"The Kingdom of Elris shall perform the rite of summoning on the seventh day of the first month during the Year of Darkness. This world will find salvation, for the spirits will return and aid in bringing peace to the future days of chaos."
The Oracle of the Temple of the Seven Spirits finally received the long-awaited message.
She tried to clear the hallucinogenic fog that numbed her senses by waving her palm back and forth in front of her face, but it took several seconds for her thoughts to return to reality.
As soon as she regained control of her body, she hurriedly called out in a hoarse voice for a nearby assistant. "Alfine, quickly pass this to…"
Unable to speak any further, the Oracle swiftly wrote down the crucial message delivered by the spirits, whom she and many others regarded as deities, and handed the paper to the young girl waiting.
After skimming its contents, the youth hurried out of the room, knowing exactly what she had to do.
Alfine pushed the doors aside with considerable force and swiftly cast a barrier and a light orb with magic before descending the stairs from the highest point of the continent's largest mountain.
The young priestess continued running, undeterred by the pitch-black night or the snowflakes that occasionally passed through the barrier, numbing her extremities.
She was heading to where the cardinal was in the lower temple.
Inhaling heavily, she finally arrived at the temple's gates and pounded on the heavy, metal doors.
The doors were quickly opened by two strong, two-meter-tall armed priests with stern expressions, but the priestess raced past them, disregarding any warnings shouted in her direction.
Alfine eventually made it to the vast monastery's center chamber, where the Cardinal was known to spend his time in prayer.
She was fortunate to find the elder there, meditating in front of the seven statues representing each of the revered spirits.
The elderly man, dressed in an exquisite white robe, didn't seem the least bit upset by the sudden commotion the young priestess had caused.
Instead, he mumbled a few prayers before rising to hear what she had to say.
"I humbly apologize for my abrupt intrusion, but Miss Ermeya, the Oracle, provided this message for you, Cardinal Hesvalt." The girl lowered her face as she handed over the paper that had been given to her and waited for the elder to finish reading.
"What is...this about?" Initially calm, his expression gradually altered as he continued to read the letter.
Much like the girl who had hurried to deliver the message, it was now his duty to pick up the pace and immediately spread the word to the kingdoms under the church's influence.
He was ecstatic that the time had come to confront the demons, as it meant believers would once again reign over this world.
Several months had passed since then.
The air was thick with anticipation as preparations began, for today was the day of prophecy. The Kingdom of Elris buzzed with activity, as everyone from the highest nobles to the simplest peasants contributed to the cause.
Rumors of the coming confrontation with the demons had spread far and wide, bringing both hope and fear to the hearts of the continent's people.
Cardinal Hesvalt had been tireless in his efforts to ensure that the message was delivered to every corner of the church's influence. He now gathered the best minds and the bravest warriors of the continent, all actions undertaken under the watchful eyes of the spirits.
Every temple bustled with activity; priests and priestesses, who had worked around the clock, were now giving their last bit of strength to finish the preparations for the ritual that would summon the hero with the help of the spirits.
The main setting, the Kingdom of Elris, was a nation far from the war's front lines, but it was the one chosen to call the hero.
It had everything ready for this momentous occasion.
In a luxurious room within this kingdom, a king paced back and forth by himself throughout the entire ordeal, his face as sweaty as his palms.
He looked disheveled as he considered all the obligations he had to fulfill.
By summoning a hero, his country gained not only the greatest strength but also the envy of many other countries on the continent.
"Why should I be the one to receive the hero out of all the rulers in this age?" he murmured to himself before placing a golden crown over his head.
He reflected on what he had been entrusted with and resolved to guide the new hero and nurture him to be humanity's savior, for he, too, had something to lose—a son who was already on the front line in the ongoing and terrible war.
Everything was set: the summoning room was ready, the magicians were in place, the guards were waiting, and his daughters had been dispatched to manage the upcoming situation.
The king took one more long breath before opening the door that would take him to the throne room, which held the largest crowd he had ever encountered.