Chapter 1: Graduation Day
"Come sit down with me for a while and let me tell you a story one last time." Grandpa Bardock said as he sat down next to me on his rocking chair. He glared at me for a moment and chuckled with a tear in his eye. "I can't believe it's almost time for you to go on your own. I bet you tomorrow, you will be able to follow your Father's footsteps, hopefully on the right path. Just don't make the same mistakes your dad did, ok?" "I won't, Grandpa." He got comfortable, then told his tale.
"A long time ago, in a universe where myths and legends come true, there were two singularities, Light and Darkness. From the Light came the guardians of our world, the Crystal Knights. And from the Darkness came the caretakers of the underworld. Together these two factions maintained the balance of the Earth to bring peace and prosperity to our world. But sure enough, peace was not to last. The beings of Darkness grew bitter and foul-tempered. Soon they began to retaliate against the world order. As their growing hatred built up, it eventually erupted into a war over control of the realm, to create a new world in their image. Though the Darkness was strong in numbers, they were outmatched and overpowered by the Crystal Knights, whose power was (and still is) unrivaled. In the turning point of the war, one particular knight, named Dakre, wielded one of the most powerful weapons ever crafted, the Crystal Blade of Power. This ancient blade was imbued with the divine power of the god of Light himself. With the power of this blade, Darke drove his sword into the heart of the Darkness, crippling him. With it, he banished the evil deity from this world, to an Omni-realm known as 'The Nordic Rift'. From that time since peace had been restored, and life as we know it survived. The Light told of an ancient prophecy, ''Tempore tenebris male agit, unique consurgent ad tenebras dissipet semel radices.' Translated, it says, 'When times are dark, and evil lurks, one hero will rise up against the roots of evil and destroy the Darkness once and for all.' These were his final words before he fell into a deep slumber. And he still sleeps to this day."
As my grandfather concluded the story, he led me to my room and gave me a hug. "You were named after Dakre, the last of the Crystal Knights during the war. He was one of the bravest heroes ever known. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here. Now, get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." He brushed his hand through my hair, turned off the light, and went back to his room to retire for the evening. I could barely sleep, as many thoughts ran through my head. 'Did all that actually happen? Is the Crystal Blade real?' I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but that would have to wait till morning. I counted my Z's and went to bed. It was difficult to sleep through the night, as I had a dream about the war, and someone in the distance calling my name. It was strange. I've been having the same dream over and over for the past few weeks.
The next day, I woke up, got dressed and got myself ready for the ceremony. I've completed all my classes in school and trained at the Academy. Today I will receive my Certificate of Completion, and with it, I will finally become the adventurer I've only dreamed of. After a satisfying breakfast and a jog around grandpa's cabin, I was ready to go and fulfill my destiny. For the longest time, I've been wanting to meet my childhood hero, Urkrad Stone, leader of the Hero Corp. I was particularly excited for today because Urkrad himself will be presenting the graduates of this year's ceremony. The only problem was that I still couldn't shake off the strange dream I had last night. 'Who was calling my name, and why did the voice sound so familiar?' I dismissed the thought and began my walk to the graduation ceremony. Today is my day, and nothing will go wrong... I hope.
When I arrived at the town square, the main foyer in the City Hall was packed. Friends and family, relatives from around the country, they were all here for the ceremony. Down at the end of the hall, I could see the other graduates, the founder of the Academy, and my hero, Urkrad Stone. It was really him in the flesh! I had to calm myself down, 'Ok, ok. Keep calm. You can do this. This is your time. This is your greatest accomplishment, and nothing will ruin today!' I stood in line with the other graduates, waiting for my time to come. A few of my friends from school were graduating too, so I was glad I got the chance to stand by them one last time before we head on our own paths.
At last the ceremony had begun, and it started with a big welcome to this year's special guest, Urkrad Stone. "It is a great honor to be here today. I am Urkrad Stone, leader of the Hero Corp, and I will be hosting this year's Academy Graduation Ceremony. When I was asked to host today's event, I almost didn't accept the invite, as I have only been to the Academy's Graduation once. It happened about 15 years ago. It was the day my son received his Certificate of Completion. But that same day, one of my old enemies decided to crash the party. It was a dire time that year, and I am sad to say that my son did not survive the attack that day." He paused for a moment, wiping a tear away. "Ah, anyway, with that story aside, I would like to introduce this year's graduates." After the first few graduates, it was my time to shine. I stepped onto the stage when Mr. Stone called my name and collected my Certificate and Diploma.
The moment I exited the stage, the ground thundered and cracked. I heard an explosion and all kinds of mayhem outside. Everyone rushed to the window to see what was happening. Creatures of a kind I've never seen before ran through the streets, ravaging everything in sight. In the distance, I saw a particularly large creature bash through the wall of a rather familiar house. He rummaged through the room as if searching for something. 'What is that?' I asked myself. Then I saw someone collapse within the home. At that time, I had experienced a moment of absolute fear. "Grandpa!"