Millenium : The Awakening of Heroes

Ikku walked briskly, refusing to look back, leaving behind the house that had seen him grow up in the shadows of pain.

The weight of the broken bottle against his head was far lighter than the weight of his father's words, which still spun in his mind like shards of glass. The dried blood on his forehead stung with every movement, but he ignored it. The physical pain seemed insignificant compared to the deeper wound gnawing at his heart.

There was nothing left for him here. Nothing but stagnant resentment and bitterness that had darkened the years of his childhood. He took a deep breath of the cold morning air. The village stretched before him, silent and frozen in the early light of dawn. The cobblestones beneath his feet were damp with dew, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees lining the main road.

Despite the apparent calm, Ikku felt a storm raging inside him a turbulent sea in his mind. Each step brought him closer to the unknown, and he couldn't ignore the fear that accompanied this newfound freedom. But that fear, he transformed into determination. The legendary jewels.

To him, they were more than just a myth.

They were his chance to prove to himself and to the world that he wasn't doomed to failure, no matter what his father had always made him believe.

As Ikku left the village behind, his mind wandered back to what he had recently discovered online. His plan wasn't to set off blindly; he knew exactly where he needed to go or at least, in which direction.

The country of Isrue was home to a mysterious kingdom known as Kul-Elna. A place whose precise location was unknown to all but the elite. There, he had read about Nexus, a military organization of unparalleled power.

The members of Nexus weren't just warriors; they were masters in various fields: archaeology, science, cooking… each of them possessing a unique expertise that made them indispensable.

Ikku knew that to achieve his goal of finding the legendary jewels, he first had to join Nexus.

Kul-Elna, this mythical kingdom, wasn't far from his village. This was both a blessing and a frustration. A blessing because he wouldn't have to cross entire countries to reach it. A frustration because, even though the kingdom was nearby, no one seemed to know its exact location. And it was no surprise. Nexus enjoyed incredible privileges. They had access to a vast information network, a special map allowing them to travel anywhere without spending a dime, and countless other advantages that Ikku could only dream of.

But how was he supposed to find this place ? All his research had yielded vague hints, with no concrete leads. He would have to improvise. Maybe he would meet someone along the way who knew more. Maybe his instincts would guide him. What he knew for certain was that he had no choice but to try.

He checked his bag, hastily packed with a few provisions he had snatched before leaving. It wouldn't be enough for a long journey, but he hoped to reach a town or village before running out of food.

As he kept walking, his thoughts about Nexus grew more intense. What did these warriors look like? How did they live in a kingdom no one could find? Their base must be extraordinary, and Ikku was already dreaming of setting foot inside.

Night had long fallen, and Ikku, exhausted from his long trek, couldn't go any further.

He found an old bench, secluded and out of sight, and decided to spend the night there in the open air. The cold seeped through his clothes, but he had no other choice. Lying down, even for a few hours, would give him enough energy to keep going.

His sleep was light, filled with disjointed dreams of his father's familiar face and his old life in the village blending with unfamiliar landscapes. When he woke up at first light, a jolt of panic gripped him. His bag… it was gone!

Frantic, Ikku sprang to his feet, scanning his surroundings. Nothing. He searched desperately around the bench, hoping it had just fallen somewhere. But nothing. His meager provisions, his water everything was gone.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a nimble, furtive figure: a stray dog, darting off with his bag clamped in its jaws.

"Hey!" he shouted instinctively. "You mangy mutt!"

The dog, startled, bolted, the bag still firmly in its grip. Without thinking, Ikku gave chase. Minutes turned into what felt like hours as he sprinted after the animal, his breath growing ragged and his legs trembling with exhaustion. But he couldn't afford to stop. Losing that bag wasn't an option it was all he had.

The chase lasted nearly thirty minutes, though to Ikku it felt like an eternity. Finally, the dog, seemingly tired of the game, dropped the bag and disappeared. Ikku, utterly spent, collapsed to his knees, clutching the bag as if it were a lost treasure. He took a sip of water, savoring every drop, and let out a long sigh of relief.

But as he caught his breath, a chilling realization struck him: he had no idea where he was. A dense forest surrounded him, towering trees standing like silent giants. Panic crept back into his chest.

He had been so focused on the dog and his bag that he hadn't paid attention to his surroundings. He was lost, deep in the middle of this forest. The paths were far behind him, and the countless identical trees made any sense of direction impossible.

Ikku stood, observing his surroundings with growing unease. Morning light filtered through the foliage, casting shifting shadows on the moss-covered ground. He could hear only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the distant calls of birds. The place was serene, but he couldn't shake the gnawing anxiety rising within him. He had to find a way out.

But where to start?

After walking for what felt like hours, the forest seemed endless. Every tree looked the same, and there was no sign of a path or exit. Discouragement began to creep in, turning each step into an ordeal. The oppressive silence and solitude of the forest didn't help.

He stopped, taking a deep breath, trying to calm his rising panic. That's when he heard it. A sound. The leaves ahead of him rustled, and his heart skipped a beat as a massive form emerged from the underbrush.

A tiger. Enormous, with rippling muscles and gleaming fangs, it stared at him with piercing eyes. Time seemed to freeze around Ikku. Fear rooted him to the spot, his legs trembling too much to move. Running wasn't an option, nor was fighting. Despair took hold of him, and finally, his legs gave out, leaving him to collapse helplessly on the ground.

The tiger advanced slowly, each step pounding in Ikku's mind like a countdown to his end. He realized then that he would die here, alone, in this unfamiliar forest. As the tiger pounced, he closed his eyes, unable to face the vision of his own death.

Seconds passed. One. Two. Three… Nothing. No pain. Why was he still alive? Slowly, he opened his eyes, his breath catching at the sight before him.

The tiger lay unconscious on the ground, mere inches from him. How was this possible ? He hadn't even had time to process what had happened.

Ikku turned his head to his right, and what he saw left him speechless.

A man stood there, nearly two meters tall. His imposing figure was cloaked in a long black cape that seemed to absorb the light around him. His disheveled black hair and stubble gave him a wild appearance, but his eyes, despite their hardness, held a glimmer of compassion.

"What are you doing here, kid?" the man asked in a deep voice. "It's dangerous out here."

Ikku, still in shock, remained speechless for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Who was this stranger ? Had he just saved him? And why ?