Watcher of Fate

Elara started to walk home from the library, her mind still buzzing with the excitement of the day's events. The narrow streets of Barrowbridge were quieter now, the day's hustle giving way to the calm of night. She moved cautiously, aware of the potential dangers lurking in the shadows, her senses heightened as she navigated the familiar path.

She was about a quarter of the way home when a melody echoed in her mind, a soft, insistent tune signaling a notification. Elara stopped in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat. Three notifications in one day were unheard of, especially for someone without a class. She was not expecting her class for another couple of months when she would turn sixteen and could unlock it at the temple.

Pulling up the notifications, Elara's eyes widened in disbelief as she read the latest message:

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Quest Alert!

Survive the Night

Difficulty: C Rank

Objective: Survive until dawn.

Rewards: Varies

Time Remaining: 8 hours

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New Quest Alert!

Remain Free

Difficulty: A Rank

Objective: Avoid capture or imprisonment until dawn.

Reward: Class Unlock

Time Remaining: 8 hours

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Elara was stunned. She had never heard of a quest offering a class unlock, and the terms of the quests were ominous. Survive the night? Remain free? What did it all mean?

Her mind raced with questions and possibilities. Why was this happening now? Who or what threatened her? The night suddenly seemed darker, the shadows deeper and more menacing. Determined to understand her situation, Elara took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. Right now, unlocking her class was the last thing on her mind. Survival was her only concern. She had to escape the night and avoid whatever danger lurked in the shadows.

Elara looked around to see if anyone else had received the quest. Quests never lied, but from what her parents had told her, they weren’t always reliable in telling the full truth. Was there some cutpurse lurking around the corner, ready to kidnap her or worse if she resisted too much? Or was this something bigger, like Raiders or a monster surge?

As she scanned the faces of those around her, she noticed the same startled expressions she must have had just moments before. It was like the calm before the storm.

Then, all hell broke loose. People started screaming and running in all directions. A magical siren began to wail loudly through the city, its eerie sound echoing off the stone walls and adding to the chaos.

Fear gripped Elara’s heart as she saw the panic spreading like wildfire. She had no idea what was happening but knew she needed to get home to her family's safety. She turned and started to run, her feet pounding against the cobblestones as she raced through the chaotic streets of Barrowbridge, the magical siren’s wail urging her to move faster.

Elara ran down the streets, her heart pounding as she dodged through the panicked crowd. Her feet moved swiftly, her body weaving and twisting to avoid the frantic townsfolk scrambling in every direction. Her long blonde hair streamed behind her like a banner, catching the light of the magical lanterns as she sprinted.

She pushed herself to run faster, her legs burning with the effort. Her breaths came in quick, shallow gasps, each step a desperate attempt to put more distance between herself and the chaos erupting around her. She kept her eyes focused, looking for the quickest path home while trying to avoid potential threats lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly, a whistling shriek pierced the night air above her. Elara glanced up just in time to see a bright light streaking across the sky. The light was followed by the deafening sound of a thunderclap, and the ground beneath her feet buckled and shook violently.

The force of the explosion knocked her off balance. She stumbled, her arms flailing as she tried to regain her footing. The cobblestones seemed to rise to meet her, and she hit the ground hard, the impact jolting through her entire body. For a moment, her vision blurred, and her ears rang, disorienting her.

Elara pushed herself up, her body trembling from the shock. The screams and chaos around her seemed distant, muffled by the ringing in her ears. She knew she couldn’t stay down. Gathering her strength, she got back on her feet, determination hardening her resolve. She had to survive this night, no matter what.

As she steadied herself, she heard the familiar thrum of the airship she had seen earlier. It passed overhead, the deep, resonant hum of its magical propulsion filling the air. Looking up, she saw the ship firing its magic cannons, each shot turning night into day with blinding light flashes.

The sight of the airship in combat, firing powerful blasts of magic, sent a new wave of fear coursing through her. Elara struggled to steady herself, her legs shaky as she tried to move again. The urgency to get home, to find safety, pressed heavily on her mind.

Return shots streaked across the sky, their paths marked by light trails. Explosions erupted in the distance, causing the ground to shake violently beneath her feet. Despite the tremors, Elara managed to keep her balance, her fear fueling her determination to press on.

She forced herself to move, each step a battle against the fear threatening to overwhelm her. The world around her was a blur of light and sound, a chaotic maelstrom she had to navigate to survive. Elara focused on the path ahead, blocking out the destruction and panic.

As Elara ran forward, the airship fired its broadside of magic cannons again, each blast illuminating the night like a series of miniature suns. She shielded her eyes from the bright flash, her heart racing faster with each step. The familiar thrum of the airship filled her ears, a reminder of the ongoing battle above.

Suddenly, a new siren picked up, its wail distinct from the one before. This was the much more common fire alarm. Elara glanced around and saw the flickering lights in the distance. She knew buildings were burning, the night sky filling with smoke, and the eerie glow of flames.

She felt the impact before hearing the whistle and thunderclap of an explosion going off before her. The force of the blast blew her backward, and she landed hard on the cobblestones, the building before her reduced to rubble in an instant. A flash of red text appeared before her eyes: -3 HP.

