In an enormous room, filled with inscriptions to gather enormous amount of gracia in the air to help the eight children sitting in there to circulate their energy, the sound of someone snore can be heard.
"Psst, Brother Jed, you're slacking off again. Second Elder's gonna give you a beating again if he sees you!"
The little boy with deep black hair that reached his petite shoulders nudged the other boy that was snoring. It was a whisper when he warned the sleeping boy.
Jed woke up at the gesture of the little boy next to him, and scratched his head.
"You wouldn't understand me, Luke. You're just a kid. When you grow up, you will find that sleeping is better than working."
"But, you're just a kid too, we're just two years apart.", Luke complained at him while flinging Jed's finger touching his cheek.
The two started to point their fingers at each other's cheeks, distracting the others.
"Jed, you're at it again. Stop playing with our baby brother's cheeks like that, it will turn sloppy."
Now distracted, a girl with a braided hair hopped like a bunny at Luke and hugged him.
"Ack-, Sister Mimi, get off of me. I'm having a battle with Brother Jed!"
Luke struggled zealously but, it was for naught. He can't win his older sister in strength.
"Come on guys, it's almost lunch, if Second Elder sees you, you're gonna have to run around the training hall again."
A red haired boy lifted Mimi like a sack to get her away from Luke.
"Hmm, I wonder what's for lunch? I hope the food tastes delicious again."
The huge boy said while wrestling the struggling Jed, clinging for his life, as he was hammered by the heavy weight of the huge boy.
"We should stop the circulation for today, we still have a lot to do. Feng, Earl, let go of Mimi and Jed. Second Elder's gonna come in here any second now."
Standing up, the girl with long yellow hair ordered the two boys, she was their leader, as she was the oldest of them. Luke was still terrified of his Sister Mir as he stood up and got a pat on the head from her.
As the eight kids arranged their seating pillows, the doors of the room opened with a loud creak. That gave them a shock, then they formed an horizontal line.
"Hey kids! How's the training going?"
The voice was loud and gruff, and the man where the sound came to walked inside the room with huge strides.
'Second Elder is here, I hope he give me a pat in the head again.'
Luke hoped in his mind as they were being inspected one by one by the Second Elder.
"Mir, is there someone who was seen sleeping again? You can tell Daddy if there was."
The Second Elder spoke to her like he was talking with his cute pet, he's voice just turned soft and he literally had hearts in his eyes as he talked to his precious daughter.
Mir just let out a sigh before speaking.
Jed was seen trembling with nervousness before Mir reports his good deeds.
He was just sleeping for a little bit and then Luke saw him. He then gave Luke in his right a glare at the realization that it Luke that endangered his peaceful lunch.
"Unfortunately, I saw no one sleeping in this session, unlike the times that it was always Jed that was seen sleeping and run 20 at the training hall later."
Mir reported, then Jed's tears flooded after that.
'Thanks Mir, you're my savior!', he thought as he sniffed a snot back to his nose.
"Very good! Then let's go to the dining hall to have lunch, after that, you'll be given you're free time and go home."
The word 'home' made Luke excited as he remembered his mother giving him a wave of her hands as he went to the training hall this morning.
The Second Elder went with them to the dining hall and ate lunch with them.
Earl was so happy due to the food tasting good, he teared a huge chunk of meat while crying in happiness so as Jed, though Jed's happy because Mir saved him and couldn't get over with it .
'It was so fun everytime we eat like this. We look like a real family. I only have my mom ever since I started to think, I never met my father.'
Luke thought while eating his lunch. He wasn't sad that he never had a father, the elders became like his fathers or grandpas when they went to their village.
They were living here for two years now, together with the other elders and soldiers. They were fast in adapting living in the village, and they provided manpower and security here as well as being a candidate to wed with his aunts in the village.
Luke treats the people here like a family because that was what his mother taught him. Luke was told that the people in this village were different from the people outside the barrier.
While thinking about the things that his mother taught him, Luke's clothes was shrug by a boy smaller than him, interrupting his thoughts.
"Umm, Brother Luke, the First Elder said to me that they will have meeting in your house and my father will come too. Can I and Hestia play with you.", the boy softly.
"Okay, take Hestia too, I will be happy if we are many there."
Luke nodded at him. Then looked behind the boy's back. There, Luke found Hestia tucked behind the boy.
"Let's go play at my house, Hestia. Aidan's gonna be there, too. You don't mind playing with me, right?"
Luke put his hands up waiting for a reaction from the girl.
