Sang lay on the rough straw bed, sweat beading on his forehead. His breath was shallow, his skin pale. The room spun in his vision—shadows of three figures hovered over him.
"Who... are these people?" his mind whispered, before darkness took him again.
Hagan knelt beside the boy, gently shaking his shoulder. "Come on, lad… wake up." His voice cracked with concern. "I should've taken him to a Magician before bringing him here. But we have no magician in this village anymore..."
Lysa, his daughter, frowned with worry. "Father, don't blame yourself. Maybe we can take him to someone who knows herbs. What about—?"
"Ms. Melyra," Hagan interrupted, snapping his fingers. "Yes. She may know."
Kaen, the yellow-haired boy standing nearby, clenched his fists. His eyes flickered faintly. He hesitated—should he use his essence to save this stranger? But if I do... they'll know I've awakened.
Hagan rushed out to find the elder. Hours later, the wooden door creaked open. A hunched woman with a gnarled cane and piercing grey eyes stepped inside—Ms. Melyra, the oldest living soul in the village of Brimwood Hollow, and mother of the village chief.
Her gaze swept over Sang, then turned to Hagan with grim finality. "Hagan," she said, voice like cracking bark, "you know our laws. No outsiders, no threats. We've lived in peace for decades, hidden from the world's madness."
She leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. "And yet, here you are again—with another stranger. Another risk."
Hagan opened his mouth to speak, but she raised her cane slightly, silencing him.
"This is your last chance," she said coldly. "We can save this boy, yes. But at what cost? What if danger follows him? What if his enemies find us? What if he becomes the threat?"
Her voice echoed through the small hut.
"You must decide. Do I heal him… and risk all of Brimwood Hollow? Or do we let him go… and preserve what we have?"
Everyone turned to Hagan. Even Kaen and Lysa fell silent.
He stood still, torn. His heart ached as he looked down at the fragile, wounded boy. Then he looked at Ms. Melyra… at his daughter… at Kaen.
He took a deep breath.
"We may regret helping him. But we'll never forgive ourselves for abandoning him."
Ms. Melyra closed her eyes. For a moment, the room stood frozen in time.
Then she sighed. "So be it," she muttered. "But this is on your head, Hagan. If he brings ruin… may the gods have mercy on us all."
She knelt by Sang, pulling out a pouch of herbs and whispering something ancient.
And so… the village of Brimwood Hollow took in a stranger, not knowing that this moment would shape the fate of the Eastern Kingdoms forever.
As she treated Sang, she noticed something strange. She leaned in, fingers gently placed on his chest, feeling for something.
Then her eyes widened.
"…This boy has no Essence…"
Everyone stared.
"What?" Hogan frowned. "What do you mean?"
In the world of Ethernia, all living beings possess Essence—a life force that flows through the soul, connecting body, mind, and spirit to the world itself.
"Exactly what I said." Melyra's voice was grave. "Every living thing in Ethernia has Essence. It's the life-force of our world. Some can control it. Others can't. But everyone has it. Even beasts, trees, and the wind hold essence. It's what sustains breath, warmth, and soul."
Everyone is born with Essence. But not everyone can use it.
But Sang had none.
Not a single spark.His body lived—but the energy of existence was absent.It was as if… he was an empty shell.
She leaned over Sang again. "But this boy… he's hollow. Like a doll. He's not dying from his wounds. He's dying because this world is rejecting him."
"How is that even possible…?" Lysa whispered.
Everyone in the room felt the weight of that truth.
Hogan spoke up. "Is there anything we can do?"
Then Mrs. Meylra thought for a moment and answer, " There is a way to save his life."
Hogan turned sharply. "What way?"
"...By sharing essence with someone" she finally said, voice low. "When one person shares essence with another, they create a thread—a living link. Their pain becomes shared. Their emotions sometimes bleed into each other. Their lives… may grow intertwined in ways neither of them fully understand."
Kaen didn't even hesitate. "I'll do it," he said. "I'll share my essence with him."
Everyone in the room turned to him. Hogan's eyes widened. "Kaen…"
Ms. Melyra's brows drew together. "Do you truly understand what that means, boy?"
Kaen nodded, his golden hair catching the flicker of the oil lamp. "Yes."
He looked at Sang's unconscious form. "He's alone. Hurt. Helpless in this world. I don't know who he is or where he came from… but something tells me he doesn't deserve to die like this. If I can give him even a piece of my strength—my essence—I will. Even if it means we'll be connected. Even if it means I'll carry some of his pain too."
Ms. Melyra studied him for a long moment. Then, with a tired sigh, she stepped back and gestured toward Sang.
"Very well. But understand this, Kaen… once essence is shared, it cannot be undone. The bond will remain, perhaps for life."
Kaen stepped forward, kneeling beside Sang. "Then it'll be for life."
He closed his eyes, placed a hand over Sang's chest, and breathed deeply. A soft, golden glow began to pulse from Kaen's palm. Threads of light—warm, almost gentle—flowed into Sang's body like streams of sunlight weaving into darkness.
Sang's breath, once shallow and ragged, began to steady.
The glow faded. Kaen slumped slightly, pale, but still upright.
Ms. Melyra moved to check Sang's pulse. After a moment, she nodded slowly. "He'll live now. Your essence is keeping him anchored to this world."
Hogan exhaled in disbelief. "You actually did it…"
Kaen stood, his voice quiet but firm. "He's not alone anymore. From now on… he's my brother."
And though Sang still lay unconscious, somewhere deep within, something had changed. A light had been sparked inside him. He wouldn't be able to use magic—not like Kaen or others—but from now on, he belonged to this world.
No one in that quiet hut realized it then, but that single moment—the choice of a boy to save a stranger—would one day change the fate of Ethernia forever.