The village of magicians called The Magician's Sanctuary was a place where magic flowed through every home, every stone, and every breath of wind.Lanterns infused with light spells hung above cobbled streets. Children practiced sparks of flame and gusts of wind under the watchful eyes of elders.But at the very edge of that shining village stood a house that barely held itself together.
It leaned, as if the earth itself had forgotten to hold it upright.The beams were cracked, the walls warped, and the roof—patched with scraps—groaned whenever the wind blew. Inside, the shelves that should have held spell books and bread were covered in nothing but dust and cobwebs.
That house belonged to a boy named Hakira.
He had no parents. No family.No one who ever called his name with warmth.
To the villagers, he was a shadow—a reminder of misfortune they wished to ignore.The children mocked him for being poor.The elders pitied him from afar, too afraid or too proud to help.And so, Hakira grew up in silence—unwanted, unseen, and forgotten.
Yet within that silence burned a small flame.
He believed that one day, he would change everything.That when the Coming-of-Age Ceremony arrived, he would finally be chosen by a fairy, just like the others.He would stand on that sacred stage and make them all see his worth.
By day, he scoured the village outskirts for torn pages of spell scrolls.By night, he studied them by candlelight until his eyes stung.He worked for scraps of food, endured laughter, and swallowed humiliation—because he believed that destiny was waiting for him.
And then, at last, destiny arrived.
The morning of the ceremony came bright and golden.The village square shimmered with light spells as banners fluttered in the wind. Children dressed in white robes lined up near the stage, excitement buzzing in the air.
Hakira stood among them, his heart pounding so loudly he thought others might hear it.
Then, the village chief, Verlin, stepped forward.Tall and broad-shouldered, his silver hair shimmered beneath the morning sun.When he spoke, his deep voice rolled through the air like thunder.
"Today," he began, "marks your passage into the world of magic. Each of you will be chosen by a fairy—your partner for life.If fortune blesses you, two fairies may choose you, granting you the title of Royal Mage.And if your power is extraordinary, the legendary Ryna, master of all four elements, may appear to name you as her apprentice."
A wave of awe rippled through the crowd.
"Even if only one fairy blesses you," Verlin continued, "that alone opens your path to the Elemental Towers—the Fire Tower of the West under Captain Embarion,the Ice Tower of the North under Captain Velrisa,the Wind Tower of the South under Captain Kaizen,and the Stone Tower of the East under Captain Granith."
The crowd erupted in cheers.The ceremony began.
One by one, children stepped onto the stage.Fairies appeared—small, radiant beings of light and color.They circled the chosen children and formed pacts with flashes of golden magic.
Each time, the villagers cheered.Each time, Hakira's heart tightened just a little more.
Then came the turn of Sabiro.
As Sabiro stepped forward, a blinding light burst from the stage.The villagers gasped and shielded their eyes. When the brilliance faded, two fairies hovered before him—one shining with the strength of stone, the other with the chill of ice.
"Two fairies!" someone cried."Impossible!" shouted another, though the disbelief quickly turned to celebration.Laughter filled the air. Pride glowed in every face.
And then, silence fell.Only Hakira remained.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward. The stage creaked beneath his feet.He could feel the eyes of the entire village fixed on him—some curious, some cruel.
"Please…" he whispered under his breath."Let this be my moment."
But instead of light, a dark mist began to rise around him.
It swirled at his feet, climbed his legs, and coiled around his body like living smoke. The cheerful murmurs turned to whispers.Then to fear.
The world dimmed until he could see nothing but black.And from within that endless darkness, a voice echoed—cold, distant, and heavy with power.
"You are the one."
The voice vanished, and so did the mist.
When Hakira opened his eyes, the ceremony grounds were still.No fairy hovered before him.No light shone.
Only silence.And then—laughter.
"He didn't get one!""Even the fairies reject him!""Cursed child!"
Each word cut like a blade.Hakira stood frozen, unable to move, his dream crumbling right before him.
He walked away without looking back.
When he returned to his small, broken house, the world felt colder than ever.He sat on the edge of his bed, hands trembling.
"Maybe… maybe I truly am useless," he whispered.
Then—a knock.Loud. Angry. Relentless.
He opened the door, and there stood Chief Verlin, his eyes burning with disdain.
"I've been watching you," Verlin said. "I know what you are… a Black Magician.I never thought such filth would appear again after a hundred years.You have no place here."
Behind him, the villagers stood with torches, their flames painting the night in cruel orange.Fear seized Hakira's chest. Without a word, he turned and fled into the forest.
When he looked back, his house was already in flames—the last piece of his past, consumed by fire.
Rain began to fall.It pounded against the leaves, washed the ash from his hands, and hid the tears on his face.He fell to his knees in the mud.
"Why…" he choked, "why did I ever try to earn their love?They never cared. They never even told me who my parents were.And now they call me cursed…!"
Lightning split the sky.
From between the trees, a goblin crawled out—its green skin slick with rain, its crooked teeth gleaming in the flash. It growled, eyes fixed on him.
Hakira stood, fists clenched. The hatred burning in his chest felt hotter than fire.
"Even you want to kill me? Then come!"
He grabbed a broken branch from the ground and charged.Rain splashed around him as he swung again and again—each blow heavier, faster, angrier.The goblin shrieked once before collapsing into the mud, lifeless.
Hakira stood over the corpse, chest heaving, rain mixing with blood beneath his feet.He looked up at the stormy sky, his voice breaking into a roar that echoed through the forest.
"One day, they'll see my worth!One day, they'll know who I am!Tonight… marks my beginning!"
Thunder answered him, roaring across the heavens.The world itself seemed to tremble—as if it too felt the birth of something new.