"Damian, have you ever stopped to think about how vast this world truly is? Sometimes it feels endless, yet when you look closely, it can seem surprisingly small.
Our continent alone is home to nine kingdoms, and beyond it lie eight more continents. Each has its own history, its own people, its own traditions and beliefs. There are places no one in Theria has ever seen and stories that have never reached our shores. When I was younger, I dreamed of seeing all of it. I wanted to travel beyond the horizon, explore the unknown, discover distant lands, and live as an adventurer."
Damian looked at his father with curiosity.
"Then why didn't you do it, Father?"
A faint smile appeared on the man's face.
"Because this world is not kind to everyone. Some are blessed with power, while others are destined to live ordinary lives. I belong to the latter."
His gaze drifted toward the window.
"Outside the borders of Theria, the world becomes far more dangerous. There are monsters, bandits, and creatures capable of wiping out entire villages. An ordinary man like me would never survive such a journey."
For a moment, he remained silent before placing a hand on Damian's shoulder.
"But you are different. You were blessed by Charma. The gift you carry is something most people can only dream of. If you continue to grow stronger, there will come a day when even the greatest names in the world will know who you are."
As he lay in bed, Damian stared at the ceiling for a long while, replaying his father's words in his mind. And small smile appeared on his face as he pulled the blanket over himself, and Said:
"I'll carry your name to the highest places in the world, Father," Damian whispered into the darkness. "And when I get there, I'll make sure everyone knows who you were."
"No matter what it costs, I'll fulfill your dream."
Tommb!!!
Boom.
A heavy impact shook the front door.
Damian immediately got out of bed. Before he could even gather his thoughts, another loud bang echoed through the house.
"What the hell is going on?"
As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he found Mimi and Nana standing near the stairs. Both looked terrified.
"Damian, someone's trying to break in," Mimi said. "They're kicking the door."
"Go hide in the attic," Damian replied at once. "Both of you."
"Mom already went downstairs to see who it is."
"We're scared."
"I know. That's exactly why you need to go. Now."
The girls reluctantly obeyed and hurried upstairs. Once they were gone, Damian carefully made his way down. Halfway through the staircase, voices reached his ears. He slowed his steps and remained hidden behind the wall, listening.
His mother stood in the middle of the room while two unfamiliar men faced her. One of them sat comfortably in a chair with his legs crossed as if he owned the place. The other stood nearby, the door.
"It's been a long time since we last met," the seated man said with a grin. "Back then you were the Lord's precious little daughter back then. Look at you now. Life really wasn't kind to you."
"Can I call you Alani?" he added casually.
"That's fine, Connor," she replied coldly. "Who sent you? Salazar? Does he want me back?"
Connor laughed.
"Relax. We're not here for you. Salazar wouldn't waste his time chasing a powerless former daughter.
His eyes wandered around the house before returning to her.
"We're here for one of your children. The white-haired boy."
Alani's expression immediately changed. "What do you want with Damian?"
"So that's his name."
"If either of you touches a single hair on his head, I'll kill you."
The threat only made both men laugh.
"Hear that, Tiodor?" Connor said. "She thinks she has a say in this."
Tiodor snorted.
"That's adorable."
Connor rose from his chair and stretched.
"You know, finding the boy was pure luck. We were drinking in a tavern when we spotted some kid using elemental magic in the middle of nowhere. Naturally, we got curious."
"We followed him home and waited until nightfall. Then we discovered something interesting."
A wide grin spread across his face.
"That kid was actually your son."
Alani remained silent.
"Imagine our surprise. A hidden Noble child with magical talent. Salazar is going to pay us a fortune."
"You won't take him."
"Oh, we will."
Connor's smile slowly disappeared.
"And unfortunately for you, we're also going to kill you."
The room fell silent.
Then Connor shrugged.
"Still, I'm not completely heartless."
Connor walked up to Alani and stood directly in front of her, close enough that there was no space left between them. He looked straight into her eyes and said in a calm voice:
"So tell me, Alani. Would you prefer some last words or one final cup of coffee?"
He glanced back at her and smiled.
"If I were you, I'd choose the coffee."
"Fuck you."
Connor sighed.
"Last words it is, then," Connor said as he raised his gun and aimed it directly at Alani.
At that exact moment, a powerful gust of wind burst through the room.
Neither man had time to react.
Damian leaped from his hiding place and thrust both hands forward. The blast struck Connor square in the chest and hurled him across the room, sending him crashing violently into the wall.
After Connor slammed against the wall, Damian rushed in front of his mother and shouted, "Not another step. Anyone moves and I'll blow you into the sky."
"Damian, what are you doing here?" his mother cried.
"Ah, finally the little boy decides to show his claws," Connor mocked.
"I said don't move."
"You think your empty threats will stop me? Don't make me laugh, kid."
