The sharp sound of stone striking stone echoed endlessly through the silent, snow-covered forest.
Clack!
A tiny spark leapt into the freezing air before disappearing almost instantly.
Nothing happened.
Kael tightened his grip on the two rough stones.
His fingers had already turned numb from the unbearable cold, yet he refused to stop.
Again.
Clack!
Another spark.
Still nothing.
He drew a deep breath, though every breath felt like inhaling thousands of tiny needles.
His soaked clothes clung tightly to his body.
His boots had become heavy with snow.
The freezing wind cut through every layer of clothing as if they did not exist.
His teeth chattered violently.
"...Come on..."
His voice trembled.
"Just... a little more..."
He struck the stones together again.
Clack!
Tiny sparks scattered across the pile of dry twigs.
For a brief moment, one of the smallest pieces of dry grass began to glow faintly.
Kael's exhausted eyes widened.
"It... caught!"
He immediately bent down and carefully blew warm air onto the tiny ember.
The ember flickered.
Almost went out.
Then...
A thin trail of smoke slowly rose into the air.
Kael's heartbeat quickened.
"Please..."
"Don't go out..."
He gently gathered more dried grass around it before blowing once more.
The smoke became thicker.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
A small orange flame burst to life.
Kael stared silently.
Then a smile slowly spread across his frozen face.
"I... did it."
The tiny flame danced gently in the middle of the snow.
Although it was no larger than his palm, to Kael it looked brighter than the morning sun.
He carefully added several thin twigs.
The fire grew stronger.
Soon thicker branches followed.
The warmth slowly spread through the clearing.
For the first time since entering this frozen forest...
Kael could finally feel hope.
He stretched both hands toward the flames.
Warmth slowly returned to his stiff fingers.
The unbearable pain in his hands gradually disappeared.
"...Warm..."
A relieved sigh escaped his lips.
He looked toward the Snow Antelope lying beside him.
"Looks like dinner is finally secured."
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
The icy wind continued blowing through the forest.
Snow continued falling.
Yet somehow...
The cold no longer frightened him.
As he quietly watched the flames dance before him...
The fire suddenly grew brighter.
Far brighter.
It expanded without warning.
The orange flames turned crimson.
Then golden.
The small campfire transformed into an enormous pillar of fire reaching toward the dark heavens.
Kael instinctively stepped backward.
"W-What?"
The flames continued rising.
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
The intense heat became almost unbearable.
He instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes.
The entire snowy forest began melting.
The white landscape disappeared beneath an ocean of brilliant fire.
The towering pine trees burned like torches.
The snow evaporated into clouds of steam.
The ground cracked apart beneath his feet.
Kael stared around in complete confusion.
"What... is happening?"
The pillar of fire suddenly rushed toward him.
It moved like a living creature.
Its roaring sound filled the entire world.
Kael tried to run.
But his legs refused to move.
The flames engulfed him completely.
Kael's eyes snapped open.
"Hah...!"
He sat upright on his bed, gasping for air.
His heart pounded violently against his chest.
Drops of sweat rolled down his forehead.
His breathing refused to calm.
He instinctively looked around.
"...My room..."
Everything was normal.
The familiar wooden walls.
His desk.
The window.
The wardrobe.
The nightmare had ended.
He slowly placed a hand against his forehead.
"...Just a dream..."
But something felt terribly wrong.
His breathing remained unusually heavy.
His chest felt unbelievably hot.
Almost as though something inside his body had been ignited.
He wiped away more sweat.
"...Why am I sweating this much?"
The room itself wasn't warm.
In fact...
The evening breeze drifting through the slightly opened window felt rather cool.
Yet his body continued heating up.
He placed his palm against his neck.
His eyes widened.
"I'm burning..."
His skin felt incredibly hot.
Almost impossible to touch.
He quickly stood from the bed.
His legs remained steady.
He didn't feel dizzy.
Nor weak.
He wasn't sick.
Yet the unbearable heat continued spreading throughout his body.
He looked toward the window.
Outside...
The orange colors of sunset painted the sky.
"...Evening already?"
He had apparently slept throughout the afternoon.
Kael slowly walked toward the window before opening it completely.
A refreshing gust of cool wind entered the room.
The cool air washed across his body.
