Liam Grace was born in the far west in the central continent of Astraea, living a life as a son of a hunter and a seamstress.
He had orange hair and amber eyes.
The orange hair was the only thing that stood out from him.
Her mother told a story of how, his father believed that she somehow cheated with her, because of his unusual hair that neither of his parents had, but the Vitoten missionary that assisted them with his birth, confirmed that he was both their blood, ending the misunderstanding and making his father deeply regret doubting his own wife.
That was the first and last fight that they ever had.
His mom would mention this story at least once every four or three months so he remembered it in full detail.
Both of his parents were deeply in love with each other and not once has he seen them fight with each other. If there was a slight disagreement they would talk it out calmly and arrive at an amicable consensus, which always worked for both of them.
Liam respected his parents a lot and of course loved them to his very core.
There was nothing special in the village he lived in, but to Liam, it was a special place that made a part of what he was in the future.
Despite living as a commoner, he never found any significant hardships and he ate three meals a day.
He even had meat quite frequently, because of his father's class as a hunter.
Though he didn't have anyone his age in the village, he nonetheless easily fit in, because of all the kind villagers.
But deep down he knew that, he yearned for more than just living a simple life in a village.
A dream vastly different from his current one.
Sometimes he hears someone whispering to him, beckoning him to travel east to the centre of the world.
It started when he was at the age of 5.
As he grew up, the voice kept on getting clearer and clearer.
He would pester his parents about it when he reached a breaking point, but he was mostly ignored or told to rest, believing that he was simply sick or seeking attention.
After reaching the age of 10, he gave up and simply tried his best to ignore the voice that beckoned him.
luckily for him it didn't call out to him when it was bedtime, so it didn't sacrifice sleep, but it still bothered him on a day to day basis.
It all changed when he first stepped foot inside a town, which was a day away from their village, to sell the beast hides and clothing his mother made in the town's market.
His parents wanted him to experience the outside world after he recently had his tenth birthday.
Obviously as a child, Liam was gleeful and full of energy as he glanced around with sparkling eyes at all the new discoveries he was experiencing.
They were also a little south in the central continent, so he also met a few other races than just humans.
He wanted to know more about them, but he was too scared to approach or even accidentally separated from his parents.
As they were walking through the busy town, he heard faint shouts at one of the alley ways he just passed.
He chose to ignore it, but a distinct set of words made him pause and glance back at the alley he passed by.
".....-elp me...!.... Help me!..... HELP ME!"
His body suddenly moved on its own and dashed straight to the alley way that shouted for help.
As soon as he went in, he saw three figures that were closely huddled together, two that were two times taller than him and an old lady that was trembling and pale in the presence of the two hulking figures.
"A few silver coins won't feed our entire family, Old lady."
"It's obvious that you have a few more in that pouch, cough it up. It's for your own good"
Liam, seeing the oppressed right in front of him, instinctively shouted.
"STOP!!"
Ah
Liam froze as the two hooligans glanced back at his direction.
"Where did this kid come from?"
"You turned the alley kid, go away."
"We're having an adult conversation, go back home to your mother"
Their hoarse words echoed onto Liam's head, which urged him to run away and turn back.
But, his body once more moved on its own before Liam could even process the words the two hooligans told him.
Liam took a piece of stone on the ground and threw it with everything he had on one of the hooligan's heads.
"What the? Oh it's the kid again. Were you the one who threw that rock??"
The Hooligan scratched his head, not even displaying an ounce of pain from Liam's "attack"
I'm dead...
Liam despaired at his actions. He wanted to run away but his body refused to move. He simply trembled in place, clenching his fist in fear.
"Looks like this kid wants to get beat up. Take the money from the grandma, I'll handle this runt"
"Tsk, Whatever, just make it quick"
"Haha, I'll try. This kid's got spirit so it'll probably take a minute."
The victim of Liam's throw cracked his knuckles
The hooligan sprang his feet and closed the distance between him and Liam.
Liam lifted his crossed arms, to block and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the hit.....
That never came?
"Kekeke, As it was written or more like envisioned? Ah whatever. Open your eyes now child"
Liam slowly opened his eyes and discovered the old lady, who was supposed to be getting robbed, smiling down at him, patting his head in comfort.
Liam wondered where the two hooligans were as he looked left and right, thinking that everything was just a dream.
"Grandma, do you know where the thieves went?" Liam innocently asked
"Ah, Them? I sent them on a small trip to the dungeons. No need to worry."
Liam lowered his head and sighed, relieved that his life was finally not in danger.
He was confused, but let it go, because he had an inkling that the grandma in front of her did something to make the two hooligans disappear.
"What's your name child?" The old lady asked with a soft smile.
"Liam Grace, Grandma." Liam said sheepishly
"Why do something so foolish?" The old lady spoke in a serious tone, opposite of what her expression was.
Liam pondered on the Old lady's question.
It rang in his heart, the voice that was far away calling to him, whispered something different after five long years.
'Speak with your heart open, Liam'
The words lightened his heart and eased his mind, giving him the words that he was searching for in his heart to answer the Old lady that was in front of him.
"Because.... It was the right thing to do and... I didn't want to regret... again?"
Confidence suddenly turned into confusion for Liam.
Regret?? What does that word mean?
Liam was confused on the choosing of his words at the end.
His chest tightened at the word as it echoed once more in his mind.
He had been living as a child all his life, nothing extraordinary had happened to make him 'regret'.
He had heard this word from an old man from his village and understood the explanation, but the meaning? He didn't fully understand what the essence of the old man wanted to convey.
Despite his normal upbringing he wasn't lacking much, unlike other unfortunate people that begged in the streets and lacked loving parents, so he didn't understand why his heart didn't want to regret when he never regretted anything since he came to his own senses.
"Hohoho, indeed you are the one and only Liam Grace. Kekeke, Fate calls for you child. I sense something great within you."
The old lady chuckled and spoke vaguely in weird cryptic puzzles, before gesturing her hand towards him, beckoning him to take her hand.
"How about going on an adventure with this old lady? I'll go convince your parents and give them protection as well. What do you say? Liam?"
Liam before he could even speak or think about the offer, moved subconsciously and grabbed the hand of the old lady.
"Oho, no hesitation needed as well? No backing down now, Liam Grace. Call me Master from now on, I'll be teaching you everything you need to know until your fifteen, so be prepared"
Liam, with his hand grasped tightly on the old lady's hand, blazed.
A small ember lit up in Liam's heart.
It his beginning and the start of the fire that would light up for the weary
The fire that would symbolise bravery and courage
And the fire that would pave the path of Hope.
That was the first time in a thousand years that the Flames of Salvation shall rise up again to end the world of its looming crisis....
******
"Master Lisa, seriously didn't need to teleport me ten thousand metres up in the air..... Sigh, her weird antics and pranks never change. Her parents probably had a hard time raising someone with such a personality"
Liam, who was now grown with the height of 175cm at the age of 16, dusted off his clothes that were attached to him from his rough landing.
He then looked at the large establishment in front of him.
"So, This is Union Academy.... I wonder what plans Master Lisa has for me, bringing me to this place...."
Liam took a step forward through the gate.
His heart once again thumped.
He knew that this was where he would find the answers that was hiding deep within his burning heart.