A Heart of Nightmares

It was pitch black.

Then everything turned purple.

He thought he heard a voice calling him...

Shin woke up with a start, cold sweat dripping down his back, a throbbing pain in his heart. He slowly opened his eyes, the sunlight blinding him. Gradually, he made out his surroundings, his body stiff from the constant jolting of the carriage he was riding in. His back ached from the uncomfortable sitting position.

"Everything okay, kid?" asked a hoarse voice beside him.

The young man turned his gaze towards the speaker, loosening his grip on the sheath of his sword, his knuckles white.

"...Yeah. Just had a nightmare," Shin replied with a yawn.

"A nightmare, huh?" His companion's face was hidden by the black hood of his cloak, but a pronounced beard and deep wrinkles were still visible. His hands were covered in recent battle scars, but Shin also noticed older marks. He knew them well; they were the telltale signs of failed axe blows.

"Me too..." the man continued nostalgically, "I often have nightmares these days... like pretty much everyone here, I guess."

With that, the two of them looked at the other passengers in the carriage: old men fighting against their final hour, desperate mothers trying to calm their children who had just lost their fathers... teenagers like him, too. Despite the crowd, everyone tried to make as little noise as possible, even the youngest children. Making noise could very well be a death sentence.

Shin resumed the conversation:

"You're heading to Istrienne to take refuge, right?"

"Yes... After my village was attacked by those damn beasts, we did everything we could to defend it, but it was hopeless. During that attack, my wife and our only daughter..." His voice broke, and the hand holding his worn sword trembled slightly.

A man standing next to them patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, my friend… You're not the only one going through this."

"Thanks," he replied in a weak voice. He paused for a moment before resuming, "By the way, I'm Ryan, nice to meet you."

Ryan extended his hand to Shin, who took it and shook it. The man's hand was cold too, but unlike the young man's, it was rough and worn from years of hard work.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Shin."

Ryan asked curiously, "So Shin, why are you going to Istrienne?"

Shin hesitated for a moment, then looked out at the vast forest stretching as far as the eye could see. It was so vast that no one knew if it had an end.

Within it lived an extremely complex ecosystem, dangerous creatures lurking everywhere. Humans, being weak creatures, had managed to survive thanks to their ingenuity, but mainly due to what was called magic. There were several types of magic, and anyone could use it, although most people lacked the knowledge to wield it. Moreover, power always comes at a price, and some were not willing to pay it…

Without taking his eyes off the jungle, he replied in a hushed tone, "I'm looking for my sister... And I heard rumors that someone at Melna University might know something that could help me find her, so I applied, and I got accepted."

An awkward silence settled between them until Ryan spoke again, "So you're not going to find a new home, but you're heading to the greatest magical university in the Kingdom of Osram... that's really impres—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a child's scream pierced the air, like a siren signaling their doom. Shin finally turned his gaze and saw the child. The boy had injured his leg on one of the carriage's poorly placed nails and was screaming at the top of his lungs, blood flowing from his wound like a foreshadowing of the tears and sweat they would soon shed.

His mother was frantically trying to calm him, covering his mouth, her movements panicked.

The atmosphere grew tense as everyone feared the next moment, watching every movement in the forest. The guards readied their weapons, while those inside the carriage who knew how to fight struggled to their feet and prepared for battle. Among them were Ryan, the man who had comforted him, Shin, and many others.

Seconds passed, seeming like an eternity. The tension in the air was palpable, as if it could snap at any moment… but it didn't. After a while, although everything seemed calm…a beast leapt from the side of the path, attacking them.

The creature resembled a lion, with a mane and tail tip of white, while the rest of its body was a mix of dark shades. Its presence was imposing, and it seemed as impulsive as a flame.

The guards immediately engaged the beast, and a furious melee ensued. Most only knew how to fight with swords, but a few—the most powerful—mastered the basics of magic.

The carriage wasn't designed for high-ranking individuals, so its protection was only ensured by a few guards. Their mages had limited knowledge of magic. An accident could happen at any moment.

Several other beasts, some similar to the first, others different but equally grotesque, darted from other parts of the forest, forcing the defenders to divide.

That's when the fighters inside the carriage intervened. Letting out a powerful war cry, they joined the fray in a deafening clash.

Shin was among them. Carefully observing his surroundings, he spotted a terrifying gorilla, its dark blue eyes seemed to judge the world from its ten feet height. With a blood-curdling scream, the beast with a red mane charged into the battlefield.

Shin reached for his sheath and drew his sword. A blade as black as a starless night emerged, with purple veins flowing from the hilt to the tip and crossing like the arms of a river. In the pale, moon-like reflection of the weapon, one could see a young boy with dark brown hair and azure eyes running towards the immense gorilla.

His gaze was determined, but deep within it hid a corrupted, bizarre, and threatening purple glow.