Damian launched a gust of wind at Connor, but he dodged with ease and rushed forward. With no time to react properly, Damian threw himself to the ground and released another blast. Connor avoided it again and the attack struck Tiodor instead, throwing him off balance. In that brief opening, Connor closed the distance and pinned Damian down.
"Got you, little buddy. Now there's nowhere to run."
"Shut up, you bastard."
Connor pulled a syringe from his pocket and injected Damian with a strange serum. Immediately, Damian's body went rigid, completely paralyzed.
"Connor, please," his mother begged. "If you take me to Salazar, you'll get your reward too. Just leave Damian."
"Alani, haven't you heard? Salazar is done with you. You're not even useful for a political marriage anymore. To him, you've lost your value."
"Then take me. Just leave my mother alive," Damian said.
"What are you saying, Damian?" his mother shouted. "You don't know what Salazar is like. He'll make you suffer."
"Mom, I don't care. I've wanted to help you for so long, but you never let me. At least now I can do something. I don't want to see you Die! Let me protect you for once.
"You're insane if you think I'll let you go."
"But you have to, Mom."
"I'll never allow—"
BANG.
A gunshot echoed through the room. Before she could finish her sentence, Alani fell to the ground with a bullet in her head.
For a moment, everything went silent for Damian.
Her body hit the floor. He just stared, unable to move, tears forming in his eyes while blood spread across the ground and stained his clothes.
"There we go."
"That's it. You're the lucky one coming with us, boy. No more debate. You're our prize."
"What's that face for? I just freed you from that crazy woman. You should be grateful."
"..."
"Weird kid."
"Tiodor, you useless waste. Grab the boy and toss him in the cart."
"Sorry, kid. That's just how it works."
When they were done, Salazar's mercenaries tied Damian up and threw him into the back of a cart. The wheels began to turn as they left the place behind.
Lying there, Damian could only think of how unfair everything had been. He had already lost his father, and now his mother, right in front of him, without being able to stop it.
He had misjudged Connor. He had believed there might still be something human in him. That was his mistake.
That day taught him something he could no longer ignore. There were people who did not hesitate, who did not regret, who did not care.
His thoughts grew colder as the cart moved through the night.
Compassion would not save anyone.
Neither would hope.
Only action mattered.
And from that moment on, Damian understood he would no longer wait for permission to act.
It was past one in the morning when the mercenaries' cart rolled through the empty market square. The stalls stood shut and lifeless, their wooden frames swallowed by darkness. Only the occasional stray cat moved across the cobblestones, vanishing between narrow alleys as the wheels echoed through the silence.
Connor and Tiodor were in high spirits. They laughed between themselves, passing a flask back and forth as if the night already belonged to them. A boy with elemental magic, delivered straight to their Lord, nothing more than a simple transaction in their minds. "Easy money".
At the back of the cart, Damian lay motionless. The serum had worn off gradually, sensation returning to his body in pieces, first his fingers, then his arms, then the slow weight of control. He did not move. He kept his breathing steady, listening instead to their laughter, to the creaking wood, to the rhythm of the wheels against stone.
His thoughts drifted back to the house. To his mother falling to the floor. To Mimi and Nana hidden in the attic, alone in the dark. The grief rose slowly, pressing against his chest, but he forced it down. Not now.
He waited.
When he felt it, it was subtle at first, like a shift in the air only he could sense. A quiet response to his will, like the world itself recognizing him. The wind.
He did not rush it. He drew it in slowly, carefully, letting it gather without sound. Outside, nothing seemed to change. The mercenaries kept talking, unaware that the air around them had begun to move differently, that the stillness of the square was no longer natural.
By the time Connor finally looked up from the flask, the wind was already rising.
It struck without warning.
The cart shuddered as a violent force hit it head-on. The horses screamed and reared, hooves scraping against stone as the wind pressed against them like a living wall. Connor grabbed the seat. Tiodor dropped the flask. Their laughter vanished instantly, replaced by confusion, then alarm, but there was no time to react.
The wind collapsed inward.
In the space of a breath, it became a vortex. The cart lifted from the ground, wood groaning as it was torn apart. Horses were dragged into the air, their silhouettes swallowed by spinning dust and darkness. Connor and Tiodor disappeared inside the roar as the square itself filled with a rising storm of splintered wood and broken stone.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, it stopped.
Silence returned to the market square.
Damian dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. His body trembled from the strain, but he stayed upright. The air around him settled slowly, as if reluctant to leave. He waited a moment longer, letting the dizziness fade before moving.
Around him, fragments of the cart lay scattered across the cobblestones. He found a dagger among the wreckage and cut through the remaining ropes binding his wrists.
He looked through the ruins.
No voices. No movement. No trace of Connor or Tiodor. Only broken wood and the faint echo of wind fading into the night.
He stood.
His clothes were torn, stained with his mother's blood. His hands were not steady, but he did not care. Mimi and Nana were still alone, and that was the only thing that mattered.
