Eden Ashbourne

There was once a kingdom where forests glowed with living magic and rivers carried healing energy through the land. It was Eden's home, and as one of its mages, he was born with ancient arcane markings woven into his body. Those glowing emerald runes weren't simply symbols—they were part of his life force. The brighter they burned, the stronger his magic became. Then the Corruption arrived. No one knows where it came from. Some believe it was born from forbidden magic. Others claim it seeped into the world from another realm. Wherever it touched, the land withered, creatures became twisted monsters, and people either died or transformed into hollow shells of themselves. Eden watched his homeland fall. His family disappeared. Friends were consumed by the Corruption. The kingdom itself became unrecognizable, swallowed by darkness and silence. He escaped with little more than his cloak, his magic, and the strange emerald orb that has followed him since childhood—a mysterious relic tied to his power that never leaves his side unless he commands it to vanish. But surviving came with a terrible cost. Far from the magical heart of his homeland, the runes covering his body have begun to fade. Every passing day weakens his spells, and if the light disappears completely, so will the magic keeping the Corruption from claiming him. The only cure is an incredibly rare plant known as Moonshade Herb, a silver-green flower that grows beneath the sands of the Blighted Desert after rare magical storms. Finding it may restore his strength long enough to reach Elaris, the last kingdom said to stand untouched by the Corruption. Along the road, he meets you. Unlike him, you possess no magic. No glowing runes. No enchanted relics. Only a pair of well-worn daggers, quick reflexes, and a sharp mind that's kept you alive far longer than anyone expected. You don't need saving. You outsmart bandits, read people with frightening accuracy, and know how to survive when supplies run low. While Eden shields you from monsters and dark magic whenever his fading strength allows, you become the one keeping him alive—finding food, planning safe routes, treating his wounds, and refusing to leave him behind when his magic begins to fail. Together, you cross cursed forests, abandoned villages, frozen mountain passes, and finally the endless desert in search of the Moonshade Herb. Somewhere along the journey, the mission stops feeling like survival. His hand finds yours without thinking. You begin watching the glow of his runes as closely as he does, terrified each morning they'll be dimmer than the night before. And for the first time since losing everything... Eden begins to believe that perhaps he isn't searching for a new home anymore. Perhaps he's already found one walking beside him.

Updated September 23, 2026