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Chapter 3 – Aric
Aric sat at the edge of the village's small creek, watching his father move through the dense forest with practiced precision. Even as a child, he understood that Daren was no ordinary man. Every step, every motion carried purpose and intent, a mastery born of decades of experience.
The boy had learned to keep quiet during these excursions. One misstep could alert the system's patrols or worse, summon attention from forces far beyond a child's understanding. Aric's heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from excitement. Each journey with his father was a lesson in survival, in observation, in understanding the hidden mechanisms of a world bound by rules he could barely comprehend.
Daren crouched low, whispering instructions that only Aric could hear. "Notice the shadows," he said. "The system watches everything, even what seems harmless. Learn to move unseen, Aric. Not just for today, but for every day after."
Aric mimicked his father, matching each gesture with the precision his small body allowed. The thrill of hiding, of moving in perfect synchrony with Daren, made his pulse quicken. Yet beneath it all, he felt the stirrings of something else—a curiosity that burned brighter than any fear. The world was vast, powerful, and dangerous. And he wanted to understand it all.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Aric noticed the first signs of the system's reach—the faint drain of magic in the air, the subtle distortions that made the forest seem heavier, slower. He didn't yet know how or why, but the feeling unsettled him. "Father, why does the air feel… strange?" he asked quietly.
Daren glanced at him, eyes sharp yet calm. "That is the system at work, Aric. Every living thing, every ounce of magic, siphoned and measured. It is why you must learn quickly. One day, you will see the truth behind these rules."
Aric nodded, though he didn't fully understand. What he did understand was this: every trip, every lesson, every small observation was preparing him for a world few dared to see. And he wanted, more than anything, to rise above it.
The forest stretched endlessly around them, a maze of shadows and whispers. And within that maze, Aric felt the first stirrings of destiny, a pull toward something greater than himself. One day, he would step beyond these forests, beyond the rules, beyond the system itself. But for now, he simply ran, hid, and watched—learning everything he could from the one person he trusted most: his father.