"Umm.", Hestia touched his hands for a high five, tipping her toes to reach it.
They laughed happily and waited for their parents to get them. The older children went home first as the ones who get them were faster.
Then a huge panther suddenly appeared out of the shadows. It's whole body leaped up to the floor and a man riding behind the shadow beast got off.
"It's nice to see you having a great day with my kid, young master."
The man bowed and greeted Luke. He wore a black robe with a hood on it, making it good for from moving on the shadows.
"Hello, Sixth Elder. It's nice to see you, too."
Luke greeted the masked man back with a nod.
"Aidan, let's go... We shall meet again later, young master"
The Sixth Elder then pulled Aidan on the back of his shadow pet and bowed again before leaving.
"See you later, Aidan."
"Yeah, later, Brother Luke."
They exchanged their farewell greetings to each then the shadow beast jumped in the shadow of a pillar in a corner and vanished.
The only left in the waiting area are Luke and Hestia. They both glanced and smiled at each other. Two kids giggled happily for a while, and companionship lurked in the air.
"Hestia, let's go. We have to get going, we will go to the leader's house."
The voice of a woman, calling out in a corridor broke the two's conversation. They've been talking for a few minutes before the woman called out for Hestia.
"Hello, Auntie Hela, how are you?"
Luke greeted his aunt while she approached.
"Oh, hi, Luke. I didn't see you there because you were so small."
Pinching his cheeks, Hela greeted him back.
"Mommy, let's go. I will have to play with Brother Luke at his house today."
Hestia tugged her Mother by the sleeves hurriedly, she is excited to play with Luke.
"Haha, okay, okay. Settle down, my love. Well, we will see each other again later. Goodbye!"
Hela waved a hand before she jumped, Hestia is in clinging in her back, giggling.
'Wow, can I also jump like that, too.'
Luke thought, looking at the two of them, still in the sky.
The little boy, thinking what he can do in the future seated again in the long chair and waited for a while.
Then, a girl in a white robe finally came to fetch him.
"I'm sorry, I'm late, young master."
She bowed, apologizing for making him wait a little.
"It's fine. I get to meet other people while waiting. You don't need to apologize."
Luke waved his hands and stood up on the long chair.
"We will have to use a dimension door again because of me, I'm sorry again.", she bowed again while taking out a fist-sized metal ball and put gracia in it.
"I said it's okay, Nora. I'm sure Mom will understand, too."
Nora dropped the metal ball on the ground, then a glowing panel the size of a door appeared.
Seeing that the door is now accessible, Luke walk through it and saw that he was in the front door of their house.
The door is made of hard wood, and a snakehead is perfectly carved in it. Luke is not afraid of the carved snakehead as if it was natural that a snakehead is carved in every door at their house.
He opened the big door in front of him and was suddenly greeted by ladies, still in their teenage years with white robe, but their robes are not as detailed as Nora's.
"We greet the young master and the head maid.", they said, in sync.
"Hello, where's Mother?", Luke asked one of them, he usually say 'mom' but, the First Elder taught him that saying 'Mother' will make him cooler.
"She's resting in her room right now. Then, we will dress her up for the meeting in the afternoon.", the maid happily answered him.
"Okay, thank you. I hope Mother will look pretty in the meeting."
"We will try our best, young master."
Luke then got upstairs and immediately go to his room.
His has a big bed in there, and all of his toys are neatly packed in a corner by the window. The color of his room is blue with deep purple curtains, thin enough to have sunlight to get through it.
Luke hopped in his bed and burried his face in the pillows. The bed was soft because of the soft fur cover and the mattress was made with high quality feathers.
'So peaceful.', Luke thought, looking up and looking at the back of his right hand. It was still small as he pondered in it.
'When will I grow big? I wanna be strong now.', he clenched his right hand into a fist.
After that, Luke slept for two hours and was woken up by the knocking sounds on his door.
'Ah, who is it?! Who dares disturb my sleep?!', He thought, angrily. He got up and walked to open the door.
"Who is it?! Better not be some nonsense. I will smite you!", Luke said, voice raised but his eyes are still closed due to drowsiness.
"Oh my, who interrupted my baby in his sleep? Is it Mommy? Hmm?", a woman said with a curious tone.
'Oh no! I'm done for! It's Mom!', Luke knows her voice and hurriedly rubbed his eyes.
"Ah! I'm sorry, Mom! I was just irritated that someone interrupted my sleep. I didn't know it was you.", Luke hurriedly said, his hair is a tangled mess.
