"Many times during my life, I lost sight of the path I had forged for myself. Dissatisfaction, loss, detachment. I continued following the star that illuminated the sky, and without realizing it, I ended up falling into darkness".
The wings of the mansion were narrow, so much so that navigating through them was uncomfortable even for two people. At most, one might see one of the servants running from one side to the other. Not that there was much staff, either.
The lord of the mansion was resting in a somewhat neglected office; he was signing a couple of documents with his wrinkled hands. He remembered each lost part of them with affection. His eye patch was itchy; once, he boasted of nearly perfect vision. Nowadays, it had deteriorated to the point where it wasn't even a quarter of what it was in his youth. He regretted the oversights of his youth and cursed his old age, though only superficially; otherwise, his wife would scold him, as was already custom.
"Let's see, the order of executors urgently needs high-quality weapons and our resources are running low... I'll have to ask the feudal lord for more resources".
He wrote a couple of letters, signed one or two documents, and finally sealed them all with some wax. That being finished, he centered his attention toward a sword hanging next to medals of varying colors.
"Should I go out to play?" he thought out loud.
But, before he could even remember the emotion of those old moments, the sound of small footsteps echoing in the hallways brought him back to his senses. He turned toward the door; a trio of youths had entered the room.
"What am I paying Kael and Jess for?" he questioned.
A young woman with silky black hair and black hummingbird-like wings—the youngest promise of the fiefdom's swordsmen—was the first to speak.
"Dad. You promised you would let us hear your story, remember?".
Another youth, one in a reddish suit and slightly older, was next.
"Master, rest assured that this record will be a mere family heirloom; we have no intentions of spreading rumors in the city".
Then, the youngest of them all finally deigned to speak.
"You promised".
The man sighed, observing them for a moment in hopes of evading the questions of those youths. But by the brightness reflecting in their eyes, he knew such a thing would not be possible.
"Well, only if you promise to be quiet. It will be a long story; it's best that you take a seat," he explained while gesturing to the sofa used for visitors.
The youths accepted the order diligently; seeing them, he couldn't help but feel old.
"Most likely, you will find it boring," he emphasized. "But not everything starts with war or death. My beginnings were much humbler than that".
They nodded.
"Well, even though I said that, the truth is I wouldn't know exactly where to start... If I had to choose a moment. Perhaps it would be the moment I saw myself swept away in the tides of war?" He paused.
"No, perhaps from that time I set my goal on reaching the seven divine kings.... From the Silver Fangs, perhaps? It had been a long time since he met with its members; he remembered each of his brothers-in-arms with affection, those who were called monsters in different aspects of their lives".
"From her death? No, it was better not to mention the subject. Not so soon".
"Perhaps from the fall of that place? He remembered a cozy place, a village full of familiar beings and memories of yesteryear".
"Hmm, no, I suppose it all started when I was accepted as an adventurer. Perhaps before?".
He remembered an old, familiar face, one of the few people deserving of his admiration.
[...]
"In my youth, after certain unfortunate events, I decided to escape toward the forest clearings. I was a foolish youth, perhaps too much so; I left my friends behind and ventured into danger without considering anything".
"I was upset; my hands had been injured after practicing for hours with the bow in an attempt to calm my fury. I didn't listen to my body's alerts and advanced despite the fatigue and pain".
"Of course, my actions were not forgiven. Deep down, I knew well what was going to happen. When I observed that hungry pack of fierce beasts thirsty for blood, I accepted the outcome I was looking for".
"However, fate had a different plan. One I wasn't aware of, one I couldn't escape. My mother had told me myths about those who called themselves adventurers. I had sworn to her that I would live a thousand and one adventures, before that fleeting smile that remained immortal in my mind".
"And it was then when I managed to recognize why my mother desired that. That man looked freer than any other, and my desire was to be just as free as him. He sliced through the beasts without effort; his sword was like a beam of light that cut everything in its path with strokes so clean they spilled no blood".
"I desired his strength, I envied his power".
"After a while, two people arrived to accompany him. I knew one of them; he was the brother of my best friend. I childishly asked them about those movements, questioned if I could be like them".
They all displayed a smile:
"You will be, if you never stop dreaming," they commented in unison.
"At that time, I decided: I would be an adventurer. Because of that, I decided to dedicate all my time to training. I forgot my grief; I transformed it into something new. And even if I failed, if I gave up, it was enough to just repeat: 'As long as you never stop dreaming...'".