Is This the Future?

The first sign that something had gone wrong was an overwhelming feeling of vertigo. I felt my body being dragged through a distortion I couldn't comprehend. Everything spun around me, and before I could react, nausea hit me hard. I doubled over and vomited on the stone floor.

As I caught my breath, a wave of pain swept over me. It wasn't physical, but something deeper, as if the chaotic energy flowing within me was tearing something apart. "Damn jump…" I muttered, trying to steady myself.

When I looked up, I realized I was in Eldrek's cave, but something was off. The walls, once solid, were now cracked, as though time had worn down every corner.

"What happened here… how long was I gone?" I murmured, examining the cracks in the ceiling. With no trace of Eldrek, the place looked like it had been abandoned for years.

I forced myself to stand up, wiping my mouth. As I tried to piece together what had happened, my eyes caught sight of my pendant on the floor. Quickly, I bent down, picked it up, and put it back on. "I'm not losing you too," I muttered, as if that could stabilize the chaos within me.

An impulse led me to explore the cave, guided by a familiar energy. My hands searched a section of the wall until I found a hidden hollow. Inside, wrapped in a time-worn leather cloth, was the sword Eldrek had shown me.

As I touched it, a surge flowed between the sword and me, as if it had been waiting. I strapped it to my belt alongside my other sword, feeling a strange sense of relief. "Finally, something familiar," I whispered.

I stepped into the area where Eldrek used to forge his weapons, but the scene was just as desolate: anvils covered in dust, rusty tools, and the embers completely cold. "Eldrek, what the hell happened here?" I exclaimed, hoping for a response that never came.

Nothing but uncertainty and an eerie silence surrounded me. I felt something burning within, a mix of chaos and unanswered questions. With no other options, I left the cave in the hope of finding something… normal.

But as soon as I stepped out, the sight hit me like a punch: the lush forest surrounding Eldrek's cave had vanished. Before me lay only scattered tree trunks and gray soil, like an ancient graveyard. Everything I knew was destroyed. I looked around, unable to process what I was seeing. "What the hell happened here?"

Without waiting for an answer, my first instinct was to run toward Nethria. The landscape grew stranger with each step, and in the sky, I saw what looked like scavenger birds, though everything felt foreign. "Come on, Darius, the village must be close," I urged myself, quickening my pace. Moving through the area without the familiar forest felt unsettling, as if the land itself had lost a part of its essence.

Then, I heard the flapping of wings behind me. I barely had time to turn before a powerful blow threw me forward, slamming me to the ground. Claws gripped me, and I recognized the feeling… a harpy?

I quickly rolled, unsheathing my magic sword in one smooth motion just in time to block another attack. "I'm not dying like last time!" I spat with anger, but as I looked, I noticed something strange about the creature: its wings were frayed, its appearance gaunt. Even so, I couldn't let my guard down.

The sword vibrated in my hand, filling with chaotic energy, and before I realized it, a precise strike pierced through its torso. The harpy thrashed on the ground as the chaotic energy continued to spread through the wound, consuming it. "That's enough," I murmured as I watched it writhe and finally go still.

Breathing heavily, I looked down at its ruined body. "This mana… what kind of power is this?" I wondered aloud, caught between rage and relief.

Finally, I arrived on the outskirts of Nethria, but what I saw was even worse. The welcome sign was gone, and from a distance, I could see the village in ruins. "What the hell?" I said, not realizing I'd spoken out loud.

I entered with quick steps, trying to find any sign of what had happened. The streets, once lively, were covered in rubble and dust. The houses had collapsed; the silence was deathly.

The path led me first to the bar, now a heap of ruins. I remembered the nights with Loran in that place, sharing laughs and a few drinks. "I got drunk with Loran here… what happened to him?" I thought as I looked over the wreckage. I moved on toward Nayris's house, or what was left of it, with collapsed walls and scattered furniture fragments. "Nayris… where are you?"

