Ace wasn't ready for any of this.
The forest spun, the screams echoed in his head, and darkness swallowed him whole.
He woke up in a room he didn't recognize.
Sunlight filtered through a small window, and the scent of herbs filled the air. Before panic could set in, a familiar voice spoke.
"You're awake."
Ace turned his head. Vargan stood nearby, arms crossed.
"You should go home," Vargan said calmly. "Your mother might be worried."
Fear suddenly struck Ace harder than the memories. He jumped up and ran.
When he reached his house, his mother rushed toward him.
"Where were you?" she asked, worry clear in her voice.
"I—I was just playing," Ace replied quickly. "With a new friend."
She studied him for a moment, then sighed.
"Come inside. Dinner's ready."
That night, Ace lay awake, staring at the ceiling. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Vargan—the cursed knight, the Evil Eye, the power he had witnessed.
The next morning, Ace made up his mind.
"Mother," he said, forcing a smile, "I'm going to play with my new friend."
She nodded, unaware of the path her son was choosing.
Ace ran straight toward the forest.
Vargan was already there.
Ace didn't waste time.
"You said you have cursed vision," he said. "You can see me… then tell me. What is my potential?"
Vargan studied him carefully. Then he smirked.
"I see your heart," he said. "It's burning with flames… but it's chained."
Ace didn't fully understand the words—but he felt them.
From that day onward, Ace returned to the forest every single day.
Vargan trained him relentlessly.
He made Ace sit beneath a roaring waterfall for hours, forcing his body to endure the crushing force. He trained him in hand-to-hand combat until Ace's arms trembled. He made him lift and move massive boulders, then taught him how to swim, how to survive underwater, how to hold his breath for ten long minutes.
Day by day, Ace changed.
Two whole years passed.
Ace grew stronger. Sharper. More focused.
Finally, Vargan decided the time had come.
"It's time to fix your spells," he said.
The first spell he taught Ace was "Armour."
"Armour can be combined with other basic spells," Vargan explained. "For example—Flame Ball plus Armour."
He looked directly into Ace's eyes.
"This combination will protect you from fire. Flames will obey you. They will not burn you."
Ace felt the chains around his heart begin to weaken.
One day, the two decided to climb a mountain near the forest. As they climbed, Vargan suddenly stopped.
His eye darkened.
"I sense a massive amount of energy," he said, staring toward a distant village.
He turned to Ace.
"I'm going to check it out."
Then, more seriously,
"You stay here. Protect the forest. If an Evil Eye appears—do not hesitate."
Ace nodded, gripping his fists.
For the first time, he was alone.
And for the first time, the chains around his flames began to crack.