The skies over Whistlehollow turned bronze with dusk.
It had been a peaceful morning. Rina had left for the woods, carrying a woven basket and a short blade slung over her hip. She told the villagers she would return by nightfall. With Aleron's steady routine and the village at ease, there had been no reason to suspect danger.
Aleron had spent the day in the home of Corvin Hale. The two toddlers were often left together—Corvin's mother doted on both like her own, and the boys seemed to bring out calm in one another. Aleron still slept more than most children, but Corvin never seemed to mind. He would sit beside the cradle, humming softly or babbling about leaves and clouds, sometimes reaching for Aleron's hand as if they were deep in silent conversation.
But peace was a fragile thing.
They came just before twilight.
A clamor of boots and shouts shattered the calm. The village bell rang twice—then fell silent.
Bandits.
Half-starved, desperate men in ragged armor burst into the village. Smoke rose. Screams followed. The guards were few and quickly overwhelmed. Most of the townsfolk fled or hid. The rest were struck down.
Corvin's mother had barely enough time to shove both boys beneath the floorboards before the front door splintered open.
Aleron's eyes fluttered. His breath caught.
And then—a voice.
Not outside.
Inside.
In the dark of his mind, within a space lit by phantom stars, he stood alone.
[Emergency Override Detected.]
[Threat Level: Lethal Proximity]
[Early Awakening Option Available.]
The stars around him pulsed.
[Warning: Early awakening will delay full recovery by 3 years.]
[Confirm Awakening?]
[Y] / [N]
He heard a muffled scream. Corvin's.
And he chose Y.
The world rushed back.
Not all at once.
His body ached. His vision blurred. But the mana—his mana—was there.
Burning.
His violet core throbbed wildly, untamed but whole. Power flooded his limbs like too much water through a narrow pipe. He gasped, choked, forced his limbs to move.
Beside him, Corvin whimpered, a cut blooming across his cheek as one of the bandits stomped through the floorboards.
Aleron reached up. His hand shook.
He spoke—not aloud, but within.
"Help me."
[Quest Activated: Defend the Innocent]
Objective: Protect Corvin Hale and survive the raid.
Temporary Access Granted: Spell – Ember Spark (Rank F)
A flicker of red light sparked at his fingertips.
Then a burst.
Ember Spark flew straight into a lantern at the edge of the room. Oil exploded in fire. The bandit screamed, stumbled back, caught in the flash. Aleron followed it with another spark—sloppy, weak—but enough to drive the man backward.
The heat was overwhelming. His core was unstable—mana leaking in unstable threads into his untrained body. His knees buckled.
The second bandit spotted him.
Too slow. Too small.
The man raised a blade.
Aleron's thoughts raced.
Think!
He grabbed a nearby clay pot, hurled it at a pile of burning fabric from the broken lantern. The pot shattered. Smoke poured out. The room filled with ash and heat.
Using the cover, Aleron dragged Corvin behind the overturned table. His heart pounded. He had seconds.
He pressed his palm to the wooden floor, muttering words not meant for a child's mouth—incantation shortcuts he once crafted in his past life.
One more Ember Spark. Focused. Refined.
He guided the mana through his trembling fingers. The fire leapt from his hand, not toward the enemy—but toward the thatched ceiling soaked from a recent patch job.
It didn't catch fire—but the burst startled the second attacker long enough to delay the killing blow.
Then the first bandit, face burned, stumbled back in with a howl of rage.
Cornered. Weak. Dying.
Aleron stood in front of Corvin, arms out.
"Stay away," he whispered.
Mana surged. His vision darkened.
A shadow passed across the window.
Then a roar.
Rina.
She descended like vengeance given form. Her feline summons—sleek, fast, brutal—crashed into the home. Claws and shadows danced through the firelight. She didn't shout, didn't speak—only eliminated.
When she reached the children, the house was half-collapsed.
She found them crouched near the back wall, Aleron swaying on his feet, smoke curling from his fingertips, Corvin cradled behind him.
Rina's eyes widened—but she said nothing.
She carried them both outside.
The bandits were routed.
And Aleron, trembling, eyes unfocused, collapsed.
[Quest Complete: Defend the Innocent]
[Rewards Granted: Spell Upgrade – Ember Flare (Rank E)]
[Partial Stasis Control Unlocked.]
[Stasis Resumed – Estimated Duration: 3 Years]
Only Corvin, eyes wide with awe and something unnamed, had seen what truly happened.
Only he would remember.