The Power Within

The Awakening

When I was young, I often pondered whether magic truly existed. The mere thought of it kept me endlessly curious. But as I've grown older, I wonder if it exists beyond mortal comprehension.

I reside in the town of Vespera, nestled in the English Countryside near the tomb of Vaspera. Two centuries ago, Vaspera founded Vespera to restore the lives of the people of Arcadia, who were plagued by constant rebellion from their enemies. After Arcadia was revived, it was renamed Vespera in honor of Vaspera.

My grandfather regaled me with tales of Arcadia that had been passed down from his forefathers. He spoke of the violence and how Vaspera had used her powers and wisdom to bring peace. Mother Vaspera possessed what she called "gifts." She had the power to control all four elements of nature: Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. No one knew where she came from or why she helped them, but she eliminated Arcadia's enemies.

Recently, my life has been riddled with a string of tragedies, one after another. My mother passed away from lung disease, followed by my father, who succumbed to a heart ailment. And last year, my grandfather died of old age, leaving me an orphan.

When I was 13, my aunt, a prestigious and kind woman, adopted me. On my fourteenth birthday, I fell gravely ill and was bedridden for several days. During this time, I developed a keen interest in learning more about Vaspera's powers.

Since no one visits the tomb of Vaspera anymore, it has been left abandoned. I devised a plan to visit the tomb and search for clues that might enhance my knowledge of her powers. When no one was home, I set out for the tomb, which is about 10 minutes from our house, located in the middle of the Avory forest.

I departed in the afternoon and arrived at the forest while it was still light out. I followed a trail that led directly to the tomb's entrance. As I drew nearer, I saw that it was completely obscured by vegetation, but it stood tall and imposing. I pushed my way through the entrance and soon realized that the inside of the tomb was too dark for me to see anything. I found a torch hanging on the wall nearby, lit it with a matchstick, and began to venture inside. The walls were adorned with exquisite chiseled patterns and symbols whose meanings were lost on me.

Eventually, I arrived at Vaspera's grave and began to scour the area for clues. Behind her grave lay a wooden box filled with papers, including paintings, letters, and, most importantly, a book. I perused some of the letters and gazed at the paintings, which depicted Vaspera exactly as my grandfather had described her. It was getting dark, and I couldn't dally any longer, or I'd be unable to make it home before sunset.

The book was of great importance, so I brought it home with me. The first few pages delved into magic, and I hoped to uncover answers about Vaspera's powers within its pages.

And I did.