A small figure can be seen laying on his belly while reading a book.
The figure is no more than 4 year-old, he has chubby cheeks with an extremely cute face. Having a short snow-white hair and a pair of beautiful unreal amethyst-like eyes. His intelligence could easily be seen in his eyes.
He is Magnus Aznárez Asura, the second prince of the Asura Kingdom but was casted away due to him being accursed and has no affinity nor talent for magic.
*Flip*
Magnus casually flip the page of the book he's reading.
This world has developed in many ways. Technology is advanced and messed up at the same time in this world. Humans kingdom has been separated into two: Asura Kingdom which consists of only human, and the kingdom of Harmony and Peace 'Staria'.
'Staria Kingdom' consists of diversity of races, not only human but there are demi-humans and dwarves as well in common. Elves rarely comes out of their kingdom, so elves can hardly be seen in human's Kingdoms.
In simple term, Asura is a kingdom of pride, that tends to look down on other races and think that they are superior...a racist kingdom to be frank. Well, it's undeniable that Asura Kingdom's strong point is combat, that explains where their 'pride' and high ego comes from.
In this continent of 'Vlaseon', there are 4 main kingdoms; 'Asura' and 'Staria' that belongs to Human, 'Elrora' of the Elves and 'Embergranite' for Dwarves. Demi-human is a race of wanderers, they don't like staying in one place for long, so they do not have the need to build their own kingdom.
-The Kingdom of Elrora, the homeland of the elf race, is located in the deep Forest Lúthien, Northern region of Vlaseon. The thick mist that forms in Lúthien are formed by a mysterious effect of the centuries-old trees that deters all traveler; however, the elves, with their acute senses, can navigate freely.
-The Kingdom of 'Embergranite' is a vast underground kingdom located at the southern region of Vlaseon, being composed of a network of passages and vast caves that can span up for several kilometers and is the homeland of the dwarves. Embergranite and every existing Kingdoms in Vlaseon maintain a symbiotic relationship in the matter of resources.
*Flip*
Towers and Dungeons are places where adventurers tends to explore, discover, gain artifacts, skills, and wealth-
*Creak*
"Magnus dear~"
A beautiful snow-white haired woman with the same unreal amethyst-like eyes as Magnus entered her son's room as she called out his name.
*Flap*
Magnus closed the book gently and kept it on the shelves before turning towards his mother and smiled.
"Eatty time~ What did you learn today?"
Magnus mom's walked towards him and crouched down to reach the same eye's level and pinched his chubby cheeks, reddening it.
After pushing his mother's hand away with difficulties and rubbed his swollen cheeks. Magnus raised his right hand and released visible mana
[Good morning dear mother, I'm reading about Towers and Dungeon]
Light purplish trace of mana followed Magnus finger, forming a mirrored sentence.
"Wow~ You should tell me more about it kay~?"
Magnus's mother once again pinched his cheeks, before telling him to meet her at the dining table.
'...good grief'
Magnus secretly sighed before ambling towards the dining room while rubbing his not so slightly reddened cheek.
Yes, Magnus didn't make any significant progress in voicing out sound, let alone speak. That's why he used mana to write on air to communicate with his mother after she taught him how to read and write.
His mother's reaction was priceless when she discovered that her son is a fast learner and a prodigy at controlling mana.
***
"Say 'Ahh'"
Magnus's mother is feeding him.
"..."
Magnus's mouth mimics the word 'Ahh' but no sound came out.
*Chew*
*Chew*
*Gulp*
[Good]
Magnus's wrote the mirrored word in front of him.
"Hehehe~ eat up. Say 'Ahh'"
*Chomp*
*Chew*
***
-Magnus's Mother PoV-
It's been almost four years since we came to this isolated residence. This place is really suspicious and is unhealthy for my child!
Magnus is cute and an extremely talented boy. When he found out that he's different from us by not being able to talk which is an essential means of communication, he came up with the idea of using mana to write on air in a mirrored way, a very creative way of utilizing mana, as expected of my son.
Who would believe a soon-to-be four year-old is controlling mana as if he's been controlling for years?
He's such a smart boy! Adorable! Cute! Sweet! Lovely! Charming! Ahh! I've ran out of words!
Also as a mother, I never once allowed any of the maid to feed or interact with my little boy as I still don't trust them. I see them glancing at my little boy now and then with disgu- bad and gazes.
So I forbids my son to communicate with the other people as it will definitely cause problem if they found out that my son could finely control mana at a tender age of 3 which is abnormal.
