Alec stood up and helped William move the big, heavy wooden closet.
"This is so heavy..!" William murmured. He was clearly too weak to even move the closet.
"Yeah. But we have to move it outside." Alec was stronger than William, so naturally, he was able to pick it up more easily. They moved the closet out of the storage room with difficulty.
William panted with his hands on his knees. "Just... a little more and... the storage is clean..."
Alec breathed heavily but was also tired. He patted William's shoulder.
"It's fine. Let's hurry, I'm hungry." Alec walked inside again.
William caught his breath and followed his lead.
---
"Aunt! Aunt Collen, we've finished our work." Alec walked to the dining table while supporting the exhausted William.
"Mom... hurry up. I'm hungry."
They both sat at the table and Collen placed the plates in front of them.
"Just wait a minute, boys. The rice is almost cooked." Saying that, she turned towards the kitchen. "You boys did a great job. I made your favourite white rice with fish chowder and meat pie..!" she happily announced her dishes.
"Really? Oh, thank you." Both of their eyes lit up at the mention of their favourite food. It seemed as though all their exhaustion was replaced with anticipation.
Collen was happy with their response and chuckled.
---
Late at night, Alec held a candle in his hand as he walked into the storage room. He rummaged through the pile of books and turned to a clothed table.
He lifted the cloth and revealed an old book covered in dust. He picked it up and his gaze landed on a desk.
"Thank goodness it's still here," he mumbled to himself and placed the candle on the desk. He sat down, looking at the old book.
'That's weird,' he thought. It didn't seem like a normal book.
'But it's just a book like any other. Then why...?' He narrowed his eyes.
The book he was holding let out a strange aura. Alec's heart became heavy for some unknown reason.
"Why does it feel like... like I shouldn't open this book?" He felt a strange sense that opening the book would not be a good sign. He pondered on it and gently brushed his hand over the cover, revealing an unusual title.
"The Myths of Reality."
He read out the name. It was an intriguing title.
"Well, it's just a book. What's the worst that could happen?" He shrugged and tried to open it.
The book was locked. Alec sighed and flipped it around to examine it.
"Woah... is it locked by magic? I can't see any lock on it."
He tried to force it open with strength, but in vain. Alec took a deep breath and thought of a way to open this ridiculous book.
"Hmm... it's locked by magic..." Suddenly, a strange thought came to his mind. He unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and pulled out a transparent stone.
"Aunt Collen said it's a magic nullifier... will it work?" He brought the stone closer to the book. He gasped softly as he saw a flow of red smoke emerge from the book and vanish into the stone.
The stone absorbed the red smoke and its bottom became dark red. Alec observed this scene and hid the stone again in his shirt.
He slowly opened the book.
"It really... works?" His brows knitted as he flipped the pages.
"What in the... it's empty?"
Before he could come up with new conclusions, slowly, words and images began to emerge.
Alec's eyes sparkled with awe. "Wow... it's working."
He flipped through the pages thoroughly. There was mention of strange creatures and items. All of them Alec did not recognize — owlbears, sirens, catamals, and some that looked like mixtures of animals: griffins, scorpions, etc.
Alec continued flipping until his eyes landed on a title. He read:
"The Seven Rings of Fate."
He read the content of the rings with curiosity glimmering in his eyes.
*"The Seven Rings of Fate are the creation of an unknown entity. These rings have the power to do anything. But only one wish can be fulfilled.
The wish can be anything — from bringing the dead back to life, to ending a whole race. From opening the sea to cracking the sky. It can bring you glory or throw you down.
But only one wish is to be fulfilled.
The rings are scattered in the world. You can find them;--"*
Alec flipped the book back and forth, but... "What the? Where is the next part?"
The page was torn right where the whereabouts of the rings should have been. He knitted his eyebrows and let out a deep sigh.
"I guess the page was torn long ago..." He stood up, blew out the candle flame, took the book with him, and left the storage room.
Making sure everyone was asleep, he went back to his room and lay down to sleep.
