Arc 1: The Reluctant Observer

  Chapter 1: Waking Up to Destiny (and a Really Fancy Robe)

  Ryan blinked, the world swimming into focus. Gone was the sterile white of the hospital room, replaced by intricately carved wooden beams overhead and the scent of sandalwood. He sat up, the silk of his ridiculously ornate robes whispering around him. He looked down at his hands – slender, elegant, definitely not his calloused office hands.

  "Well, this is different," he muttered, his voice sounding a touch higher than he remembered.

  A flurry of movement at the doorway caught his attention. A stern-faced man with a magnificent grey beard and several younger individuals in similar, though less extravagant, clothing rushed in, bowing deeply.

  "The Chosen One has awakened!" the bearded man declared, his voice booming.

  Ryan blinked again. "Chosen One? Did I win something?"

  A young woman with fiery red hair stepped forward, her eyes wide with reverence. "You are Feng, the Lumina Blade, prophesied to banish the Gloom Tide and unite our fractured lands!"

  Feng? Lumina Blade? Gloom Tide? His head was spinning. Memories, not entirely his own, flickered through his mind – fragmented visions of a devastating darkness, a legendary sword, and a destiny he definitely hadn't signed up for. He also gleaned some basic understanding of the world around him.

  This was the land of Aethel, currently plagued by the encroaching Gloom Tide, a shadowy force that was corrupting the land and its people, causing unrest and conflict. Whispers spoke of monstrous creatures and shadowy figures gaining power in the darkness.

  The prophecy of the Lumina Blade foretold the rise of a hero wielding a legendary sword of pure light, capable of banishing the Gloom Tide and bringing peace to the land. Said sword, the Radiant Dawn, was currently locked away in the perilous Sunstone Shrine, a sacred but heavily guarded location.

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  "Look," Ryan said, holding up his hands. "There's been a mistake. I think I hit my head pretty hard back there."

  The bearded man, apparently the Sect Leader of the Veridia Sword Clan, frowned slightly. "The awakening can sometimes be disorienting, Lumina Blade, but the signs are clear." He gestured to the shimmering symbol on the back of Ryan's hand, a radiant sunburst. "The Mark of Destiny."

  Ryan stared at his hand. Yep, still glowing. "Okay," he said slowly. "Let's just say, hypothetically, I am this 'Feng.' What exactly is the first step in this… 'saving the land' business?"

  The Sect Leader beamed. "Your first quest, Lumina Blade, is to visit the key influential figures across Aethel. Your presence alone will inspire them and pave the way for a grand alliance against the Gloom Tide!"

  Ryan’s eyes widened. Influential figures? That sounded like a lot of responsibility. "Right, about that… I've been having these… premonitions. Very strong ones. And they all point to… Mei being exceptionally good with people." He gestured enthusiastically to the young woman with fiery red hair sitting quietly nearby. "Mei has this incredible aura of… understanding. People just listen to her. I truly believe she's the key to this whole alliance thing. I'll… guide her. Strategically. From a safe distance."

  Mei, who was meticulously polishing her sword, nearly dropped it. "Me? But… I'm just a junior disciple."

  "Nonsense!" Ryan declared, his voice booming with false confidence. "Destiny works in mysterious ways! Mei, you are the true diplomat the land needs. Go forth and… influence!"

  As a bewildered Mei was quickly ushered towards preparations for her important task, Ryan leaned back, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "Right then," he muttered to himself. "Time to find the comfiest chair in this place and start formulating my 'escape before the final boss' strategy."

  Beneath his carefully cultivated air of incompetence, however, the strange intuitive understanding continued to grow. During his brief observation of a training session, he’d effortlessly identified a flaw in the Sect Leader's sword form that even the senior disciples hadn't noticed. He’d kept his mouth shut, of course. No need to reveal his accidental prodigy just yet. The more others shone, the less attention would be on him. And the more time he’d have to squirrel away enough gold to fund his peaceful retirement far, far away from any looming Gloom Tides.