Memories.

All her life, Adelyn had been surrounded by happy memories of her mother and father, her brother, and even her little sister that didn't make it past three. All the memories had led up to a single spot in her life that she considered the climax, where the story stopped and went downhill. The moment the portal opened was the climax, and everything went downhill from there.

Before, times had been happy. Addie had learned how to shoot a bow and use a sword from her father, and had learned magic from her mother. She had cared for her little brother, and she had played with the children her age in her village. For each of her birthdays, a boy named Jains would give her a bouquet of daisies and promise her his heart.

Then, one day, a man by no name entered their village and started to trade for things. He didn't trade for normal things, like blankets and hair ribbons, but he traded for good crops, or health to a loved one. Addie didn't pay much attention to any of it, for her parents forbade her to trade with the man. Soon, the man left.

People were happier. The crops were growing well, products sold for better prices, and children were kinder to their parents. That day, Jains found her.

"I made a trade," he said.

"What's that?"

Jains smiled. "I traded my old bow, the one that used to belong to my father, for an adventure for you."

"An adventure?"

"Yes, and all we have to do is throw this in the air?"

"What is it?" Addie asked curiously.

"The mysterious man said that it was magical sand that would be sure to bring an adventure. All we have to do is use it."

Addie marveled at the possibilities, and before she knew it, Jains had tossed the whole vial of sand in the air. As it settled on his shoulders, in her hair, a loud crackle sounded to their left. Right before their eyes, a void of blue opened up in front of them. Jains looked excited at the prospects, but Addie had been around magic long enough to know that something bad was going to happen.

Jains moved forward to enter the portal. "Don't!" she screamed. He looked curiously at her and took her hand. "Don't go in!" she continued, moving between him and the portal. "This won't end well, I know it. I've been around magic my entire life. We can have an adventure somewhere else."

"What's wrong with this?"

"Don't go in!"

Jains pushed past her. "There's nothing wrong with this! He promised that we would have an adventure. Just trust me!"

"What's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you see? This isn't going to end well!" Addie moved back between him and the glowing blue void. "Don't go in!"

"I will! I'm tired of living here and not doing anything important. This is something that can make us both important to the world; to make us the heroes that we ought to be!"

She shoved him back. "No! I won't let you."

He look at her was angry. "Don't come if you don't want to. My heart is no longer yours." She grabbed his shirt, hoping that he would stop, but he only pushed her off. She felt something behind her that made her lose her footing while Jains disappeared from her sight. Darkness surrounded her eyes as Jains grew farther from her sight and was eventually lost.

From that moment on, everything went downhill.