Without hesitation, he rose into the air, the wind responding beneath him, and flew toward District 14.
Damian flew as fast as he could toward his house. From a distance, he could already see a crowd gathered outside. Mimi and Nana were in the street, crying.
He landed and ran straight to a man standing beside them.
"What happened?"
The man explained that in the middle of the night, the girls had run into the street screaming for help. Their mother wasn't moving. The royal knights had been called, and when they arrived, Alani was still breathing — a head wound, but alive. They had rushed her to the nearest hospital.
Damian stood there for a moment, saying nothing. Something in his chest that had been pulled tight since the cart finally let go. He wiped his face before his sisters could see, then crouched down to their level.
"Mimi. Nana. Are you okay?"
"We're okay..." Mimi whispered, still trembling.
"We hid in the attic until everything went quiet," Nana said. "Then we came down and found Mom on the floor. There was so much blood. We didn't know what to do, so we ran outside and screamed until someone came."
"You did the right thing. Both of you." He pulled them close. "Mom's going to be okay. She's at the hospital. They're taking care of her."
A neighbor stepped forward... Uncle Charles, one of the men who had always shown up quietly after Wellys died, with fruit or bread or just a hand on the shoulder.
"Damian. Where have you been? You're covered in blood."
"I'm alright, Uncle Charles. The men who attacked Mom took me with them, but I managed to get away." He kept it simple. "I came back as fast as I could."
Charles looked at the three of them and shook his head slowly.
"You're lucky to be alive, boy. I hope your mother pulls through, and I hope those bastards get what's coming to them." He rested a hand on Damian's shoulder. "If you need anything, food, a place to sleep, anything at all... you knock on my door. Don't hesitate."
"Thank you, Uncle. We will."
Hours later, the knights questioned Damian. He gave them a version of the truth, enough to satisfy them, not enough to explain the wreckage in the market square. When it was over, they sealed the house. Crime scene they said, and the keys stayed with them.
They told the children to find somewhere else to stay.
Damian looked at his sisters. Mimi was holding Nana's hand. What little money they had would go toward their mother's treatment. there was nothing left for rent, nothing left for much of anything.
He already knew where they were going.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, that pale grey hour before the sun breaks through, when the three of them set off toward District 14. The streets were almost empty, a few merchants setting up early stalls, a cart horse standing half-asleep at a corner. Mimi walked with her eyes half-closed, still running on shock more than rest. Nana held Damian's hand without saying anything.
By the time they reached Hundred's neighborhood, the first light of dawn was washing the rooftops orange. They found him on the street almost immediately. up early as always, probably just finishing his morning chores, Hundred stopped when he saw them.
He took one look at Damian. the torn clothes, the dried blood, the sisters trailing behind and didn't say anything for a moment.
They walked to the house together, and Damian told him everything. Hundred listened without interrupting, which was unusual enough on its own. When Damian finished, Hundred was quiet for a long moment.
"...That's insane," he finally said.
"Yeah."
"Your mom's really going to be okay?"
"I don't know yet. I have to believe she will."
Hundred nodded and pushed open the front door.
They found Suly in the kitchen — standing straight, eyes clear, already up and moving at this early hour, wearing an expression Hundred hadn't seen on his father's face in a long time.
"Hundred! You won't believe what happened yesterday!"
Hundred stopped. He looked his father over once, checking for the usual signs. "...You're not drunk."
"Not at all, you brat!" Suly laughed. "I got promoted to farm supervisor. The boss is tripling my pay. We're going to have our old life back — your mother won't have to kill herself at that shop anymore!"
Hundred stared at him.
"...Are you serious?"
"I mean it, son." The laugh faded into something quieter. "I know I've put you both through hell lately. I'm sorry, Hundred. I don't want to be that man anymore."
He opened his arms, and after a moment, Hundred stepped into them.
"I'm not the one you need to say that to, Dad," he said, muffled against his father's shoulder. "You know that."
Suly nodded. He knew.
An awkward silence settled over the room. Then Damian cleared his throat.
"...Psst."
"Right!" Hundred pulled back. "Dad, Damian and his sisters need somewhere to stay. Their house got sealed off. Can they..."
"Of course." Suly waved the question away before it was even finished. "This house has room. Stay as long as you need." He looked down at the girls. "And who are these two?"
"I'm Nana."
"I'm Mimi!"
Suly's face broke into a wide grin. "Wonderful! Beautiful girls." He shot a look at Hundred. "Why couldn't I have had daughters instead of this ugly son?"
"Say that again, old man."
Everyone laughed even Damian, which surprised him.
They made breakfast together, all six of them crowded around a table that was slightly too small. It was loud and warm and a little chaotic, and at some point Mimi fell asleep sitting upright with a piece of bread still in her hand.
Damian watched her and felt something he hadn't expected to feel that morning.
"the night had taken almost everything from him. And yet, for the first time since it began, the morning did not feel that empty".