The Prince of Light

Ezra opened his eyes, a gentle breeze brushing against his face. The ground beneath his feet was not the cold pavement of the park, nor the hard wood of the bench where he had collapsed.

Standing up, he carefully rose to his feet, looking around.

The landscape surrounding him was mysteriously beautiful. The ground had a silvery, shimmering tone, and it seemed to vibrate faintly, as if it were alive.

In the distance, rock formations rose, and the sky… the sky was a canvas of blues and purples, dotted with flickering lights that twinkled like stars.

"Where… am I? Is this a dream?" Ezra thought, looking around with a mix of awe and confusion.

—You are in my realm, Ezra —a soft, melodious voice responded.

Ezra turned sharply toward the voice. There stood a woman.

Her hair was blue, long, and straight, so long that it cascaded to the ground. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were a silvery hue. She wore a violet dress that flowed with the wind.

—You are not dreaming —she said with a smile—. This is as real as the pain you carry in your heart.

Ezra swallowed hard. How did she know his name and the feelings he had? She had even read his thoughts.

—Who… who are you? —he asked, his voice barely escaping his throat.

—I am Selyra, the Millennial Moon —she replied, extending a hand toward him—. I am the guardian of this space, the bridge between your world and Dawnaris, the world I have been tasked to watch over.

Ezra looked at Selyra's outstretched hand but did not dare take it. His eyes reflected distrust, and his mind struggled to understand the words he had just heard.

—Why am I here? —he asked, his voice betraying his uncertainty—. What do you want from me?

Selyra lowered her hand and approached him calmly.

—Because you need something only this world can give you —she said—. The cure for your mother.

Ezra felt his heart race at those words.

Was it possible? Could this woman truly save his mother?

—That doesn't answer my questions. How do you know about my mother? Are you a god? —he asked, his voice filled with distrust and doubt.

—I know everything about you, Ezra —she replied softly—. I have been watching you for a long time. I know your struggles, your pain, and the potential you carry. I am not what you would call a god, but I am something similar.

—It may be hard for you to accept that you are no longer on Earth —she continued, in a kind tone—. Fear of the unknown is natural, and it would be strange if you didn't feel it. But rest assured, you are not here to suffer. I brought you here because I need your help, and I am willing to answer all your questions.

Ezra stared at her, searching for any sign of deceit in her silvery eyes, but he found only sincerity.

—My help? —he asked, incredulous—. What could I possibly do for you? I'm just an ordinary person, someone with nothing special. You seem more powerful, more capable than me. I don't have any valuable possessions or anything that could catch your attention.

Selyra smiled faintly, as if she knew something he couldn't yet grasp.

—There is something I want you to do for me, and for Dawnaris —she said—. That is why I brought you here. And no, I will not harm you. On the contrary, I want to give you an opportunity that very few receive. An opportunity that could save your beloved mother.

Once again, Selyra had mentioned the cure for his mother. Though all of this was strange, if what she said was true, he wanted to cling to that possibility, no matter how slim it seemed.

—Tell me about this cure you speak of —Ezra said, his voice firm—. I will do whatever it takes to obtain it. I'll even give my life if it means saving my mother.

—I was hoping you'd say that —she replied with a smile.

—But Ezra, I won't lie to you —she continued, her tone serious—. You might actually die doing what I ask of you. But if your words are sincere, I know that won't stop you. Come, follow me. Let's talk somewhere more comfortable; I have much to teach you.

Ezra followed Selyra to a garden. In the center, there was a crystal table with a steaming teapot and two cups. Selyra sat down and gestured for Ezra to do the same.

—Dawnaris is a place full of wonders and dangers —Selyra began, pouring the tea with fluid movements—. This world, which was once balanced and a refuge for life, now suffers under the rule of an evil king named Noctharn. His unbridled ambition to dominate everything has corrupted the natural laws of Dawnaris, disrupting the order that kept this planet in harmony for millennia.

Ezra looked at the cup in front of him, feeling the warm steam brush against his face.

—If his influence is not stopped —she continued, her tone growing graver—, Noctharn will open a portal to your world, and then to others. His darkness knows no bounds, and his thirst for power will lead him to destroy not only what remains of Dawnaris but also the rest of the universe.

—Destruction? —Ezra asked, looking up at Selyra.

—Yes —she replied solemnly—. The King of Night, Noctharn, has plunged Dawnaris into darkness. He has stolen the light, corrupted the lands, and enslaved its inhabitants. If Noctharn is not stopped, you will not only lose the cure for your mother, but both worlds will fall into eternal night.

—The only way to stop him is by restoring the fundamental laws that have lost their power, especially the Law of Light, which is the natural counterpart to darkness. Without it, the balance of Dawnaris is broken, and Noctharn has exploited that rift to extend his influence.

—Noctharn knows that light is his weakness. That is why he has spent centuries exterminating all the clans and kingdoms that had any connection to this element. He has razed entire cities, slaughtered their inhabitants, and destroyed their relics, artifacts, and legacies.

—But not all is lost. When Noctharn's power spiraled out of control and his darkness began to devour everything in its path, the seers of Dawnaris received a revelation. In their visions, they glimpsed a possible future, a flicker of light amidst the gloom: a destiny in which Noctharn would be defeated, and his reign of fear and oppression would come to an end.

—The prophecy foretold that hope would not be found within Dawnaris but beyond it. And that in the darkest hour, when all seemed lost, when even the inhabitants of this world had stopped believing in the prophecy…

—It would be in that moment, when darkness had consumed everything, when knowledge and virtue were but distant memories, and when no one remembered what light was… in that moment, a man from another world would appear. A man who would carry in his heart the light needed to face Noctharn, restore the balance of Dawnaris, and return hope to a world that had forgotten it.

Selyra stared intently at Ezra, as if her eyes could see beyond his appearance, beyond his flaws.

Beyond his weaknesses, fears, and shortcomings.

—That man is you, Ezra —she said, her voice resonating in the air itself—. You are the hope of Dawnaris. And though the path will be difficult and fraught with danger, I know you have what it takes to succeed.