RISE OF THE ELEMENTAL HERO

REVELATIONS UNVEILED

Shiro found himself in a strange place. It wasn’t exactly a forest, but rather a foggy, empty void. The air was thick, almost suffocating, and the sky above was shrouded in gray mist. He had seen this place before, it looked so familiar—somewhere, in dreams or fleeting thoughts—but he couldn’t quite place it. He blinked, trying to comprehend what was happening.

Tiny shapes moved in the distance, whispering among themselves in a language he couldn’t understand. They were blurry before, like half-formed images in the back of his mind. But now... now he could see them clearly.These creatures were unlike anything he’d ever seen. Small, with brightly colored fur covering their bodies, their hands and legs skinny and delicate. They had two antennae that twitched constantly, and their eyes seemed to glow in the fog. They moved as if unaware of Shiro’s presence, passing by him without fear.

Shiro wasn’t just confused—he was scared. As he stood frozen, trying to make sense of it all, a small voice broke through the whispers.

"Hey, you!" Shiro spun around to see one of the creatures standing right behind him. It was slightly bigger than the others, but not by much. It had bright green fur and stood on its thin legs, staring up at Shiro with curious, beady eyes.He looked at the creature strangely and reached out, almost instinctively, to touch it.

"Don’t touch me! I’m not some object!" the creature snapped, backing up quickly. "I’m Korin. I'm your best friend"

"Best friend?" Shiro said, staring at the small creature in disbelief.

Korin stepped forward, extending one of his little hands to shake Shiro’s thumb. He talked fast, his words spilling out like a rushing stream. "Yeah, Best friend, but you won't remember.” Korin whispered to himself.

"What... what are you?" he asked in a low voice, afraid that speaking too loudly might cause the creature to disappear or blow away.

Korin crossed his arms and gave him a smug smile. "I am a Frid. We are all frids” He said gesturing to the others. We are guardians brought into the world to watch over Supernaturals, that's what we Frids so."

“But I'm not a—”Shiro was more confused now.

"Yes you are, the powers, the energy you feel..the things that happen around you"Korin explained.

“How do you know all that???”

"I was made for you. I know your name, your life, everything. That’s what guardians do."

“This is just—-" Shiro let out a shaky laugh. "I must be dreaming..."

"As a matter of fact, you are," Korin replied with a grin. But he paused, noticing Shiro’s expression shift as he closed his eyes tightly, trying to wake himself up.

"Shiro, don’t—" Korin warned, but it was too late.

Shiro woke up with a jolt. The fog, the creatures, Korin—it was all gone. His heart pounded as he sat up in bed, beads of sweat rolling down his face. His room was dark, silent, and normal again. He let out a breath of relief, shaking his head. “Weird dreams,” he muttered, standing up to head to the bathroom.He splashed water on his face, trying to shake the remnants of the dream. But as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel a strange heaviness in his chest. Something about that dream was different.

"Shiro..." The voice made him jump. His eyes darted around the room, looking for its source, until his gaze settled on the sink.

Standing there, right next to his toothbrush, was Korin.

"Hello, Shiro," Korin said cheerfully.

Shiro stumbled back, knocking over his toothbrush holder, was he dreaming? “I ought to be” he thought,his heart racing again.

"No way... I’m still dreaming???"

Korin chuckled."Nope. I told you, I was made for you. I’m not going anywhere now that you've allowed me to communicate. You can’t hide from me, Shiro. I see everything that’s happening to you."

Shiro's mind spun, struggling to process what was happening. "How... how are you real? This doesn’t make any sense."

Korin floated closer, his antennae twitching excitedly. "You’ll figure it out soon enough. You’ve got a lot more going on inside you than you think. Powers, connections, a whole world you’re part of."

Shiro stared at him, his hands gripping the edge of the sink. "What do you mean? What am I connected to?"

Korin floated down in front of him, his little hands resting on his knees as if he was preparing to give a big, serious speech. "Listen, Shiro, you're not just some ordinary guy with weird powers. You’re part of something way beyond your understanding. There’s a whole other world tied to yours, and it’s been watching you for a long time. The powers you have, the energy you feel... it’s all part of that. Your soul is like a flame relit in a new lantern, Shiro and trust me, the powers you’ve seen so far? They’re only the beginning."

“What do you mean by that? About my soul” Shiro wondered.

“The wierd dreams you often had, the sense of familiarity you felt wasn't just ordinary, you've been there before—- we've been there;me and you” Korin explained.

Shiro' mind raced “Are you saying... I'm not from here?"

Korin shook his head. "Oh no, you’re from here. But you’re also from there." He floated back a bit, scratching his furry head with his tiny hand. “You were reborn Shiro, you were once a savior of the Surevaal and— also my best friend” Korin said as his fur changed color indicating he was sad.

Shiro was still processing everything the Frid just told him.

“You've always had this power inside you Shiro but only now is it waking You're gonna witness all kind of things”

Shiro stared at him. "What kind of things?”

Korin's smile faded. “ Good and bad. You'll have people who are gonna trust in you and want you to succeed and others that don’t want you to succeed. The kind that want to stop you before you realize what you’re capable of."

Shiro blinked. "Capable of what?"Korin gave him a long, serious look.

"Saving this world, and the other one."

Shiro stood up, his legs trembling. "This is crazy. I’m just... I’m just a normal guy. I don't want all of this"

Korin smirked. "You're not normal Shiro,you saw what happened yesterday, right? That wasn’t normal. You’re far from it, Shiro. You’re extraordinary, and I'm sorry but whether you like it or not, you’ve got a job to do, you've got a huge potential too."

Shiro turned to the mirror, staring at his reflection. His tired eyes, the dark circles beneath them, his pale skin... he didn’t look like a hero. He looked like a mess.

"I’m not ready for any of this," he whispered, more to himself than to Korin. Korin hovered closer, his antennae flicking. "You’ll never feel ready, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t. You’ve got more inside you than you know. And whether you like it or not, the time’s coming when you’ll have to face it."

Shiro sighed, gripping the edge of the sink. He could feel it too, deep inside. The power was growing, but with it came fear, uncertainty, and something darker that he couldn’t quite shake."What do I do now?" Shiro asked, looking back at Korin.

Korin grinned.