The river sparkled under the morning sun, it's water rushing with a rhythm that seemed almost alive. I knelt on the wet grass, hands hovering over the page of the spellbook that my parents---well, technically left for my uncle to give me. Today, like every day, was training day.
After running circles for 5 miles and punching rocks and trees I grabbed the spellbook from my leather bag and continued by opening the page with the first spell. I started reading the words out loudly.
''Heavenly blessed!''
Now i had to focus and channel the mana to my soul and make a connection in order to cast the spell. Nothing,... again. My mouth twisted into a half smile.'Great. Another morning wasted'.
Just when i was about to give up a light feeling flowwed trough my veins. I felt a wave of heat. My fingers started to tingle. My heart started to beat faster. I felt like something awakened in me what had been missing. It felt,... alive?
Before I could figure out what had just happened, a familiar voice cut through the morning air.
"Daiki! Breakfast!"
I sighed and closed the spellbook, The strange feeling started to fade. The forest around me hummed quietly, as if it had noticed too. I put the spellbook back in my bag and walked towards the small house. The morning sun had a bright shine catching my red and green eyes.
I sat on the wooden chair and looked at the table. 'ugh soup.'
''When can we eat something good like the neighbours instead of eating soup every day?''
"Sorry, Daiki. I didn't get paid this time."
"Those bastards!" Daiki said. "When I can cast magic, I swear I—"
"That's enough, Daiki.''
I listened to my uncle and took a sip of my soup. He gets angry easily, but he's got a big heart. He'd never hurt anyone. It just isn't fair how people keep taking advantage of him, working him hard and barely paying him anything.
I thanked my uncle for the soup and helped him with the dishes. After we finished, I stepped outside to get some fresh air.
Magic exists in everyone---sealed deep within the soul until the age of fifteen. That's when it awakens. Some people, mostly the rich, travel to the City of Balance to train and learn how to control their power. After five years of training, they go through something called the Measurement Process, where their magic power is officially ranked.
Once you're ranked, you can take on gate expeditions. Gates appear all over the world---rifts filled with strange creatures and lost relics. Hunters enter them to fight, gather materials, and sometimes, if they're lucky, find ancient runes hidden within the monsters. Those runes can be used to cast powerful spells or sold for a fortune.
My uncle used to tell me stories about my parents. He said they were powerful magic users---feared by creatures and respected by people. But one day, they mysteriously vanished. After a year with no trace, they were declared dead.
I've always wanted to get stronger---strong enough to go to the City of Balance myself. To earn money, uncover the truth about my parents, and make sure my uncle and I never have to struggle again.
"Daiki!"
A sharp voice called from behind me.
I turned around—it was Bento. He was a year younger than me and lived in the house next door.
"What?!" I shouted back.
"I just got home after playing outside and found the door open—my dad and mom are unconscious! Please, I need your help!"
Together they ran to Bento's house. Like Bento said his dad and mom were on the ground unconsious. A glimpse of a light catched Daiki's eye.
'Footsteps?'
Daiki looked down at the wooden planks and noticed a faint glow—shaped like a footprint."Do you see that?" he asked, his voice filled with excitement.
"See what?" Bento replied, frowning.
That strange energy surged through Daiki again, the same thrilling flow he'd felt earlier by the river. Without thinking, he followed the glowing trail towards the back door. Daiki peeked through the small gap and spotted someone dressed in assassin-like clothes, moving silently toward the forest.
"Bento, get the town chief. I'll handle this on my own," Daiki whispered.
"You got it," Bento replied.
When Daiki looked back, the assassin was already gone. He carefully stepped out of the building and into the dark forest. The glowing footprints he followed began to spread farther apart.
'He must be in a hurry,' Daiki thought.
Daiki started running, his feet pounding against the ground. A moment later, he noticed something unusual---he was moving fast, much faster than before.
''Why am i suddenly so fast?'' he wondered.
Daiki followed the glowing footprints through the forest. After thirty minutes of running, the trail led him to a mountain.
'Isn't this the Sacred mountain?' Daiki thought. Everyone knew the stories---anyone who dared to enter would meet spiritual creatures that would kill them without mercy.
It looked like the assassin had gone inside.
Daiki took a deep breath and continued to follow the trail. When he stepped into the mountain's shadow, his eyes widened in shock.
Hundreds of assassins filled the cavern. In the center stood a figure clad in golden armor, inlaid with glittering diamond shards. The armor looked forged from rare artifacts—each piece alone would be worth a fortune. A shadow fell across the man's face, hidden beneath a dark helm that revealed nothing.
Around the armored man stood four assassins dressed differently from the rest, wearing black robes and holding magic books.
The man in golden armor raised his hand, commanding the others to step back. One of the four assassins approached and handed him a glowing orb.
The man walked over to a damaged rune and placed the orb on it.
"Oh, Source of souls, please grant our wish---to be blessed with entrance to the Holy Shattered Realm," the man in gold said.
Something stirred within the orb. A source appeared, taking the shape of a burning soul.
"To grant your wish, offer me a blessed soul," the Source said.
The man in gold froze for a moment, sending a shiver down Daiki's spine. Then he turned toward Daiki, who was hiding behind the rocks, and laughed.
"I've got a sense for magic, you know. I'm not dumb," he said.
Suddenly, Daiki felt a sharp impact on his back. The next thing he knew, he woke up beside the rune, the man standing over him.
"Interesting," the man said. "Just when I needed a blessed soul, one appears."
Daiki didn't understand.
"Blessed souls are one in an eternity, you know. And you… you're probably under ten. Waste of talent," the man continued.
For a brief second, he stared straight into Daiki's eyes. Then, as his gaze fell on Daiki's left green eye, he froze.
"No… this can't be." He began sweating, fear flashing across his face.
"Who are your parents?" the man demanded, voice sharp.
"I… I don't know. They're dead! Now let me go!" Daiki shouted.
The man took a deep breath. "I don't have to worry. He's still weak… and he's going to die anyway."
He stepped back and called out in a booming voice:"Oh, Source of Souls! I have brought you my gift."
"Excellent," the Source replied.
The ground trembled beneath them. Cracks began to form under Daiki, widening until they shaped into something like a gate. He fell in. Just before it closed, he caught a glimpse of the man in gold's face—one red eye burned brightly, and a deep scar ran across his face.
Before Daiki knew it, everything went black.