After the investigation, nothing much happens, Philip went back to do his daily duty as a guardian regularly, while Okoto bid them his farewell after spending a month with them.
And with that, two years passed in the blink of an eye, everyone's life returned to normal, while the dreadful memories of the disaster that once shook the whole nation faded from their memory.
During those years, Free grew up with peace and affection from his parents and his loved ones. Hina and Lina stopped stressing over his mana as the Seal Of Eternity no longer showed any signs of breaking.
***
The twin moons hovered in the sky, watching the gloomy world slightly shone bathing the world in it's reflected light, meanwhile inside Free's resident , something else took place.
"Happy birthday, Free!"
Philip roared, nearly shaking the house.
"Happy birthday, sweetie."
Hina smiled warmly.
Lina quietly clapped, a gentle smile appearing on her usually calm face.
Free, now 6 years old, cracked a faint smile, staring at the plates of different dishes on the table.
"Thank you... Everyone"
He thanked them, his face lit up with excitement, as he cut a slice of cake and brought it toward Hina's lip.
"Mom, say ahh. "
He fed her the slice of cake, Hina chuckled as she took a small bite, before kissing him on the cheek, then, Free fed Philip the slice cake next, and he somehow swallowed the entire slice in one bite.
"Dad..."
"Hmm. "
"You ate Lina's portion. "
Free muttered, Philip swallowed the cake and glanced toward Lina who was pouting.
"Ah. Sorry"
He apologized, but Lina continuously hit him, not enough to hurt but enough to express her anger.
"I said I'm sorry! "
Hina chuckled, and took another slice of cake, then fed it to Free.
"Here."
Free ate the cake, watching Lina smacking Philip's back.
After Lina finished expressing her anger, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen, and handed it to him, her palm wrapped around his hand, and spoke:
"Young master, this is a spell pen"
She told him, Free gave a nod.
"When you want to have a spell prepared before hand, use this."
She explained, pulling her palm back, Free peered the pen as it hummed coming in contact with his mana.
He couldn't help but smile with excitement.
"Thank you, Lina."
His childish nature hugged her instinctively, Lina responded to his hug with a pat on his head.
"Uhh, not fair!. "
Hina stepped in between them with a pout, holding a book in her hands her, and handed it to him with a warm smile.
"Free, this is a spell book."
She spoke in a low but clear voice.
"You are six now, it's the best time to start practicing magic."
She added, Free's eyes widened, his hand traced the edge of the book's corner, and he gave a happy smile.
"I love you, mom!."
He threw himself between her hands and embraced her tightly, a smile curved on her lips.
'Finally, new spells. I was tired to use the same spell everyday for the past six years.'
A giggle escaped his lips, as he was about to open the book to read the spells, someone snatch the book inhis hands.
"Nah!."
Philip suddenly snatched the spellbook, and picked Free up by the shoulder, then put him on the table.
"Not yet."
Before anyone could ask why, he hurried upstairs and slowly, sounds of things getting thrown around could be heard. .
'What is he doing?.'
Free listened to the sound of things falling to the ground with Lina and Hina.
Minutes passed, when Philip eventually returned with something wrapped in paper.
"My turn!. "
He announced, .
"O-Oh yeah, it's dad's turn. "
Free said, stealing a glance toward the book on the table.
Philip handed him the present with a smug grin on his face, Free examined it carefully, and when felt a sharp edge of the present, he paused.
'Wait, is this...'
He swiftly tore the paper, unwrapping the gift, and after he finished, his hand clutched a sword, around 3 feet tall.
A dark leather wrapped hilt, a polished silver blade, and a double edged tip gleamed, beneath the candlelight.
"This sword, is custom made by the best blacksmith in the village!. "
He mentioned, patting Free's head.
Free scanned the sword From top to bottom, then swung it left and right with little to no effort.
"it...it's light and beautiful..."
He uttered, unable to find words to express how the sword felt.
"Yes! It's specially designed for battle and durability, so it's very light!!"
Philip added, giving back the spell book he snatched earlier.
"Though I like heavy swords. "
"Thank you for all the gifts. "
Free said, clutching the gifts like treasure ('cause it was).
