Robert stood at the door and knocked, feeling a sense of relief as he returned home after a month away at school. The house was a duplex, built by his father before he passed away. It wasn't extravagant, but it was cozy and welcoming. It was good to be home. Poison's healing magic had restored his health, leaving no trace of the wounds and bruises he had sustained in the battle. He was as good as new.
"Who's there?" a soft voice called from behind the door.
"It's me!" Robert said, his voice full of excitement. He couldn't wait to see his mom's face.
Mrs. Rosa Manuel immediately recognized the voice and exclaimed, "Hey Erica, guess who's returned?" as she eagerly opened the door.
"Is it big brother?" a little voice called, and then four-year-old Erica rushed to the door and threw it open. She jumped into Robert's arms with a squeal of delight. Robert hugged her tightly, breathing in the smell of baby powder that always clung to her. It was the best feeling in the world.
"Welcome back, son," his mother said, her voice warm and loving. She touched his cheeks gently, and a rush of happiness washed over him.
"Mmm," he said. "What's that delicious smell?" He turned to Erica and gently touched her cheek, smiling warmly at her.
"Oh, I'm making dinner," she said, a smile lighting up her face. "It's your favorite!" She picked up his backpack and ushered him inside, shutting the door behind them.
"Hey, Erica," he said to his little sister, "I've got some new magic tricks to show you." He started to tickle her, making her squeal with laughter.
"Show me, show me!" she cried.
After a few minutes of playing with his sister, Robert went up the stairs to his bedroom and took a warm bath, relishing the privacy of his own bathroom. It was a change from the crowded bathrooms at school, where all the boys bathed together. While he had grown accustomed to communal bathing, it was nice to have the privacy of his own space.
He emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed and ready to face the world. He reached into the drawer and pulled out his phone, switching it on. A flood of messages came in, so he sat down on the bed to go through them.
"Robert, dinner's ready!" his mother called from downstairs.
"I'll be right there!" he replied, sliding his phone into his pocket and racing down the stairs.
In the dining room, his mother and sister were already sitting at the table. The room was neatly set, with a small chandelier with orange light bulbs hanging overhead. The gentle glow of the bulbs filled the room with a warm, golden light. The delicious smell of the food filled the air, making Robert's mouth water.
"Oh my gosh, I've missed this aroma!" he exclaimed. "It's time to satisfy my craving for tacos. By the way, Mom, yours are the best." He sat down and immediately began to eat.
"Hmm, are you guys eating well at school?" his mother asked, concern in her voice. "You look a little thin."
Robert's mouth was already full of food, so his words came out slightly muffled and hard to understand. "Oh, Mom, I got thin because I've been missing home for so long."
"Mm, eat up, sweetheart," his mother said.
"Okay, Mom," he replied.
"Hey, kid," Poison began, "I wanna know about your father, and how he died."
"Old man, you finally decided to talk," Robert thought back.
But Poison remained silent.
"Well, since you asked," Robert said at last. "What I know is that, according to my mom, my dad was a water wizard and an adventurer. I used to think she was pulling my leg, but then I learned wizards were real."
Poison asked, "What's an adventurer?"
"Adventurers are people - often wizards - who take on various quests from the adventurers union and are compensated upon completing them. These quests are akin to missions offered by individuals through the adventurers union, which adventurers can undertake. Depending on the agreement you reach with the individual through the adventurers union, you will receive payment upon completion." Robert elaborated.
Poison cut in, "Could you give me an example of a quest?"
Robert glanced at his mum who was eating slowly before continuing telepathically, "Dude, I just became a wizard last week, how would you expect me to know that. I don't have knowledge of real-life adventures; I only know about them from video games. But I once saw a quest online about finding the rare purple shadow hibiscus on midnight mountain in the Rosern region. The pay was good. Most adventurers go in groups for safety. My dad was an adventurer, and he died at 38 during a quest at a place called the flaming valley. He was a 27-year-old 8th rank mystic wizard when he married my mum. I was only 10 when he died. He was killed by a magic beast, and his body was scorched with white flames when they brought him back. I don't remember the beast's name." He concluded as he ate the last bits of his meal.
"Sorry for your loss, son," said Poison. "I haven't even started looking for a suitable descendant in the past six years. I've just been enjoying my life as a ghost, floating around, spying on people, sneaking into bedrooms and stuffs like that."
"Wait a second," Robert thought, a puzzled look on his face. "Did you just say you were 'enjoying your life as a ghost'? Do ghosts have lives? I thought they were... dead."
"When someone dies, their soul goes to another realm - what we used to call the astral world," Poison said. "But I don't have time to explain it all right now. You know what I meant by enjoying my life as a ghost."
Robert's phone suddenly rang in his pocket. He took it out from his pocket and looked at the screen.
"Oh, it's that handsome freak, Zack!" Poison said.
"Excuse me, I have to take this," He said as he left the dining table and headed to the sitting room to take the call. "Hey Zack, what's up?"
"Hey, Robert," Zack said on the other end of the line. "I hope I'm not bothering you, but I just had to tell you about this snow bed I'm lying on - it's so cozy! The castle here is beautiful, but the internet signal is terrible. I'm pretty much in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by low-level magic beasts. I don't even know what this forest is called, but I think it's close to the border between Axille and Prixeo. How's your family doing?"
