Screams echoed through the narrow hallways of the neighborhood.
"That brat must die!"
"Catch him!"
"Don't let him run away!"
Eighteen people. Eighteen grown men chasing a five-year-old for stealing a paper roll - a forbidden one. The spell written inside it was invisibility.
In these streets, forbidden rolls meant money. Money meant power. And power meant survival.
I hadn't stolen it for fun. I used invisibility to gather information - to understand why my family kept lying to me. So far, all I had confirmed was this: Elizabeth's side, the Glass family, were degenerates hiding their shame. Alexander's side, the Wisdom family, were royalty. That explained part of the secrecy, but not all of it. Something didn't add up.
Elizabeth suspected I was investigating. She had started limiting how often I could leave the house.
Which meant I was getting closer.
I turned a corner and slammed into a wall.
No - not a wall. Just poor visibility. I gathered mana under my feet and used wind magic to propel myself upward, scaling the surface in one jump. Years of secret practice finally paying off.
Two of the eighteen reacted instantly. Different magic types. One used reinforcement to leap after me; another prepared a casting stance.
I dropped into an alley and slid under a pile of garbage. They ran past without noticing.
The roll was still in my hand.
I opened it quickly.
The symbols.
They were identical to the ones in the locked book at home - the one my mother never allowed me to read.
So that was it.
They found me before I could process further.
No escape route left.
Physical combat at my age? Useless. I didn't have the stamina.
Magic? I had limited mana. Not enough for prolonged combat.
But I had to fight.
"Where you going, kid? We just want to talk."
Xiver: I have no interest in talking with you.
"Naughty boy..."
One of them lunged for the roll.
I burned it.
Flames swallowed the paper instantly.
"NOOOOO!"
"Can't you repair it with manipulation magic?!"
"Do I look like I'm above Deer rank?! I don't have that much mana!"
Idiots.
One stepped closer. His foot sank.
He looked down.
The burned remains had mixed with moisture and dirt - turning the ground into mud.
As another raised his hand to cast, I pushed with air magic. He blocked with a weak air barrier - so he wasn't attacking. Defensive type.
The one stuck in mud grabbed my ankle.
"Now!"
Magical chains formed around me.
"Now we got him. Should we cut him into pieces and sell him?"
My leg was trapped.
Fine.
I coated it in a thin layer of adhesive magic - slippery enough to slide free - then used wind beneath my feet to launch upward before the chains fully tightened.
Another chain spell shot toward me.
I dodged mid-air, landed behind the caster, and struck his wrist with compressed wind. His spell collapsed. A second blast hit his leg, forcing him into the mud.
I stepped toward him slowly.
Xiver: Where did you get those rolls?
"Do you really believe-"
His pants ignited.
He screamed.
The noise would attract the others.
I extinguished the flames before it spread too far. I didn't need attention.
"So?"
"They're stolen!" he shouted.
Perfect.
I activated invisibility and vanished just as the rest of the gang arrived.
Flashback.
When I hid in the garbage earlier, I had read the roll completely. I memorized it. Learning it wasn't difficult. If people like them considered it "forbidden," then its value was probably inflated by ignorance.
I was already ahead.
When I returned home, shouting filled the house.
My babysitter was apologizing to Elizabeth, begging her to calm down.
I slipped quietly inside.
When my babysitter wasn't looking, I crushed a pill into her drink. Not sleeping magic - too risky. And I didn't know how to cast it properly yet.
The day ended.
Another successful one.
The next morning, I remained in my room, staring at the strange symbols again.
The difference between the forbidden roll and the locked book was obvious now. The roll contained words - instructions layered between symbols. The book, however, was nothing but symbols. No guidance. No explanation. Just pure structure.
Which meant the book wasn't meant to be read.
It was meant to be understood.
When I tried to leave, the babysitter blocked the hallway.
"Stay in your room."
I didn't argue. I simply returned, closed the door, and said loudly, "I'm going to sleep. Don't come in."
Then I slipped out through the window.
Simple.
Now my objective was clear: understand the symbols, uncover the truth behind the Glass and Wisdom families, and eventually become king.
That was the surface goal.
The real one was different.
Even if I kept lying to myself, I knew the truth. I wanted to believe this was still a dream. I wanted to believe none of this was real. I felt nothing in this world - no attachment, no warmth. I hated it. I wanted to go back. Back to where I was loved. Back to my famil-
I stopped myself.
Delusion.
I adjusted my sleeve and continued toward the city.
On the main road, someone slammed into me.
"Hey, watch it!"
A blonde girl, about my age, glared at me.
"Asshole."
I ignored her and kept walking.
Then I saw them.
The same two men from yesterday.
Comedic coincidence.
I turned and ran.
My mana reserves were still strained from yesterday's fight. I couldn't waste much today or I'd collapse. Physically, I was at a disadvantage - their legs were longer, their stride wider. Mine were... unimpressive.
I turned a corner and collided with the blonde girl again.
"Ouch! Are you stupid?"
"SORRY."
I didn't stop.
But then I noticed something strange.
The two men stopped chasing me.
They had seen her.
They exchanged a glance.
The taller one stepped forward with a smile too wide to be sincere.
"Hey there, kiddo. Are you okay?"
"No," she snapped. "That idiot ran into me twice."
"Well, that's why we were chasing him," the tall one said smoothly. "He's been causing trouble."
I hid behind a stack of crates and watched.
After a moment, they guided her into a side alley.
Curiosity outweighed caution.
I followed quietly.
Chains formed around her wrists.
My expression didn't change.
"How much do you think she'll go for?" the tall one asked.
"Not sure," the shorter one replied. "But maybe we shouldn't rush. Might as well enjoy the catch , how about we rape the little one should we ?."
So that was it.
They abandoned the chase for opportunity.
Humans were predictable.
Lucky for me.
Their attention shifted completely.
Which meant I was free.
I could have walked away.
Instead, I watched a few seconds longer, observing their posture, their magic type, their coordination. Information had value.
Then I turned and continued toward the city.
My usual destination awaited - the perfume store.
Not just any store.
It belonged to the Glass family.
Elizabeth's family.
I had been observing them for weeks now, studying patterns, behavior, inconsistencies. They presented themselves as refined merchants, but refinement often hides rot.
As I stood across the street, watching customers enter and exit, I wondered what today would reveal.
Every family has cracks.
You just need patience to find them.