message: Player Avyrion has entered the Forbidden Realm.
The familiar yet alien alert pulsed in his mind. Kai's hand flew to his chest, where a suit of silver-blue armor glimmered with soft light, as if alive. Memories swirled—buffs, boss mechanics, dark creatures—but here, the cold bit deeper, and the stakes felt real.
Footsteps echoed on the snow. Kai spun around to face a lone figure cloaked in white. A halo of holy light drifted around them like moths, their face hidden in shadow yet suffused with unearthly calm.
"You have answered the summons," the stranger's voice rang—clear as a temple bell. "The Ashen Gate falters; darkness floods every realm. Only Avyrion can restore balance."
Kai's throat tightened. "Avyrion… who is that?""You," the stranger replied softly. "But first, learn to stand firm against this storm of magic."
They extended a simple wooden staff topped with a trembling crystal that pulsed like a galaxy. Kai hesitated, then reached out. The moment his fingers brushed the gem, visions of scarlet battlefields, roaring dragons, and the cries of countless souls exploded in his mind.
Yet this was no game. Every wound, every spell would carry real consequences.
A distant bell from the village gates rang faintly—a single thread of warmth in the frozen wasteland. Kai drew a steady breath, resolve hardening in his eyes. No interface. No respawns. Only life—and death.
"I'm ready," he whispered, and took the first step toward the lantern-lit village tucked beneath the ice.