"Ideals are like a flame the more you stoke them, the brighter they burn. Yet all it takes is a breath of wind to fully snuff them out." — Flama Fragilis
I awoke...
Today was the day of the Ordeal of the First Flame—not that I knew much about what it was, but honestly, I couldn't care less. What it is, what it could be, doesn't matter to me in the slightest.
"Sir Solan... Solan, wake up!" The voice reminded me of an alarm. God, I just want five more minutes. Why are they all so annoying?
"It's already very late. What will we do? The young lord will not wake up. What should we do?"
"We should call Lord Mortain. He should know what to do."
"Worst-case scenario, we could just pick him up and take him to the Ordeal of the First Flame."
"What is the commotion here?" Oh shit, that's the old man's voice. I'm cooked.
He picked me up and took me down the hallway. "Solan, we have no time today. We have to get you to the Ordeal right away."
The hell? Doesn't he understand I'm just one year old? Whatever. Who cares.
We left the mansion and headed down a path to the forest for a couple of minutes.
"Don't worry, Solan. We're almost there."
The door opened to the chambers of the First Flame, and inside was a room that looked reminiscent of a smithy. Another huge door that reached the ceiling with a lock was at the back of the room. Suspicious.
I saw my grandpa there too. "Hello, Mortain. Hello, Solan."
"Father, are you sure this is safe for Solan? I was not thinking, in that moment, about Solan's age. His strength and potential might not be enough—"
"It will be fine, Mortain. Even if he doesn't have the potential, he will gain strength and even get a bit of the First Flame's powers."
"But he should do this when he's older to get the maximum power from the First Flame."
"Mortain, I will not say this again. Solan will be fine with the power he gets, even if it's weak or strong—it will be enough to live a normal and comfortable life. And he seems to have the aptitude for magic anyway, at this young age. He will definitely be alright. I am willing to bet this child is one who will be gifted."
"WHAT? Solan has the affinity for magic... This is—"
"I will now open the door. Mortain, did you make sure to get the orb?"
"Yes, Father."
"Everything is in order... I'm sorry, Solan. This might change your life for better or worse, but I have little choice."
Father set me down in front of the door and gave me a little nudge. Then the door behind me closed.
What the hell? Why are they leaving a baby in this dark and desolate room? Huh? Why is it kinda hot here?
"This is weird..." Then a bright light shone beside me. It was a purple light, reminiscent of something I once saw before. Something that ached me to my core. But why? Then a fire lit in the middle of the room, and a voice came from it.
"A child? In this room? This is concerning and dangerous. How did you get here... Come closer, child, and touch my hand," he said, as a hand sprouted from the fire and came toward me.
"I promise I won't harm you."
Eh, whatever. Why not? I reached for its hand and touched it, and in an instant, the hand disappeared.
"How interesting. Another world... And you were a resident... Oh my, you went through a lot, especially when you were so young. I can see why you have this outlook on life."
Huh? What the hell did this thing go through my memories or something?
"Forgive me, ******. Though I didn't know why you were here, I had to know, and the only way I figured was by reading your memories. I think you're the perfect candidate for the True Flame instead of the First Flame."
"So you did see my memories, piece of shit. And what's this flame stuff? And, by the way, you pronounced my name wrong, so don't say it again." He pisses me off.
"I apologize. I will not speak that name ever again, Solan. Also, basically, the First Flame is a weak piece of the True Flame. Basically, everyone cannot handle the True Flame left behind by someone called Althir, the King of Flames. I am contemplating giving you his powers. I am sure you're the perfect candidate, but your age is the issue."
Why the hell does my age matter, dip shit? Whatever.
"What's the worst that can happen, weird flame thing?"
"Before all that, my name is Karyos. Make sure to remember that. Also, your body might combust because of the high output mana all at once, but I seriously doubt that would ever happen. I'm just trying to be cautious."
"Then just give me the power slowly or something. If you want to make me strong, who am I to say no?"
"Huh... I never thought of that. That… like, it will work. I see no flaws when I run it with analysis. Alright, Solan, I'll slowly give you this power as you grow. I apologize for not being able to give you all at once like Master Althir would have wanted. I promise to always be with you until you unlock all of it, which might take a couple of years. Alright, Solan?"
This know-it-all kinda annoys me. I want the power, though. This seems useful.
"Seems fine with me. But what can I do with the True Flame?"
"That's a fair question, Solan. The First Flame and True Flame I will give to you will, respectively, boost your fire magic in every regard. With the seals I'll put on you—there will be around thirteen—each one will unlock more and more power, with the final one being something I cannot tell you until you reach it. The first one, however, allows you to increase your mana potential and makes you stronger."
"I see. These seals will protect me, so it's fine. And the True Flame will be especially strong. Hmmm. I'll cross that road when we get there. Administer the flames into me, Karyos. I'm fully ready."
This power might allow me to finally have enough strength to achieve that...
"By the way, you will fall asleep from all the power being injected and sealed, but there will be no pain or damage. I promise, anyways. Alright, good luck, Solan, and I will always be with you every step of the way."
"Bye, Karyos. I'll make sure to use this power for my benefit."
"Indeed, im quite sure you will. Goodnight."
"Yea—"
My head landed on the floor...
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