Third Person POV
Sophie, worried: "How long will this last? It's been 3 weeks already."
Leo: "This really isn't normal, even among those with mixed aura. Enlightenment shouldn't take this long; that's an immense amount of qi."
Ethan: "When do you think it will end?"
An old man's voice: "Give it four or five more days at most."
Sweat dripping from his forehead, Leo turns to find a tall, old man with long white hair, extremely long eyebrows, a hunched back, and gentle grandfatherly features. He wears a white robe with the kanji for 'love' on the front and a phoenix with three golden feathers on its head on the back. "Who is this? When did he arrive?"
Leo leaps and kicks with his right foot beside the old man, causing an energy shield to wrap around the man. Leo then steps back to stand in front of Kiran.
Leo: "Who are you?"
Old man: "Where are my manners? I am Musa, the third elder of the Phoenix Guild from the Kebab World, one of the ten higher realms."
Ethan, amazed: "Higher realms?"
Leo: "Aren't those just myths?"
Musa: "Hohoho, certainly not, young one." He looks at Kiran. "But it's surprising that this child possesses so much qi, especially from a lower realm like this."
Leo: "What have you come here for?"
Musa, confidently: "To take the child with me, of course."
Leo: "As if I'll let you take my little brother while I'm alive."
Musa raises his hands in front of him: "Why the violence and agitation, young man? I came here peacefully, and besides, keeping the child here will kill his talent."
Kiran's POV
Kiran, in awe: "This place is amazing." Suddenly, a door appears in the middle of nowhere. Kiran opens it impulsively and finds himself floating in front of an orphanage. Suddenly, a slender woman covered by a cloak appears. Approaching her, he sees she has gentle features, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a mole under her left eye. Her eyes are full of tears, and she holds a basket with a small baby in it.
Kiran approaches her: "Don't cry, ma'am." But she doesn't respond. He tries to wipe her tears, but his hand passes through her.
The woman, tearfully: "I'm sorry, my little one. I wished you could stay with mommy, but they'll kill you." She kisses the baby's forehead.
An old man's voice: "Let's go, young lady, it's for his own good."
The woman reveals the baby.
Kiran: "He looks just like me, but my hair isn't like that."
Kiran's eyes meet the baby's, and the baby says, "Wake up..."
Third Person POV
A sharp gasp is heard.
Kiran wakes up, finding himself in the same sitting position. He looks up to see Ethan, Sophie, and Leo.
Sophie runs to Kiran and hugs him, crying.
Kiran, puzzled: "Why are you crying, Mama?"
Sophie: "It's nothing, sweetheart. I just missed you."
Kiran: "I missed you too."
Musa: "Congratulations on your awakening, young one."
Ethan, questioning: "Is it normal for his hair and eyes to change color?"
Musa, stroking his beard: "Normally, no. But his hair must have changed due to the density and purity of the qi he possesses. As for his eyes, they must have been sealed and were stimulated during his awakening. This is the first time I've seen eyes like these."
Kiran looks at the old man, who has gentle grandfatherly features and is smiling kindly at him.
Kiran: "Who are you, Grandpa?"
Musa: "I am Musa, and from today, I will be your teacher."
Kiran tilts his head to the side: "My teacher?"
Leo: "Mr. Musa came from far away to train you in using qi because you are incredibly talented. But the problem is, you'll have to go with him."
Kiran, clinging tightly to Sophie: "I don't want to leave Mama and Papa and my siblings. I also don't want to leave Uncle Paul who gives me an apple every morning from his orchard and my friends in the village." He then cries intensely. "Don't leave me, Mama."
Leo, with a pained expression, attempts to strike Kiran on the neck to knock him out, but Kiran's qi reacts on its own to protect him.
Musa, impressed: "This is amazing, truly amazing."
To be continued in the next chapters.....