The problem is that...last night, I overheard a conversation between one of the maid talking to someone through a house phone.
I am confident in my stealth and sound magic as I am an advanced mage myself for a reason, it is my specialty to spy on people. But I couldn't bring myself to believe the information I obtained.
Looking at my little boy enjoying his meal melts my heart.
'Someone wants Magnus killed? Why? For what reason? And tonight? Will they hire assassins? Or there's already assassins among the maids? If that's true then...I better get out of here with my boy after the sun set.'
She has accepted the current lifestyle and once thought of living in peace with the servants and her lovely son but...nothing is going as planned, everything is going astray.
She felt weak and betrayed, only if she could live here peacefully with her son, it seemed that the bastard she once loved had all this planned from the start...
'I'll do anything to let my son live'
With a newfound determination, she promised herself.
***
Magnus noticed his mother's strangeness.
'Is something troubling her?'
Magnus thought for a second before writing a mirrored sentence on air for his mother to read.
[Dear mother, you have tummy-ache?]
"...No, dear. Just thinking about something...Say 'Ahh'"
*Chomp*
'Something is definitely bothering her...'
Magnus could catch how his mother reacts.
'I swear if it's related to that bastard who casually threw us away like trash without even batting an eye...I will make him regret being born...I'll make him pay'
Magnus really mean what he thought.
Magnus was at first just an orphan who strived for motherly love, and it was at this moment he experienced what a mother's love is and how precious it is.
"Say 'Ahh'~"
*Chomp*
"Say 'Maa'~"
*Chomp*
"'Ahh'~"
*Chomp*
"Say 'Maa'~"
*Chomp*
"Say 'Ahh'~"
"..."
Magnus turned his head to his left, expressing that he's full.
"Your tummy is full~?"
Magnus's mother said teasingly in a lovely tone while poking her son's belly, making him smile and giggle childishly in silence.
[Yes, dear mother]
"Nappy time~"
Magnus's mother clasped her hand before lifting Magnus up. It wasn't necessary but she's addicted to holding her son. The squishiness of Magnus's body's baby fat is enough to blow all of her mental fatigue to smithereens.
'Mother is uneasy and is on high alert...this is getting on my nerves...'
Magnus thought as he's being carried away.
Along the way, Magnus noticed that the hall way is too quiet than it usually is.
'...where are all the servant? There should at least be one...'
***
In Magnus's Room,
Colorful toys scattered randomly on the ground. Variety of books are neatly placed on its respective shelves.
"Magnus, we are going to play a game okay~?"
Magnus's mother suddenly put on a fake carefree expression and said.
*Nod*
*Nod*
Magnus nodded a couple times before putting on a fake excited expression to play along.
Magnus had long noticed the uneasiness his mother is feeling, so it definitely is something serious or...life-threatening.
"Good boy~ We'll play Hide 'N Seek! Your favorite game~ Yay~"
Magnus's mother cheered as she poked Magnus's right cheek.
"Okay then! I will be the seek-"
*Knock* *Knock*
"Milady, his majesty wants to have an audience with you. The phone is on hold in the 'living room'."
A female voice sounded from the other side of the door.
"...From...Eric?"
Magnus's mother was a bit surprised but she's also curious.
'...So, that guy name's tag reads 'Eric'.'
Magnus's secretly insulted the King of the Kingdom he's staying or technically his father.
"...Wait for me okay~? I'll be back"
Magnus's mother said with a complicated expression on her face before patting Magnus's head.
"..."
[Yes, dear mother. I'll be waiting for you]
Magnus's wrote a reply before climbing onto his bed.
"It won't be long"
With that said, Magnus's mother went out of the room.
"..."
Staring at the closed door blankly for a few second, Magnus started meditating, purifying mana in his body.
'This is my free time, I need to use it preciously'
"..."
Ten minutes passed by quickly...
"..."
Thirty minutes followed...
*Tremble*
A slight, almost unnoticeable tremor made Magnus flinched slightly.
'...'
Magnus had been having this heavy and anxious feelings for a while now as there's no sign of his mother coming back, she's taking too long. But now that he just felt a slight tremor, his anxiousness grew several folds higher.
*Thup*
Magnus broke out of his meditating position and got down from the bed.
He then jogged towards the entrance/exit door before jumping a little to grab the door's handle masterfully. Using his body weight, Magnus twisted the handle, successfully opening the door. The familiar hallway appeared in front of him.
