In the quiet town where Kateku and his mother lived, they resided in a grand mansion that was peaceful and remote. After fleeing the royal capital, Kateku's mother had brought him here, far away from the political scheming and power struggles of the empire.
One afternoon, a curious Kateku overheard some of the maids talking about the seven families, a common subject of intrigue in the royal capital. Wondering what it was all about, he approached one of the maids and asked, "What do you know about the seven families?"
The maid, after glancing around cautiously, bent down and whispered, "Well, there's a little secret not many know. Long ago, there weren't just seven families. There were ten. But three of them were destroyed by the emperor, leaving the first family as the direct descendants."
This revelation made Kateku's mind race, wondering what exactly had happened to those lost families and how his own family fit into the story. That night, his mother came to his room as usual to read him a bedtime story, one that had been passed down for generations.
"It's a story about the First Battle of the Overworld," she began, her voice soft but filled with reverence. "A golden dragon fought against a mysterious group of people in suits, their faces appearing as though they were from outer space. The battle was fierce, but the dragon was eventually defeated. When the planet's gravity shifted, another planet crashed into it, bringing chaos. Two twin dragons, made of ice, shot beams at the sky, freezing the world in place, and in doing so, they closed all dimensional doors. And so, the world stood frozen."
As his mother closed the book, Kateku pondered the strange tale. *Is this really how all the rich kids go to sleep?* he wondered, slightly baffled but intrigued.
The next morning, his curiosity couldn't be contained any longer. He ventured into the mansion's vast library, a place filled with ancient books, scrolls, and relics. Kateku started scouring the shelves, looking for something hidden, a clue to the mysteries he was beginning to uncover. After hours of searching, he found a secret door in the back of the room. Beyond it lay a small, dusty chamber with an old book resting on a pedestal. The book had intricate drawings on the cover, and although Kateku couldn't read the strange script inside, the pictures intrigued him.
Determined, he brought the book back to his room and studied it carefully, trying to mimic the illustrations. He followed the instructions, but nothing seemed to happen. Disappointed, he walked around the house, lost in thought. He wondered what the book could mean and why he couldn't unlock its secrets.
Later, as Kateku absentmindedly wandered through the mansion, something extraordinary occurred. His deep concentration caused a ripple of magic to fill the entire house. The maids immediately sensed the magic and hurried to inform his mother. But surprisingly, she didn't seem alarmed. She simply told them, "Let him be."
That night, the magic within Kateku's room suddenly surged and exploded, sending a shockwave of magicules throughout the mansion. His mother rushed to his room, fearing for his safety. But when she arrived, she found him completely unharmed, though something was amiss. Sensing that something was deeply wrong, she activated her mana vision to examine him.
To her shock, she saw that Kateku had no mana core. And yet, he was still breathing, alive and seemingly normal. This discovery filled her with dread—how could someone without a mana core be alive, let alone have caused such a powerful magical explosion?
Kateku's mother stood frozen, her eyes wide as her mana vision revealed the impossible—her son, the boy who had just unleashed a wave of pure magic, had no mana core. The sight left her breathless. She had always suspected there was something special about Kateku, but this defied everything she knew about magic, life, and the world itself.
"How...?" she whispered to herself, taking a step closer to Kateku, who was lying peacefully on his bed, as if nothing had happened.
In that moment, she recalled ancient legends—whispers of beings who existed outside the natural order, those who didn't follow the laws of mana, and were capable of breaking reality itself. Beings that could shape the world with just their will, unbound by the limits of the mortal realm. Could her son be one of those? Was he something beyond what the world understood?
Gently, she placed her hand on his forehead. He felt warm, and despite the surge of magic that had just rocked the mansion, his breathing remained calm, his face peaceful, as if he hadn't just unleashed a magical force no ordinary child should be capable of.
*No mana core,* she repeated in her mind, trying to grasp the implications. If word got out, the empire—the entire world—would turn its gaze on him. He would become a target, a tool for power, or worse, a threat to be eliminated. She couldn't let that happen. Not to her son.
Determined, she made up her mind. She had to protect him at all costs. The truth of Kateku's nature would have to remain hidden, even from him, until the time was right.
"K-Kateku..." she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I'll protect you. Whatever you are, whatever you become, I'll make sure no one harms you."
As she stood there, watching over him, Kateku slowly opened his eyes, his usual calm expression returning. He glanced at his mother, sensing something was wrong. "Mother? What's the matter?"
She forced a smile, stroking his hair. "Nothing, dear. You've just had a... long night."
Kateku sat up, noticing the lingering traces of magic in the room. He felt different—stronger, somehow—but didn't understand why. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," his mother said quickly, shaking her head. "You did nothing wrong. You're special, Kateku. More special than you can imagine. But for now, just rest. The world... the world isn't ready for you yet."
Kateku, still puzzled by the strange feeling within him, nodded. He trusted his mother's words, though deep down, he knew there were mysteries about himself he had yet to uncover.
As the night grew darker and the mansion settled into silence once more, his mother left the room with a heavy heart. She knew their lives would never be the same again. The knowledge of what Kateku had done would haunt her every moment. But she would keep it hidden—for his sake.
Outside the mansion, under the stars, the winds whispered through the trees, carrying with them an ancient power, as if the world itself was watching Kateku. Unseen by anyone, a faint glow emanated from the old book he had found earlier, lying abandoned on his desk. Its pages fluttered slightly, as though stirred by an unseen force, and the drawings inside shifted subtly, as if alive.
The book, now aware of Kateku's potential, awaited the day he would open it again—and unlock the truth of his boundless power.
The story of Kateku Grox had only just begun.