Hey everyone, Tim here!

Let me introduce you to Adrianna and Mia, and give you a glimpse into how these two incredible characters—and their relationship—became the beating heart of Nero’s world.

So… what is Nero?

At the time, I didn’t know what I was going to do with her. She was just a cute character with blonde hair, and honestly, she was kind of a reflection of the kind of girl I was dating back then—sweet, bright, and bubbly. But over time, she became something more. A reflection of other things I didn’t quite understand yet.

I just kept drawing her. And by today’s standards, her original design was super archaic. But I kept building on it—adding more characters to this little mental universe, even though I didn’t have a plan for them yet. I figured, someday, I’d use them.
Back then, I imagined maybe I’d build a video game or create an anime. I even started dabbling in animation. But that didn’t pan out—I didn’t go into game development or full-time animation. I ended up moving more into graphic design and video production.

So my characters… they just kind of sat there. I’d sketch them, tweak a design, and shelve them again. I had no real idea where it was all going—until I finally sat down and started writing a story.

That’s when things started to click.

I kept thinking about Adrianna. I had this strong mental image of her—of her doing something awesome. I knew she had potential. I always wanted her to be some kind of princess, but not your typical fantasy princess. I wanted her to have depth. I wanted growth. She’s young, but she learns fast—kind of like I had to, growing up with a single mom and figuring out life on my own pretty early.

So I tried to pour that same energy into her.

And just like in Lord of the Rings or any great epic, a hero isn’t complete without a team. So as I kept designing characters—probably by the second or third major revision—I started writing little backstories. One character, in particular, started to stand out to me: Mia.

At first, I didn’t know what Mia’s purpose in the story would be. I just liked her. She felt different. Where Adri is short and has that shoulder-length blonde bob, Mia has long, flowing pink hair. She’s taller, a bit more athletic. I could see the two of them being friends—I just needed to figure out how.

Eventually, the story caught up with them. They do meet. They do become friends. And I love the dynamic between them.

But it’s not just a friendship. There’s a romantic connection too.

That kind of emotional confusion and growth? That’s one of my absolute favorite storylines to explore.
There’s going to be heartbreak, there’s going to be misunderstanding, there’s going to be emotional turbulence—but that’s part of what makes it real.

So all in all, Legend of Nero is, at its core, about the characters. That’s what drives everything. The world, the fantasy, the action—it’s all there. But it’s the people—their relationships, their flaws, their growth—that makes it matter.

Tim is a husband, father, artist, and the creator of The Legend of Nero universe.

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