'...quiet'
Magnus noticed that, the hallway is unusually quiet.
*Fizz*
Magnus enveloped his body with purplish mana to enhance it before running with his destination being the living room.
People would find it weird; seeing a three and a half year-old child running at a speed of average 13 year-old.
Living room's entrance door is now in Magnus's sight, he noticed that the living room is dark by seeing through the unclosed door gap. The living room is dark because there's no windows for light to pass through and the lights are probably off.
Pushing his leg against the wall one last time to propel himself towards the gap between the door that lead towards the entrance to the living room.
*SwoosH*
Magnus successfully went in the narrow gap of the unclosed door.
As soon as he lands on the broken floor,
*Splat*
Wet, that's what Magnus's sensitive bare foot felt.
'...'
Then a wave of the familiar metallic smell of copper coins hit him, it's the smell of blood that permeates through the air.
'...fuck'
Magnus started walking deeper into the dark room filled with debris and dusts, he also spread out his mana like a dome 3 meters in radius around him to help him observe his surrounding more accurately.
*Splat*
*Splat*
Even though Magnus is barefoot, he didn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest.
Finally, magnus perceived something in his dome.
Stopping before the somewhat long object, Magnus crouched down and inspect it through the darkness.
*poke*
*Poke*
Magnus poked at the object, it was soft yet cold, and there's a liquid over it.
"..."
Magnus frowned slightly after guessing what it was before he got up and walked further. He utilized the wall, couches, and the furniture's as a guide.
Before long, his mana dome perceived something again. This time, Magnus could feel faint mana coming from it but there's a problem.
'...no no no'
...The mana was extremely familiar to him.
Magnus crouched down, tears threatening to come out.
'Please no...Mother'
Magnus knew it was a futile attempt, but he tried voicing out words
"..."
As expected, no words came out even in this hopeless situation.
Magnus shakily raised his hand and gently put it on something soft. It was no doubt...his mother's cheek.
"...kuh-...D-Dear~"
Feeling a warm feeling on her cheek, Magnus's mother tiredly opened her blurry eyes and saw a lone glowing sentence in the darkness, Magnus face is slightly lit by the light emitting from the words he wrote, making himself slightly visible in his mother perspective.
[Dear Mother. I'm here...]
"...Y-Yes y-you are dear~"
Magnus's mother low voice was warm and soothing as always, even with how severe her injuries are, they couldn't change the tone which she used with her son in the slightest.
"..."
Seeing no response coming from her son, she painfully and forcefully raised her heavy right arm and touched her son's left cheek, only to make the situation worse.
"D-Dea-*hic* *hic* I'm s-so sorry s-sorry huuu *hic*"
The reason for her breakdown was because of how wet her son's cheek were and how his body were trembling, they were his tears, he's crying. She's sad that her son first cry was caused by her.
"I'm so s-sorry...*hic* I-I-I-I..."
*Thump*
Magnus leaned himself gently, hugging his mother. He knew how severe her injuries were, how much blood she has lost, it's impossible to heal her unless a saints, or a high-ranked healing potions is available.
"I l-love you dear~"
Magnus could feel her mother's sincere smile as she said that.
[I love you too mother, always will...Don't worry, I'm here with you...]
Magnus couldn't do anything in this situation other than comforting his mother, he felt pathetic.
Magnus loathed himself as he once made up his mind of not getting too attached with anyone because he knew how painful it was to see everyone he cherished die before his eyes.
He's yet again found himself in that situation. Slowly seeing his loved one...taking their last breath in front of him.
"S-Smile a lot d.ear....I.love...yo-"
*Thud*
The hand that has been stroking Magnus's cheek, fell...lifeless to her side.
"..."
His mother's face started getting colder every minute passed, but Magnus just stayed there, not moving an inch.
"..."
Magnus didn't know how long he's been holding his mother.
He couldn't even feel his leg any longer due to it being numb.
.
.
After some time, a figure approached the living room.
*Creak*
"Woah~! Why are you people not reporting? Seven assassins like you people must be more than enough against that woman right?"
A punchable mocking tone came from a person wearing a white chef's toque standing near the entrance to the living room.
"Geh!? Ugh it stink!"
The person twisted his face in disgusted while pinching his wide rough nose.
"..."
His face suddenly turned serious as he received no response from the room. That was when he decided to enter the room with a flashlight in his hand.
"What a mess...hmm?"
