Fenris had grown accustomed to the daily visits from Sophia, a young servant with silver hair and light blue eyes. Despite her youth, she carried herself with a sense of grace and maturity that was unusual for someone in her position.
Sophia's mother was elven, a fact that she kept hidden from most people except those she really trusted. Her father was a human servant on the estate, and Sophia had grown up in the shadow of her mother's secret, unsure of what it meant for her own identity.
As she entered Fenris's room for her daily cleaning, she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and familiarity in his presence. He was different from the other nobles she had encountered during her time at the estate. While they were often haughty and arrogant, Fenris was humble and kind, always treating her and the other servants with respect and kindness.
This time around, Fenris had left his room pretty tidy, so there really wasn't much for Sophia to do. She smiled, feeling grateful for the easy task.
"Thank you, Fenris," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "You always make my job so much easier."
Fenris grinned, a look of genuine happiness on his face. "It's no problem at all, Sophia. I'm just happy to see you."
Sophia felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment at Fenris's words. She had always admired his kindness and gentleness, but she had never dared to dream that he might feel the same way about her.
As she finished up her cleaning, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Fenris looking at her with concern in his eyes.
"Is something wrong, Sophia?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle.
Sophia hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should share her troubles with Fenris. But something in his expression made her feel safe and secure, like she could trust him with anything.
"I...I have a secret, Fenris," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Something that I've been keeping from everyone."
Fenris listened intently, his eyes fixed on her face. He could see the pain and turmoil in her expression, and he felt a surge of compassion and empathy for her.
"What is it, Sophia?" he asked, his voice firm and reassuring. "You can tell me anything. I'm here to help."
Sophia took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She knew that this could change everything, but she also knew that she couldn't keep it bottled up inside any longer.
"I...I can use magic, Fenris," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I know it's forbidden for servants to use magic, but I can't help it. It's a part of me, and I don't know what to do."
Fenris felt a surge of shock and surprise at Sophia's admission. He had never known anyone who could use magic outside of his own family, and he had always thought that it was impossible for servants to use magic.
But as he looked into Sophia's eyes, he could see the truth in her words. She was telling the truth, and he knew that he had to do something to help her.
"Sophia," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know what to say. But I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to help you. We'll figure this out together, and I'll make sure that you're safe and protected."
Sophia felt a surge of gratitude and relief at Fenris's words. She knew that she had taken a risk in telling him her secret, but she also knew that she had made the right choice. With Fenris's help and guidance, she knew that she could face anything.
They continued to talk for quite some time, sharing stories and laughing together as they enjoyed each other's company. Sophia couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort in Fenris's presence, and she found herself opening up to him in ways that she never had before.
Despite the fact that she was Damian's servant, Sophia found herself drawn to Fenris's kind and gentle personality. He was so different from her master, who was often harsh and demanding. With Fenris, she felt safe and valued, something that she had never felt before.
As they were getting ready to part ways, Fenris reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Sophia, a smile on his face.
"I made this for you," he said, his voice soft and gentle. "As a token of our friendship."
Sophia opened the box to reveal a beautiful necklace, handcrafted by Fenris himself. She felt a surge of gratitude and joy at the gift, knowing that it was a symbol of the bond that they had formed.
"Thank you, Fenris," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "It's beautiful. I'll treasure it always."
Fenris smiled, feeling a sense of happiness and contentment at Sophia's reaction. He knew that their friendship was something special, something that he would always cherish.
As Sophia left the room, Fenris couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. He knew that there was something special about her, something that he couldn't quite put into words. But he also knew that he was willing to do whatever it took to help her, to protect her from the dangers that lay ahead.
As Sophia trotted down the hallway, happily humming a tune to herself, she soon bumped into someone who was a half-head taller than her. When she looked up, her heart sank with fear—it was Damian. He didn't appear happy when he saw her; in fact, he looked annoyed.
"Why aren't you doing your duties, Sophia?" Damian asked sternly, clearly annoyed that she wasn't attending to her responsibilities.
Sophia froze, letting out a small gasp. Her previously cheerful demeanor vanished in an instant, as Damian was someone she feared. However, she remembered the gift that Fenris had given her earlier and mustered up the courage to stand up for herself.
"I...I..." Sophia started, but Damian interrupted her mid-sentence, his impatience evident. It was clear that he had a tendency to treat Sophia unfairly.
Frustrated by Sophia's response, Gregory's face twisted into a scowl. "Know your place, wench!" Damian, out of anger, punched Sophia in the eye. The punch was loud enough that it made Fenris jump onto his feet from his bed. The subsequent crying was recognizable.
A burst of adrenaline hit Fenris as he opened the door. He saw down the hallway that Sophia had been hit in the face and was on the floor crying. Fenris, seeing this behavior enacted by his so-called "brother", couldn't take it anymore.
As his face filled with anger, he clenched his fist. All that anger from the harassment he had endured since before he could walk culminated in this moment. He was done. He had had it with Damian's behavior, and he wanted to prove it.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Fenris shouted as he ran towards Damian as fast as he could. Even for a 7-year-old, the way he dashed at his own brother like that showed he had a natural fighting instinct, even if he wasn't aiming to hurt him. Fenris leapt into the air and punched Damian's face.
