The morning sun rose gently over the quiet village of Lumeria.
Golden light spilled across small wooden houses, over fields still wet with dew, and into the narrow dirt paths where villagers were already beginning their day.
And in the middle of it all—
"Good morning, Mrs. Elen! You're up early again!"
A cheerful voice echoed through the street.
Rey Ianne stood near a fruit stall, already mid-conversation, holding an apple he definitely hadn't paid for yet.
Mrs. Elen, an elderly woman with a tired smile, sighed as she handed him a small basket.
"You say that every morning, Rey. Some of us actually work."
"And some of us bring energy and joy," Rey replied proudly. "Very important job."
"You haven't even started working yet."
"I'm emotionally supporting you."
Mrs. Elen shook her head, though the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"You're impossible."
"Yet lovable," Rey said without missing a beat.
He tossed a coin onto the stall—barely enough—and grabbed two apples instead of one.
"Hey—Rey!"
"I'll pay the rest later!"
"You said that yesterday!"
"And I meant it then too!"
He ran off laughing, waving behind him.
Rey moved through the village like a breeze that refused to stay still.
He greeted everyone.
Talked to everyone.
Interrupted almost everyone.
"Morning, Old Man Jerek! Still pretending that sword's not rusty?"
The old blacksmith snorted from his forge.
"Come here and I'll show you rusty."
"I'll pass. I value my life."
"Then stop talking like you don't."
Rey grinned and kept walking.
A group of children spotted him near the well.
"Rey! Rey! Play with us!"
"I would," he said, crouching down, "but I have very important hero duties today."
"You say that every day."
"And one day, I'll be right."
The kids laughed, used to his nonsense.
To them, Rey wasn't just Rey.
He was the village's noise, its warmth, its constant presence.
But not everyone saw him the same way.
Near the edge of the village, a man muttered under his breath.
"That boy talks too much."
Rey heard him.
He always heard things like that.
For a brief moment, his smile faltered.
Then—
He walked over anyway.
"Good morning," Rey said, as if nothing had happened. "You look like someone who needs a conversation."
"I need silence."
"Ah. Unfortunately, I'm not qualified to provide that."
The man frowned.
"…You're strange."
"I get that a lot. Usually followed by 'but somehow not annoying,' so I'll wait."
A pause.
"…You're still annoying."
Rey laughed.
"Fair enough. I'll improve."
He didn't argue.
Didn't get angry.
Just smiled and moved on.
By midday, Rey found himself at the edge of the forest.
Finally alone.
The noise of the village faded, replaced by the soft rustle of leaves and distant birds.
He sat on a rock, tossing an apple lightly in his hand.
For once, he wasn't talking.
"…Hah."
The sound was quiet.
Almost unfamiliar.
His smile slowly faded.
"Being happy all the time is kind of tiring…"
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
He stared at the sky.
Wide. Endless. Silent.
"…But if I stop, everyone gets worried."
He took a bite of the apple.
Crunch.
"Besides… it's better this way."
A small smile returned—not as bright, but real.
A sudden noise broke the calm.
Rustling.
Heavy. Fast.
Rey stood up immediately.
"Okay… that doesn't sound friendly."
From the trees, a figure stumbled out—a man, injured, clothes torn, breathing heavily.
He collapsed just a few steps away from Rey.
"H-Help…"
Rey didn't hesitate.
"Hey—hey, don't die yet, I just met you," Rey said, rushing over.
He knelt beside him, quickly checking the wounds.
Deep cuts. Blood loss. Something had chased him.
"What happened?"
"Monsters… in the forest… stronger than usual…"
Rey's expression sharpened slightly.
Still calm.
Still steady.
"Alright. Good news—you ran into the right person."
The man weakly grabbed his sleeve.
"You need to run…"
Rey smiled.
"Nah. Running's not really my style."
He stood up, positioning himself between the man and the forest.
The wind shifted.
The trees trembled.
And then—
A low growl echoed from the shadows.
Something was coming.
Rey exhaled slowly.
"…Alright," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "First time doing something actually dangerous."
His smile returned.
Bright.
Unshaken.
"But hey… can't call myself a future hero if I run now, right?"
From the darkness, glowing eyes appeared.
One.
Then two.
Then many.
Rey didn't step back.
Not even once.
Far above the world—
Something watched.
A presence vast and silent.
A voice, soft and distant, echoed in the unseen.
"…Interesting."
A faint glow began to form.
"…So this is the one."
Back in the forest—
Rey took one step forward.
Still smiling.
Still talking.
"Alright, come on then," he said.
"Let's try not to die on my first heroic moment."
The monsters lunged.
And the story of the chosen hero—
Finally began.