The Brush of Fate

Chapter-01: The Prologue

Ryo’s brush glided over the canvas in jagged, erratic strokes, each line betraying the chaos in his mind. The once-promising artist now struggled to find meaning in his work, and his cramped apartment reflected his disarray—half-finished paintings, crumpled sketches, and empty coffee cups scattered everywhere.

“This is pointless,” he muttered, tossing his brush aside.

The world outside his window seemed just as gray as his mood. Deadlines loomed, and gallery rejections piled up. Ryo leaned back, staring at the blank ceiling, wondering if he had made a mistake dedicating his life to art.

Then, the lights flickered.

Ryo sat up, his heart skipping a beat. The room darkened, save for an eerie golden glow emanating from his easel.

“What the...?” he whispered, approaching it cautiously.

The glow intensified, centering on the brush he had just discarded. It hovered in the air, trembling with an unnatural energy.

Ryo reached out hesitantly. The moment his fingers touched the brush, a power surge coursed through him, pulling him into a vortex of light and shadow. He screamed, clutching the brush tightly as his world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors.

When the chaos subsided, Ryo found himself lying on a patch of soft, luminous grass. He blinked, adjusting to the surreal landscape before him. The sky was a swirling blend of twilight hues, and glowing trees stretched endlessly into the horizon.

“This... isn’t Tokyo,” he muttered, standing on shaky legs.

His hand still gripped the glowing brush, its bristles shimmering with golden light. Before he could process what had happened, a low growl echoed behind him.

Ryo turned to see a creature unlike anything he’d ever imagined—a hulking beast with jagged shadows for skin and piercing red eyes. It lunged at him, and he barely managed to dive out of the way.

“What the hell is that?!” he shouted, scrambling to his feet.

The creature roared, preparing for another attack. Ryo raised the brush instinctively, wiping it through the air. To his shock, a golden streak trailed behind it, forming a barrier of light that stopped the beast in its tracks.

“Did I just... do that?” Ryo gasped.

The beast snarled, clawing at the barrier. Ryo, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and desperation, swiped the brush again. This time, a burst of golden energy shot out, striking the creature and disintegrating it into wisps of shadow.

Breathing heavily, Ryo looked at the brush in awe. “Okay... maybe this isn’t so bad after all.”

“Don’t get too comfortable.”

The voice startled him, and he turned to see a young woman emerging from the trees. She was dressed in silver armor that shimmered faintly under the twilight sky, her golden eyes piercing and intense. She carried a staff engraved with glowing runes, and her presence radiated authority.

“Who are you?” Ryo asked, his grip tightening on the brush.

“I should be asking you that,” she replied, her gaze narrowing. “You’re not from this world, are you?”

Ryo hesitated, then shook his head. “No, I—”

“No time,” she interrupted, pulling him by the arm. “If you’ve been marked by the Celestial Brush, you’re already a target. The Shadow Beasts won’t stop hunting you.”

“Wait, what? Shadow Beasts? Target? I don’t even know what’s happening!”

The woman stopped, her expression softening slightly. “Listen. My name is Lyra. I’m a guardian of this realm, and I’ll explain everything. But for now, you need to trust me.”

Before Ryo could respond, another growl echoed in the distance, louder and more menacing.

Lyra tightened her grip on her staff. “They’ve found us. Run.”

Ryo had no choice but to follow her as they sprinted into the glowing forest, his mind racing with questions. Who was Lyra? What was this world? And why did he feel like this was only the beginning of something far greater—and far more dangerous—than he could have ever imagined?

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