His mother knelt and hugged him. Luke then smelled the familiar scent that he always wanted to smell again.
"Who would be mad by something like that? You're just like your father, he didn't also want to be interrupted in his sleep.", his Mom said, her platinum purple hair tickled the face of Luke.
"You always say that I resemble my dad but, what things did I inherit from Mom?", Luke asked her. Their foreheads touched each other as his mom held his face in both sides.
"Hmm, let's see. Your eyes, your lips, your skin color and the tip of your hair. It's my hair color, too.", his Mom said while tapping the parts she mentioned one by one, making Luke giggle.
"Nora, take care of Luke first then go to the courtroom. Make him look good.", Luke's mom stood up and gave Luke a smile.
"Luke, Mom's gonna go meet the Elders, be good while I'm gone, okay?"
"Okay, Mom. I will just play with Aidan and Hestia in my room."
They both exchanged looks lovingly and Luke his mom leave. Her skin is rosy white and her platinum purple hair is swaying on her hips. Her height is on the average height of people in their village, including the men.
Meaning she is on the taller side, Luke watched her walk glamorously, catching the attention of the other maid as she walk pass them. Her super appealing black dress made her dazzle more.
'I wonder if my dad is taller and stronger than Mom. I'd like to see him if he ever comes home.', Luke thought
No one told Luke that his dad, Luce is nowhere to be found. They just said that his dad is on a journey to get stronger and will come back if he's strong enough to lead all of them.
"Young master, let's get you cleaned up. The Elders will greet you're mother. When that happens, you're playmates will come to see you."
Nora tugged Luke to the bathroom while holding his left hand.
Luke is still looking behind and when he saw that his Mom took a turn to the left hallway, he looked finally looked forward.
Nora is a very gentle lady to Luke. She always feeds him delicious meals and she takes him to bath.
"Nora, will you bath me even if I become old?"
Luke is playing with the bubbles in his bathtub, he likes bubbly.
"Of course, I will bath you even if I'm the one who becomes old."
Nora scrubs the back Luke gently.
"Then, if you're the one who will become old, I'm the one who will wash you. I'm gonna be big and strong just like Mom."
Luke stood up and flex his cute thin arms.
"This maid thanks the young master's kindness."
Nora smiled at him and dragged him back to the tub.
"But, why do you treat like this anyway? I know that my mom is your leader but, Second Elder treats me like he treats my older brothers and sisters. Is Second Elder stronger than Mom?"
Luke help Nora rub his hair. He has the habit of touching the tip of his hair, the platinum purple colored tip is always grabbing anyone's attention.
"There's no one stronger than your mother except Master Luce and your grandpa, the Grand Elder. Their power is on another level, even though the levels of the three are the same the last time we saw Master Luce and King Vlad, our Queen now is unstoppable if the latter didn't show up."
Nora proudly said that answer to Luke.
"Hmm, now I'm more curious about my dad. And then there's still grandpa! Wow! Our family is strong, I hope I become strong like them, too."
Luke looked at Nora and hugged her while squirming.
After Luke finish bathing, Nora helped Luke to put on his black robe with deep purple on its sleeves.
Then they saw Aidan and Hestia waiting for Luke outside his room.
The three played together for a while until their older brothers and sisters joined them. They just barged in Luke's room and also played together with them.
The others played chess while others wrestle on the bed. Luke had fun, playing with all of them and seeing that they are also having fun playing with him.
Nora parted with Luke as soon as they saw Aidan and Hestia in the door, she said she still has to attend the meeting.
"What do you think they are talking in their meeting, Luke?", Feng, the red haired boy asked Luke while placing the knight piece in front of Luke's bishop piece.
"I don't know, Brother Feng. I just want to play with you guys. Also, Mom said to never join an adult's conversation.", Luke placed his queen piece to replace Feng's knight piece.
"Well, I'd like to know what things they are talking about in there. Grandpa never mentioned the details about it to me.", Feng then put his queen piece to replace Luke's queen piece.
"Why do you even want to know the details in their meeting? They have no use for you anyway.", Luke scratched his head in frustration as he was about to lose to Feng.
"I always remember the things that Grandpa tell me. I then apply it in real life then teach them to Mizu and to the others. You will never know what might happen if you have no idea what's going to happen. Knowledge is power.", Feng touched his left temple and moved his queen piece to replace Luke's king, the game has ended.
"Oh man, I still can't win against you. What things are you not good at?", Luke shrugged in defeat.
