Chapter 1: The Awakening

A gentle breeze swept over Lycia's sleeping face. The young girl slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the brightness. She found herself in a vast, green field, not knowing exactly how she had ended up there. She tried to stand up, but her legs didn't respond to her command. That's when she noticed a strange sensation in the palm of her hand.

Upon looking at it, she saw a dark, intertwined snake-shaped mark on her skin. Lycia had never seen anything like it before. The mark seemed to have a life of its own, moving slowly as the young girl observed it.

"What is this?" she wondered as she struggled to get up. Around her, the landscape seemed to waver, as if it was out of place. The sky was green, the grass was purple, and the trees looked like they had been painted by a mad artist.

Lycia spotted something in the distance and decided to walk towards it, since there didn't seem to be anything better to do in that strange scenario. When she got closer, she saw a hooded figure sitting on a throne in the middle of a small clearing.

"Welcome, Lycia," said the figure in a grave and mysterious voice.

"Who are you?" asked Lycia, still confused about what was happening.

"I am the King of Darkness, and I have come to fetch you," he said, extending his hand.

"To fetch me? Why?"

"Because you are special, Lycia. You have a strength that you have yet to discover. A force that can change the course of our world's history."

The young girl became even more confused. What did that strange man mean by those enigmatic words? Even so, she allowed herself to be led and took the hand that the King of Darkness offered her. When their fingers touched, she felt an electric shock running through her body.

Suddenly, the world crumbled into a whirlwind of colors, and Lycia was thrown into a vortex of energy. She screamed and closed her eyes to protect herself. When she finally opened them again, she realized that she was no longer in the green field. Instead, she was in a dark and cramped room.

"What happened?" she wondered, looking around.

The room looked like a basement, with damp stone walls and a single wooden door. There were no windows, and the only source of light came from a rusty lamp on the ceiling. Beside the door, there was a bottle of water and a slice of bread with butter.

Lycia approached and took the thirst-quenching water. As she drank, she felt a throbbing pain in her right arm. Upon examining it, she saw the mark was still there, as dark and alive as before.

"What did you do to me?" she yelled, banging on the door. "Let me out of here!"

But no one answered. The young girl continued to shout and pound on the door, but to no avail. She felt trapped, with no way to escape.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a man entered, carrying a tray of food.

"Calm down, Lycia," he said, putting the tray on the table. "You're here for a reason."

"Who are you?" asked Lycia, taking a bite of bread.

"I'm Niras, your guide in this world. I was tasked with helping you find your true nature."

"True nature?" Lycia repeated, chewing slowly. "What do you mean?"

"You've long forgotten who you really are, Lycia. I will help you remember."

With these words, Niras turned and left through the door, leaving Lycia alone again.

"What's going on?" she sighed, looking around. "What do I have to do with all of this?"

Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind, soft and melodious.

"Lycia, my daughter, you must remember. You must remember who you are and what was done."

"That voice..." the young girl murmured. "Who are you?"

"I am the Goddess of Darkness, Lycia. The force that inhabits within you."

"Darkness?" Lycia repeated, feeling a shiver run down her spine. "I'm not a good person?"

"Goodness and evil are just façades, my dear. What matters is the strength that you carry inside you. Only that can decide your destiny."

Lycia fell silent, trying to understand the words she had just heard. She had always considered herself a good person, but now, she was discovering that perhaps there was more in her heart than just goodness. Perhaps there was something bad too.

"What should I do?" she asked, desolate.

"You must survive, Lycia," the Goddess of Darkness whispered. "You must survive and feel the strength that exists within you. Only then can you choose your path."

With these words, the voice disappeared, and Lycia found herself alone again. She looked around, pensive. All of this was hard to believe, but there was something inside her that made sense. Something that told her that she would soon discover the truth about herself.

In the end, the young girl knew that her life would never be the same. She was about to face challenges that she had never imagined, but she had a strength inside her to overcome them. The mark on her skin pulsed, reminding her of her true nature. And so, Lycia prepared to begin her journey, her heart full of uncertainties and hopes..