For a brief moment...
The burning sensation lessened.
He sighed with relief.
"That feels better..."
Unfortunately...
Only for a few seconds.
The heat returned.
Even stronger than before.
Kael frowned.
"...This isn't normal."
He removed his shirt.
More sweat poured down his body.
His skin had become strangely warm to the touch.
The strange heat seemed to come from inside him rather than outside.
"I should cool myself down."
Without wasting another moment, Kael grabbed a towel before heading toward the bathroom.
The bathroom was quiet.
He filled a large wooden bucket with fresh well water.
Without hesitation...
He poured it over himself.
Splash!
Cold water soaked his body instantly.
Kael let out a long sigh.
"...Ahh..."
The relief was immediate.
His burning skin cooled considerably.
For several peaceful moments...
Everything felt normal again.
He smiled faintly.
"Looks like that solved—"
His sentence stopped halfway.
The burning sensation returned once more.
Stronger.
Much stronger.
His entire body felt like a furnace.
Confused, Kael looked down.
His eyes slowly widened.
His skin...
Had begun turning slightly reddish.
Not from injury.
Nor from sunlight.
It looked as though heat itself glowed beneath his skin.
"What..."
He poured another bucket over himself.
Again the cold water cooled him temporarily.
Yet something strange happened.
Before the water could even drip onto the floor...
Thin trails of white steam rose from his shoulders.
Kael blinked.
"...Steam?"
He watched silently.
The water covering his arms slowly evaporated.
Tiny wisps of vapor drifted upward.
His breathing became uneven.
"This..."
"...This shouldn't happen."
A small feeling of fear crept into his heart.
He grabbed another bucket.
Splash.
Again.
More steam.
The water disappeared almost instantly.
Kael slowly stepped backward.
His heartbeat accelerated.
"What is happening to me?"
He carefully examined both arms.
No wounds.
No burns.
No fever.
Yet the temperature inside his body continued increasing.
The air around him had begun feeling unusually warm.
Tiny droplets of water that landed upon his shoulders disappeared almost immediately.
His mind raced.
"Did I catch some strange disease?"
"No..."
"I don't even feel weak."
He looked into the mirror hanging above the wash basin.
His reflection stared back.
The same black hair.
The same determined eyes.
But beneath his skin...
A faint reddish glow pulsed rhythmically.
Almost like molten lava flowing through invisible veins.
Kael unconsciously took a step backward.
"...Impossible."
He slowly raised both hands.
They trembled slightly.
Not because of fear.
Because of the strange energy building inside them.
Suddenly...
Without thinking...
He brought both palms together.
The instant his hands touched—
A tiny spark appeared.
Kael froze.
"...What?"
The spark floated gently between his palms.
Then another.
Then another.
Tiny orange particles began gathering together.
They spun slowly.
Round and round.
A faint warmth surrounded them.
Kael stared in disbelief.
The tiny sparks merged.
Within seconds...
A small flame appeared.
No larger than a candle.
It floated peacefully between his hands.
Its orange light reflected across his stunned face.
He couldn't even breathe.
"...Fire..."
His voice barely escaped his lips.
The flame continued dancing gently.
It didn't burn him.
It didn't hurt.
Instead...
It felt strangely familiar.
As though it had always belonged there.
Kael slowly smiled.
"...Magic..."
His eyes filled with disbelief.
"I..."
"I can use magic..."
For many years...
He had dreamed of this very moment.
The dream he believed would never come true.
The dream that countless people had mocked him for chasing.
The dream his mother had spent years researching.
Now...
A tiny flame floated peacefully in his hands.
Kael laughed softly.
"I actually..."
"I actually did it..."
Tears almost formed in his eyes.
He slowly lifted the tiny fireball.
Its size doubled.
Then tripled.
His smile disappeared.
"...Wait."
The flame continued growing.
"What?"
It expanded rapidly.
Basketball-sized.
Then larger.
The heat inside the bathroom increased dramatically.
Kael's eyes widened.
"It won't stop!"
The fireball roared loudly.
Flames spiraled wildly around his arms.
Panic spread across his face.
"H-How do I stop this?"
He tried separating his hands.
The fire remained.
He shook them.
Nothing happened.
The ball continued growing larger every second.
The wooden walls around him began smoking.
