The Kingdom of Lysoria and the Undead Plague (Part 5: The Legacy of the Void)
7Chapter One: The Age of Guardians
Years passed since Queen Elira’s sacrifice. Lysoria flourished, its people honoring their queen who had given herself to the Shard of Creation to save them from the Void. The legend of Elira, the Eternal Queen, became a story told at hearthsides, a tale of courage and selflessness that inspired a new generation of heroes.
In her absence, Sira, Sir Gavain, Lady Cerys, and the Archmage Ithran became known as the Guardians of Lysoria, a council dedicated to protecting the kingdom from any lingering darkness. Under their leadership, Lysoria became a bastion of strength and unity, its borders safe, its people at peace.
But the Guardians knew the Void had only been repelled, not destroyed. Deep in the heart of creation, Elira’s spirit stood as a barrier, holding back the Void’s return. Yet as time wore on, Sira began to feel echoes of something stirring beyond the veil—a faint but chilling presence. The Void, ancient and relentless, was seeking new ways to breach the world.
One evening, as the Guardians convened, Sira shared her fears. “The barrier Elira created may not hold forever. If the Void cannot return through her, it may seek another path.”
Sir Gavain, older and graver now, nodded. “Then we must prepare. Lysoria will stand ready, even if the Void itself returns.”
Unbeknownst to the Guardians, their preparations would soon be tested by forces they could scarcely imagine.
Chapter Two: The Mark of the Void
In a quiet village on the edge of Lysoria’s northern forests, a child named Kaelen was born during a rare celestial event—a night when the stars vanished entirely, as if swallowed by a curtain of darkness. His parents, humble farmers, noticed that strange occurrences followed their son. Crops around their home wilted without reason, and animals grew restless, shying away from him. As Kaelen grew older, his bright, curious nature masked an unusual aura—a shadowy mark on his skin that neither healer nor mage could remove.
Rumors of the “starless child” reached Sira’s ears. Troubled by the signs, she traveled to Kaelen’s village, accompanied by Ithran, whose knowledge of ancient magic was unmatched. When they arrived, they found the boy alone, playing by a stream, the land around him eerily silent.
Kaelen looked up at Sira and Ithran with wide, innocent eyes. “Are you here to take me away?” he asked softly.
Sira knelt before him, studying the mark on his hand, a dark, swirling shape that seemed to pulse faintly. “Kaelen,” she said gently, “do you know why you have this mark?”
Kaelen shook his head. “No, but… sometimes, I hear a voice. It tells me I’m special, that I have a purpose. But it scares me.”
Ithran frowned. “The boy is marked by the Void, though he remains untouched by its power. He could be a conduit… or a weapon.”
Sira placed her hand on Kaelen’s shoulder. “Kaelen, would you like to come with us? We can help you understand what’s happening and keep you safe.”
Kaelen nodded, and thus began his journey to the capital. Unbeknownst to the boy, he would soon become the key to Lysoria’s fate.
Chapter Three: Shadows of the Past
Over the years, Sira and the Guardians watched over Kaelen, teaching him the ways of the world and training him in both sword and spell. He became a member of the royal court, often spending his days in the palace library, studying ancient texts and histories. But as he grew older, the Void’s influence within him grew stronger. He began to have dreams—visions of the endless Void and a voice calling him to “open the gate.”
Sira, fearing the worst, shared her concerns with the Guardians. “Kaelen’s connection to the Void grows by the day. It is as if he is bound to the same force that created the Harbinger.”
Lady Cerys, always skeptical, replied, “Perhaps he could be an ally, not an enemy. He’s learned our ways, and he’s never shown any sign of malice.”
Ithran, however, was wary. “But what if he is only a vessel, an unwitting gateway to the Void?”
As they debated, Kaelen himself overheard them and, shaken, sought out Sira. “Am I dangerous, Sira? Will the Void use me to destroy everything?”
Sira looked at the young man who had become like a son to her. “You are more than your mark, Kaelen. The Void may have touched you, but it does not define you. Your choices are yours alone.”
But the Void was patient, and as Kaelen struggled to resist its call, it sought another way to breach the world.
Chapter Four: The Void Unleashed
The day came when the Void’s influence finally broke through. During a festival in Lysoria, as people celebrated the Queen Eternal’s memory, dark clouds gathered suddenly, blotting out the sky. From the shadows, creatures unlike any seen before emerged—Voidwraiths, entities of pure nothingness, twisted figures that devoured light and left only darkness in their wake.