The man's flashlight spotted Magnus, who's still supporting his mother's body in the far end of the room.
"Haa...They have one job..."
The figure sighed and muttered, expressing his disappointment.
*Splat*
*Splat*
The man's started walking towards Magnus and a sudden thought appeared in his head which made him smirk.
He wants to see the boy experience despair before finishing the job himself.
"Life is unfair don't you think so too, boy?"
"..."
"I know, you are sad, angry, and whatever. Let me tell you something, everything is your fault ya 'know? Only if you hadn't been born, or if you're not accursed and have no 'talent'. You wouldn't experience this. It's tough isn't it?"
The man stopped behind Magnus
"..."
Seeing no response from Magnus, the man's got bored.
"...You're no fun b-"
*Fwip*
The man then suddenly found himself looking at the world spinning upside down for the first time in his life before his vision darkened. The last thing he saw is a pair of bright crimson eyes staring at him like he's nothing but trash in those ice-cold gaze that bring chills down one's spine.
He didn't even know what happened, let alone know what killed him as his head fell on the hard cracked floor loudly as it's the only sound in that silent room.
*Thud*
***
-Midday-
The sun is above everyone's head at this time. Fortunately, the cloud is blocking the light for people. As winter is coming, the weather is not hot nor cold.
On this perfect weather day that people used to enjoy themself by going shopping, Magnus can be seen standing in front of a newly dug grave under a beautiful tree in the garden backyard, his hand were dirty and full of small bruises, which concluded that he had dug the grave himself.
He had a blank look as he stared at the tombstone. What's weird is that there's only a few things written on it.
[A wonderful and lovely mother of Magnus rest here in peace]
"..."
Magnus looked at what he wrote on the tombstone with a complicated expression on his face.
'I don't even know her name...I know nothing about her...'
Magnus clenched his small fist with enough force for his palm to bleed while looking down in shame.
'...'
Magnus then crouched down, picked up the bundle of beautiful white flowers he had prepared beforehand and gently putting the flowers on top of the grave as a lone tears escaped his right eyes before the most sincere and beautiful smile plastered on his cute face.
'This is a farewell dear mother...Thank you for showing what it feels like to have a mom and thank you for being my mother. I promise to smile a lot...to those I cherished'
Magnus thought as he wrote a mirrored message as if he's normally talking to his mother.
[This is a farewell dear mother...Thank you for showing what it feels like to have a mom and thank you for being my mother. I promise to smile a lot...to those I cherished]
As soon as Magnus finished writing, he stood up, patted away the dirt on his pant and turned his heel from the grave.
But suddenly, he felt a light tap on his head as if being pat by someone for a split second, which made him turn his head back only to find nothing but a tombstone.
Even if there's nothing, Magnus followed his trained instinct and walked back towards the tombstone and gave it a parting kiss.
As soon as he kissed the tombstone, all the good memories he had with his mother were replayed in his head like a fast-forward movie. He could vividly see his mother reaction when he first crawled, walked, read books, communicate using a mirrored word, getting caught eating a candy and snacks before bed, swinging wooden swords saying that he'll make her proud, and many more.
*hic*
*hic* *hic*
Magnus could not suppress his accumulated tears any longer as his tears burst out like a broken dam while sobbing uncontrollably in silence.
*Whoosh~*
A calm and comfortable breeze passed by. To Magnus, it felt like the wind is comforting him.
'She's gone...I would never have the chance to see her again.'
Those two thoughts triggered another wave of emotions as he heaved out silent sobs.
Magnus spent a few more minutes sobbing silently before he stopped.
[Goodbye, dear mother]
Magnus smiled with red eyes as he wrote that before walking towards the entrance of the quiet residence that devoid of any living beings.
Magnus entered the residence and walked towards his room. Not giving shits to any of the worker's corpses that laid dead on the floor and other places.
Yes, everyone in this residence are all dead, it was done by a single person mercilessly, Magnus, who went on a massacre. He didn't receive any injury as no one is strong. The strong ones are probably taken care of by his mother beforehand.
Entering his room, Magnus grabbed the large backpack he prepared and walked towards the table in the corner of the room.
On the table lies a lone pendant with a beautiful sparkling oval-shaped amethyst attached to it.
It's a beautiful and expensive-looking pendant that his mother used to always wear, she once told him that this is a gift given by her father when he's alive.
So without a shred of hesitation, Magnus wear it around his neck before tucking it inside his clothes gently.
'I guess it's time to finally leave this godforsaken place...'