"Oh no..."
Kael instinctively threw the fireball away.
The blazing sphere shot forward like a cannon shell.
BOOOOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion shook the entire house.
The bathroom door shattered into countless wooden fragments.
A wave of fire burst into the hallway.
Flaming debris scattered everywhere.
Curtains immediately caught fire.
Pieces of furniture ignited.
Thick smoke rapidly filled the house.
Kael stood frozen inside the ruined bathroom.
His eyes were wide with absolute horror.
"...What..."
"...Have I done?"
The explosion echoed throughout Kael's house like a clap of thunder.
BOOOOOM!!
Splinters of the shattered bathroom door shot across the hallway.
Flames burst outward in every direction, instantly catching onto the wooden walls, curtains, and furniture nearby. Thick black smoke rapidly filled the house as the fire crackled hungrily, spreading from one object to another.
Kael stood rooted to the spot.
His ears rang from the blast.
His heart pounded violently against his chest.
The fireball that had formed in his hands only moments earlier had vanished, replaced by a terrifying scene of destruction.
His breathing became uneven.
"...I..."
"...I caused this?"
For several seconds he simply stared in disbelief.
He had dreamed his entire life of wielding magic.
Never—not even once—had he imagined that the very first spell he cast would nearly destroy his own home.
Suddenly—
"KAEL!"
A familiar voice shouted from somewhere beyond the smoke.
The sound snapped him back to reality.
Heavy footsteps rushed down the hallway.
The next moment, Draven burst into view, coughing as thick smoke surrounded him.
His eyes immediately widened.
"What in the world happened?!"
He looked from the burning hallway to the destroyed bathroom before finally staring at Kael, who was still standing motionless with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
"...Kael?"
Kael slowly turned toward him.
"I..."
His voice trembled.
"...I don't know."
Draven blinked.
"You... don't know?"
Kael looked at his own hands.
"They..."
"They suddenly..."
Before he could finish explaining, another wooden beam overhead caught fire.
CRACK!
A burning plank crashed onto the floor.
Draven immediately reacted.
"Forget explanations!"
He pointed toward the kitchen.
"The fire's spreading!"
Kael finally came back to his senses.
"Right!"
The two rushed into action.
The nearest water bucket stood beside the bathroom entrance.
Kael grabbed it first.
He quickly filled it from the large storage barrel before throwing the water onto the burning curtains.
Splash!
Steam exploded into the air.
The flames weakened...
But refused to disappear completely.
"They're still burning!"
Draven had already grabbed another bucket.
"Keep throwing!"
Together they began carrying water back and forth.
Bucket after bucket.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The heat inside the house became overwhelming.
Smoke made it difficult to breathe.
Their eyes burned.
Their clothes became soaked with water.
Still...
Neither of them stopped.
After several exhausting minutes, the flames near the hallway finally began shrinking.
Kael wiped sweat from his forehead.
"We're getting somewhere."
Draven nodded while catching his breath.
"But the living room—"
Before he could finish...
Another loud crack echoed through the house.
A burning shelf collapsed.
Flames spread across the wooden floor.
"Oh no!"
Draven shouted.
"It jumped again!"
Kael immediately sprinted toward the well outside the house.
He lowered the bucket.
Filled it.
Ran back inside.
Every second mattered.
Fortunately...
Several nearby neighbors had heard the explosion.
Doors opened throughout the neighborhood.
People rushed outside.
One elderly man pointed toward Kael's house.
"Fire!"
Another shouted,
"Bring water!"
Within moments several residents arrived carrying buckets of their own.
Without asking questions...
Everyone joined together.
A chain quickly formed between the village well and Kael's house.
Bucket after bucket traveled from hand to hand.
Water splashed continuously across the burning building.
The flames slowly lost their strength.
Nearly half an hour later...
The last visible flames finally disappeared.
Only thin trails of smoke continued rising from the charred wooden beams.
The once peaceful house had become a complete mess.
The bathroom door no longer existed.
Several pieces of furniture had been burned beyond repair.
The hallway walls were black with soot.
Water covered almost every room.
Kael leaned heavily against one wall.
"...We..."
"...managed it."
Draven collapsed onto a nearby chair.
"Barely."
Both of them breathed heavily.
