The story of Middlesea Island

• This is a third-party fan work based on the Dungeon Hospital AU by Raonmir (@Raonmir_Tuned). I took most of character designs from the original AU, but the settings and story were newly created by me. Some elements differ from the original AU.
• Any feedbacks and suggestions are welcomed!
• Dungeon Hospital AU: https://twitter.com/Raonmir_Tuned/status/1386680838134194177

Waves rolled in and crashed against the seaside rocks. Sea foam followed it, leaving behind a few pieces of seaweed. Someone was walking along the sandy beach. It was a young bard named Cole, dressed in a red robe. A slightly briny cold breeze brushed through his blonde hair. Cole was born and raised here on Middlesea Island, spending his childhood during the island's golden age. Naturally, Cole could often see adventurers around, and with the friendliness typical of young children, he frequently talked with them and heard their many tales. Eventually, Cole came to yearn for the world beyond the island and for the adventurer's life. However, Cole himself knew well enough that he wasn't skilled enough in combat to go adventures, nor did he possess any outstanding ability like magic. Obviously he'd be found as a dead body not long after leaving. So instead of martial arts or swordmanship, Cole chose the path of learning to sing, play the lute, and tell stories. A bard might not be able to live the life of wandering dungeons, defeating monsters, and finding treasures, but at the very least he could travel to various places in the world, and if he were unlucky enough to encounter a monster, they could at least get protection from adventurers. And as his confidence grew with his skills, he decided that he’ll try to be a famous bard if he was becoming one anyway. He might make his name as a talented bard, travel around more places, and tell his own songs and stories, he thought. But things didn't go as he thought. Various problems kept him stuck on this island, most of them being practical matters like money. Cole thought he'd rather be better if he was not able to leave because of pirates or sea monsters. At least that would be a better story. His dream of seeing the world outside the island had dimmed as the time passed, leaving only a faint flicker. The Cole of today was nothing but one of many run-of-the-mill bards, singing songs that isn’t very famous. Still, he had an inn and tavern where he could sing and an audience, Nicole the innkeeper. At least Nicole seemed to like Cole's songs. Perhaps that was why Cole had feelings for her, and this was yet another reason he found it hard to leave Middlesea. He wasn't sure if Nicole felt the same way.

Cole let out a quiet sigh and gazed beyond the sea. The evening glow dyed the ocean the same color as the sky, and the sun slowly sank below the water. The dream was almost gone, but Cole still liked to sit on this beach and quietly stare at the horizon, imagining what the world beyond was like, and what his life beyond this island might be, from the fragments of knowledge he'd gathered. At that moment, Cole had no idea that a fate about to arrive would turn the entire island completely upside down, and that his wish to experience the world outside the island would be fulfilled in a form utterly beyond his expectations.

Watching the sky grow darker, Cole thought it is about time to head inside. Just as he turned toward the village, Cole spotted something: an unfamiliar red flash cutting swiftly across the sky. And the moment he realized it was heading straight for the center of the village, he felt an inexplicable sense of dread. That red light, so different from the sunset, was far too unnatural and bizarre so that he felt his skin crawling. Cole ran toward the village to find out what was going on. He was worried about Nicole, too.

On his way back, Cole noticed another ominous sign. An enormous number of rats and insects, along with all kinds of wild animals, were fleeing away from the village. Birds were also leaving, the sound of their wings loud with apparent terror. The swarms animal covered the ground and sky around the village for a moment and they were gone soon. It wasn't just wild animals. Livestock, too, rampaged and threw themselves against fences and pulling rope they were tied to, trying desperately to escape. Cole saw several horses and cows break through the fence and flee. The escaped livestock ran wildly through the village alleyways and made a mess. Some dogs ran away, others that remained were barking furiously at the strange light in the sky.

Whatever was emitting the red light seemed to have landed in the square at the center of the village. Cole passed quickly between the village buildings and hurried toward the square. When he stopped, breathing hard, the first thing that caught his eye was a red crystal roughly the size of a human head. The mysterious crystal floated several meters in the air, casting a faint red glow around itself.

The crowd gathering there was what he noticed next. It wasn't only Cole who had felt something strange, so a large number of villagers were around the crystal. Some of the people in buildings around the square opened windows to look, while anothers were frightened, locking their doors and hiding inside. Since no one in the gathered crowd seemed to want to get close to the crystal, people had stopped at a certain distance from it. Among the crowd was Nicole.

"Nicole! What on earth is going on? What is that thing?" "Oh, Cole. I have no idea what this is. Except that it just came flying here out of nowhere. But even though it's just floating there not doing anything, there's something about it that just feels wrong… What could it be?" "Yeah… Still, I'm glad you're okay, Nicole."

The two watched the crystal from a distance, sharing various theories about what it might be. Nothing useful came out of it, but it helped calm their nerves a little. Around them, they could hear the murmur of villagers.

"I've never seen anything like this…" "That looks like magic… Did that guy who never leaves his workshop make it?" "If so, we would've found out long ago. In a town with nothing interesting happening, anything at all goes around fast and people would've gone to see it." "It does give off an unpleasant feeling, but doesn't it look pretty expensive? It's not doing anything, so it should be fine. We might make a lot of money if we sell it." "It's sitting still for now, but what if it does something bad to our fishing?" "Don't touch it… you'll be cursed." "If this thing turns out to be hostile, I'll try my best to protect everyone."

"What on earth is going on?”

A stern voice rang out through the murmur of the villagers. The crowd parted at the voice of Edega, the village’s chief, as he stepped forward toward the crystal. Judging by the parchment scroll in his hand, he had apparently come out in the middle of work to see what was happening. Because he was still reading the scroll as he walked, his face was hidden. Someone asked.

“Chief Edega, do you know what this is by chance? As I know, you once had a great reputation as a mage in the capital…" "…I have never seen anything like this either. Other than the fact that it holds extraordinarily strong and alien magical power, I can't say anything. And I have no idea why, of all places, it flew here. But whatever it is, it at least appears that magitech was used in making it. Ian might know-"

Before Edega could finish speaking, the mysterious crystal suddenly rose higher and began spinning rapidly. The light it gave off intensified, spreading across the entire village, and gusts swirled in a vortex around the crystal and the square. Everyone stood rooted to the spot in fear, and yet in the curiosity, looking at the scene.