Chapter Text
Warning!
-this fanfic was rushed!
-possible writing mistakes!
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Chapter 1 – The Road to Noctis Vale
Morning sunlight spread across the golden kingdom of Solaria.
Warm light reflected off the white stone towers of the capital, and the streets were already alive with activity. Merchants opened their shops while travelers passed through the massive city gates. The smell of fresh bread and roasted fruit filled the air as people began their day.
Standing near the edge of the capital, just beyond the palace gates, was the kingdom’s most famous guardian.
DogDay.
His orange fur glowed brightly in the sunlight, and the golden armor of the Sun Guardians rested lightly across his shoulders. At his side hung the legendary sword Solaris, its blade faintly glowing with warm magic.
DogDay looked toward the long road stretching beyond the kingdom walls.
That road would eventually lead him to a place most people were too afraid to visit.
Noctis Vale.
The dark forest.
The home of the feared shadow wielder known as CatNap.
Stories about CatNap had spread across Solaria for years. Travelers spoke of strange dreams, wandering shadows, and creatures that lurked in the forest at night. Some claimed CatNap controlled nightmares themselves.
DogDay didn’t know how much of those stories were true.
But he had accepted the mission anyway.
With a small sigh, DogDay adjusted the strap holding his sword.
“Guess it’s time,” he muttered.
With that, he stepped forward and began walking down the long road leaving Solaria.
---
The first part of the journey was peaceful.
Golden fields stretched across the land like waves of sunlight, moving gently in the wind. Farmers worked in the distance, and small villages dotted the countryside.
DogDay greeted many people along the road.
Children waved excitedly when they recognized him.
“Look! It’s the Sun Guardian!”
DogDay laughed and waved back.
“Stay out of trouble, alright?”
The children giggled and ran off again.
For a while, everything felt calm.
But the closer DogDay traveled toward the northern forests, the quieter the land became.
The golden fields slowly gave way to darker soil and taller trees. The air became cooler, and the sunlight no longer felt quite as bright.
Eventually, DogDay reached a small village built near the edge of a forest.
Something was wrong.
The villagers looked frightened.
A few wooden fences were broken, and the door of one house hung slightly off its hinges.
DogDay quickly approached a group of worried villagers gathered near the well.
“Hey,” he said gently. “What happened here?”
One older villager stepped forward.
“You’re the Sun Guardian… aren’t you?”
DogDay nodded.
“We’ve been having trouble,” the villager said. “Monsters have been coming out of the forest at night.”
“Monsters?” DogDay frowned.
Another villager spoke up nervously.
“They look… wrong. Like something twisted them.”
DogDay’s ears twitched slightly.
“Where did they come from?”
The villagers all pointed toward the dark forest nearby.
DogDay rested his hand on the hilt of Solaris.
“I’ll take care of it.”
---
The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Tall trees blocked much of the sunlight, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves that crunched softly under DogDay’s boots.
He walked carefully, listening to every sound around him.
Then—
A low growl echoed through the trees.
DogDay immediately turned.
From the shadows, three creatures slowly emerged.
They looked like wolves… but something was very wrong.
Dark mist leaked from their bodies, and their glowing eyes burned with an unnatural purple light.
DogDay narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah… you definitely don’t look normal.”
The corrupted wolves lunged forward.
DogDay moved instantly.
With a quick motion, he drew Solaris, and the blade burst into warm golden light.
The first wolf jumped at him.
DogDay sidestepped the attack and swung his sword in a smooth arc.
A flash of sunlight cut through the air.
The creature collapsed into shadow and disappeared.
The other two wolves circled him.
DogDay kept his stance steady.
“Come on,” he said calmly.
The wolves attacked together.
DogDay jumped backward, raising his sword as sunlight flared brightly around him.
“Solar flare!”
A burst of golden light exploded outward.
The corrupted creatures howled as the light struck them.
Seconds later, both monsters dissolved into dark mist that slowly faded into the air.
Silence returned to the forest.
DogDay lowered his sword slowly.
“…Corruption,” he murmured.
Those monsters hadn’t acted like normal creatures.
Something had twisted them.
Something powerful.
DogDay looked deeper into the forest.
In the far distance, the trees seemed darker.
Almost like the forest itself was hiding something.
He sheathed his sword again.
“Guess I’m heading the right way.”
---
High above the forest floor, hidden within the branches of a massive tree, someone had been watching the entire fight.
A pair of glowing violet eyes blinked slowly.
A purple feline figure stretched lazily across a thick branch.
CatNap.
He had watched the battle without making a sound.
His tail flicked once as he looked down at the path where DogDay was now walking deeper into the forest.
“…So the kingdom sent their hero,” CatNap muttered quietly.
He rested his chin against his hand.
For a moment, he simply watched DogDay disappear between the trees.
Then CatNap sighed softly.
“…This is going to get annoying.”
With barely a sound, the shadowy feline vanished into the darkness of the forest.
And far ahead, deeper within Noctis Vale, something ancient stirred in the shadows.
---
DogDay pressed deeper into the forest. The sunlight faded almost entirely, leaving him in a patchwork of shadows and muted green light. The air was cool, damp, and heavy with the scent of moss. Every step he took crunched softly over leaves, twigs, and broken branches, as though the forest itself were testing him.
