Nathan and Lily's sojourn at Granny Bella's orphanage was a time in his life that lingered in his soul long after his departure. Only when the concepts of both time and responsibility were thrown behind like meaningless matters, did he find the peace that this kingdom consciously cherishes in its culture. Peace is not established only as a state of unified stability in the world, but is also prominent in the hearts of citizens, woven into their being through a sense of simplicity in every ordinary day.
And even though the time lasted for less than a week, as Nathan lay among the sea of daffodils planted at the foothill behind Bella's residence, perhaps he could confidently say that he had found the peace that he longed for.
His life here wasn't nearly as luxurious or comfortable as it was in Endnest, and it even lacked the familiar comfort of his home in Lostburg. Yet somehow, at least for the moment, it seemed to be the life Nathan hoped to live. Isn't this just the difference in lifestyle that he craved before he set forth on his journey? He knew this kind of life wouldn't stay with him forever, nor did he want it to.
Nathan wouldn't call himself a master at handling children, but he wasn't bad either. His natural charisma and unforgotten storytelling skills kept them captivated by him. The younger children in the orphanage would follow behind him silently wherever he went, and the older ones never ran out of ideas to attempt to pull a prank on him. Nathan had to admit, their tricks were sharp, or rather downright weird, if he was to comment. There were often things they could do that Nathan couldn't wrap his head around, like disappearing in the blink of an eye and lifting objects that even he found heavy.
The sunlight pierced through the cloud that blocked its beam and rested itself on Nathan's face, competing for territory with the mysterious light emitted by the sky above Mount Mirra. Nathan squinted his eyes lazily and turned to the other side. He saw Granny Bella walking slowly in his direction with heavier steps than usual.
"Nathan, my boy, our time together nears its end. The Indescribable's plans to return in two days." She sat down on the ramp just above him, talking to him but staring into the horizon.
"How did you know that was our plan?" Nathan blinked, unsurprised at Bella's insight but questioned anyway. "Did Li… I mean, Anna, tell you?"
"No, no, I just guessed it would be such." Bella shook her head in serenity. "There are no other great events in Isterann worthy of your visit, but I don't know at all why it would be significant to you."
Nathan opened his mouth and was about to explain the rest to Granny Bella, but eventually shut it again to avoid leaking too much personal information.
"Boy, before you leave, I have a couple of questions I always wanted to ask you. So if you are willing, can you help me unravel my confusion?" Bella didn't seem to mind Nathan's silence at all and continued, her voice distant but distinct.
"Of course, but I thought there was nothing that you didn't know." Nathan joked.
"Oh no no," Bella chuckled, "There are too many things in this world that I don't know. I've been a curious woman my whole life, and old age does not put an end to it."
"So please, tell me, boy, who gave you the necklace on your neck?"
"My father did," Nathan answered without any hesitation.
"Describe him, please."
Nathan described Eric as subtly as he could, but remaining truthful.
Bella nodded as Nathan ranted, her smile growing brighter. "My assumption is correct, then. Silly me, thinking that I'm the only one."
"What do you mean?"
"You will find out in the not-so-distant future, boy. I'm not worthy enough to tell you the truth… And now, next question: What do you dislike about this world?"
"Not anything in particular," Nathan replied while gently caressing a flower petal. "This world has a lot of beauty worthy to be cherished… It's just that… not everyone is fortunate enough to see them all, or even just a portion of it."
"And people tend to focus on the parts of this world they were not fortunate enough to see, no? Instead of the beauty before their eyes," Bella said.
"Yeah, nobody thinks their life is good enough, no matter how much they have." Nathan nodded in agreement.
"The problem isn't that people's lives aren't good enough." Bella grinned. "The problem is that people's lives aren't bad enough."
Nathan's energy seemed to be lit through this sentence. He turned around in a mixture of anticipation and a bit of anger. "Excuse me?"
Bella seemed as if she was about to say, "You will understand when you grow up" or something along those lines, but eventually decided to keep things clear for Nathan for once.
"The problem is that people's lives aren't bad enough to light the motivation that pushes them further."
Nathan froze, stunned by the calmness in Bella's tone and the weight of her words. It wasn't an overstatement to say that her argument quite literally summarised his entire life.
"I see…" Nathan lowered his head in thought. "So motivation is what pushes us further."
"Motivation, and the perseverance to never lose it," Bella corrected softly. "That pushes us further than anything else ever could. Be it talent, effort, luck, or even… the family you are born into."
After a short moment of silence, Nathan Modernson stood up and bowed towards Bella's direction in an almost sarcastic fashion.
"Thank you, Granny Bella. I will never forget what you said." His words were deliberately serious.
"Then I can rest assured." Granny Bella smiled again. "Last question, and the most important one. There is no correct answer, purely opinion based."
"If you become the strongest Rune Artist in existence, will you want to dominate this world?"
Nathan had a quick thought and replied quietly, "My talent in Rune Art is abysmal, nor do I have the motivation to improve it. Also, if I do become the strongest through some miracle, who knows what I would want at that time?"