*Fuud*
Magnus opened the window and jumped out of it with a large backpack on his back.
Magnus had no intention of meeting any humans for a few years as there might be a wanted poster of him. Being cautious is a must until he's strong enough.
He'd planned to go and wander around in the northern part of this continent, in the Lúthien forest to be exact. He could spend his time alone and train himself there, putting his mind at ease.
*FIZZ*
Purplish mana flared up from Magnus and enveloped his body mid-air, which created a beautiful scene if someone were to a snap photo of him at this moment.
Magnus continued running north into the thick forest without looking back.
***
-Somewhere, 2 days prior before Magnus's journey,
A conversation between a daughter and her parents can be seen going on inside a room.
"Mother! Father! Can I accompany you to Staria Kingdom with you next month please? I'm not a child anymore, I'm already 5! I don't want to stay here, it's...lonely"
A little girl begged her parents while muttering the last part in a low voice to herself.
"Dear, you know that it's dangerous right? It's not safe for you"
A soothing voice rejected the girl as she ruffled the girl soft hair.
"Yes dear, you can go when you're grown u-"
Before the girl's father could finish his sentence, the girl interrupted him.
"Mou! You meanies!!"
The girl shouted with a red face before storming off the room.
*BAM!*
She shuts the door loudly to express her dissatisfaction.
As she's walking along the hallway, an old man with white a goatee was walking towards her and asked her.
"Little one, what happened?"
The 'nice' old man only to be yelled back.
"I'm not little, grandpa!! I'm 5!"
The girl then continued storming off leaving the lost grandpa in the hallway looking at the girl's back.
"...Haa, don't be too hard on her. Being a princess is stressful."
The grandpa muttered.
"I understand father, but..."
The girl's father answered his father advice.
"It's enough if you understand. She'll be back in 2 days anyways. Let she have some fresh air."
"Elaina..."
The girl's mother muttered worriedly.
***
*Crackle*
Magnus can be seen sitting in front of a campfire he made in the dense forest full of mist that limit one's sight.
'This place's annoying mist never change huh?'
Magnus reminisced his old days as a hero.
*AWOOooo~!*
Howling of beasts echoed throughout the forest,
'I'm tired...I better get myself a sleep'
Magnus thought as he grabbed his backpack and extinguished the fire by kicking soils into it.
'All good'
Controlling his mana into his feet, Magnus started walking vertically on the huge tree, until he found a thick and secure branch to rest for the night.
The tree branch thickness is about 1 meter which is more than enough for him who has a body of a 4.5 year-old average boy.
'This spot should be enough for me to rest'
Magnus inspected the branch before opening his backpack and pulled out two luxurious cloaks of different colors, black and white respectively.
'Now, let's put you two to use'
Magnus laid the luxurious black cloak with purple linings to use it as a bed sheet on the branch before spreading the white cloak with gold linings on top of the first cloak to use it as a blanket.
Magnus then laid down and tucked himself in, his backpack is used as a pillow.
'Perfect, this should give me a comfortable sleep.'
Or so he thought...
Magnus forgot that he's been sleeping on soft bed for almost 4 years, so having a back or body aches when he wakes up is inevitable as he suddenly change his sleeping's lifestyle from sleeping on a soft bed to a hard tree branch.
***
*Jikk*
The sound of small mammal type-beasts preparing themself to hibernate for the upcoming winter can be heard throughout the whole forest.
Magnus can be seen packing the cloaks into his backpack.
'My back hurts...'
Magnus complained before jumping down the tall tree branch he's on with mana enhanced legs. He first need to find a good spot to stay and make shelter. A place with lake nearby would be nice.
"Ahhhhhh...helppp!...ommyyy!"
*Silence*
'Mm?'
Magnus could hardly hear a call for help in the distance.
'Must be some animals fighting for food as winter is coming'
Magnus thought before shrugging
"..."
'...Just kidding~ That's probably a girl's voice. Is she being attacked by some mana beasts? Better hurry...'
*Fizz*
Concentrating mana on both his feet, Magnus then released it,
*BOoM!*
The accumulate mana bursts at once, giving Magnus an instant acceleration for a good start.
As he got used of the speed he's moving, Magnus focused himself on running towards the source of the sound urgently.
He's currently moving at a speed where low ranked mana beast would find it bizarre to see a small human kid running at the speed that put themselves to shame.
Even if the mists are limiting his sight, Magnus trained instinct could not be easily deceived.