It's almost night time. Kayushi and Alexor are wondering on the mountain.
Kayushi: Dad, I'm hungry😣
Alexor: Hi Hungry, I'm Dad! Hahaha! 😂
Kayushi: Dad, I'm seriously hungry. 😑
Alexor: Ok, ok… I was just kidding. 😅
Kayushi: So… what are we gonna eat?
Alexor: Hmmm… aha! 👏😁 Look! A boar!
Kayushi: That's scary😨 How are we supposed to catch that?
Alexor: Simple. Watch this!
Alexor forms a fire arrow from his fingertips.
Kayushi: WO! 😮
Alexor: I call this one… Pyraxis!
The arrow flies, engulfing the boar in flames.
Kayushi: That was fire, Dad! No pun intended.
Alexor: Thanks. That's what you call… magic.
Kayushi: I want to learn that too!
Alexor: Woah, no! That's dangerous. You're too little for this.
Kayushi: But I want to learn it!
Alexor: No!
Kayushi: Please, please, please, please, please… 😭
Alexor: OK, STOP! Ha, you're persistent. Fine. I'll teach you.
Kayushi: Yippee! I guess…
Alexor: It's almost night. We'll start tomorrow. Let's eat the boar.
Kayushi: ok😋
They finished eating the boar.
Kayushi: Umm… where are we supposed to sleep?
Alexor: We'll make a tent.
Alexor constructs tents from wood and animal skins.
Alexor: You sleep in this one, I'll sleep in this one. Small, but enough for the night.
They settle into their tents.
---
[Birds chirping in the early morning]
Alexor: Kayushi! Wake up!!!
Kayushi: Aaaaaaa! 😱 You scared me! Why so early? 🥱
Alexor: Don't you remember? Your magic training starts today!
Kayushi: 😴😪
Alexor: HEY!!!
Kayushi: 😱… sorry.
Alexor: Wash your face and meet me at the top of the hill.
Kayushi: 'Kay…
---
At the top of the hill…
Alexor: There you are. Shall we begin?
Kayushi: Just do it already!
Alexor: First, you need to know about this world.
Kayushi: Oh no… history? 😩
Alexor: There are three continents:
- Whumeria: land of humans
- Scarveth: land of demons
- Velmora: abandoned land with unknown, terrifying creatures
We are currently in Eastmere, a state in Whumeria. Humans are of two types:
- Umbras: can use magic (like us)
- Lints: can't use magic
Lints don't like Umbras. Keep your magic secret. That's enough world knowledge. Now, let's start your training.
Kayushi: 😪
Alexor: Wake up!
Kayushi: 🥱
Alexor: An Umbra's body has a special organ called the Mana Crystal, located in the chest at heart level. It produces mana, which fuels magic. No mana, no magic.
Kayushi: Yeah, yeah… bla bla bla 😩 Now teach me magic!
---
Alexor: First magic: healing. See this fish?
Kayushi: Yeah…?
Alexor: It's alive in water… but let's cut it so you can heal it.
Kayushi: 🤨 Why…?
Alexor makes a small cut on the fish.
Alexor: Place your hands on it. Imagine you're inside the wound, placing what's missing. Now, Transfer your mana.
Kayushi concentrates… but fails; the fish dies.
Kayushi: Oh no… I messed up 😔
Alexor: Don't worry. Try again.
He tries… fails… again…
Alexor: Attempt number 98—
Kayushi: Stop! [Breathing heavily] Stop…
Alexor: You cryin'? We were close to hitting the century!
Kayushi: I'm tired… I think I'm out of mana.
Alexor: Your mana is all used. 🤨Or is it? Half used only. Back to training.
Kayushi: Why?! 😭
Alexor: Let's hit the century.
Kayushi: 😫
Alexor: oh! and the second century too.
Kayushi: Naaaaaa!!! 😭
Months pass…
Kayushi: I STILL CAN'T DO THIS!!!
Alexor: Don't worry. Most take a year to even learn it. You're learning fast.
Kayushi: Is that so? 😩
After 6–7 months…
Kayushi: 👀🤔😃🤯 I got it!
Alexor: Ha?
Kayushi: I did it! 🤯
Alexor: 😮💨 Finally…
Kayushi: Now, teach me real attack magic!
Alexor: Chill! First, you choose an element.
Kayushi: Element?
Alexor: Yes. Watch carefully.
Kayushi: Fire!
Alexor: Not so fast. We need to see which element suits you.
Alexor: here, take this.
Kayushi: what is this?
Alexor: an elemental rock. Try using healing magic on it.
Kayushi: ok. As you say.
Kayushi uses healing on the rock. It splits in half.
Alexor: 🤨😧 It's wind. Your mana's nature is wind.
Kayushi: Wind? 😩 I wanted fire… but how do you know for sure that it's wind?
Alexor: this rock reacts with your mana. your mana is wind so it split in half. If your mana was water then it would have broken in pieces. If your mana was fire like mine it would have just turned it.
Kayushi: what about earth?
Alexor: if it were earth then the rock would have grown. Anyways, you can still use other elements by adjusting your mana. Fire is possible, but wind is your core. Let's start your wind training.
Kayushi: Ok!(Terrible mistake…)
---
Five years later…
Alexor: Congratulations, Kayushi. You have finally learned wind magic!
Kayushi: Yeah😑
It's night time. Kayushi is sleeping in his tent. Something tears through the tent and attacks Kayushi. Fortunately he dodges and gets up.
Kayushi: Who are you!? Why are you attacking me!?
The person doesn't answer but keeps attacking Kayushi.
Kayushi: Wait... Dad!?
Alexor: So, you noticed.
Kayushi: Why were you attacking me? This is... a part of the training, right?
??: Don't be fooled.
Kayushi: Who—?
Alexor punches Kayushi. Kayushi gets flown away. He is standing up like he's possessed.
Alexor: Did a ghost possess you or anything? I guess I know him😏
??: You betrayed our father. Now your own son? Why raise him in the first place… Auroma?
To be continued…