"No…!!!" Shaun jolted upright, his heart pounding violently against his chest. His eyes snapped open, wide with terror, as if the nightmare still had its claws buried deep within him.
Morning sunlight yet to stream into the small room, to spill it's golden light across thin, worn walls. The shadows of the dream refused to leave. The bedsheet clung damply to his sweat-soaked skin as he gripped it tightly with trembling hands.
"Huff… huff… huff… What… what was that?"
His breath came ragged, his chest heaving. The echoes of screams and the glint of a blood-soaked blade still rang in his mind as vividly as if they had happened only seconds ago. Wiping his sweat-drenched face with the bedsheet, he muttered in a shaky voice,
"Was that… really just a dream? It felt… too real…"
He looked around desperately for reassurance. Relief washed over him as he recognized his own small, familiar room — the cracked wooden floor, the plain walls, the faint scent of smoke from last night's hearth.
And yet, the comfort was hollow. The first rays of dawn crept across the floor like reaching fingers, but they did little to banish the dread that lingered in the air.
"That shadow… those burning eyes… its sword dripping with blood… it was like death itself reached for me." Shaun buried his face in his hands, trembling. "These dreams… no, these visions… they're getting worse."
"Natasha… I couldn't save you…" The fragments of the nightmare replayed relentlessly in his mind — the marketplace in ruins, the bodies, Natasha's lifeless eyes. His voice cracked as tears welled up in his eyes.
A sob escaped him, raw and helpless. His chest tightened as if iron chains were wrapping around his lungs. "What if it isn't just a dream? What if… it's a glimpse of what's coming?"
His fists clenched tightly. His fear burned, but within it smouldered a spark of resolve. He lifted his head, eyes hardening with determination.
"No. I won't let it come true. I will become stronger… stronger than I've ever been. No one will hurt her. I swear it."
The silence of the room answered him. Then, a faint sound — the creak of wood. Shaun turned, startled, and noticed a small tuft of brown spikes peeking from behind an old wooden chair. He leaned closer and asked with a touch of amusement, his voice gentler now,
"Hey… Rico? Is that you hiding back there?"
A tiny figure slowly crawled out. A boy of about four years old, clad in a light green yukata and brown shorts. His large brown eyes, filled with worry, gazed at Shaun.
"Big brother… are you okay?" Rico's little voice quivered. "You looked really scared. Rico was… worried about you."
"I'm fine, Rico. Don't worry." Shaun's tense expression softened at once. A weary smile broke across his lips.
Rico tugged nervously at the edge of his yukata. "Mama asked Rico to wake you. But when Rico came, you were saying things in your sleep. Then you suddenly yelled, and… it scared Rico. So Rico hid."
"Come here." Guilt flickered in Shaun's eyes. He patted the mattress beside him. Rico hesitated, then scampered up onto the bed, sitting close.
Shaun ruffled his little brother's hair and whispered, "It was just a bad dream. I'm sorry I scared you."
Rico tilted his head, eyes wide. "Really?"
"Really."
The innocence in Shaun's voice soothed Rico's heart. He brightened, bouncing lightly on the mattress. Then, with sudden excitement, he cried out, "Big Brother, lower your face!"
Shaun blinked, bemused, but leaned down as asked. Rico grinned mischievously, reached up with his small hand to cup Shaun's face, and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead.
Shaun froze, eyes widening, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. "Huh? What was that for?"
Rico puffed his chest proudly. "That's Rico's Go-Go Bad Dream Spell! When Rico has a bad dream, Mama kisses me, and poof! The nightmare disappears. So Rico did the same for Big Brother. Now your bad dreams are gone!"
A soft laugh escaped Shaun's lips. Warmth spread through his chest, dissolving the shadows that lingered. He ruffled Rico's spiky hair again, smiling more genuinely this time.
"Oh really? Then thank you, Rico. Thanks to you, I won't have nightmares anymore."
"Yay!" Rico beamed, springing to his feet. With joyful steps, he hopped off the mattress and bounded out of the room, his laughter echoing like sunlight chasing away night.
As the door closed behind his little brother, Shaun touched his forehead again where Rico had kissed him. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes.
"Natasha…" he whispered softly, his heart tightening with both pain and resolve.
Then, with a deep breath, he rose from the mattress and headed toward the bathroom, the day beginning but the weight of the dream still clinging like a shadow at his back.
**********
The steam, like a fading ghost, still clung to the air as Shaun stepped out from his bath. He grabbed his worn brown towel, rubbing it briskly across his damp hair before dragging it over his arms and chest.
Droplets slid down his skin and scattered onto the creaking wooden floorboards, glinting like tiny jewels in the pale morning light.
Barefoot, he padded back to his room, where the old wooden closet waited with a patient sigh. The hinges groaned as he opened it, revealing its modest contents.
His hand hovered for a moment before settling on the outfit his parents had given him just a week ago—his first real gift meant for today. A smile tugged at his lips as he carefully lifted it out.
The black vest was smooth beneath his fingers, a bold contrast to the crisp white gii that lay beneath it. White linings traced its edges, understated but proud.
He wrapped the padding around his waist and tied it snugly with a black sash, securing it as though fastening his resolve. Loose white trousers followed, comfortable yet formal enough for the occasion.
At the small desk, a comb sat waiting. He dragged it through his messy hair, taming the stubborn strands into something halfway respectable. He leaned closer to the cracked mirror nailed on the wall, studying the boy staring back. For a fleeting second, he thought he saw determination shining in those eyes—a reflection of the man he hoped to become.
Before leaving, Shaun turned back to the room. He folded the mattress and bedsheet with meticulous care, smoothing out every crease before placing them neatly in their corner. Only then did he step out, the soft creak of the floorboards greeting his steady pace.
His morning ritual was complete. Ahead, the scent of warm breakfast drifted faintly from the dining hall, guiding him forward like a beacon.
***********
At last, Shaun reached his destination. The hallway ahead glowed with the gentle morning light filtering through the paper-thin windows. The air still carried a hint of dawn's chill, mingled with the faint aroma of simmering food — a siren's call to his rumbling stomach.
In the kitchen, his mother, Sarah, hummed softly as she stirred a pot, her lavender gown swaying at her ankles, chestnut hair catching the light like burnished copper.
At the dining table, his younger brother Rico gleefully tapped a wooden spoon against the surface, creating his own rhythm between bursts of giggles. Their father, Sharek, watched with a gentle smile, pride hidden in his weathered eyes.
"Breakfast is ready!" Sarah announced, setting a heavy tray upon the table.
"Good morning, everyone." Shaun stepped in with a smile tugging at his lips, sliding into the chair beside Rico.
"Good morning, Shaun," Sarah replied warmly, placing porridge and tea before him.
"Morning, my son," Sharek added, his voice steady but his eyes aglow.
"Big brother," Rico piped up, his spoon clattering against the table as he leaned forward with curiosity. "Is today your first day at the big school?"
"Yes, Rico! And I'm so excited! My journey to becoming the World's Strongest Magus finally begins!" Shaun puffed his chest proudly, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Sarah's gaze softened, her lips curving into a tender smile, while Sharek's expression warmed with fatherly pride.
"I have no doubt you'll achieve your dream, Shaun," Sharek said, savoring a sip of tea. "It still feels unreal that my son is going to Silver Heaven Academy. To think you'll be the first magus in our family… now I can proudly boast that I am the father of a Magus."
Rico's eyes widened, his little legs kicking beneath the table in shared excitement, as if his brother's dream were his own.
**********