As he grew older, people in his village started to bully him because he was different from the rest. He worked tirelessly because his mother fell sick due to an unknown illness. His sole focus became healing his mother, leading him to take on labor-intensive jobs to earn extra money for her medicine. Too weak to gather herbs from the fields, he had to purchase them. With his strange pale skin, red eyes, big bird-like wings, and minimal magical power, he became a target for bullying by almost everyone. Enduring being looked down upon, stoned, and spat on, he found solace only in his mother's presence.
One day, after taking on extra work and returning home late, he managed to buy his mother's medicine and some bread, with leftover change allowing him to purchase a book. Excitedly, he bought a storybook containing the kind of tales his mother liked. "Today was extra tiring, but... it was worth it," he thought, running home eagerly. However, upon arrival, he noticed the door slightly ajar, unsettling him. With a sudden chill running down his spine, he cautiously entered the house, shivering heavily. When he reached his mother's room, nothing had prepared him for the horrific sight before him—his mother lay on the floor, her throat slit, and a man assaulting her lifeless body. Fury ignited within him, his blood boiling as he screamed, "Ahhhhh, get off my mother!" He lunged at the man, only to be easily overpowered and knocked unconscious.
He woke up in a dark room. "Where am I? What's going on?" he asked himself, scanning the empty room. He found himself locked in, with only one window through which moonlight seeped. Approaching the door, he began to shout, "Help! Get me out of here! Please, someone help!" As hope dwindled, fatigue overcame him, and he eventually fell asleep. In his slumber, he saw a familiar face. "Roland," she called, "mom, is that you?" Roland answered. "Look, I'm going to have to leave you. From now on, you're going to have to fend for yourself. You're an independent man now." Roland interrupted, "No, I can't. I still need you, mom. Without you, how can I live? I don't want to be alone." He cried, "Look, honey, I wish I could stay with you longer, but it's time for me to go. Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll never give up. Live your life to the fullest. Find someone you can trust." "Ah, I think my time's up, honey. I have to go. But before I leave, let me tell you this—you have great power resting within you. He will explain it to you when the time comes. I love you, honey. Don't you ever forget that." She hugged him as the space around him blurred. He woke up, determined to escape. Searching for a way out, he approached the window and realized he was small enough to fit through the bars. Straightening his wings, he forced himself through the bars, falling down the building near a river. Colliding with a floating log, he nearly drowned but managed to hold on and float downstream, hoping to reach the riverbank. As the current grew rougher and faster, he spotted a distant waterfall. Despite his efforts to swim to safety, the powerful current overwhelmed him, injuring him and causing him to collide with driftwood, rendering him unconscious.