Due to how fast things escalated, Damian barely had time to react and block Fenris in time, so he took the full brunt of the punch and was knocked down on the floor. A loud "THUD" could be heard downstairs, shocking his sister and father. Both ran upstairs as soon as they heard the noise, while Fenris turned to Sophia, who was still hurting.
"Are you alright?" Fenris almost shouted, as his attention was now focused on Sophia. He examined her face and saw a black eye and a red area around it. It seemed that Damian had hit her pretty hard, which made Fenris even madder.
Sophia, still shaking from the pain, placed her hand on Fenris's arm. Her body shivered, and Fenris's warmth helped her calm down. However, when asked if she was alright, she couldn't honestly say she was. After all, she received a black eye injury.
"No...I'm not." Sophia shook her head while replying softly to him. This kind of injury warrants immediate medical attention. Even Fenris knew that. He would help her up to her feet while Marcos and Fenris' little sister, Liliana (the family just calls her Lily for short), entered the scene.
Marcos was shocked by what had happened, seeing Damian knocked out cold and Fenris still standing. While he deeply loved his son, this kind of situation immediately called for questioning.
"Son, what happened here?" Marcos asked in a serious tone, still appearing shocked, as he had never seen anything like this occur within his own family before. Fenris's sister, Liliana, hid behind her father, scared after seeing what had happened.
"Me and Damian got into a fight." Fenris responded, not seeing any point in beating around the bush. He then added, "Damian hit Sophia first, soon after she exited my room after I had given her a gift." Fenris shifted his head to show the damage done to her face, leaving Lily and Marcos at a loss for words.
"So, you were trying to defend Sophia here, I assume?" Marcos asked, turning his eyes over to Damian, who was beginning to regain consciousness.
"Mm-hmm," Fenris said. "I defended Sophia because I care about her, unlike my brother." In the latter half of that sentence, Fenris's tone got rougher as he turned his eyes sharply to look at Damian face-to-face, then returned to his father.
"I see." Marcos, now understanding what had happened, turned his full gaze over to Damian, who gulped at what was to happen next.
"Damian," Marcos said it in a stern, serious voice. "Come with me. You will be taught some manners for what you did to Miss Sophia."
Damian froze up for a moment as he tried to speak for himself in defense. "B-But she wasn't working like she was supposed to-"
"Enough!" Marcos yelled back, silencing Damian. Damian winced slightly as fear bubbled up inside him. "Son, what you have done is unacceptable, and you should be ashamed of yourself for it."
Marcos grabbed Damian's cloth and dragged him across the carpeted floor. Damian attempted to struggle to break free, but as he was still a child physically, all his efforts were in vain.
In the end, Fenris felt relieved. He felt a sense of justice had been served. While he may have acted violently toward his own brother, he had a valid reason for doing so. After all, Damian had been treating Fenris and Sophia poorly for a long time, and it was about time someone stood up to him.
Fenris' smile widened with satisfaction for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure as he carried Sophia on his back to his room. When they got there, he placed her on his bed and let her rest. Fenris was glad to know she was safe and sound and away from Damian.
As Sophia lay on the bed, Fenris fetched some ice and a towel to help soothe her wound. He gently placed the ice on her eye and wrapped the towel around it. Sophia winced slightly at first, but then she felt the coldness of the ice begin to numb the pain.
"Fenris, thank you for defending me," Sophia said softly, looking up at him.
"It was the right thing to do," Fenris replied, smiling back at her. "No one deserves to be treated like that, especially not you."
Sophia smiled back at Fenris, feeling grateful for his kindness. She knew that Fenris was a good person, and she was glad to have him as a friend. As they sat there, talking and laughing, they both knew that they had each other's backs, no matter what.
◇ ◇ ◇
After weeks of searching, Marcos had finally found a suitable magic tutor for Fenris. She was a beautiful elf with long, flowing hair and piercing green eyes. Marcos had heard that she was one of the best magic tutors in the land, and he was eager to introduce her to Fenris.
As they sat in Marcos's study, the tutor listened intently as Marcos spoke about Fenris's outstanding affinity for all six elements of magic.
"He has a natural talent for magic that I have never seen before," Marcos said, his voice filled with pride. "He can control all six elements with ease."
The tutor was intrigued, but she was also a "seeing is believing" kind of person. "I will have to see it for myself," she said skeptically.
Marcos nodded, understanding her skepticism. "I assure you, he is quite remarkable. I have seen him perform feats of magic that should not be possible for someone his age."
The tutor raised an eyebrow, impressed by Marcos's praise. "Very well, I am willing to give him a chance. However, I must warn you, I am not easily impressed."
Marcos smiled, confident that Fenris would be able to impress her. "I have no doubt that he will exceed your expectations," he said.
As they made arrangements for the tutor to start teaching Fenris, Marcos felt a sense of excitement. He knew that Fenris was destined for greatness, and he couldn't wait to see what the future held for his son.
Little did he know, the tutor had her own set of secrets and hidden motives, and her arrival would change Fenris's life in ways he could never have imagined.