For some weird reason he couldn't name, Nathan added some extra sentences to his answer. "But honestly… if I continue to be the person I am now, I definitely will. There are parts of this world that can be changed for the better, and I'm willing to be the one improving it, since nobody else is willing to."
Bella didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the scenery in the distant mountains. Nathan also allowed his thoughts to scatter around the topic she brought up, imagining a future that would probably never come into existence. The tranquillity between them was precious to both.
Until suddenly, a ball sent flying towards Nathan's head broke the silence.
Deep in thought, Nathan didn't quite react before the ball was about to reach his face. The disturbance in the air and the fear that arose struck him before it, hindering his reaction even further.
Nathan felt a warm breeze surrounding him. The ball, inches away from his face, suddenly seemed as if all life had been drained out of it and halted in midair before falling to the ground lifelessly. He opened his eyes in disbelief at the absence of the expected force.
Granny Bella had her two wands spinning around her fingers in nimble motions, a half-red, half-green rune slowly vanishing before her. Nathan never dug deep into how skillful you have to be to earn the title of successful Rune Artist, but he was certain that Bella's skill was undeniable, possibly no less than Clara Marshall's.
Nathan bent over to pick up the ball, but Bella's voice interrupted him warningly. "Boy, I would advise not to touch that."
Nathan knew better the moment his hand approached the ball, steaming with a horrifying heat around the surface that could be felt from quite a distance.
Krayte and the other children in the orphanage, who stood on top of the hill, laughed mischievously. "Granny Bella! Be careful not to burn Nathan!"
Nathan didn't have to be the smartest person around to figure out who launched the ball towards his direction. He drew his wand and pointed it at the kids on top in performed fury. "Krayte, Leon, Cody, Konan, Ethan! You guys are dead the moment I catch you!"
"Yeah right!" Krayte provoked back. "With your light and darkness Rune Arts, yeah?"
Nathan shook his head in resignation. The limitations on his elemental trait weren't the only hindrance in his path to becoming a powerful Rune Artist that he was imagining. He mocked himself for even thinking about such unrealistic dreams, but as he always told others in Lostburg, everyone had the right to dream. It was the only equaliser between people in different lives apart from death.
"Don't worry about bothersome matters like punishing insolent children. These are chores for Granny Bella." Bella stood up slowly and turned around with a smile that leached playful intimidation.
"Oh crap, run!" Krayte ran off first, signalling the rest to follow along. Their laughter was devoid of fear or remorse. Let alone Bella, even Nathan had gotten used to their energetic hoaxes as their unique methods for showing affection.
Krayte and his gang of boys were the oldest of the orphans, with him and his twin brother Leon being the big brothers of the family. They were also the ones Nathan found himself the closest to. Krayte was similar to Nathan to a measured extent, just slightly more careless and easygoing. Bella's orphanage did not have a name like all other orphanages did, and the children here did not inherit a last name from their family, nor from Bella. The number felt just right, around 20 in total. Nathan wasn't bothered enough to count the exact digits, but he was already quite confident that he could name every single one he encountered.
Granny Bella followed after them in composure, unhurried to reach the destination that was always present.
Nathan called out as his thoughts suddenly hopped out, "Granny Bella! Can I come here to visit every once in a while?"
Bella turned around blankly. "Unfortunately not, I'm afraid," she said after a moment of silent hesitation.
Nathan froze. "Why?"
Bella ignored his question and continued walking towards her strikingly large manor.
"Boy, if fate allows, this frail, aged fellow shall appear again in your legacy." Her words were loud and clear.
"But I tell you, fate is never on my side," she added after a deliberate pause, and remained silent in the remaining portion of her departure.
"Don't worry!" Nathan shouted hopefully. "Fate is always on MY side!
So no matter what has to happen, no matter where the orphanage has to go, I'm sure we will see each other again!"
Of course, with her back facing him, Nathan couldn't see the smile that graced her lips. It was a smile not purely contrived from happiness, but from anticipation, amusement, and most profound of all, relief.
"There shall be a rebellion, amidst the reign of the 13th king, amidst the reign of the 13 seats in the Rune Art Federation. Runalond shall fall into the hands of a trickster, with lingering ghosts trailing behind, with deceitful fools accompanying beside, and with blinded traitors guiding in front. His lies will shatter Runalond, and like a mirror smashed into pieces will never be restored, the great kingdom shall live in fear for millennia to come." She chanted to herself word by word, the words of the prophecy carved deep in her mind.
"There shall be a redemption, amidst the line of the 13th king, amidst the 13 seats in the Rune Art Federation. Runalond shall raise a savior from his grave, with the memories of a stray idealist, with the body of an invincible warrior, and with the dream of a different tomorrow. His resurrection will preserve Runalond, and like the rising sun at dawn will never be absent, the great kingdom shall persevere for millennia to come."
"The dots are yet to connect, but the promised rebellion… is just moments away."
"Nathan… Bring the redemption this kingdom needs to survive, and don't make it too boring for a show. Show me… the one mystery I cannot decipher: What the Great Prophecy really means."