Oakhaven was a harsh city for the weak. For the son of a fallen hero, it was a tomb.
Every day, Liam cleared the streets. He was paid with scorn and stale bread.
"Just like his father," a merchant would sneer, kicking a cabbage near his feet. "His father could mend a broken bone with a touch. But when the plague came, his green light failed us.
Liam was an orphan, cast out the moment he was old enough to stand. His magic was so small it couldn't connect him to the world's energy. In Oakhaven, he was nothing. He ate alone and slept behind the butcher's shop.
One evening, a resolve ignited within him. He would not die as a forgotten soul. He would escape.
Under the new moon, Liam slipped through the service gate. He ran past the fields and into the wilderness beyond. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs gave out. He was in the Whisperwind Jungle. He fell to his knees.
A voice echoed. "Come to me..."
Liam looked around.
"Follow my voice... I will guide you."
He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled forward.
The voice guided him deeper into the jungle, to the mouth of a hidden crevice.
As he looked an inter into the darkness, he slipped and fell down a narrow shaft. He landed far below, bruised and aching. The darkness was absolute.
Two emerald lights opened before him.
"A mortal... at last."
Liam scrambled back. He saw the creature: a vast serpent.
"Do not fear, young one. My time draws to a close. For eons, I have hidden here like a coward. I received this power, this terrible legacy... but I could not master it.
I didn't have the guts to interfere with their plan. After years, they understood I was no threat. They left me to rot.
But I mastered a skill that can transfer this power. I hoped that one day, someone could make them pay for what they are doing to this world."
The serpent looked at Liam. "You are weak. Fragile. But your heart holds a burning ember of hatred, a yearning for strength that I lost long ago. You are worthy."
The colossal head lowered. The massive fangs came close to Liam's face.
"Take this curse from me. Ascend where I have failed."
Liam squeezed his eyes shut. The serpent's power went into him.
It was like liquid fire tearing through his veins, restructuring every cell.
It ripped away the weakness that had defined his life. He screamed as his body convulsed. His vision exploded with light.
The last thing he heard was the serpent's fading whisper.
"Live, weak one. Live... and ascend."