On stormy, rain-soaked nights in the Kingdom of Maro,
a young man of eighteen sat on the cold streets of Takuba.
He wore a long-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, his dark blue hair dripping as the rain slid down past his sky-colored eyes—eyes filled with sorrow, loneliness, and despair.
As water gathered at his feet, fragments of the past rose unbidden in his mind.
Inside a grand mansion, the boy once sat by the window, sketching the glowing moon with brush and notebook in hand.
The door creaked open and a servant stepped in.
"Young master Aaron Hotveil, your father, Lord Martin, requests your presence in his study. He also asked that you bring your belongings."
Aaron blinked in surprise.
"Why? For what reason? Are we going somewhere?"
The servant bowed slightly.
"I do not know, young master. He only told me to summon you."
"Very well, I'll come."
Aaron made his way to the study, unsettled by the strange look in Martin's eyes. He sat quietly on the couch near the desk. After several heavy seconds, Martin spoke.
"Aaron, I am casting you out. From this day on, you are no longer welcome in this house. My family and I do not wish to see you again."
Aaron's face paled.
"What? You're expelling me? Why? What have I done?"
Martin's voice turned cold.
"Because you are not of our blood. Your very existence taints our name. We cannot allow our reputation to be ruined by you."
"But… what is so wrong with that?"
Martin slammed a hand on the desk, his voice rising.
"As I said, you are not one of us. You have no right to stay. Gather your things and leave at once!"
And so, Aaron packed his few possessions. Standing at the gates, he looked back one last time at the mansion that had never truly been his home. With a heavy heart, he turned away. There were no goodbyes.
Three days passed. Aaron wandered the streets of Takuba, searching desperately for food, shelter, and work to sustain himself. His thoughts whispered bitterly:
"I walk in darkness with nothing. Hungry, yet no one feeds me. Exhausted, yet nothing grants me rest. Perhaps I'll endure until my body becomes numb to hunger and pain… but when that happens, my soul will slip away, never to return."
At one point, he stopped before a bakery, staring through the glass at loaves of bread. His stomach clenched, but he had no money. With a pained sigh, he turned away.
Another day dragged on, and Aaron collapsed in an alleyway. A stray piece of paper blew into his face. He picked it up and read:
"Lord Frankfurt Pierce is seeking a servant. He offers all necessities in return for service.
Location: Gizana District.
Residence: Pierce Manor."
Aaron's heart leapt. It was as if fate itself had thrown him a miracle. Though the journey to Gizana would take three days, he resolved to rest whenever needed and pressed forward.
At last, on the third day, Aaron arrived before the towering gates of Pierce Manor.
"Finally… I made it. I hope no one has taken the position yet."
He knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a man in his thirties, clad in a black suit. His dark gray hair and sharp black eyes studied Aaron carefully.
"Greetings, boy. Have you come seeking employment?"
Aaron straightened his posture.
"Yes, sir."
"My name is Kain. And yours?"
"Aaron."
"Very well, follow me. I'll give you a tour of the manor before introducing you to Lord Frankfurt Pierce."
They began to walk through the grounds. Kain gestured toward a vast garden.
"This is the flower garden. The master tends to it at night, shielded by a magical barrier so the blossoms won't wither under the sun. The barrier is lifted only in the evening."
Next, he led Aaron into a wide hall filled with training equipment.
"This is Lord Pierce's training chamber. His affinity is Light Magic, Level Eighty one—he is a Liteborn. As for me, my affinity is Wind Magic, Level seventy-eight —an Airni. And you, Aaron?"
Aaron lowered his head.
"I… I don't have one. I've never awakened since I was a child."
His thoughts weighed heavily.
"The family that cast me out had Earth and Metal affinities—Erthed and Mettled. But I never inherited either. Perhaps that was another reason they abandoned me."
Kain studied him for a moment.
"Then… do you bear the mark of a Nado?"
"No."
"In that case, your magic may awaken soon. The absence of the mark means your power still sleeps within you."
When the tour was done, Kain explained that Lord Pierce would return later in the evening. He guided Aaron to a guest room and offered him clean clothes. After changing, Aaron sat by the window with his sketchbook in hand, gazing out at the moonlit garden. His pencil traced gentle lines across the page.
"I never expected I might have magic of my own one day… If that's true, I must train. And I must uncover the truth of my origins—what kind of power runs in my real bloodline?"