The Foundling
In a place known as Pinevale, amidst a dense forest of towering pine trees, a momentous event was unfolding. Within a log house by the river, a pitiful boy lay abandoned, his cries echoing through the tranquil woods. The couple who would change his destiny, Elara and Robert, found him on that fateful day.
Elara, a compassionate woman known throughout Pinevale for her boundless kindness, discovered the infant while her husband, Robert was deep in the woods.
The woman knelt by the river's edge, her heart heavy with empathy, as she gently lifted the baby from the water. When her eyes met his, a profound connection formed, and she was awestruck by his appearance. The boy, whom they would later name Aran, had a head of beautiful black hair that glistened like the night sky.
As Aran opened his eyes, Elara felt something different, a connection beyond explanation. It was as if the heavens themselves whispered that this child was meant to be a part of their family.
When Robert returned home from his laborious work, he found his wife cradling the baby in her arms. Puzzled, he inquired, "Elara, who is this child?"
Elara smiled warmly and replied, "Robert, the heavens have bestowed him upon us. We must raise him as our own."
Robert, a former knight who had served the kingdom with honor before becoming a lumberjack, seeing the love and determination in his wife's eyes, agreed without hesitation. In no time, he fell in love with the boy as well.
As the years passed, they watched Aran grow with a sense of wonder and pride. His remarkable abilities became apparent at a young age. By the time he was three, he was already engrossed in books about alchemy and practiced with fervor.
One day, young Aran used his burgeoning alchemical skills to breathe life into a wooden doll, a testament to his extraordinary talents. His abilities seemed to know no bounds.
A significant event in Aran's young life occurred when he was seven years old. On the same day as his baptism, another child, Luka, was also being baptized, though the two were yet unaware of each other's existence.
Outside the church where the baptisms took place, a figure approached Aran and his parents. It was none other than Princess Seraphina, the heir to the throne of Eldenwood. Intrigued by Aran's striking appearance, she inquired, "Who is this young boy?"
Elara and Robert exchanged glances and replied, "He is our only son, Your Highness."
The princess, however, couldn't shake the feeling that Aran looked familiar, but she didn't press the matter further. The baptism ceremony proceeded, and Aran's status was revealed, much like Luka's. Aran, like Luka, chose to conceal his exceptional skills.
Unbeknownst to all, Aran's destiny was slowly unfurling, guided by the enigmatic visions that came to him in his dreams. One night, he saw a kingdom shrouded in ice, a vision that whispered of a duty he was destined to fulfill—to protect the kingdom of Eldenwood.
Time passed swiftly, and Aran's moment to fulfill his destiny arrived. It began with a fateful day when he rescued Princess Seraphina from a dire predicament. King Aldric, grateful for Aran's courage and valor, rewarded him with honors and the promise of a brighter future.
Aran and Luka, unbeknownst to each other, were on the cusp of a new adventure. The time had come for them to embark on their next chapter, as they prepared to enter the prestigious academy. At the age of twelve, they would join other young talents from Pinevale in an entrance exam that would shape their destinies..