Prologue

The sound of laughter fills the car.

His daughters, ages six and nine, are singing along to an old Disney song. He glances in the rearview mirror, smiling. It's a perfect moment.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Then—a blinding light. Screeching tires. A horn.

Impact.

He lunges back instinctively, arms outstretched, covering them.

Darkness.

A voice: "Welcome, warrior. Your journey begins now."

He awakens, alone, in a forest with a glowing sword embedded in a stone before him. The sky is too vivid. The trees shimmer with code.

Something is very wrong.