The sun had barely risen over the Ashborne estate when Zephyr dashed into the garden, small feet barely making a sound on the soft grass. Today, he felt different—an unfamiliar energy thrumming in his limbs, almost as if the world itself was waiting for him to move.
"Flow… move… yes…" he muttered, hands raised, mimicking the arcs he had observed in soldiers. This time, something stirred. A faint glow shimmered around his fingertips, almost imperceptible to anyone else, but Zephyr's eyes widened in excitement.
Elara, noticing the unusual quiet from inside the house, peeked through the window. "Kael… something is different today."
Kael, leaning lazily against the balcony railing, followed her gaze. "Hmm… I see. He has begun on his own… the awakening. That is always a quiet moment… but when it happens, it is obvious."
Zephyr, unaware of his parents' attention, continued, experimenting boldly. He traced the movements he had practiced in secret, weaving his small hands through the air. The energy that had only whispered before now responded—softly at first, then growing stronger, almost like a current he could ride.
"Flow… yes… like wind… yes!" he exclaimed, spinning in a circle, laughter spilling from his lips. Leaves rustled around him, not just from the breeze but as if his small presence stirred them with unseen force.
A group of children from neighboring families had come to play nearby, but they froze, staring at Zephyr in wide-eyed astonishment. A small orb of shimmering light hovered above his hands, bright enough to reflect in their eyes.
"Wh… what is that?" one of the children stammered.
Zephyr laughed softly, tilting his head. "Energy… play… like book… see?" He moved his hands again, and the orb spun faster, leaving a trail of faint light behind.
Kael stepped into the garden, eyes scanning the scene. "Interesting… he has surpassed any child of his age already. Look at him—moving energy almost naturally, testing, experimenting… bold and free, but not reckless."
Elara walked to Zephyr, smiling but careful. "Little one… be mindful. Power is exciting, but you must understand it, not just play with it."
Zephyr looked at her, eyes sparkling. "I… I feel it… like wind… like the sun… like… everything!" He laughed, spinning again. The orb above his hands shimmered, splitting into two smaller lights that floated obediently around him.
That night, he could not sleep. Dreams returned, clearer this time. Shadows of his past life flickered—faces, laughter, pain, and fleeting flashes of knowledge he could not yet name. One image lingered longer: a strange machine of light and movement, a hand stretched out, a quiet command to act. He woke with a gasp, small hands trembling.
"Dream… yes… energy… yes… maybe?" he whispered to the darkness. His mind was racing, ideas forming faster than he could speak aloud. He returned to his little corner in the garden, touching the earth, moving his hands, speaking softly: "Flow… yes… spin… up… down… feel…"
Over the next days, Zephyr practiced in secret, unseen by most adults. He tested movements, mimicked soldiers, experimented with energy flow, and began combining techniques he had read in books. Slowly, patterns emerged under his hands, subtle but undeniable. He could control small currents, move objects slightly, and influence energy in ways far beyond any other child his age.
Valerius watched silently from afar, amusement and pride dancing in his eyes. "So it begins… quietly, secretly, like a storm forming in sunlight. He is no ordinary child… not in body, not in mind. Yet still a child… curious, playful, impatient… learning the first rules of his own path."
Zephyr laughed, small and free, spinning in the garden as energy swirled around him. "Yes… yes… like wind… like sun… like… me!"
For now, he was still a child, discovering the world with small hands and bright eyes, but the truth was undeniable—Zephyr Ashborne had taken the first steps of a journey that no other child could match. The other children played nearby, awed and frightened, while Zephyr moved through the garden like a tiny storm, learning, testing, and growing, driven by instinct, curiosity, and the faint whispers of a life he could barely remember.