1 His First Meeting
The entire forest burned in a sea of flames. Tearing apart the verdant woodlands, the blazing inferno scorned through mercilessly without an end.
The smell of smoke polluted the air, trapping the living creatures without any chance of escaping. To make it worse, the night winds were howling strongly, flaming the already ferocious wildfire even further and wilder.
Within the chaos, a young boy was struggling to make it through the fire. He had ventured to the forest trying to escape from his enemies only to find himself in a different predicament.
He pursued on, covering his mouth and nose with his mother's handkerchief, the only sole remament of her before they were separated.
Miraculously, a boy of his young build, could only last this long due to his Anura which he relied to see through the thick smog.
However due to his Anura being undeveloped, he could only use it to enforce his vision. It was a pity though. If he had more time to hone his powers, he might stand a chance to escape the forest. He could have covered himself with a force field which might protect him from the flames and help him to breath properly.
Using Anura up till now had taken a toll on the young boy who had never upon all his life forced himself to push over his limits. The needed strength to draw out his powers was weakening with each step he took.
It didn't help that everywhere he turned, he was faced with the same sight of the burning trees and of the charred earth. It felt like the fires were encasing him, trapping him in a circle of flames, not allowing a single glimpse of escape. At this point, he knew he was lost, lost in all meaning of the word.
Being a young boy all alone in the burning woods, it literally took everything from him to survive up to this point. The heavy burden he had took upon himself exhausted his body as he succumb to his hunger and fatigue.
As he laid on the ground, watching the intense flames burning in front of him, he knew he couldn't keep his promise.
He draw upon his recent memories of his mother who had forced him to live on without her. Not knowing of the world outside his own, it took his mother's dying breath for him to accept her promise.
It had just been a few hours ago that he had left her yet here he was, returning back to her loving arms.
He was sure that his mother would scold him if they ever met each other again. Yes, it would take his death to see each other but he didn't feel that bad.
He could see his grandparents, his mother, his father and his younger brother.
His younger brother?
It was at the moment, he remembered his younger brother, who was away at school when the attacks broke out.
Having latent potential, he was send to the Helvaska Academy to further develop his powers. It had been almost a year since he had last saw his younger brother.
If he had died now, his younger brother would be all alone in the world with no family left.
It was only then that he realised the meaning behind his mother's promise. He felt it was cruel of his mother to ask him to live without her but he knew it was the love for both her children that she wanted him to live, no matter the sacrifice, even if it cost her death.
Tears were forming from his eyes. Not tears of sadness but of hopelessness. The power he lack, despite the strong will he had, was hindering his body. No matter how much he wanted to live, his fate looked as if it would end this day.
He cursed himself for being so weak. He looked up to the night sky, praying to any gods that was listening or even the devil for the matter. If anyone had heard his wish, please grant it to him. He was willing to pay anything, any price to simply live.
It was upon his wish that the ground shook suddenly. The winds intensified, encircling in a specific spot while drawing Anura from the surroundings. A seemingly light blue hue emerged from the magic accumulated as it took form. It looked like a portal of some sort which from the darkness of it, a figure appeared.
At first, he wondered if it was a dream. Yet as he saw the small figure taking steps closer to him, he felt as if she was the dream.
She was absolutely and utterly breathtaking.
The light from the portal made her flawless ivory skin glow in the dark, enveloping her in a brilliant light. Her long dark blue hair was gently dancing in the winds, never once covering her perfect face.
Behind her, a taller figure appeared, sharing similar features, one of which was being devastatingly beautiful although much older with a different hair color.
That same person bearing a rather composed face, snapped her finger. Just with the sole might of her hand, a huge outburst of wind dampened all the surrounding fires at bay. With no incantation whatsoever, the intense flames which was burning for hours disappeared in a mere moment.
"Is this the one you have chosen?" The older one spoke out.
By then, the young girl was beside him, drawing out her hand. It came as a surprise but when she tenderly caress his face, a feeling of familiarity swept over him.
He stared at her, gazing into her eyes of two natures, the summer greenery and the blue seas. Her eyes held such vibrancy, the colors entwined yet separated by her pupil which in it held his reflection.
In all his young life, he had never seen such a unique eye colour before. The depth she bore, even with his lack of experience, he was well aware there was a hidden power behind those special eyes.
Whether it was intentional or not, she held such a compelling charisma when compared with her delicate appearance became rather endearing.
The way she looked at him, he had never once seen it on a person before. Her expression was rather poignant yet he could feel some warmth coming from her touch. Back then, he won't have known that it would take him exactly half a century later to realize the truth behind her expression.
Softly cleaning away the soot from his cheek, she turned to face the older lady behind her. "I did not chose him, grandmother." She answered with a voice so silvery, he knew it would haunt him in his dreams. "He was already chosen."
"You mean he's him?" Her grandmother came to her side.
"Yes, shortly after I left the Crimson Valley."
The supposedly older lady let out a sigh, looking at him. She bore a rather perplexed look, which for any person of elderly status would have caused wrinkles on their face. If it wasn't for the young girl who had called the lady, her grandmother, he wouldn't have expected that she was much older than she seemed since she had such a youthful appearance.
The whole scenario which played out to him had left him confused. Whether it be God or the Devil, he wondered if these two people here was send to save him? He thought long and hard, deciding if he should use whatever remaining strength he had left.
"Who...are you?" He managed to utter out, weakly.
The young girl didn't answered him but stood up, her touch leaving him which as soon as she did, made him much colder than before. He tried to get a hold of her, wanting her to stay, although for all the life of him, he did not know why.
Her grandmother took over her place as she held her hand over him, this time, reciting a proper incantation of an unknown language he did not hear before.
She had caused him to lift off from the ground, the mighty winds at her beck and call. He didn't know what was happening. The only comfort he had throughout this was knowing his wish was probably being granted and that look the young girl had on her.
He turned to look at her for what felt like the last time. He could see tears forming, the droplets of the same color as her eyes. At that point, he finally knew what that feeling was.
That expression she had was exactly the same like his mother before she left him.
She stood at a distance but he could see her mouth moving. The winds were deafening his ears but he swore he could hear her just fine.
"Let's meet again, Zadryss."
