Meanwhile, Thorus is in the shop...
"Do you prefer avocados or mangos?" asked the shopkeeper.
Thorus stared at both of them, unsure. "I don't know, never been shopping before. I have only known prices of weapons all my life"
She laughed. "Your wife usually shops, doesn't she? What brings you here today?"
He shrugged. "Ahh, she's preparing for the winter, so it's my turn."
The shopkeeper beamed. "These mangoes are from the Abeian Empire. Very good quality."
Thorus considered the fruit, still feeling out of place. "I should take both. They both look nice."
As he left the shop, a group of drunken men approached. "Future Lord, how are you?" one slurred with a grin.
Thorus smiled back. "Drinking this early? Not even dusk"
One of them threw an arm over Thorus's shoulder. "It's been sunny all morning. Perfect time for a drink, don't you think?"
Thorus chuckled. "You just need an excuse."
They all laughed together, but as Thorus continued his walk home, he noticed a shift. The air, once warm, was now chilly. "Why is it suddenly this cold?" He glanced at the sky; dark clouds rolled in, replacing the clear blue from earlier. "The guys said the weather was pleasant… didn't they notice?"
Suddenly, a deafening crackle filled the air. It came from the direction of his house.
Panic surged through him. Thorus sprinted toward home, though each step grew harder as strong winds buffeted him. The temperature plummeted. His heart raced, the wind howling louder than his thoughts. As he rounded the final corner, his eyes widened in shock.
A chunk of his house was missing. Debris floated in the air, swirling as if caught in an invisible storm. And there, in the center of it all, was Ales - his son - hovering mid-air, bricks and wood orbiting him like planets around a sun. His eyes glowed an unnatural red.
Anna's voice pierced the chaos, frantic and trembling. "Somebody save my son!"
Thorus's body fought against the wind as he struggled to move closer, but it felt as if time itself was against him. Every step forward was met with a stronger gust pushing him back.
Then, without warning, everything stopped.
Time itself seemed to freeze. The howling wind silenced, the flying debris halted in midair. Even the sky seemed frozen in place. Thorus couldn't move. He couldn't hear. He couldn't even breathe but somehow, he wasn't suffocating. His mind raced, though the world around him was suspended, eerily still.
In an instant, time resumed.
Before Thorus could comprehend what had just happened, Ales plummeted from the sky. Thorus lunged forward, arms outstretched. He caught his son just before he hit the ground. Ales's eyes opened briefly. His right eye is still glowing red.
"Thorus?" he whispered weakly before closing his eyes again.
Thorus held him tight, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked up to see Anna rushing toward them, tears in her eyes, her face etched with fear and confusion.
A Few Hours Later – In the Chief's House
"You did a fine job bringing Ales here," said the chief, holding Ales's small hand as he lay unconscious. "Please, come to the other room and let him rest."
Thorus and Anna reluctantly followed, stepping into a dimly lit chamber, where a maid gestured for them to sit. The worry in Anna's voice broke the silence as she asked, "What's wrong with my child?"
The chief sighed, nodding for the maids to leave the room before speaking. "He must have been the chosen one."
Anna's eyes widened. "The chosen one?"
Thorus, always skeptical, frowned. "Chosen one? As in, a hero? Like King Julius?"
The chief stroked his beard, a slow, thoughtful motion. "No, no, nothing like that," he said, walking to a nearby chest. He rummaged through old clothes and rusted daggers before pulling out a brittle scroll. "This scroll may look worn, but its words are centuries old."
He coughed, unrolling it, revealing faded but legible text.
"With power vast, in aura's might,
Your choices shape the endless night.
It's not the stars that guide your way,
But the destiny you forge each day."
The chief's voice carried the weight of history as he recited the lines. "This is what my ancestors wrote about the chosen one."
Thorus's voice was thick with emotion. "Why him? Why our son?"
The chief shook his head slowly. "I don't know. But let's just say... being the chosen one has its quirks."
"Quirks?" Anna asked. "Like what? The ability to master any magic?"
The chief laughed softly. "No, not even King Julius had that kind of power. It's more like... limitless aura capacity."
Thorus's face turned pale as he stood, his chair scraping the floor. "Limitless aura?"
The chief nodded gravely. Anna, her voice trembling, asked, "What does this mean? What must he do?"
"For now," the chief answered, "he must learn magic. He must attend Tre Magic University."
"The capital city?" Thorus slammed his fist onto the table, his voice booming with outrage. "He's too young!"
Anna, tears spilling down her cheeks, echoed her husband's concerns. "He's just a child. He's too young."
"I know," the chief said, his voice heavy with the burden of what he had to say. "But his destiny must be forged with skill and might. If we leave his power unchecked, he could become a danger.. To himself and to others."
Thorus sat back, the weight of the situation sinking in. "He could be used by the military," he muttered bitterly.
The chief stroked his beard again, considering. "The government doesn't test children under ten, but we have no choice. If he isn't trained, they may lock him up or worse, he may become an experiment."
Anna sobbed, her voice desperate. "But we don't need to tell anyone. We can keep this a secret!"
The chief shook his head. "What if his aura goes berserk like the monsters? His power is... vast. More than a million men combined. We can't hide it forever."
Thorus stood, anger in his eyes. "Are you implying our son could become a monster?"
The chief met his gaze. "If we do nothing, that's exactly what I'm saying."
Thorus collapsed back into his chair, overwhelmed, while Anna wept against his shoulder.
In the adjacent room, Ales stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and though he was weak, he heard them speaking in hushed tones. Faintly, their voices reached him.
"We must not reveal this secret to anyone," said the chief.
Ales's mind raced, his body too tired to move. His small voice whispered into the stillness, barely audible. "I saw them. They planned this."