"You're still young, you will learn more as you grow old. I also can't defeat Grandpa in chess, and he also say that to me every time I complain.", Feng patted the frustrated Luke, the sleeves of his grey robes fluttered as he continued.
"So, are you going, Feng? You know you will get punished by the First Elder if he sees you there. Mizu too, will be scolded.", Mir said, while combing Mizu's smooth black hair in her lap.
Mir said it to convince Feng not to get into trouble. She knows that Feng's weakness is his sister.
"Why can't I go? I got nothing to lose. Grandpa's just going to scold me if I got caught. Getting punished is nothing if you get knowledge on they're saying.", Feng didn't waver to what Mir said to him.
Mir just sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She knew that Feng has been always very curious about anything that can give him knowledge.
Maybe it's due to Feng idolizing his grandfather, the First Elder, the one who has the most knowledge in their village and the keeper of books that holds vast knowledge about star beasts and ruins outside their village.
Only the Elders and the best warriors can get other information in there, like martial art books and pill recipes.
"Well, if it's dangerous, I'm in. I didn't know that you have this kind of side, Feng. I will follow you.", Jed stood up on Luke's bed and hop down, he then patted Feng on the shoulders.
"I got nothing to do here so, I'm in too.", Earl added in and also patted Feng in his shoulders. Earl's narrow eyes gave a convincing look to Feng.
"Sigh, this idiots. Fine, go ahead and get yourselves into danger. The girls are staying here. And Luke, you stay too."
Mir simply let the three idiot boys go but, not Luke. He should stay with them because him, Aidan and Hestia are too young to run fifty laps in the training yard without using gracia if they get caught.
"Oh man, sorry Brother Jed, I can't disobey Sister Mir."
Luke became frustrated and just sat on the corner of his room, together with his older sisters and playmates.
"What?! Who cares about her? I can just defeat-"
"Huh?", Mir glared at Jed.
Jed planned to boast but, he was interrupted by a word from Mir and hurriedly hid behind Earl.
"Anyways, we will go now. See you later, girls. We have some things that we only boys can do.", Jed opened the door, dragging the other two and immediately left.
Only Luke, his playmates and his older sisters are left in his room.
He gazed at them and saw his older sister Mimi sleeping while his older sister Mir has the sleeping Mizu in her lap.
Mizu's and Luke's age is the same. They're both seven years of age, while his playmates are a year younger to them.
They're supposed to be close but, Mizu started to distance herself to Luke when they began to train under the Elders.
Luke just shrugs it off and just focused on his circulation everytime he notices Mizu stealing gazes at him during their lessons.
"Aidan, have you found what element you have affinity to?", Luke joined Aidan and Hestia playing with his elemental bead that his mother gave to him.
"Umm, I have wind and fire affinity", Aidan answered Luke.
Aidan is looking at the floating bead in the palm of his hands while they watched it release a tiny flare and form multiple, thick wind barrier around it.
The wind affinity reaction is much stronger than the fire one, indicating that Aidan has a strong affinity in wind and little on fire.
"Wow, I never used it before because I thought it would be dangerous but, seeing you do it, I'm thinking of doing it too.!"
Luke said excitedly as he stared at the bead, the size of a coin in the palm of Aidan.
"Me too, let me try it!", Hestia took the bead, and she immediately put her gracia on the bead.
What happened next surprised them, their older sisters was also astonished in what they saw.
The bead, in the palm of Hestia glowed intensely with golden light, filling the room and produced several droplets of water around it, some were even crystallized.
The room became cold and bright due to the beads reaction, seeing it like that, Hestia panicked but, thankfully Mir was there and took the bead that is floating above Hestia's palm.
"Where did you get this thing? We were shocked by that, Hestia put too much of her gracia in here.", holding the bead carefully, Mir flicked Hestia's forehead and patted her head after.
"But, that was impressive. You have talent in water and light abilities, especially the light. Maybe you can even heal severed arms later."
"But, why would I heal an arm? Is someone going to cut it?!"
Hestia asked Mir, she's a little scared of the thought of holding a severed arm, she's just six anyway.
"No, no one will cut their arms off. I just said that you have powerful healing powers, Hestia."
Mir comforted the teary Mir.
"What are your affinities anyway, Sister Mir?", Luke asked her, expecting for an answer.
"Well, I'm superior in fire and earth and have little in light."
Mir put little amount of her gracia in the bead and it quickly formed a metal-like plating that quickly turned red from extreme heat after a second with a glimmer of golden light escaping from the cracks of the molten plating.