'I can't wait to try it all'
His lips curved up, as he stared at the spell book, then the pen and finally the custom made sword.
Everyone ate their fullest during the night, especially when Free headed upstairs to sleep, everyone got heavily drunk, Philip drank more than ten bottles of rum, laughing and joking about their daily lives, the three adults party continued till mid-night.
"Ahh~ Hina... Let's have some fun~."
Philip flirted, his face flushed, right hand on Hina's chest, fondling it, who supported him while heavily drunk herself.
"Yesss~ Let's have some more fun, baabyyy~."
Both entered inside the room, laughing as they disappeared into their room.
As few hours passed, the moon hung in the sky, overseeing the dim world.
Free laid on his bed before asleep before his eyes slowly opened, he stayed silent for a minute before locking the door shut.
After that, he sat on edge of his bed and took the spell book that laid beside his pillow.
Free lit up a candle before procceding to open the book. His eyes widened looking at the multiple symbols and chants the book had, low-tier spell sections were filled with basic spells that could be learnt even by a complete beginner.
His eyes scanned the section before a spell caught his interest, a spell containing the elements of both Water and Fire.
He laid the book on the bed and took a deep breath, before his lips hummed.
"Oo Goddess of Fire, give me your favour."
Scorching flame rose from his left hand, releasing a temperature higher than lava.
"Deity of water, heed my call."
Water hovered in the air above his right palm.
"I have unwavering faith and respect in your judgement, grant me your strength, spirit and your will, to vanquish my enemies. "
He finished, his hands slowly moved closer and closer forcing the crimson flame and blue water to slowly fused into a transparent liquid that shimmered like glass.
'Hmm... '
Free scrutinized the spell, looking at it's colorless state, he decided to poke it with a toothpick.
Shhhhh!.
The toothpick released steam before disintegrating into a black charcoal.
'Ahh, wait wait. '
He quickly deactivated the spell, it released a deep blue glow before vanishing into thim air.
'Was that some type of acid?. '
He thought.
Just as he was about to check out more spell—
Utter!.
A sound reached his ears, someone or something was happening outside his room.
Free paused, before standing up from his bed and steadily opened the door.
"Who would be awake at this hour?. "
He mumbled, walking out of his room.
Following the sounds, and heard it was coming from Lina's room or close to her room. He turned and saw that her door was slightly open.
Free stood there, staring at her door as the sound slowly increased.
"I should check... Just in case."
He convinced himself for a glance, and stopped in front of the door and peeked what was inside, it was dark but what he saw made his spine crawls, it was dim, yet, the moonlight showed a clear view.
Free stood there, horrified and disgusted from the scene. He silently wobbled back to his room, his breath hitched in horror.
"W-wha..."
The words got stuck in his throat, what he saw tonight, would definitely haunt him and his family.
The next morning–
Free was eating his breakfast silently the whole time, not even looking up from his table.
Hina narrowed her eyes, noticing his distress.
"What's wrong sweetie?. "
She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"N-nothing, just a bad dream last night..."
He answered.
"Are you sure?"
Free nodded without meeting her eyes, quickly finishing his breakfast and hurried upstairs, back to his room.
"What happened to him?. "
Hina watched his figure dissapearing up the stairs.
"A bad dream can make him like that!."
Philip frowned, stuffing food in his mouth without a care of Free's distress.
"I was thinking of taking him to his first hunt. "
He added, with his mood down which was rarer than Free's distress.
"Don't worry honey. He will get better overtime, right Lina?."
Hina comforted him, and turned to Lina who herself was in deep thought while sweating.
"Lina?."
"Y-yes."
Lina tilted her head abruptly, her face was a bit pale.
'He saw me last, He saw me last night...'
She repeated those words multiple times in her head, her eyes locked on Hina.
'What's wrong with everyone today?.'
Hina crossed her arms in confusion, but later she shrugged the thought off after a few hours of working.
Meanwhile Free, inside his room sweated profusely, feeling something coming out of his mouth, the scene of last night haunted him like his past.
"Mom..."
Bluuurrggg!!.
He dumped everything he ate earlier on the floor.
to be continued...