This world... is cruel when it comes to status or even power...
Nobles walk with their heads high, shrouded in pride and power.
Commoners keep their heads low, grateful just to be tolerated at least...
But me? I was something worse.
I'm not a noble, commoner...
I was called an outsider to them.
I still remember that very night the rain soaking through my clothes. Mud clinging to my legs as I walked this world barefoot through the streets. My breath, shaky. My vision, slightly blurry...
"Where… am I?"
No memories. No name. Just emptiness in my chest. Something had been taken from me.
I couldn't remember a thing, not even my name.
But I was so hungry that I dropped to the floor, I watched as the nobles and commoners just walked past me like I was nothing to them, until someone had the courage to kneel down to look at me.
"Poor thing…"
A woman's voice reached me through the storm. She kneeled beside me, black boots pressed into the mud, her hand gentle on my head. I couldn't see her clearly then. But I remember her warmth. My first time feeling warmth.
She took me in without a question. She didn't ask where I came from. She just looked me in the eyes and said:
"You've got power in you. Even if the world refuses to see it."
After hearing that, I slowly passed out, and everything faded into pitch black…
Two days later
I awoke from a deep slumber, blinking as sunlight streamed through the window blinds. Sitting up, I looked around and realized I was in a home, warm, cozy, and made of sturdy logs. It seemed I was staying in a cabin outside the city walls.
But something felt off.
Half my vision was missing. I reached up and touched my face, feeling the rough texture of a cast over one of my eyes. My left hand was wrapped the same way.
Was I that badly injured…?
"I see you're awake."
A woman stepped into the room. The sunlight framed her figure, and for a moment, I was stunned. She was beautiful. But I quickly shook the thought and asked the obvious question:
"Who are you?"
"My name is Castti," she replied gently. "I found you lying in the streets. You were in bad shape, so I brought you back here and patched you up. Do you remember anything?"
Her question hit harder than expected.
Do I remember anything…?
Who am I?
I couldn't recall my name. I couldn't even remember how I ended up nearly dead on the streets.
Seeing my confusion, Castti placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
Just then, my stomach growled. Loudly. She smiled faintly, sensing my hunger. I must've been wandering for a long time before she found me.
Without a word, she turned and walked toward the kitchen to prepare something for me to eat.
I took a deep breath and slowly pushed myself out of bed. My body ached, but I managed to follow her.
When I stepped into the kitchen, Castti turned and looked surprised.
"You shouldn't be up yet," she said, rushing over with concern in her eyes.
All I could do was stare at her with a blank expression, as if my entire will had vanished.
But Castti didn't send me away. Instead, she gently sat me down, plated the food, and placed it in front of me. I didn't hesitate, I dug in immediately. The moment the flavors hit my tongue, my eyes widened.
It was delicious.
She smiled softly, relieved to see even a flicker of emotion return to my face. Maybe there was still something left inside me after all.
After I finished eating, she quietly took the plate and set it in the sink.
I just sat there, staring down, lost in thoughts I couldn't even fully understand. Who was I? Why did everything feel so…empty?
She turned off the sink and walked over to me. To her, I probably looked more like a lifeless puppet than a child.
"Do you have a name, child?"
I shook my head slowly.
Her expression grew more concerned. In a world divided so harshly between nobles and commoners, how could someone with no name or past possibly survive?
Still, she didn't lose hope.
"If you don't have a name," she murmured, "then let me give you one. Akira… it means bright and clear. It's a fitting name for you.
Akira.
Something about it felt… right. Like it belonged to me all along.
I nodded.
And from that moment on, I was Akira.
At first, the days were foggy. I'd wake up in cold sweats, haunted by fragments, flashes of fire, a scream, a feeling of falling. But the moment I'd try to hold onto them, they slipped away like sand through my fingers.
Castti would sit beside me quietly during those moments, reading stories aloud as I stared at the window, unmoving. I wasn't sure who I was. Sometimes I'd forget to eat, or blink, or breathe until she touched my shoulder and reminded me I was still here.
For the next four months, Castti took care of me, helping me recover both physically and emotionally.
For five weeks, I studied magic on my own. Castti watched me with quiet pride as I slowly came out of my shell. I wasn't the emotionless husk I had been when she found me.
And I engraved every word into my head.
