The air was thick with the scent of rain-soaked earth, and the horizon glowed an eerie shade of crimson as the sun struggled to rise through a haze of ominous clouds. The world seemed to hold its breath, a silence so profound it felt alive.

Kira stood at the edge of the cliff, her cloak billowing behind her like a shadow trying to escape. The village below, nestled in the valley, was still and dark, the usual morning bustle replaced by an unnatural calm. She tightened her grip on the ancient pendant around her neck, its surface warm against her palm—a strange comfort amidst the unease that clawed at her chest.

“Why does it feel like the world is ending?” she whispered to herself.

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as a low rumble echoed across the landscape. It wasn’t thunder. It was something deeper, something that made the ground tremble beneath her feet.

Kira’s heart raced. The stories her grandmother used to tell her about the Scarlet Horizon flooded her mind. A celestial event, they said. A warning. A promise of change so vast it would shake the foundations of their world.

“Just a myth,” Kira muttered, trying to convince herself. But the pendant glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat, and the crimson hue in the sky seemed to beckon her.

Behind her, the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Kira spun around, her hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at her side. It was Jorin, her childhood friend and the only person she trusted. His face was pale, his dark eyes wide with fear.

“Kira, you need to see this,” he said, his voice trembling.

“What is it?”

Jorin hesitated, glancing back toward the village. “The elders… they’re performing the Rite of Passage.”

Kira frowned. “The Rite hasn’t been performed in decades. Why now?”

“Because of that.” Jorin pointed to the horizon.

Kira turned to look again, and this time, she saw it. A glowing scar across the sky, vivid and alive, like a wound bleeding light. The Scarlet Horizon.

Her breath caught. The pendant grew warmer, its glow intensifying. Something inside her stirred, a voice she couldn’t quite hear but could feel, urging her to act.

“Kira, what’s happening?” Jorin’s voice was laced with panic.

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. All she knew was that her life, her world, would never be the same.

As the ground shook and the sky burned, Kira realized one thing with startling clarity: the Scarlet Horizon wasn’t just a sign of change—it was a call to destiny.