He paused near a small stream. The water ran clear, but something about it shimmered oddly, reflecting not just light, but shadows that seemed to move against the current. DogDay knelt, dipping his fingers into the water.
“This forest… it’s alive somehow,” he murmured. “Or… it’s sick.”
A sudden rustle in the underbrush made him jump. He spun, blade at the ready.
A young fox-like creature stumbled out, its fur matted and eyes wide with fear. It was clearly hurt, and a shadowy mist clung to its body. DogDay immediately knelt beside it.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said gently. “You’re safe now.”
With a wave of Solaris, golden light washed over the creature. The mist evaporated, revealing the fox’s normal fur and clearing its frightened gaze. It blinked at him and then bounded off into the forest, free from the corruption.
DogDay smiled softly.
“Guess I’m not just here to fight monsters…”
As he continued walking, he noticed signs of struggle along the path: trampled bushes, claw marks on trees, and broken branches. Something—or someone—was clearly moving through the forest, leaving chaos behind.
He soon came across a clearing where a small group of travelers had set up a camp. They froze when they saw him approaching, hope and fear mixing in their expressions.
“I’m DogDay,” he said warmly, bowing slightly. “I’m here to help.”
The travelers explained that a pack of corrupted creatures had attacked them during the night, tearing through their supplies and scaring them nearly to death. DogDay listened carefully.
“Show me where they went,” he said.
They led him to the edge of a grove, where three tall, shadowed figures prowled, their movements unnatural and jerky. DogDay’s grip tightened on Solaris.
“These are stronger than the wolves I fought earlier,” he muttered.
He stepped forward cautiously. The creatures noticed him immediately and lunged.
DogDay acted instinctively, drawing his sword.
First, he struck with a sweeping arc of golden light, blinding the nearest shadowed figure.
Then, a precise thrust to another sent it dissolving into dark mist.
The last one tried to escape, but DogDay leaped forward, his boots barely touching the ground, and his sword’s light searing through the creature.
When it was over, DogDay lowered Solaris. The travelers stared at him with awe.
“Thank you,” one of them whispered. “We… thought we were done for.”
DogDay nodded, brushing the sweat from his brow.
“No one belongs to fear. Not while I’m here.”
He didn’t notice the faint pair of violet eyes watching from the treetops, glowing softly in the darkness. CatNap remained hidden, silent as ever, evaluating the hero’s strength with mild curiosity.
---
Continuing onward, DogDay reached a hilltop from which he could see the deeper parts of the forest. Shadows pooled unnaturally among the trees, and the wind carried whispers that sounded almost like voices.
He paused, listening carefully.
Something about this forest wasn’t natural. It wasn’t just that it was dark—it reacted to the living things within it. Monsters were appearing, but the forest itself seemed to encourage them. DogDay frowned.
“Whatever’s causing this… it’s bigger than I thought.”
The wind shifted suddenly, carrying with it a faint laugh, soft and teasing. DogDay spun, his sword glowing. The treetops were empty, but the hair on his neck stood up.
“Who’s there?” he demanded.
No answer came, only the rustling of leaves.
DogDay shook his head.
“Probably just the forest playing tricks.”
And yet, the feeling of being watched lingered as he continued on, every instinct in his body alert.
---
By late afternoon, DogDay arrived at a small village near the forest’s edge. It had been abandoned—or rather, the villagers were hiding. Smoke rose from a single cottage in the center of town. DogDay rushed forward, sensing danger.
Inside, a group of villagers was cornered by a corrupted bear-like creature, its body writhing with shadowy tendrils. The villagers screamed, their backs pressed against the walls.
DogDay leaped into action.
He slammed Solaris into the ground, releasing a burst of radiant light that sent the shadow creature staggering.
The creature lunged at him, claws extended, but DogDay rolled to the side and slashed upward, light tearing through the darkness.
With a final focused strike, the beast dissolved into mist.
The villagers stared in awe and relief.
“You… you saved us,” one of them gasped.
DogDay smiled faintly, brushing dust from his armor.
“Just doing my job,” he said, though inside, he felt a gnawing unease.
Something was definitely off about this forest. These creatures weren’t attacking randomly—they were being pushed, controlled, or corrupted.
He glanced toward the deepest part of Noctis Vale, where the trees grew twisted and black, and where sunlight never reached.
Whatever was waiting there… was dangerous.
---
As night fell, DogDay set up a small camp on a hill overlooking the forest. He lit a small fire and cleaned his sword, thinking about the day’s events.
“CatNap…” he murmured under his breath, though he didn’t yet know the name. “If you’re behind this, I’ll find you.”
Somewhere far above him, perched silently in the shadows, CatNap observed him again, noting every movement. His eyes narrowed slightly, just enough to catch the glint of Solaris as DogDay polished it.
“…The Sun Guardian,” CatNap whispered, almost amused. “He’s stronger than I expected.”
The wind rustled through the forest as the shadows deepened. For DogDay, sleep came uneasily that night, the weight of the forest pressing in, hinting at the challenges yet to come.
And far beyond his campsite, in the deepest darkness of Noctis Vale, something stirred—a force older and far more dangerous than either DogDay or CatNap.
The real test was only beginning.