As I walked, I found signs of a fierce battle. Deep footprints from creatures I couldn't recognize marked the ground, and near some houses were rusted spears and broken swords, as if they'd been abandoned mid-fight. On the walls, traces of projectiles and some kind of magic impact were still visible. I approached a rusted shield, half-buried in dirt, and examined it. "What… what kind of enemies attacked here?" I murmured, chilled by the devastation.

When I reached Grimmor's tower, split in half, I couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Looks like not even your status saved you from this," I muttered, though the solitude and desolation were starting to weigh on me. As I examined the rubble, something caught my eye—a chest, partially buried in the ruins. It was old and worn, but made from durable wood. A heavy, well-crafted lock secured it.

"What the hell could be in this?" I murmured, intrigued, and tried to force the lock open but with no luck. I grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it against the lock, but each impact bounced back slightly, as if a faint transparent shield was protecting it. "Is it… magic? Or some kind of spell?" I wondered aloud, dropping the rock in frustration.

I decided to try something different. Unsheathing my sword, I murmured, "If this lock is magical, then maybe a strike with magic could affect it… at least, I think so." I filled my sword with chaos, and with a precise blow, the blade cut through the lock, shattering the shield with a flash. I took a step back, surprised. "Well… that worked."

Without wasting time, I opened the chest. Inside, I found piles of account records, plans, and maps of what the region once was. At first glance, none of it seemed useful. As I examined the scrolls, I noticed they were all signed by Grimmor, who had cataloged every detail of his dealings and activities. But amid all that clutter, something caught my attention: a folder with my name on the cover: "Darius."

Dusting it off, I muttered, "What the hell is this?" Inside, I found worn scrolls with detailed notes on everything I'd done since meeting Grimmor. As I read, I realized that every encounter and movement had been recorded—from my visits to Nayris and Lythara to my trips to the mountains.

They'd even noted my meetings with Eldrek, though they hadn't included what he'd revealed to me back then. Reaching the last scroll, it read: "After Darius's last visit to Eldrek, his whereabouts are unknown." Then, in hurried and chaotic notes, I saw phrases like "Where does Darius come from?" "No record of his birth," and "Is he human?"

I clenched my fists, cursing Grimmor for watching me all that time. But one thing was clear: I had indeed jumped in time; I just didn't know how far.

I stood in silence, processing the enormity of what I'd just discovered. The village's destruction, Grimmor's notes, and the emptiness around me made it clear that something in my life had changed forever.

As I stared out toward the horizon, I tried to recall a pleasant memory to contrast with this desolate place. And what crossed my mind was a glimpse of simpler, happier times from my previous world.

Selene and I were coming out of a movie, with her excitedly talking about the action scenes. "The action scenes were amazing!" she said, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. My smile froze when I saw her point to a nearby shop. "Look, they're selling ice cream!" she said, almost tugging at my sleeve. "Let's get one, please."

"Sure, let's go," I answered, unable to resist. We sat down with our ice creams, and she quickly stole a spoonful from mine. "You always do that," I complained, laughing.

She just smiled, with that genuine joy of hers, and for a moment, everything felt perfect. The memory faded, and I found myself back in reality, tasting my lips as if I could still savor the ice cream. "How I wish I could share an ice cream with you right now," I murmured to myself.

"The chaos has brought you here, Darius."

That voice abruptly cut off my memory.

I looked up quickly, and there he was—the old wizard, in his ornate robe and that aura of wisdom surrounding him. I didn't think twice. "Elder!" I exclaimed, running toward him and hugging him, catching him by surprise.

He looked at me, a bit uncomfortable but with a slight smile. "I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome."

"I thought no one was left," I said, relieved and with a glimmer of hope. His presence broke through the desolation of the place, and in his gaze, I sensed the possibility of answers.

Without a word, I let go, but I couldn't stop looking at him, hoping he'd bring some clarity to this incomprehensible chaos.