The morning sun slowly rose above the rooftops of Dornwald.
Soft light flowed through the church windows, painting the stone walls in golden hues.
Kael knelt in the small inner courtyard and breathed slowly.
Inhale.
Exhale.
He could feel a faint, barely noticeable energy circulating inside him.
Still too weak.
Still unstable.
But it was there.
And that was what mattered most.
Nearby, on the other side of the courtyard, stood Rain.
His face was focused, his lips tightly pressed together.
He repeated the movements that Father Elion had shown them yesterday.
Slowly.
Precisely.
Without haste.
Lumi sat on the steps, swinging her legs as she watched them.
"You've both become so strange…" she muttered. "You used to play with me at least."
Rain snorted.
"If you want to play, go find someone else."
"Hey!" Lumi protested. "I'm trying too, you know!"
She stood up and tried to copy their movements.
A few seconds later, she stumbled and fell.
"Ow!"
Kael opened his eyes and walked over to her.
"Don't rush. You'll get it."
Lumi looked at him suspiciously.
"You're unusually kind today."
"I'm just in a good mood."
Rain smirked.
"He's lying."
Kael ignored him.
At that moment, a calm voice sounded out.
"That's enough for today."
Father Elion stepped out from the shadow of the archway.
He carefully examined the children.
"Your bodies are still too weak. If you overstrain yourselves, you'll get injured."
Rain clenched his fists.
"I can do more."
Elion looked at him closely.
"You can. But you shouldn't."
Rain looked away.
After training, they sat beneath an old tree.
Lumi was chewing on an apple.
"Hey…" she suddenly said. "What do you want to become when you grow up?"
Rain answered immediately.
"Strong."
"That's not a profession," Lumi snorted.
"It's enough for me."
She turned to Kael.
"And you?"
Kael thought for a moment.
"I… want to change the world."
Lumi frowned.
"That's boring."
"Hey!"
She suddenly stood up and declared proudly:
"I'll become the richest merchant in the world!"
Both boys stared at her.
"A merchant?" Rain repeated.
"Yes! The richest! I'll have ships, caravans, shops in every city!" Her eyes sparkled. "And no one will be able to order me around!"
Kael smiled.
"That sounds… just like you."
"Of course it does!" Lumi snorted.
The next day…
After the morning prayer, Rain suddenly approached Father Elion.
"Father Elion."
"Yes?"
"Who is the strongest person in the world?"
Elion froze.
He remained silent for several seconds.
"There is no single strongest person," he finally said. "There are those who have reached the peak."
"Who are they?"
"They are called Kings."
"Kings?"
"The Sword King. The Spear King. The Hammer King. The Fist King. The Mage King."
Rain held his breath.
"Are they… stronger than everyone else?"
"They are those whom the world itself has acknowledged," Elion replied calmly. "Their strength lies not only in muscles and magic, but in their hearts."
"Do you know their names?"
Elion shook his head.
"Not all legends need names."
Rain fell silent.
That evening, he trained longer than anyone.
He fell.
Got up.
Fell again.
And stood up once more.
Lumi brought him some water.
"Are you crazy?"
"I don't want to fall behind," he answered hoarsely.
Kael watched from a distance.
He understood.
Rain had found his goal.
From that day on, Rain began training twice as hard.
He woke up earlier.
Went to bed later.
He no longer complained.
Even when it hurt.
Even when his hands trembled.
Even when he wanted to give up.
Kael saw it.
And inside him, a strange feeling awakened.
Rivalry.
And respect.
Weeks passed.
Months.
The children grew.
Their strength slowly increased.
And they had no idea…
That somewhere far away…
Deep within the mountains…
In a place no human had ever set foot…
A thin crack in space had grown slightly wider.
A cold wind burst from it.
And something on the other side…
Smiled.