While she spent her days tending the garden, I'd sneak off into the nearby forest to train.
That day, I was determined to try wind magic also known as Cutting Magic. It's used to slice through enemies, but advanced users can even use it to enhance their speed and mobility.
I stood in front of a tall tree, took a deep breath, and focused.
Using my index and middle fingers, I began channeling my Aura to the tips. A faint green glow shimmered to life.
I swung my arm like a blade, releasing the magic in a swift motion. An invisible slash cut through the air toward the tree.
But the moment it made contact with the trunk, it simply fizzled out.
It didn't even leave a mark. Not even a scratch.
Was I not strong enough? I clenched my fists. Why didn't it work?
I questioned why it didn't cut the tree. But I didn't stop. I adjusted my stance. Tried again and again. The light of the spell faded, flickered, reignited. Sweat dripped down my neck.
My arms ached. Maybe a dozen more tries, maybe twenty I lost count. But each attempt felt a little better than the last.
Every living being holds Aura inside them. Some have vast reserves. Others… not so much.
I figured I had a decent amount, considering how long I had lasted. But fatigue was a warning sign my Aura was running low. If I pushed any further, I risked passing out completely.
My vision blurred. The forest spun around me. Rain poured from the skies above, and dusk was beginning to fall.
But I wasn't done.
One last attempt.
I steadied myself and forced the wind magic to my fingertips. My breathing was ragged.
With everything I had left, I roared and unleashed one final slash toward the tree.
It flew forward faster than any of the ones before.
But when it hit the trunk… it vanished. Again.
I could only stare in silence...
Disappointment sank deep into my chest.
"Was I even worthy to wield it, compared to the nobles who flaunted their power so easily?"
My legs trembled. My sight dimmed. My body refused to move.
And in that quiet forest, I collapsed.
The next day…
I woke up to find Castti sitting beside me. She had been worried all day, after all, I had suddenly left the house without a word. As soon as she saw me awake, she hugged me tightly and gently rubbed the back of my head.
"I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried... I even called out to you," she said softly. "Why were you out in the forest, Akira?"
"Sorry... I was... learning magic," I admitted, my tone low with guilt.
Her eyes widened in shock, and her expression turned serious. She pulled back from the hug. "You were learning magic?! Akira... you know how dangerous it is to learn magic without proper education!? I know I gave you books on it, but... I didn't think you'd actually be capable of using magic, let alone be born with it..."
I looked down, ashamed. But before I could say anything, she placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a gentle smile. "I'm not angry with you," she said softly. "Just... promise me you'll be careful next time."
I looked at her, with a bit of a smile.
After a while, everything settled down. I began heading out to the forest every day.
I glanced back at the cottage before I entered the trees. I didn't see Castti at the window, but a part of me wondered if she'd noticed my pattern of slipping away every day.
Determined to master the one basic spell I had been practicing. Four weeks passed. It was raining again, and I trained through it all restless, exhausted, constantly pushing my body to its limits.
But on this day…I was determined to finally cut this tree.
I channeled my Aura through my fingers index and middle like the books said. I raised my hand once more. This time, the power surged like never before. I could feel the energy building.
So strong, it nearly blew back into my face I didn't realize it, but my eyes were faintly glowing as well.
I swung my arm like a blade, slashing through the air with all my strength. The invisible wave of cutting magic flew toward the tree. I kept my eyes locked onto the target, sweat dripping down my face, heart racing with anticipation.
The slash vanished into thin air. All I could hear was the steady downpour of rain hitting the earth. I closed my eyes. Nothing. No cracking. No sound. I thought I'd failed again.
Then—A slicing noise.
My eyes shot open, and they widened in disbelief. A deep, clean cut split through the trunk of the tree. Not a shallow mark, this one went deep. I stood there frozen, then felt tears mix with the rain on my cheeks. I did it. I really did it.
I did it. I actually did it!
I could use magic. Not just poorly but properly!
Soaked from the rain but filled with pride, I took a deep breath and started heading home.
Unbeknownst to me, Castti stepped out from behind another tree where she had been watching.
"That boy… It takes years for even nobles to master magic. And yet, he did it in months. No teacher. No bloodline. Just will. I've never seen anything like it… "You are quite special, aren't you?"
With awe in her eyes, Castti turned and hurried home, making sure to arrive before Akira did...