"They're doing great," Robert replied. "Make sure you guys get ready for the magic beast hunt on Monday. Craft more of your bombs and stupid gadgets, and tell Oliver to meditate harder to reach the peak of the second rank. I'll find somewhere to practice my magic tomorrow. I'm gonna be in my room meditating."
He stopped talking as he sensed someone standing behind him. He turned and saw his mother staring at him with a look of surprise.
"Who were you talking to, Robert?" his mother asked, her voice full of suspicion. "And what's this about practicing magic? Wait, are you a wizard?"
She walked towards him, her eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"What? A wizard? No, that's ridiculous! Who would pay the fees?" he stammered, trying to cover up his tracks.
But he knew he wasn't fooling anyone. His mother's expression told him everything he needed to know.
"You have that look on your face," she said, her voice calm and knowing.
"Dang it," Robert thought, realizing he had been caught in a lie. His mother had always been able to tell when he was being dishonest, even when he was a small child. From the moment he was born, she noticed that he always had a peculiar look on his face whenever he lied.
"Robert," she said, her voice growing more serious. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
Robert hesitated, trying to decide if he should come clean or not. He knew he should tell the truth, but he also knew how difficult it would be to explain everything.
"I..." he began, but then trailed off.
His mother looked at him expectantly, her expression one of concern and patience.
"I don't know where to start..." he said, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
"Go ahead, son. Manhawk agreed that you can tell your mom during the break," Poison said.
"I'm not worried about Manhawk, I'm worried about her reaction," Robert thought back.
"What do you mean?"
"Check this out," he cleared his throat and sighed. Then he explained to her how Manhawk introduced him to Heiss magic school, but he didn't tell her that the Mr. Charles who came with Manhawk was a blood wizard from the Black Fraggers. He stopped at the part when he teleported into the school.
"All of these happened, and you didn't even bother to tell me?" she asked with a lingering hint of anger still in her expression.
"Mom, please, just hear me out," Robert pleaded. "I was planning on telling you, but I was waiting for the perfect time."
"Perfect time?!" she said, skepticism in her voice. "Son, you know I've always regretted that your father was a wizard. I've always said that was the worst decision he ever made. If he hadn't learned magic, he wouldn't have died so young. And now you're trying to make the same mistake he did?" She looked at him, her eyes filled with concern and disappointment.
"Mom, this isn't just about me, okay?" He said, his voice rising in urgency, "It's about everyone in the entirety of Kreete, it's about everyone in the three regions. If I didn't make this decision, do you know what would happened?!"
"What could you possibly do?" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "Even the three Superior wizards on the magic council can't stand up to a force like the Black Fraggers, and you think you can make a difference? You're just a boy, Robert. You can't possibly know what you're getting yourself into."
Robert's heart ached at the sight of his mother's tear.
"Mom, please try to understand. My situation right now is really complicated, and I don't even know how to explain myself," he said, calming down and lowering his head. How was he going to explain to her that he hosted the magical spirit of an ancestor, how would he explain Doom, the ancestor seal, and ancestor souls?
"Robert, you and your sister are all I have left," she said, her voice quivering. "I can't lose either of you. Not after everything we've been through." She looked at him, her face streaked with tears. Robert's heart broke as he saw the pain in her eyes. He wanted to make her understand, but he knew it would be a difficult task.
Robert's mother had lost her husband at the age of 22, and it had been 12 years since then. The pain of losing him was still fresh in her mind, even after all this time. She was a kind and loving woman who cherished her family above all else.
"Mom," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Not all wizards die young. Think about Manhawk and Uncle Jones, and Mrs. Moriarty. They're all in their fifties and still going strong."
He looked into her eyes, hoping that his words would bring her some comfort.
"But that doesn't guarantee that you won't die fighting magic beasts or something," she said.
"It doesn't," he admitted. "But this might." He walked to the kitchen and took a knife from the counter, then returned to the sitting room. His mother's eyes widened as she saw the knife in his hand.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with fear.
He held up the knife, trying to reassure her. "This," he said.
Robert raised the knife to his throat and, before his mother could stop him, he sliced his skin open. Blood poured from the wound, staining the floor beneath him.
"ROBERT!" his mother cried out in horror. She rushed towards him, but stopped short when she saw that the wound was already closing. Within seconds, it was completely healed, as if it had never been there.
"How...?" she began, but couldn't find the words to finish her sentence. She stared at her son in disbelief, unsure of what to say or do.
"How... how did you do that?" she asked, her voice trembling. "This is insane! For a moment, I thought you were going to die!"
She reached out to touch him, as if to reassure herself that he was still alive.
"I'm so sorry, Mom," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm fine, see?" He gave her a reassuring smile, "Does this assure you that I'm safe?"
"No it doesn't!" she said, her voice still shaky.
"Alright then, I'll just pluck my eyes out..." he said, raising his hand towards his face.
"NO!" she shrieked, grabbing his hand before he could do anything rash. "Don't you dare! I'm fine, I'm reassured! I'm just... this is all a lot to take in."
He smiled at her and they both burst out laughing. He couldn't help but feel relieved that they could still joke around, even in the midst of this strange situation.
"But seriously, Robert," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the dining room. "I'm not happy about this."
"What part of my body do you want me to cut again to prove to you that I'll be fine?" He asked, grinning mischievously.
"Give me that knife," she said, her tone more serious now. "And how did you do that? Your father could never do anything like that."
"Mom, not all wizards can do that. I'm just special..."