The house was quiet, the candles were lit, and the air was thick with a slight tension.
Behind the closed door, the mother was moaning in pain. The father stood near the room, trying to appear strong, but his hands were clasped.
Ryan stood in front of the door, his dark hair falling over his forehead, his blue eyes fixed on the wooden handle as if he expected it to open at any moment.
He didn't move.
He didn't speak.
He didn't complain.
He just...waited.
Suddenly the door opened, and a small cry filled the room. The father smiled and began to cry.
'He's crying again.'
The mother called Ryan.
"Ryan, come here and greet your sister."
His mother's face and hair were covered in sweat. She was breathing heavily and looked very tired, but she was happy.
Ryan stepped forward and looked at his sister.
"Give her a name."
"Me."
"Yes."
"Ari."
'Who would have thought I'd be an older brother?'
Ryan had grown very close to his mother and father over the years. They cared for him deeply. His three sisters, however, hadn't returned since leaving more than two years ago.
'They didn't even come today. Mom will be sad.'
Ryan held his little sister's hand with his finger; it was a beautiful and tender feeling.
'Looks like I'm going to get addicted to this.'
And so there were four people in the house.
_________________
Two more years passed, and Ryan would turn six. On his birthday, he would learn his element.
During these years, Ryan discovered many things about this world, the most important being the elements, which are powers, and there are nine of them.
Fire, earth, wind, lightning, water, ice, plants, light, shadow
These were the elements present in books ; at the age of six, a person would discover whether they possessed an element or not.
The discovery was taking place in the city center, and his parents hadn't told him the details.
He discovered other things, but they didn't matter right now. At that moment, he was waiting for Liara to arrive.
A horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of the house. There were horsemen surrounding the carriage from the front, the back, and the right and left sides.
According to the news they received from their sister, she was the leader of her own unit, which meant that despite her young age, she was very talented.
A girl stepped out of the military vehicle. Her dark, wavy hair glistened in the sunlight, and her deep blue eyes were sharp and unwavering ، Her sword hung at her waist and she stood upright.. All the soldiers lined up to greet her as she emerged. She spoke calmly,
"Rest."
She didn't know what awaited her inside.
Inside the house, Ari walked with small, unsteady steps, laughing as she held a rag doll.
Her hair was soft and her eyes innocent.
Ryan stood near the window, his black hair neatly styled, his blue eyes scanning the car outside.
"He said quietly,"
"It's here."
After a few moments, there was a knock at the door. The father opened it, and their eyes met. After a moment, he said,
"Welcome back."
Liara replied, embarrassed,
"I'm back."
Liara entered slowly, hearing a small voice.
"Daddy..."
She looked down.
A little girl was clutching the hem of her father's shirt, looking at her shyly.
Liara knelt slowly.
"Is this...Ari?"
Dad shook his head.
Ari looked at her for a long time, then hid behind Dad's leg.
Behind Ryan, he took a step closer and glanced at Liara, saying nothing before turning back to his room.
'Let's go read another book.'
Before he left, his father spoke to him, sounding upset.
"Ryan, say something to your sister. You haven't seen her in four years."
Ryan turned and looked at Liara again, bowed his head slightly, and said,
"Hello."
He was about to leave, but before he could, Ari grabbed his leg.
"Ryo... let's play!"
"I'm going to study, I'll play with you later."
Ari said, annoyed, as she tugged at his trousers with her fingers.
"Let's play...Pwease"
She looked at Ryan with such innocent eyes that his refusal was unacceptable. Ryan sighed.
"Okay, let's play."
Ari was excited.
"Yay"
Yara looked at her father and raised an eyebrow.
"He seems to have changed a little."
Her father nodded in agreement.
"Well, since Ari was born, he listens to me and answers when I speak to him, and he also doesn't refuse Ari's requests."
Liara asked,
"Will he be taking the Elements test?"
Dad replied,
"We're going next week for his sixteenth birthday, but your mother doesn't approve. She thinks he'll go off on his own after that, like you all."
He took a breath and continued,
"Actually, I don't want him to leave either."
She countered,
"Then why did you both agree?"
"He said he wasn't interested in the academy and would study at home, so your mother agreed."
Liara spoke
"I will go with you to the test. I will stay in the city for two weeks and I also want to get closer to Ari."
______________
After a week in the heart of the city, a wide square rose up, with a circular stone platform in the center.
And in its center was a crystal.
'This, then, is the Elements Crystal.'
The Elements Crystal was the object that stimulated the element to awaken at the age of six.
The crystal was a huge, transparent stone, slightly smaller than a child's, engraved with ancient symbols that glowed faintly.
There were many children with their families waiting to have their names called to see if they were lucky enough to possess an item or just ordinary people.
Whispers filled the air; Yara was attracting a lot of attention.
'She's famous, after all.'
His sister was the youngest commander of a special unit, and that's what made people look at her with such anticipation and hope.
At that moment, one of the guards made an announcement and began calling out names.
A child placed his hand on the crystal, and it glowed red. The guard shouted,
"The element of fire!" Another child placed his hand, and the color turned green.
"The element of plants!"
A third child placed his hand, and the color didn't change. The guard shouted,
"Nothing!"
The children came forward one after another. Some were happy, some were disappointed, and some were crying.
Until he heard his name.
"Ryan Darvin."
Ryan stepped forward and began walking slowly toward the crystal. This was the moment.