As the soldiers prepared for their mission, Zodd sought out Neel. The old seer lived in isolation within the castle walls, a relic of a forgotten time. Neel's bony fingers trembled as he felt Zodd's approach.
Though nearly blind, his mind was as sharp as ever."I see you've come for guidance, my king," Neel rasped, his voice dry like parchment."I don't need your riddles, Neel. Tell me where the woman and her child are hiding," Zodd demanded.Neel, weary from years of trying to steer the king back toward the path of the ancients, shook his head. "The prophecy cannot be undone by force, Zodd. The chosen one will rise when the time is right. You can hunt them all you want, but fate is not something you can control."Zodd's lip curled in anger.
He grabbed the old seer by his robes, pulling him close. "I am fate. I will destroy the prophecy and crush anyone who threatens my rule."Neel's eyes, though clouded by age, glimmered with a strange light. "You cannot kill the winds, nor drown the sea, Zodd. The child is born. The mark has been given. And when the time comes, nature will bend to his will, not yours."Zodd released him with a growl and stormed out of the chamber.
Neel's words echoed in his mind, but he refused to accept them. He would find the boy, and he would crush him before he ever had a chance to fulfill the prophecy.
Aric was six years old when he first realized he was different. His mother, Elara, had always told him he was special, that the forest itself had chosen him. But it wasn't until the day the river flooded that he truly understood.They had been gathering herbs along the banks of the Garel River when the skies suddenly darkened. Rain began to pour, turning the once calm waters into a raging torrent.
The river swelled, threatening to overflow and sweep everything in its path. Elara grabbed Aric's hand, pulling him away from the rising water, but it was too fast. The river burst over its banks, rushing toward them like an angry beast.Panic set in as Elara lost her footing, falling into the mud, her grip on Aric slipping. He watched in horror as the river surged forward.
But then, something within him stirred. A deep, ancient force, a power that had always been a part of him, now rose to the surface.With a cry, Aric raised his hands. The rushing water slowed, then stopped entirely, as if held in place by an invisible barrier. His small body trembled with the effort, but the power flowed through him, a connection to the earth itself. The river obeyed him.Elara, soaked and breathless, stared at her son in awe. "Aric," she whispered, "you… you did that."