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Prologue

Prologue

A jet of golden light ripped the night air. Kevin ran through narrow gaps between incredibly tall trees. He could barely see what lay before him. The branches of the forest loomed darkly overhead, eclipsing the light of the stars with terrifying efficiency. The boy turned right, towards an apparent clearing, but had to change his course as another tree trunk was hit by a powerful golden blast.

'Where is Aurum?'

The mighty voice carried perfectly, impossibly, through the overwhelming density of the forest. It came from a woman, a very determined one. Kevin was thinking fast; he would not resist the chase much longer, he needed a plan.

Make your choice. Make it count.

The forest was silent, heavy with shadow. Pulling the phone from his pocket, hands shaking, Kevin darted around the trunk of a particularly massive tree and crouched behind it, calculating his options. He was going to turn the light on, identify a path out of the woods and then ... what? He had no idea where to go next, but staying put wasn't an option.

The silence was torture. He could practically feel the mysterious woman closing in on him. When he finally looked at the screen of his recently acquired smartphone, another surprise: it was already functioning, displaying that weird GPS that had put him into this nightmare in the first place.

Kevin examined the too-exact map, using intuition much more than proper reasoning; he made up his mind, and then started to run more desperately than ever. Another flash of light and a sonorous burst echoed to his left. This did not affect his trajectory this time, though; he knew exactly where he wanted to go.

Only the why isn't clear.

'Where is Aurum?' The voice appeared to be emitted by the trees themselves.

Who in the Universe is Aurum?

Kevin spotted his destination: a treacherous path led to the edge of the forest. He could feel the pressing density of the woods relenting while he raced through the trees. It was incredibly hard not to fall as he zigzagged, avoiding twigs, roots, stones and ... another ray of light zoomed inches from his ear. He was now very close to the open space. Something like hope spread through his chest: he was going to find help ...

Or at least see the sky before dying.

The Universe turned upside down. Kevin was leaving the woods, not running as he had expected, but rotating in mid-air. The explosion next to his feet had been forceful enough to propel him upwards, adding a vertical component to his linear momentum.

Ok, now I'm a goner.

Miraculously, his feet hit the ground first. It was painful, but they were a much better option than the neck. He tumbled to a stop, and then picked himself up clumsily, rubbing his left knee while peering around. The cloaked and deadly silhouette was approaching the last line of trees very quickly. He turned away from the forest and evaluated his alternatives.

Where am I?

In a valley directly ahead, there was a medieval village. Narrow cobbled streets paved the town. The eaves of little houses brushed shoulder to shoulder with one another, shielding tidy gardens behind them. Each peculiar detail seemed to fit a grand symmetry, looking from this distance. The effect was quite pleasant, especially below the most breathtaking sea of stars Kevin had ever seen.

No time to appreciate.

He was running again. More bursts of light scorched the air around him, making the cold night feel eerily warm. Kevin's Universe contracted to a blurred tunnel as he pelted towards the town; forward was the only way to go.