Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Aren's bare feet hit the ground as he ran at full speed. He jumped over a tree branch as he sprang himself five metres high into the sky and grabbed the trunk of a tree.
Snap!
The part where he grabbed almost exploded as he lost his balance and fell. Luckily, there was another branch he grabbed before completely falling to the ground.
As he landed slowly on the ground, he blew the air off his face as he stared at the moon. "My fate gets decided tomorrow."
Tomorrow was going to be the most important day of his life up to this point because it was the day he would turn sixteen, and it was also the same day of awakening.
Only sixteen-year-olds were eligible for magic awakening, and he was quite lucky because if his birthday had been a day later, then he would have to wait for another year.
His only wish was to awaken a strong magic, get into the academy, become a mage, and get rich.
Becoming a mage had become everyone's hope in this world, as it was the only way of surviving.
Not only surviving, but mages were able to live life to the fullest, explore their world and its danger — they could even transcend realms.
Aren shook his head as he turned around and started running again. He didn't know why, but ever since he remembered, he would always run out alone at night and just roam the wild.
The trees, the animal howls, the insect sounds — they were the closest thing he could call home.
Smack!!!
"Aren!!! Get your lazy arse off my mat, you poor bastard!!!"
He felt a sharp pain in his back as he jumped off the mat he was sleeping on. As he looked up, he saw his master's woman with a big stick in her hand.
That was her daily routine of waking him up, and he had gotten used to it over time that he didn't even get angry anymore.
Aren quickly ran out of the barn he was sleeping in as he saw the sun coming out.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" he screamed as he ran around towards the house. He was supposed to be on his way to his awakening now; instead, he was sleeping like an idiot.
He didn't even bother cleaning up as he grabbed his bag and ran. He had already made up his mind before sleeping — magic or no magic, he would never return to this house again. Worst that could happen is him getting captured and being resold to another household.
Who knows, they might be nicer there. They might even give him a personal space. But all that wasn't important right now — getting to the town centre was.
Back at the house, his master had just woken up. His breath stank of alcohol as he screamed at the top of his voice, "Aren!!!!"
No reply.
"Aren!!"
Still no reply. He jumped off his bed aggressively as he removed his belt from his bedside and rushed to the barn.
The moment he got in, he realised something different — Aren's stuff was all gone: his clothes, his cursed shoes, even the necklace he had always kept lying around carelessly was gone.
His moustache twitched horribly as veins popped up on his neck and forehead.
"I bought your stinking arse for fucking 20 bronze coins, and you dare run off?! FUCKKKK!!!!"
Aren never looked back. He just kept sprinting until he wasn't seeing his house anymore, then he could finally stop to breathe.
Huff Huff Huff
He gasped for air as he finally stood up and looked around. He was on the main road here — if he was lucky, then he would see a carriage pass in less than a minute.
As for how he would pay, he touched his pocket and grinned. He didn't just run away — he took their money with him.