"Push. Keep pushing," the doctor said, steady but firm.
The woman cried out, clutching her husband's hand like a lifeline.
After a long moment, the baby arrived—healthy, but something was off.
The doctor checked him over, then sighed.
"He's strong," he said. "But… his mana is almost nonexistent."
The room went quiet. The parents' joy faded, replaced with a heavy silence.
They didn't say anything, but both knew—one day, they'd have to tell him: becoming a mage wasn't an option.
"Do you have a name?" the doctor asked.
The father glanced at Selara. She gave a tired smile.
"Rei," she said.
A year passed.
Rei sat by the window, watching his father train outside.
The man's greatsword looked far too heavy to swing, but he made it look effortless. Strike after strike, never slowing down.
"It's evening! Dad, come in!"
"I'm back," his father called as he stepped through the door, sweat still clinging to him.
"What's for dinner?"
"Lamb chops," Selara said. "Your favorite."
They ate together, talking, laughing. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Later that night, Selara carried Rei to bed.
"Time to sleep," she said softly, tucking him in.
He was out in minutes.
Four more years went by.
One day, Rei was crawling around under his parents' bed when he found something wedged in the corner. A book.
He pulled it out, sat cross-legged, and opened it. The illustrations caught his attention first—images of fire, water, stone, and wind.
Magic.
But as he flipped through the pages, he realized he couldn't understand the words. Not really.
So he taught himself. Bit by bit. It took him two months just to get through a few pages.
It wasn't enough.
He knew there were more answers out there, so he headed to the village library. It wasn't far.
When he stepped inside, he stopped and stared.
So many books. He could barely contain his excitement.
He ran down the aisle—too fast—and slammed into someone.
"Watch it, dummy!" a girl barked, brushing herself off. She looked about his age.
"S-sorry… I didn't see you," Rei said.
She squinted at him.
"…You new here or just an idiot?"
[Will he make his first friend?]