Many a time we ponder upon the divergent paths that could have shaped our lives differently. I pen these words to unveil the hidden truths that elude the world's gaze. The world is teeming with wonders, but we must open our eyes and embrace the extraordinary. Once, I was oblivious to this reality, sensing a void within me, an emptiness that gnawed at my core. However, a fateful encounter with my guide altered the course of my existence in unimaginable ways. Every individual has experienced a dream, a vision of a resplendent glade with a babbling brook and the distant symphony of a cascading waterfall—a place where nature thrives. Some dismiss it as a mere dream upon awakening, while others harbour an innate understanding that this vision holds greater significance. For them, life embarks on a new trajectory, forever altered.
Belief is a choice bestowed upon all, even in the subtlest of dreams. Whether one seizes that opportunity lies within their own volition. Those who awaken from this dream, aware of its profound implications, are known as the Marked Ones. Some have carried this knowledge within them since birth, sensing an incompleteness that plagued their souls. Eventually, a figure appears to guide them, or they awaken to find marks and bruises, remnants of recurring dreams. These few are the Chosen, the select few entrusted with the task of safeguarding our world from the encroaching darkness, averting the demons and devastation that threaten to consume our realm.
Before you proceed further, I beseech you, dear reader, to assess your openness of mind. If you are unwilling to embrace the faintest possibility of magic or alternate realms, I implore you to set this tome aside, walk away, and feign ignorance of its contents. But for those who yearn to delve deeper, who harbour belief in the existence of magic and otherworldly domains, I entreat you to read on. Within these pages lies my life, my tale—a narrative that compelled me to relinquish my duties as one of the Chosen, forgoing my responsibilities, all to offer you another chance. How you choose to seize it is within your hands. However, I implore you not to dismiss this account as mere fiction. This is my life, and it holds the key to your future. Believe it if you dare, but when the world crumbles around you and darkness engulfs our realm, remember that I forewarned you.
Alethia Eveningstar