《Golden odyssey》 chapter 1 : The awakening The Tyrant''s Dream In the empire of Zaelgoth, a mighty kingdom ruled by the formidable Emperor Vaelzar, a strange event shook the fate of the world. Vaelzar, a descendant of the legendary conqueror Nemruth, had a terrifying dream. In his sleep, he saw a colossal statue with a human-like form, made of four different metals: Its head was of pure gold. Its torso and arms were of shimmering silver. Its belly and thighs were of sturdy bronze. Its legs were of iron, while its feet were a mix of iron and clay. As he gazed upon this imposing statue, a stone broke loose from a mountain without anyone touching it. With a single strike, it crashed into the statue''s feet, reducing it to dust. But the stone itself did not stop there. It began to grow, expanding ever larger until it became an immense mountain that covered the entire earth. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. At dawn, Emperor Vaelzar awoke in a cold sweat, his heart pounding violently. Yet, strangely, he could not remember his dream. An invisible veil had erased his memories, as if a higher force had willed it. Around him, the oracles and mages of the empire claimed to know everything about the future. This dream was a trial imposed by the Seven Deities, a test to reveal who among them truly had a connection with destiny. Furious and frustrated, Vaelzar summoned all the mages, shamans, and seers of Zaelgoth. Before his imposing throne, they bowed in respect, and one of them dared to speak: ¡ª O great emperor, tell us your dream, and we shall provide its interpretation. Vaelzar rose abruptly, his gaze ablaze with wrath. ¡ª Wretched impostors! You claim to know the future, yet you dare ask me what I have seen? If you are truly what you claim to be, then tell me what my dream was! And give me its meaning! A chilling silence fell over the hall. The shamans paled, utterly helpless. No king before him had ever made such a demand. One of them, trembling, murmured: ¡ª Majesty¡­ what you ask is¡­ impossible¡­ The emperor''s fists clenched, and his voice thundered: ¡ª IMPOSSIBLE? Do you not claim to see the future? Do you not claim to read the mysteries of the world?! If you cannot answer, then you are nothing but liars! The verdict was passed: all the mages and shamans of Zaelgoth were sentenced to death. But among them, a young man named Eryndal and his three companions¡ªwar captives from a forgotten kingdom¡ªwere also caught in this sentence. Forced to serve in the imperial court, they had always concealed their true abilities. Yet, Eryndal was no ordinary prisoner. He carried within him a unique gift, a mysterious power inherited from the Seven Deities themselves. In his dreams, he could glimpse erased memories, truths hidden in the shadows. That day, he felt a force ignite within him, an ancient voice resonating in his mind: Rise, Chosen of the Seventh Eye. Destiny calls you. The chains of fate had begun to move. Eryndal stepped forward to the palace governor and declared in a firm voice: ¡ª Grant me some time. My power will allow me to see this dream and understand its meaning. If Eryndal failed, he and his friends would perish alongside the other mages. But if his gift awakened fully¡­ then the Empire of Zaelgoth would soon discover the existence of one who could defy fate itself. Chapter 2 : The Awakening of the Seventh Eye The twilight painted the sky with a blood-red hue as the guards dragged Eryndal into the depths of the palace. His wrists were shackled with iron chains, but his mind was boiling. ¡ª Here is your cell, slave, one of the jailers spat, shoving him into a dark room. The doors slammed shut with a heavy thud. The air was thick, saturated with humidity. Eryndal leaned against the stone wall and closed his eyes. He had promised to reveal the emperor''s dream... but how? He couldn''t control his gift. The call of the Seven Divinities still echoed in his mind, but no response came. Hours stretched on. In the darkness, his breath was the only sound that could be heard. Then, suddenly, a strange sensation took hold of him. His eyelids grew heavy, a shiver ran down his spine. The world tilted. A warm breeze brushed his face. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his cell. He stood on a floor of black marble, at the foot of a colossal statue. It was her. The one from the emperor''s dream. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She towered over the horizon, unmoving, imposing. The gold of her head gleamed under a light that seemed to come from nowhere. The silver of her torso caught every reflection. The bronze of her abdomen appeared etched with unreadable inscriptions. And her iron legs sank deeply into the ground, where her feet of iron and clay were already cracking. ¡ª This dream... Eryndal murmured. He knew he hadn''t dreamed this on his own. Something¡ªor someone¡ªhad brought him here. A sound echoed behind him. He turned around quickly. A hooded figure stood there. Tall, imposing, emanating an ancient, oppressive aura. Their face was hidden beneath a dark hood, yet Eryndal could feel their gaze piercing his soul. ¡ª The child who walks between dreams... The stranger''s voice was like an echo through time. The First Seal is cracking... and Fate is written in blood. Eryndal tried to speak, but his throat was tight. The stranger then raised their hand and pointed to the statue. ¡ª Look. Before their eyes, a stone appeared from nowhere, slicing through the sky. It hurtled toward the statue at a terrifying speed, striking its fragile feet. The impact was devastating. The iron and clay legs shattered into a thousand fragments. In an instant, the statue collapsed, each part scattering like dust swept away by the wind. But the stone did not vanish. It grew. It swelled, growing larger and larger, until it became a colossal mountain that covered the entire horizon. Eryndal gasped for breath. This dream... this vision... The stranger approached him and whispered in his ear a phrase he would never forget: ¡ª He who understands the dream masters the future. But he who ignores it... will be crushed by it. Everything went black. Eryndal suddenly opened his eyes, his body covered in sweat. He was back in his cell. But this time, he knew. The emperor''s dream now belonged to him. And with it, the key to his destiny.