The sounds of laughter echoed through the quiet alley as a young boy with green hair and eyes ran ahead.

"Come on, shortie! Try catch up with me!" He yelled while laughing.

Far behind him was another boy. He was pale looking with skinny body and disheveled black hair. His eyes were dull and he barely could run.

"Sto-stop!" He tried yelling but his voice was barely above a whisper. He stopped running and placed his both hands on his knees to catch his breath and the boy with green hair also stopped running, turned around and began to laugh.

"Hahahah, don't tell me you are already tired," he taunted. "Don't you want your necklace back, huh?" He asked and raised his hand. A silver-chained necklace with a unique pendant came into view. "I could sell it and use the money to buy some stuffs for us, how about that?" He laughed while staring at the necklace.

"Alex, just give me back my stuff!" The pale-looking boy said and started running again.

The green-haired boy also began to run again until he arrived at the last place — A dead end.

"Oops;" he sighed and turned around, although he was not scared. "Well, I don't have anywhere else to run to," he said to the pale boy.

"You aren't supposed to be doing all these, Alex," the pale boy said as he arrived. "Hand my stuff back to me, hmmmm."

"What is so special about this necklace?" Alex asked, staring at the necklace with no much interest again.

"That is none of your business! Just give it back to me!" He yelled but Alex began to laugh.

"Okay. I will give you back if only you are capable of withstanding three blows from my spell," Alex replied with a smirk on his face. Without waiting for the pale boy to say something, he began. "Fire magic, first grade! Scorching whip!"

A long dancing flaming whip appeared in his hand and then he raised it up. "Let me see if you can withstand my scorching whip!" He yelled with a wide grin and swung the long whip towards the boy.

The pale boy had no where to run to and as such, the whip came, crashing down on him.

"Ah!" A loud shout escaped from his lips as he fell to his knees. It landed on his left shoulder and the spot caught fire immediately. Seeing that he was about to get burnt, he took off his worn-out coat and flung it away, leaving only a body covered in terrible cut marks.

"Look out those wounds on your body, hahahah!" Alex taunted. "I'm sure you got them from stealing foods in the market for that old hag you're staying with, hahahah!"

"You bastard! How dare you insult my grandma!" The pale boy, not minding the pain he was having yelled angrily.

When Ember was born, an ominous sign appeared in the sky which has never happened before. Out of fear, his parents abandoned him inside a bush but a kind hearted old lady saw him and carried him. When the villagers head this, they then drove her out of the village. She had no choice but to leave her place of birth and move to another village with baby Ember.

The old lady did her best to bring Ember up and when he had finally grown into a young boy of fifteen years, he decided that he must do whatever it takes him to take care of her.

But unfortunately, unlike every other kid in Sash village, he had no magic and as such, people avoided him and treated him like a plague. That was why he had no job to do. So, instead of begging and not getting any help, he would rather go around the market place stealing food for him and his old grandma. He was caught many times and dealt with, still, he wouldn't give up and continued to steal.

To Ember, the old woman that took him in despite all the things said about him was everything to him. He would rather die than see her go hungry. And he hated when someone insults her. So Alex insulting his grandma... meant he was was asking for trouble.

"How dare you call my grandma names!" He yelled again.

"What are you going to do?" Alex asked and continued to laugh. He was unaware that Ember was preparing for a swift attack.

"You can call me all sort of names, I don't care. But calling my grandma names? I won't buy it!" He said and rose to his feet.

"Oh?" Alex mumbled. "You are already up, that means you are ready for another attack." He grinned and raised the whip again. But just before he could carry out another assault, Ember moved.

His movement was quick and subtle. Alex didn't know when he moved or how he was able to move that quickly, the only time he realized what was happening was when Ember was only a breath away from him.

"I would never have you insult my grandma again!" Ember said to him, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You—" Before Alex could finish, a heavy blow landed on his jaw and he was sent flying into the air.

~boom~

A loud noice echoed as he landed to the ground.

Ember hissed and went over to pick his necklace from the ground. He looked at it carefully, making sure that it has not broken, and when he was done, he heaved a sigh and wore it back on his neck.

This necklace; his grandma told him that he was born holding the pendant tightly inside his right palm. According to her, no one was able to open his palm, not even her. It finally opened when he clocked three years. She said...

"My child, I don't know what kind of thing that is, but you must hold on tightly to it. It might come in handy some day."

He had wanted for many times sell it but whenever he remembered his grandma's warnings, he refrained from it. He was relieved knowing that he had gotten his necklace back.

"You... What the heck did you do to me!" Alex grumbled.

"That I don't have magic doesn't mean I can't fight," he replied and turned to leave but just then, someone appeared.