The setting sun glowed low on the horizon, painting Nagami Village in golden-orange hues.
On a small hill rising at the edge of the village, the view was adorned with a giant lying skull. Two sturdy horns rose high on its temples, while its hollow eye sockets held nothing but dark shadows. The village children called it the "Sleeping Monster."
Not far from there, under the shade of a lush tree, two boys were lost in their own worlds. Noah—with silver hair and sharp blue eyes—was examining the pages in his lap: 'How to Use Magic.' Yet, he could only trace the writings; the letters seemed blurred to his eyes.
It's been 12 years…
He stretched his hand toward the giant skull on the distant hill, hoping for a miracle to spring from his palm. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
Feel the internal Mana flow, focus it on a single point you desire. And!
Nothing happened…
Not even a little…?
His fist clenched, striking his own thigh before he turned to his friend.
His sharp blue gaze now fell upon Haru, the brown-haired boy with small, distinctive fangs. A ball of fire swirled wildly in Haru's palm, then transformed into a perfect spiral radiating warmth.
"Yes... I'm finally starting to get the hang of it!" Haru exclaimed, his face beaming with joy.
"Look, Noah! I'm starting to control it! Imagine when your power awakens, we can duel!"
Hearing that, Noah shut his book forcefully, sending dust flying. Then he lowered his head until his forehead touched the cover of the book he could never practice from. Useless, this is pointless.
Noah's despairing expression made Haru swallow his words. "Hey, don't worry. Maybe your magic hasn't awakened yet. I was late too, you know?"
"Maybe soon, Noah!"
"Hopefully..." he replied softly.
Someone's words echoed in his mind: You will never be able to use magic. Because you have no mana. This is a very rare occurrence. I'm sorry, but I don't know why it's like this.
Haru continued, snapping Noah out of his reverie. "What element do you think you'll get? Fire, lightning, water, earth, wind, or unique magic? I'm really curious."
Noah smirked, boasting, "Hmm… mine will be something that makes magic itself afraid."
"Whatever... we'll see," Haru chuckled in response.
Noah smiled back. Then he stood up and stretched. In the distance, the sun was losing its light.
"Can't believe it's almost night already, let's head back."
"Okay…" Haru replied.
After a few steps.
"Oh yeah, Allen—I haven't seen him since morning?" Noah asked as they walked.
"Oh, he's helping Sister at the market. He's probably back by now," Haru answered. A mischievous grin spread across his face. "He's so arrogant about his magic. What's his deal? How did he get such unique 'Star' magic or whatever? I'll keep practicing and challenge him to a duel."
Noah laughed softly. "Can you win?"
"Who knows, but I'll try my best," Haru replied optimistically.
The walk back to the orphanage felt quieter than usual for him. Haru's cheerful laughter and jokes about magic echoed in his ears, only highlighting the silence he felt within himself.
Allen he is getting stronger leaving me... He muttered in his heart, watching the sunset.
The night had fully descended by the time they finally arrived in front of the orphanage. The old, red-painted building with a cross on top welcomed them. Noah pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.
"Wow, I can smell Sister's soup from here! Noah, let's go!" Haru exclaimed enthusiastically.
"I'll catch up later. There's something I need to finish first," Noah replied listlessly.
"Okay, I'll go ahead! Promise you'll come later!" Haru said before hurriedly disappearing toward the kitchen.
Noah walked down the hallway. His footsteps echoed on the quiet floor. As he passed, he accidentally ran into Sister.
"Noah, aren't you having dinner?" Sister asked, her voice filled with warmth and concern.
"I'll skip dinner, Sister. I'm… already full," Noah answered, scratching the back of his neck.
Without further ado, Noah headed straight to his room. As soon as the door closed tightly, isolating him from the outside world, he finally let out a long-held sigh.
In the familiarity of his solitude, he immediately reached for his worn black book stored on a special shelf.
Then he opened it—pages filled with writings resembling ancient symbols were neatly arranged.
I have to look up the meaning.
Scattered around him were books in languages from all over the world—his attempt to find similarities with the strange symbols in his cursed book. His legs wouldn't stop fidgeting restlessly. With his pen, he continued marking important sections of the book. And little by little, he copied them. Before he knew it, late night had arrived.
Creaak...
The door slowly creaked open—Sister Maria entered carrying a tray of food and warm milk. The worried wrinkles on her face softened slightly when she saw Noah, who she assumed was studying diligently.
"Noah, I brought you some food."
"Thank you, Sister... But I already said I'm full, right?" Noah replied with a bitter smile.
"You haven't eaten since noon," Sister insisted gently. "So… you must eat! Sister knows your days are hard, but don't push yourself too much. You have to think about your health too."
Noah only nodded weakly, powerless against the concern.
"Alright, I'll leave it here."
The door closed slowly. Silence once again enveloped the room. But she opened the door again. "If you're done studying, go to sleep quickly." The door closed.
Sister must think I'm studying… But what I'm actually doing is finding the meaning of these symbols.
For some reason, I feel there's something in this book… But I don't know what that stranger meant by giving me this… He gave me hope and just left.
Noah stared at the scattered pile of pages, and for some reason, the sight made his chest feel tight. He looked back at the book—
Dug!
His hand struck the bed. Damn! I've tried matching it with every language I know, but nothing fits!
He threw the book back onto the shelf, then collapsed onto his hard bed. Both hands folded behind his head.
This will be useful someday. Keep fighting until that day comes. The words of the mysterious stranger haunted him again.
I've tried my best to be acknowledged. But this world seems to reject me… He murmured softly, his eyes slowly closing.
Will you just stay silent…? The voice was soft, like a whisper. Yet it ignited his determination right then and there.
Quickly, Noah grabbed paper, a pen, and his worn-out book once again.
I have to copy this. I will do anything because this is the only hope I can hold onto for now.