It was the first time she had experienced such a loss of health. Normal injuries didn't cost HP; only life-threatening wounds did. The realization hit her hard; this probably meant she either had internal damage or a concussion from the blast.

Elara propped herself up on her elbows, her vision swimming as she looked around. Flames leaped up from the rubble with an uncanny speed, their unnatural intensity immediately recognizable as magical fire. Panic clawed at her chest, but she forced herself to focus, knowing she had to keep moving to survive.

Elara unsteadily got to her feet, trying to determine the next direction to run, when she heard an explosion above her head and the weird noise of cracking wood. Looking up, she saw the airship burning, its keel splintered, with only the desperate whine of the blue crystal engines keeping it aloft. The engines glowed a brighter blue as they lost their battle against gravity, and the airship was listed to the side.

Elara screamed, ducking down and covering her head as the airship crashed a couple of streets over. She wasn’t even halfway home yet, and the world seemed desperate to thwart her every step. Further explosions echoed around her, mingling with the crackle of fire, but a new, distinct noise entered the mix, a monstrous roar.

Elara turned toward the sound and saw a bipedal monster emerging from a rubble-filled street, still cloaked in the shadows of the night and fire. Panic surged through her veins. There was no time to plan her way home; she just had to run.

Without hesitation, she sprinted in the opposite direction from the monster, her heart pounding. The streets were a chaotic labyrinth of debris and destruction, but Elara pushed herself onward. Her only thought to put as much distance between herself and the monstrous threat as possible. Her feet pounded against the cobblestones, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she navigated the dangerous maze of Barrowbridge, driven by the primal urge to survive.

Elara heard another ding as she ran. Quickly glancing at the latest notification, she started to laugh hysterically when she saw a +2 to running.

+2 to Running

Years of running around had given her 8 points, slightly more than a point every two years. Her parents were right when they told her that true danger raised skills faster and that she should be happy with slow progression.

She turned a corner, entering a section of town still standing. She came to an abrupt halt. Before her were monsters, pulling people out of their homes and corralling them into caged carts. Elara's breath caught in her throat as she took in the scene. The monsters were hulking figures, their skin a sickly green, with tusks jutting from their lower jaws. Their eyes glowed with a menacing red hue, and they wore crude armor made of leather and metal scraps.

The realization hit her like a lightning bolt: These were orcs, the same creature chasing her earlier. The monstrous roar she had heard must have also come from an orc.

Elara felt her mind fraying. So, this is what the quest meant by staying free. She did not want to imagine the fate of those taken. As she thought about their fate, Elara heard a voice cackling. The sinister sound sent chills down her spine, adding a new layer of fear to her already overwhelming situation. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself and push the terror aside. She needed to think and act quickly to avoid being captured and to survive the night.

With a surge of adrenaline, Elara turned and sprinted down another street, the eerie laughter still echoing in her mind. The roads of Barrowbridge became a perilous maze, with every turn potentially leading to danger. She had to keep moving. Her only hope is staying ahead of the chaos and finding a safe path home.

Elara turned around to evade the orc search party in front of her, only to find the orc she had first heard not far down the street behind her. Desperate, she looked for an escape and recognized the building style as similar to her family shop apartment. If it were the same, the shop would have a back door onto an alley.

Mustering all 6 points of her strength, she kicked the door of the shop closest to her. The door creaked as she bounced off, frustration bubbling up inside her. Getting up again, she kicked harder, a growl of determination escaping her lips. This time, the flimsy latch bent out of the way, and the door swung open. She darted inside, dodging the racks of clothes in the shop. She vaulted over the counter and grabbed the backdoor handle, unlatching it with practiced ease born from familiarity with her home.

Fear soaked her brain as thoughts of her family came to the forefront. Her mother was a guard somewhere on the front lines of this sudden struggle, and her father was at their family home, a shop much closer to the outer wall than her current position. Panic gnawed at her insides, and each step she took felt heavier with uncertainty. She couldn’t help but imagine the worst. Her mother battled fiercely but was outnumbered. Her father was trapped in their shop, trying to fend off attackers. The images flooded her mind, threatening to paralyze her with dread. What if she never saw them again? What if she was too late?

She forced herself to push the terrifying thoughts aside, shoving the fear and uncertainty deep down. Now was not the time to be paralyzed by emotion. She had to survive. A scream of determination burst from her lips, mingling with the dreadful roars of the orcs, the fear-filled screams of townspeople, and the distant explosions that shook the ground beneath her feet. The cacophony of chaos fueled her, driving her forward despite the growing fatigue in her muscles and the burning in her lungs. She kicked off the wall across her and ran full tilt down the alley.

An orc shadow loomed at the end of the alley. Elara skidded to a stop and reversed direction, her heart pounding as she pumped her arms in a full sprint. Fatigue began to set in, her muscles aching and her breaths growing ragged. Another shadow appeared before her, cutting off her escape. Her heart stopped, and she grabbed a metal grill over one of the windows next to her to halt her momentum. The metal bar came off in her hand, and she heard a female voice cracking again inside her head, mocking her fear and desperation as she frantically searched for an escape.

Seeing only barred windows and the other orc having cut off her retreat back into the shop, Elara felt trapped. Desperation clawed at her as she looked around, seeking any possible way out of this dire situation.