"You have three?! Wow! That's so cool!", Luke exclaimed while looking up at Mir with a proud look on her face.
"What about Sister Mimi? What's yours?"
Luke shifted his gaze at Mimi who quickly took the bead from Mir.
"I got heroic lightning and inferior earth"
Mimi put her gracia in the bead and it quickly turned into a metal-like form but not as metallic as Mir's. But, the most recognizable change is the purple snake-like lightning that was produced due to the rapid spinning of the bead in the air.
"Okay Mimi, stop showing off your lightning affinity. You will turn our hair into a tangled mess again."
Mir grabbed the bead away from Mimi, a few of her long yellow hair floating in the air due to the electrical current. Mizu is up too, because of the brilliant light before.
"Aww, what a party pooper! I'm just getting started."
Disappointed, Mimi hopped at Luke and hugged him to remove her frustration.
"Oh no, not again! Ack-!", Luke endured it for a while, until Mimi calmed down.
Mimi is a sweet older sister for Luke but, she just clings to him too much that it became difficult for Luke to resist her.
"Now, it's my turn. Give me that bead, Sister Mir."
Luke reached out for the bead and Mir hesitatedly gave it to him.
"Remember Luke, only a little of your gracia should be put in the bead."
Mir reminded the boy who is so focused in staring at the bead in his hands.
"Only a little.", Luke mumbled.
Then, he immediately put gracia on the bead, he watched it float in his palm, just like the others did. And only one is his mind.
'Only a little, only a little.', Luke repeatedly reminded himself.
Finally, changes began to happened in the bead. It turned pitch black and oozed out tremendous amount of dark shadows, filling the whole room.
'Darkness! I have darkness', Luke thought excitedly as he looked around his room. There was no one in there with him anymore. But, Luke can feel in his mind that he is still in his room even though it was so dark.
Suddenly, he heard cracking sounds beside him and the sound kept getting loud. He thought it was the mirrors of his windows so, he proceeded to open it with his left hand.
'Better open them before they shatter. I can't Nora nagging at me about jumping through the windows.', Luke thought while carefully walking to the the windows, feeling them if he is close now.
He is confused why the others are nowhere to be found but, eventually, Luke felt the windows and tried to open it, the cracking sounds are still ringing in his ears.
He tried hard many times to open it but, it won't budge in his pushing. It's a double panel window with glass on them and it can easily be opened, even for him, just by pushing them.
'Why. can't. it. open!', Luke thought, irritated in this window.
"Open. Now!", Luke shouted out loudly.
Then, it finally gave in with a loud crack, Luke was happy about that but, the windows shattered at his sight as well as the space behind him.
Luke was shocked by the loudest sounds he heard in his life, he covered his ears and he watched the bead that was in his palm before was still floating.
'Why is it still floating, I knew it will fall the moment you pull out your gracia in the bead.', Luke thought while looking at the floating bead move slowly.
'No! It's not floating! It's falling slowly. Super slow.', Luke watched the bead fall and also the shattered glass in the air was also falling slowly.
Luke tried to calm himself but, he heard someone's voice in the darkness. He then looked around and found a body of a man with tattered clothes and long black hair. A dagger was stabbed in his heart.
Luke had a feeling the whisper came from this broken man he is staring at. So, Luke approached him, going through his long legs, the man is tall based on the length of it.
He was leaning on a wall that made Luke more confused. There's no wall like that in his room. But, he shrugged that thought and lowered his head to make his ear hear what the man is saying.
"I... finally meet. you... Luke.", Luke heard it clearly even though the man was huffing while talking.
"Um, yes I'm Luke. How can I help you, sir? Do you know where this is?", Luke asked him.
"D-dagger... grab. the dagger.", the man forcefully said while huffing. His words were forced as well as his breathing.
"Ah, okay.", Luke carefully grabbed the dagger that was stabbed in the man's chest and pulled it off.
The man groaned painfully but, Luke saw that it lightened his suffering from the pain.
"Then, what should I do with this dagger, sir?", Luke asked, worried about the man, still in pain.
The man held Luke's hand that was holding the dagger, his hands were bloody by that time. Luke became more worried.
"Now, you.. go back.", the man said before letting out a long breath. Luke stared at him for a few seconds and realized that a man died in front of him.
He stood up, he breathed heavily and started to ponder what he should do next but, he suddenly became dizzy. The last things Luke saw before losing his consciousness was the darkness fading, the bead and broken glass falling and the dagger in his, becoming ethereal and going inside his body.
His fate changed after this happened.