On the outskirts of the Darlik Kingdom, in a small town nestled by the mountains, stood a humble shelter. It was constructed from bamboo and the cheapest wood available. Its roof was thatched with tightly-packed straw, covered by uneven clay tiles. Each tile seemed to have been carefully shaped manually and then dried in the kiln.
Within this place lived orphans, those either abandoned or left on the doorstep of the shelter. Occasionally, children who had found themselves on the streets would stumble upon this refuge by chance. The heart of the shelter was its abbess, a woman named Frida – a mature fifty-year-old with a mane of black, thick hair, through which strands of gray occasionally peeked. Despite her age, she possessed an incredibly slender, even somewhat gaunt, body, with taut muscles.
From her hands, it was clear that physical labor had played a significant role in her life. The palms bore the marks of cuts and scars, her skin appearing rough and weathered. It was worth noting that in this world, for a common woman to reach such an age was a rarity. Perhaps luck was on her side, for she lived in these lands rather than a bustling city.
Aside from Frida, the shelter also housed four caregivers. In truth, they too had grown up under this roof. Now, they were young women with rather ordinary appearances. Their figures couldn't be considered delicate, as they worked just as hard as Abbess Frida.
In reality, these women didn't stay in the shelter out of kindness or noble intentions. For them, it was nearly the only chance for a moderately peaceful life. The situation for the children wasn't any better...
Finding oneself in such a place was a blessing. In this world, child mortality was commonplace, and no one would bat an eye. On the other hand, the caregivers could also manage a relatively normal existence. The city offered them nothing, not even the distant promise of a "good life". It was a world of brutal warriors and power. You could be killed, violated, or enslaved simply because you were weak. Such occurrences were frequent and went unnoticed by passersby and onlookers.
In another world, this shelter could have been a haven... A mountainous landscape, abundant greenery, fresh air, and even a small river cascading down from the mountains...
But alas, in this world, the common folk struggled to remember the taste of meat. If it ever appeared on their tables, it was only in dried form, preserved for longer durations. And it should be added that such occasions happen once every few years, and even then, only by luck.
This was because the wild lands were home to numerous fierce beasts. Not every warrior could venture far beyond the city's boundaries, let alone the villagers. Some said certain creatures could reach heights of three meters and lengths of ten.
Delicacies like meat could only be enjoyed by the strongest, those fortunate enough to catch some game outside the city. There were ordinary animals as well, such as birds or small, tasty creatures. Yet, they too served as sustenance for the ferocious predators. To steal food from such creatures, one needed immense courage and impeccable skill.
In this world, strong individuals ruled – warriors capable of fighting and defending themselves. Strength was an unquestionable law, and weakness rendered one as mere cattle.
Legends circulated that there existed people who had cultivated their strength to such levels that they could manipulate the forces of nature and even conjure fire from the air. Those capable of such feats were called cultivators – those who had developed the so-called energy...
However, for common folk, this was merely a beautiful legend... Such stories were told to children, so they would have something to dream about. Power was universally revered. It was for this reason that, deep down, everyone desired to possess it.
Here lived a little seven-year-old boy named Kai. He had snow-white hair and incredibly vivid azure eyes. All of this set him apart from the other children and adults. Frida would tell him how he had simply been found on the riverbank, not far from the shelter. He was fortunate that one of the caregivers stumbled upon him. Otherwise, he might have been cast into the river or even devoured by beasts...
From early childhood, Kai was remarkably calm and thoughtful. He hardly ever cried and had an astonishing ability to quickly understand the children and even adults around him. All the orphans adored him, and many referred to him as an older brother, even if they were older in age themselves. This could be attributed to his aura of tranquility and thoughtfulness. He seemed much older than his peers, and at times, even resembled an adult...
There was even a local legend at the shelter that before Kai was found, the entire area had shimmered, and a storm had erupted on a sunny day! Frida loved to recount this tale, and the other children readily believed it, as Brother Kai noticeably stood apart from them.
Kai was kind to everyone, yet he maintained a certain distance. For many, it was a mystery what was truly going on in his mind...
There's no need to be mistaken about life at the shelter. In this place, it was relatively easy only for the naive children. From birth, they thought hunger was normal. Even with the strenuous work of Abbess Frida and the caregivers, there was never enough food for everyone. Occasionally there were days when the children didn't eat anything at all... On those days, the adults tried every possible way to distract them and invent a cheerful reason for enduring the hunger.
Kai was an incredibly curious child... At the age of seven, he already knew the landscape and geography of everything around his shelter. Fortunately, there were no fierce wild beasts in this region. Kai would often escape from the shelter to the town to steal food or earn some for himself. But who needed a useless seven-year-old boy? So, mostly, it all boiled down to theft...
There were times when he was caught, and he miraculously escaped with his life, while his injuries and wounds were nursed back to health at the shelter for weeks. But even after countless conversations between Abbess Frida and Kai, he still ran away regularly. He always knew that if he could gather some provisions in the village, his brothers, and sisters at the shelter would have more to eat.
One day, as usual, Kai slipped away to the village to find some scraps of food. The streets were very untidy... The paths between houses were a mixture of mud, straw, and gravel. The houses were made of wood, covered by bamboo and tiles. Occasionally, there were buildings partially constructed from stone. The villagers were mostly lean but incredibly sturdy. This was due to the scarcity of food and the incredible amount of physical labor.
The village was guarded by the Head and his small clan. They were all strong individuals, and only their strength allowed them to maintain the small town. There were even rumors that the village Head had started to sense energy within his body. But it wasn't clear whether these were rumors or simply something everyone wanted to believe. Nonetheless, their safety depended on these people...
Kai noticed that on this day, all the villagers were deeply puzzled, and an atmosphere of panic and apprehension hung in the air. He managed to steal some food effortlessly. At that moment, he observed a crowd gathered in the main square, and curiosity ignited within him. He started squeezing through the rows of villagers to hear what was happening.
In the center of the square, on an elevated platform, stood the village Head. Kai could distinctly feel an enigmatic aura emanating from him, and recalled the rumors about the Head's energy and power. However, currently, it didn't matter, and Kai didn't attach much importance to such matters.
"You all! Today, word has spread that the neighboring Empire of the Ethereal Halberd has begun an incursion into our Moonlit Radiance Empire. For now, it's not a full-scale invasion, just a border test. This can be trusted, as the information came directly from Lord Flick's Mansion!" The village Head said gravely, scanning all the villagers with his gaze.
"But don't worry! Although we are on the border, I don't believe our village will attract much attention from the Empire of the Ethereal Halberd. To warriors like them, we are no more than ants. Who in their right mind would bother crushing an ant unless it bites them?" The village Head rhetorically asked, implying that the villagers should avoid causing trouble.
At that moment, Kai became slightly cautious... While he agreed with certain aspects of the Head's words, he pondered for a moment and then smirked cunningly. Amidst the chaos, he could certainly steal a considerable amount of food! This would undoubtedly aid the shelter's survival, especially if enemies were to arrive. Moreover, they were just ordinary children who surely wouldn't be harmed. No need to worry!
Thus, throughout the day, Kai roamed around the village, slowly amassing provisions...