Neither possessed enough energy to speak for several moments.
One of the elderly neighbors looked around the damaged house before letting out a long sigh.
"At least the fire didn't spread to the neighboring homes."
Another nodded.
"That would've been disastrous."
Kael immediately bowed deeply.
"I'm... truly sorry."
"I caused everyone so much trouble."
The old man smiled kindly.
"No one was hurt."
"That's what matters."
Another woman laughed softly.
"We'll help you repair the house later."
Kael felt incredibly grateful.
"Thank you..."
The neighbors gradually returned to their own homes after making sure the danger had completely passed.
Silence slowly returned.
Only Kael and Draven remained.
Draven slowly stood.
He looked carefully around the destroyed hallway before turning toward Kael.
"...Now."
"I think you owe me an explanation."
Kael lowered his head.
"...You're right."
They both sat down on two wooden chairs that had somehow survived the fire.
For several moments...
Neither spoke.
Finally...
Kael broke the silence.
"When I woke up..."
He began explaining everything from the very beginning.
The strange dream.
The burning sensation inside his body.
His skin turning red.
The water instantly evaporating.
The tiny flame that had appeared between his palms.
The fireball growing beyond his control.
The explosion.
Draven listened quietly.
Without interrupting even once.
After Kael finished...
Silence filled the room again.
Draven slowly looked at him.
"So..."
"...you're saying..."
"You used magic?"
Kael nodded slowly.
"I think..."
"No."
He corrected himself.
"I definitely used magic."
Draven stared at him.
Several seconds passed.
Then suddenly—
He burst into laughter.
Kael blinked.
"...Why are you laughing?"
Draven tried unsuccessfully to stop.
"I'm sorry!"
"It's just..."
"You spent your whole life wanting magic..."
"...and the very first spell you cast almost burned your own house down!"
Kael covered his face.
"When you say it like that..."
"...it really sounds terrible."
Both of them eventually laughed together.
The tension that had filled the room finally began fading.
After calming down...
Draven's expression became much more serious.
"Kael."
Kael looked toward him.
"I think..."
"...this changes everything."
Kael nodded quietly.
"I know."
"You've been called magicless your entire life."
"You trained harder than anyone because you couldn't use magic."
"And now..."
Draven smiled.
"You awakened one."
Kael looked once again at his own hands.
"I still can't believe it."
He slowly brought his palms together.
Nothing happened.
He frowned.
"...Nothing."
Draven tilted his head.
"Maybe your mana's exhausted."
"Or maybe you simply don't know how to control it yet."
Kael nodded thoughtfully.
"That's possible."
For several minutes Kael remained silent.
His thoughts drifted toward one person.
His mother.
Dr. Elara.
He remembered every late night she spent inside her laboratory.
Every exhausted expression.
Every failed experiment.
Every encouraging smile she showed him despite his inability to use magic.
Suddenly...
Everything made sense.
His eyes softened.
"...Mother..."
Draven noticed.
"Thinking about Aunt Elara?"
Kael smiled gently.
"She never gave up."
"Even when I did."
"If she learns about this..."
He couldn't even imagine her reaction.
She would probably cry tears of joy.
Draven folded his arms.
"I think she's the first person you should tell."
Kael nodded.
"I will."
"But first..."
He looked around the destroyed hallway.
"...we should probably repair the bathroom door."
Both of them laughed again.
Outside...
The evening sky had already darkened.
Cool winds gently entered through the now doorless bathroom.
The smell of burnt wood still lingered throughout the house.
Yet...
Neither Kael nor Draven minded.
Because despite the destruction...
Something incredible had happened today.
For the first time in his life...
Kael had awakened magic.
He still couldn't control it.
He didn't understand why it had happened.
He didn't know what kind of magic it truly was.
But one thing had become undeniably clear.
The boy who had been mocked his entire life as "magicless" had finally crossed the boundary that separated him from everyone else.
As Kael quietly looked toward the evening sky through the broken hallway, a determined smile slowly appeared on his face.
"I'll master this power."
"No matter how long it takes."
Draven smiled proudly beside him.
"I'll help you."
The two friends stood silently together beneath the fading light of dusk, unaware that Kael's awakening would soon change not only his own destiny...
...but the fate of the entire Kingdom of Therandil.