---
The next day, he went back to his usual place and practiced his sword.
"Ha!... Ha!" He swung the sword in the empty air.
William sat by the tree and flipped through a book. He lifted his gaze to look at Alec.
"Why are you so slow today?"
Alec continued his practice and retorted, "I'm not slow... haa... is that book fun?"
William went back to his book. "If you understand, it's fun. Otherwise," he put the book aside, "it's a waste of time."
Alec wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat under the tree beside William.
"Phew... hey, have you ever thought about going to the Capital to study?"
William pondered on it and shook his head.
"No. Because I like it here better." He watched his town with a little glimmer in his eyes. "Why do you ask?"
Alec looked at the blue sky, his hazel eyes reflecting it.
"...Nothing. Just a strange thought."
William looked at him and felt something was amiss. They had known each other for far too long. He was hiding something. But William dismissed that thought, because if Alec had something to say, he'd definitely say it.
That's just how Alec was.
---
At the dinner table, Collen was picking up the dishes to wash after eating.
"Aunt, let me help." Alec stood up and helped her carry the dishes.
Collen smiled at his behaviour and then looked at her own son. "Will, what are you doing staring at the table? Did you guys cut the wood I asked for?" She crossed her arms.
William came back to reality and awkwardly scratched his head.
"Mom, Alec—"
"I helped him do it, Aunt," Alec cut him off.
Collen turned to look at Alec. "It's good that you guys help each other, but Will, you should also do your fair share of work."
She sat back down on the chair. William pouted.
"Well, it's not like I asked him to do it. He did it himself," William tried to defend himself, only to face the glare of his mother.
Alec also sat down in his chair.
"Aunt, don't be angry. I asked him to let me do it," Alec explained carefully.
He did not tell her that William couldn't even cut one piece of wood, and Alec offered help because of that.
"If it's like that, then I guess I'll let you guys off this time." She wasn't really angry in the first place. Both of them knew that too. But William still glared at Alec because Collen had sided with him. Alec brushed off his glare.
He began slowly. "Aunt, I want to ask you something."
Playfulness aside, she looked at him earnestly. William also listened attentively.
"What is it?" Collen asked him in a gentle manner.
Alec fidgeted with his fingers.
"It's nothing serious but, I wanted to..." Alec faced her eyes. "I wanted to ask if I can go to the Capital."
William was the first to react, and he did so strongly.
"Is that why you asked me if I wanted to go to the Capital?"
Collen ignored her son and instead asked Alec,
"Is there something you want to do at the Capital? ...Is it something you need?"
She meant if there was something he lacked here. Alec quickly waved his hands.
"No, no. It's not like that." Out of habit, whenever he was in trouble, he would look at William. But this time, William also had questioning eyes.
"Why do you even want to go to the Capital?" William rested his chin on his palm.
Alec sat up straight and looked at his hands. "I... I thought about it and," his gaze landed on Collen for any kind of reaction, "I think I want to be a swordsman."
William shook his head in disbelief.
"Tsk, tsk. All that fuss over something so trivial?" He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
Collen also thought about this matter. She grinned at Alec and gave him her answer.
"If you want to, you can even be a swordsmaster! What's with the 'I think'?"
Alec's eyes sparkled at her response. He had expected to be lectured, but this was a positive response from both mother and son.
"Really? I can go?" He couldn't conceal his excitement.
"That's right," Collen confirmed for him.
"Hey, if you go to the Capital, who's gonna stay here?" William sat back up and pointed at him.
"Now, now. Why don't you go with him then?" Collen raised an eyebrow, her green eyes smiling with a hint of mischief.
"I refuse!" William shook his head and crossed his arms into an 'X'.
Alec and Collen laughed at his silly reaction.
"Thank you, Aunt." Alec couldn't help but feel grateful.
Collen waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Don't worry, sweetie. It's the least I can do." She really was a humble and kind woman.
"Does that mean I'm not going... does it?" William looked at his mother with a suspicious gaze.
"Oh no, young man. You are going," Collen declared her final decision.