The Blind Seer

In the distant province of Thryven, far on the edge of the Zerathian Empire, there was a boy named Aelric.

At birth, a crimson handprint appeared on his cheek — the unmistakable mark of the Witch-Queen Serenya. Every few generations, Serenya chose a child to embody her dual gift: a blessing and a curse, meant to remind mortals of both her mercy and her wrath.

Though the Zerathians outlawed her worship, the people of Thryven carried on the secret rites, whispering the old prayers in hidden shrines.

Meanwhile, the empire’s own god, the Thunder-Lord Orvak, tested his subjects in his own ruthless ways.

From his earliest steps, Aelric’s gift revealed itself. Blindfolded, he could find any treasure near him without fail. Later, visions showed him where riches lay buried in far-off lands — lost mines, abandoned dens of dragons, vaults of fae, or even the hidden stores of thieves.

Word of this prodigy reached Emperor Kaelros, who wasted no time in summoning Aelric to the capital city of Drennivar.

It was there, within the emperor’s Western Tower, that the curse revealed its full force.


Kaelros treated Aelric with courtesy, granting comforts to the boy and support for his family back home. Yet Aelric was kept hidden away, allowed to roam only the tower and its private courtyard, unseen by curious nobles who might covet his power.

One day, a spoiled noble youth named Darian, the son of a lord, stumbled into the courtyard and mistook Aelric for a servant. When Aelric politely refused to escort him beyond the tower, Darian’s arrogance flared. He slapped the boy across the face, mocking the mark he bore.

For the first time in his life, Aelric felt rage ignite in his heart.

He rose to his feet, glaring at Darian. The noble sneered—until his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, convulsing violently on the stones. Within moments, blood streamed from his cracked skull, and his body lay still.

Aelric stood frozen. He had not touched Darian — yet his anger had killed him.

Then came the whisper, cold and intoxicating, slithering into his mind.
The curse is power, child. Fear not. It is my gift to you.

It was Serenya’s voice.


-When Aelric confessed, Emperor Kaelros spared his life — though not without fear. The boy’s visions were priceless, but his lethal gaze was a danger no empire could risk.

The emperor ordered his court sorceress, Miraen, to make Aelric safe. She drugged him into a deep sleep and, with trembling hands, burned out his eyes.

But even blinded, Aelric did not despair. In his long, fevered dreams, Serenya came to him in many forms — maiden, mother, crone; snake, lioness, raven. She set before him trials of faith and anger, teaching him to embrace not just loss but the greater sight within.

When he awoke, Aelric was changed. His third eye — the eye of the spirit — had opened.


-For years, he continued to serve Kaelros, helping him uncover endless wealth. Yet secretly, Aelric was sharpening his true vision. He could now see beyond walls and distance, locating people across the empire with a single thought.

The day came when his power could no longer be contained. With nothing but his mind, he struck down the Zerathian nobility, sparing only Kaelros — who lived on as his slave and a reminder of the empire’s downfall.

Thus the Zerathian Empire crumbled, giving rise to the Thryven Dominion, with Aelric as its first king. To his people, he was known thereafter as The Blind Seer — the Bringer of Light.

Yet Aelric himself found no triumph in conquest. Even as he ruled, he longed for a world where no one need be master or slave. Until his death, he used his gift quietly, healing, guiding, and aiding the powerless.

He urged his heirs to follow the same path, warning them that unlike him, they bore no divine gift, only human frailty. But as generations passed, greed consumed his line just as it had the Zerathians before them.

And so the cycle of power and downfall continued — though Aelric’s legacy lingered, a glimmer of hope that somewhere, someday, wisdom might outlast greed.