Stephen carefully scanned his surroundings, scrutinizing every detail with his eyes. He had fulfilled Catherine's requests diligently, double-checking everything. Finally, he prepared to leave for work under the pretext of going to the field for a few hours of labor. Simultaneously, he knew he had to keep an eye on his younger sister, Annabel.

Turning to Stephen with a disgruntled expression, Catherine asked, "Why did you do Annabel's chores?" Furrowing his brows, he uneasily settled into the chair. As he straightened his skirt, he reached for the red and white fan on the nearby side table, slowly fanning himself. The air was so hot that Catherine was sweating even without exerting herself. She waited for his response.

Stephen looked into Catherine's eyes and said, "Annabel is still too young. She can't handle these tasks." Catherine responded with a mocking smile, "She's a girl, she should do women's work. You're a man, you should do the heavy lifting."

Stephen, resolutely, said, "Annabel is only 8 years old. Can't you do it?"

Catherine, angrily retorted, "She will marry one day, serve her husband. She needs to learn these skills. And look at me. Look at my clothes. Do I look like a woman who would do work?"

Stephen knew his family's financial situation wasn't great, but Catherine would go on a big shopping spree every few months, splurging on jewelry, expensive clothes, and accessories.

Where does she get all that money from? Stephen wondered.

Not wanting to argue further, Stephen decided to close the discussion and concede to Catherine. "No, you don't. But I had one more request from you. It's not a job request, though," he said, knowing it wouldn't be accepted.

"What is this request?"

"I want to receive magic training, Miss Catherine, to protect myself and my loved ones."

Catherine scrutinized him with contemptuous eyes. "I don't think you'll be successful in magic."

"I'll work very hard, I'll make the most of the money you spend. Please..."

Catherine looked at Stephen mockingly. "I don't understand why Jason cares about you so much. You're not even his child. We don't even know whose child you are. Maybe you're some whore's child."

Stephen trembled with anger at Catherine's insult. He clenched his fist and shouted with rage, "How dare you call my mother a whore?!"

Raising his voice, his eyes blazing with fire, his body tensed.

Catherine replied with a threatening smile, "And how do you dare to speak to me like this? Look at me, kid. Get out of here, go to your room. Or you'll have to taste my fire." As she spoke, a sphere of fire suddenly appeared in her hand and she waved it menacingly in the air, "Seems like you've got some guts today."

Though filled with anger, Stephen restrained himself because he didn't fully know how to do magic. He didn't want to die just yet. The small hope within him gave him the will to live. He quickly formed a plan in his mind.

Since he entered adolescence, he knew he was adopted. He didn't resemble his father or his deceased mother. His father had hazel eyes and light brown hair, while Stephen had blonde hair and deep blue eyes. His father had a Roman nose and thick eyebrows, while Stephen was the opposite. There was no resemblance between him and his sister Annabel either.

He took a deep breath before speaking again, knowing he couldn't change Catherine's mind no matter what he did. He quickly walked away and went to his room. His sister Annabel was there, sewing Catherine's torn clothes.

"Welcome back, brother," she said with a smile. Her eyes sparkled with happiness when she saw her brother.

Stephen smiled tiredly and said, "Thank you. I've done the other tasks Catherine gave you, Annabel. You don't have to strain yourself." Seeing his sister's happiness gave him some energy.

"Thank you isn't enough for you, brother," Annabel said sincerely.

"You don't need to thank me. It's my duty as a brother."

He gently let go of his sister and stood up. He walked towards his bed and counted the money he had hidden under the blanket. He knew they would soon escape from here. His first task was to find his real family.

Annabel asked anxiously, "But what about our father?"

Stephen, with a determined expression, said, "We won't see him until he leaves that woman." He hid the money again and left the room with determined steps. He was also trying to be quiet. He opened the door of the house, and he hadn't been noticed yet. He started walking quickly. In a short while, he reached a wooded area.

As Stephen progressed through the forest, the sunlight filtering through the trees cast a pleasant warmth on his tired body. The gentle breeze, accompanied by the rustle of leaves, created the melody of nature, soothing him. The silence within the forest allowed his footsteps to echo. As he scanned his surroundings, he felt enchanted by the mysterious and magical atmosphere of nature.

As he moved deeper into the forest, the light filtering through the branches created dancing shadows on the ground. The lush green leaves swayed gently with the touch of the wind. Stephen felt small in the face of this natural beauty. As he journeyed through the forest, a sense of tranquility slowly enveloped him.

It was one of those rare moments when he felt a true enjoyment of life, but it didn't last long. Eventually, he reached the blacksmith's place. It was time for work now.

⚔️⚔️⚔️

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and bid farewell to his master. The evening was slowly descending. He needed to get home. He set out on the road. Initially, he walked slowly, but soon he quickened his pace, and after a while, he began to run. He needed to reach home quickly.

Lately, the number of werewolves had increased significantly, and the disease was spreading faster than before. The organization didn't want this disease to spread further, so they imposed restrictions on going out at night. Especially areas near the forest were strictly monitored. Werewolves were more commonly found there. The organization had also managed to make agreements with the kingdoms. For about 10 years, cities and forested areas were controlled by royal guards. If Stephen didn't hurry, he could be caught by the guards.

Suddenly, a strange glow caught his attention in the forest. His eyes turned towards the source of the glow. A blue light rising from an area filled with trees contrasted with its surroundings. This mysterious glow only heightened Stephen's curiosity. Although he wanted to look at the source of the glow, he decided against it. He didn't want to be late. Maybe someone is hunting, but that doesn't make sense either. Who hunts at this hour?

As he walked a few steps away, he noticed the glow had disappeared. When he took a few steps back, the glow was there again. He could no longer suppress his curiosity. He thought it wouldn't hurt to go and take a quick look.

Inside, it looked calm. There was no sound. He started following the glow. He walked a little further and stopped. Besides his own footsteps, he heard another sound of footsteps. A feeling of fear quickly enveloped him.

Is it a guard? Maybe it's a werewolf.

Trying not to care, he continued on his way. After walking a little further, the narrow path filled with trees ended, opening up into a wide area. In the middle of the clearing, on the ground, there was a sword. Stephen stared in awe at this magnificent sword.

The hilt of the sword was adorned with handcrafted golden patterns, each detail showing mastery and delicacy. The blade of the sword dazzled with its bright silver color, offering a mesmerizing sight with its shimmer reflecting the moonlight. The transparent, blue gem at its base emitted a mysterious aura. This sword seemed to possess a power beyond that of an ordinary weapon.

Stephen approached the sword to examine it more closely. As he took steps towards the sword, the surrounding silence intensified. Besides the echoing footsteps in the forest, there was no other sound.

The branches of the trees danced with the gentle breeze, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Stephen's heart pounded with excitement, as if this sword would open the doors to a new world. When his fingers touched the golden patterns of the hilt, he felt a slight vibration. The aura he had felt before was now even more intense. Curiosity and excitement welled up inside him. But before he could fully enjoy this magical moment, an unexpected sound startled him.

"Ay, lad! What are you doing there?" a harsh voice rang out. Stephen froze in fear, quickly stepping back. The guards approached rapidly, and the sword suddenly vanished.

"He stole the Justice Sword! Seize him!" one of the guards shouted. Despite Stephen's protests of innocence, the guards didn't believe him.

"Your fate will be determined by our duke, whether you live or die. Now hand over the Justice Sword!" they threatened him.

Stephen tried to escape with one last hope, but he stumbled and found himself on the ground. The guards teleported beside him swiftly.

"There's no other choice now but to hand over that sword. Don't resist, give it here!"