The sun had barely risen, and already they dragged her from sleep.In the Tribe of Sealing, sleep was a rare luxury — each child treated not as a son or daughter, but as a vessel.And among them, Apple carried the heaviest burden.
The day always began the same way:First, cold water poured over bare skin, "to strengthen the body."Then, the forced silence — sitting motionless before the runes carved into the cavern walls, learning to "contain destiny."
Even as a child, her chest burned whenever the elders chanted the forbidden name: Serakar.She had no stories of heroes, only warnings:"You are not a girl. You are a seal.""Do not cry. Do not laugh. Do not falter.""If Serakar awakens, everything we know will collapse."
Yet Apple was stubborn.After the rituals, she would slip away, running barefoot across the fields. She loved the feel of earth beneath her feet, climbing the tallest rocks, laughing to herself.No one in the tribe understood — but in those fleeting moments, she remembered she was still a child.
At night, she returned to the cavern of runes, repeating mantras until sleep claimed her.And in the cold, she always whispered to herself:"If I am only a seal… then why do I have a heart?"
The next morning, a harsh voice shattered the silence."Five in the morning! What are you waiting for? Bring the seals to training, now!!"
Boys of fifteen — those who had failed to become the seal — ran in panic to gather the children. Within minutes, they stood lined up.
"Useless brats, who are we?!" the old man roared."The Tribe of Sealing!!" the children shouted in unison."And who am I?!""Elder Malrik, the one who turns useless brats like us into warriors of the seal!!"
Malrik laughed, his voice echoing through the cavern."Good. That's how I like it."
With a snap of his fingers, heavy stones appeared before the children."The Rune Run begins! Tie them to your backs and run."
The children, long accustomed to this, obeyed. But Malrik seized one boy by the arm, shoved a whip into his hand, and ordered:"Whip whoever falls behind."
"What? Do I have to run too?"
The refusal was enough. Malrik's fist struck his stomach, followed by a knee to the face that sent teeth flying."Serakar has corrupted this fool's mind. Take him to two weeks of the Trial of Sleep."
Two adults emerged from the shadows and dragged the boy away.
Apple watched with narrowed eyes. She had no power to stop it, but deep inside, she knew it was wrong. So she clenched her fists and ran.
Hours later, Malrik barked another command:"Enough! To the Path of Shards."
The new field was nothing but burning coals and broken glass scattered across the ground."When I say go, you will run in line. Ten laps each. Go!!"
At his command, the children charged forward. Malrik followed with the whip, striking the slower ones.
Apple was neither the fastest nor the slowest. She ran in the middle, biting her lips to hold back her cries. Each cut burned, and the heat of the coals seared the wounds closed — pain in endless waves.
When the laps were done, Malrik gathered them again."You look tired. In line! Now for the Frozen Dive!"
Exhausted and in pain, the children plunged into the rushing river. This was the training Apple hated most, but it was the last of the morning, so she gritted her teeth and swam until her mind went blank, until only the rhythm of swimming remained.
Hours later, Malrik's voice tore through the water."Lunch time!!"
Dragging themselves to shore, their bodies aching, they followed him to a massive cauldron of soup boiling over the fire. Sitting side by side, they lifted their stone bowls.
"Drop it, and you don't eat."
He filled each bowl with a ladle. Some children, their fingers blistering, dropped theirs and lowered their heads in shame.
"Pathetic. How will you serve and protect the seal if you can't endure a little heat? What a worthless generation."
Leaving with the pot, Malrik vanished into the cavern. Alone, the children dared to huddle with their friends, eating in silence.
But one child sat apart, staring at her scorched fingers.Something inside her stirred. A feeling she had never known before: hatred.She did not know where it came from, but it grew with every breath.
"Why? Why so much pain… and for what?" Apple whispered.
She did not notice that her quiet words lit faint sparks of doubt in the hearts around her. Lying back on the grass, she stared at the gray sky until Malrik returned.
"Rest is over. To the cavern!"
This was the cavern where Serakar's presence lingered."Repeat the mantra until dusk:I do not think. I obey.I do not speak. I am silent.I do not stop. I endure.If Serakar awakens, burn my flesh — but never my seal."
Voices rose in unison. Over and over.But Apple's voice fell silent.
I don't want this anymore.
Her heart surged. While the others chanted, she broke free, running. The wind kissed her face — her first taste of freedom.
She ran until— Thud!Her forehead slammed into something invisible.
"What… what is this?" she muttered, pressing her hands against the unseen wall.Not stone. Not iron. But nothing. A barrier of air.
She followed it, searching for a gap, until a figure appeared on the other side.
A boy.
"Hey! Open this for me!" Apple shouted, her eyes blazing.
"Stupid girl. You can't see the barrier?" he asked coldly.
Her fists clenched."No, I can't… so open it, ugly!" she snapped, a grin tugging at her lips.
He raised an eyebrow, studying her. Then sighed."I can't. The magic here is too strong."
"Magic?" Apple repeated, the word strange and sweet. "What's that?"
The boy hesitated, then lifted his hand. His voice grew solemn, ancient:"O flame hidden in the heart of the world, awaken in my hand, devour the darkness, and dance with me to the end."
A flame was born. Small, flickering — but alive. It lit his face and painted the barrier gold.
Apple stumbled back, eyes wide."N-no! Fire hurts! Put it out!"
But the boy smiled."Don't worry. It's just a simple spell. My elders don't even need words to cast it."
She was speechless, mesmerized by the gentle warmth — so different from the cruel fires of her tribe. For the first time, fire meant life, not pain.
"I've never seen anything like this…" she whispered."And you can't do it?" he asked.
She shook her head."No. But I've seen the elder summon stones from nothing. Like your fire."
They stayed there, separated by the invisible wall, their words like sparks leaping between them.Apple asked. He answered. And without noticing, her world grew larger.
As dusk fell, the flame vanished. The boy's gaze lingered."My name is Tomtenisse. And yours?"
Apple paused, then said softly:"They never gave me a name… but I like Apple."
And she smiled. For the first time, without guilt.
Deep in the caverns, away from the training grounds, four elders gathered under the dim torchlight. Smoke curled like serpents along the walls, their eyes heavy with centuries of burden.
"Serakar is slipping out of control. We must find a seal quickly," rasped the eldest, his voice frail and trembling.
"No child of worth in my lot," muttered the second, his face like wrinkled parchment."Nothing in mine either," whispered the third, his voice so faint it seemed stolen by the stone.
At last, Malrik spoke. His thinning, ashen hair framed a face consumed by zeal."Useless, all of them. If not for the abundance of mana here, they'd already be dead."
They were none other than the four elders of the Tribe of Sealing — the masters of law, training, and fate.
"The Patriarch has decreed: the new seal must be chosen within seven days. The current one will not last longer than that."
Silence fell, heavy as stone.And while the torches crackled in the dark, somewhere else a spark had been lit — in the heart of a child who dared to smile.