Although the woman had a few wrinkles on her face, showing she was no longer young, she looked as though she were in her twenties. Her straight black hair fell to her waist, and her eyes sparkled as if they held stars within them.
She was Shannon Miller, Ned's mother.
"He's here, honey" Willard shouted from the living room.
Hearing her husband's voice, Shannon quickly entered the room, her sharp gaze locking onto Ned like a predator ready to strike.
"Where were you?" she demanded, her voice fiery. "I searched everywhere in town, and you were nowhere to be found! You better have a good explanation for this"
Ned's mind raced, desperatly trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't result in a severe punishment from his mother.
"Dear, I think the most important thing now is to explain everything to him and Lucas!" Willard interject, trying to pacify her. "We have already taken up too much Albert's time."
"Not at all, Not at all" Albert said quickly, his expression clearly showing that he would love to see Shannon scoulding Ned.
"Damn it!" Ned thought, glaring at his teacher,"I really need someday teach that old man a lesson."
"Fine..."sight Shannon, reluctantly supressing her anger" I suppose you're right."
In that moment, relief washed over Ned, because he knew that if he played his cards right, he might survive this ordeal unscathed.
"Take a seat, boys" Willard said, gesturing toward two empty chairs,"Your teacher will explain the test, and I'll add any information he migh miss."
"Tha sounds perfect" Albert agreed.
"This test isn't just important for the lives of our citizens— it's crucial for the survival of the country as well"Willard continued,"Rio Vento, like all other nations, must constantly fight against the demons. Using artifacts and superior numbers, we've managed to creat a safe haven for humankind, however we must fight to maintain our small territory on this continent."
"As a result," Albert added,"those with high mana talent are invited to academies to be trained and prepared. You might have talent as an archer, warrior, priest or magician."
Lucas leaned forward, his curiosity evident. "How will we know which one we're suited for?"
"The soldiers conducting the test will use an artifact to measure your affinity with the four types of mana," Albert explained." If your talent lies in Ethereal mana, you'll likely be trained as an archer. For Ironclade mana, you'll be a warrior. Divine mana, leads to a priest, and Arcane mana, to become a magician."
"Is it possible for someone to have no mana aptitude at all ?" asked Ned, intrigued, as this was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
After pondering for a moment, Albert replied, "I've never heard of that happening. It's common, however, for people to have such low aptitude that they barely reach Level 1. That's the case for your family and me."
Surprised, the boys glanced at Willard and Shennon, who were quietly listening to Albert's explanation.
"If it's so common for people to have mana aptitude, why is this the first time we're hearing about it?" Lucas and Ned asked in unison.
"Because it can be dangerous for kids to learn about mana too early," Albert explained. "As a result, the royal family forbids discussing mana with anyone under twelve. if someone is caught spreading information about mana for children, they'll face a hefty fine of twenty-five gold coins and receive a severe punishment.Of course, it's hard to control in lage cities, but in a small town like ours, enforcement is easier."
"Why it's dangerous?" the boys asked.
"You'll understand once you start practicing mana"Willard interjected,"If your talent is strong enought to surpass Level 2, you'll be recruited"
"How do we know our talent level?" Ned asked.
"Well..."Albert said, taking a moment to organize his toughts."There are five aptitude levels: extremely low, low , medium, high, and extremely high."
"Less than 1% of the population has extremely low aptitude," he continued. "These individuals often struggle to reach even Level 1 and usually lead difficult lives, relying on others to survive. Low aptitude is the most common, allowing people to reach Level 1 without much trouble. Medium aptitude is rare and enables individuals to reach Level 3 with ease. High aptitude allows progression to level 5, and extremaly high aptitude can take someone to legendary level 7."
"However," Albert added, " Having talent doesn't guarantee you'll reach those levels, just as a lack of aptitude doesn't mean you're doomed to failure"
After finishing, Albert took a sip of water, asking himself if hadn't forgotten to say anything.
The boys' minds buzzed as they tried to process the flood of information. However, the more they thought about it, the more questions bubbled up in in their heads.
Lucas raise his hand. "Teacher, you forgot the most important thing: when will the test take place?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Willard, but isn't it in five days?" Albert asked
"Yes, the examiner has already arrived in town, but will start testing the children in five five days," Willard confirmed
"Oh,it's already night," Albert said, glancing outside. "I should head home. If you boys have any questions, you know where to find me."
"Thank you very so much for helping us" Shannon said, smiling warmly.
"Don't worry; they're my students, after all."
With that, Albert made his way to the door while Willard accompanied him as they enchanging a few parting words.
The boys, overwhelmed by the day's revelations, began heading to their room, mentally exhausted. Just as they reached the stairs, a voice stopped them.
"Did you think I forgot about you, Ned?"asked Shannon, her earlier restrained anger now fully unleashed
Ned froze, realizing he had completely forgotten about his mother's , because of the information he'd received.
"Of course not, Mom," he said nervously, glancing toward Lucas—only to find his friend had already retreated to their room.
"Traitor"Thought Ned bitterly as his mother's scolding began.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Lucas sat on his bed, staring at the pendant with a large "B" engraved on it—the mark of his family surname, Brandley. His chest tightened as memories unbidden began to resurface.
They were at the dinner table, laughter filling the room as his parents exchanged playful jokes.The scent of roasted chicken and bacon lingered in the air,adding warmth to that moment. A sharp knock at the door shattered that moment. His father stood up, his usual warm demeanor replaced by a cautious tension.
"I'll get it,"he said, dissapering into the hallway. Moments later, he returned, his face pale, his eyes dark with worry.
"Everything okay, Dad?" Lucas had asked, but his father simply patted his shoulder and mumbled something about need to talk to his mother
That night, hushed voices filled the house, leaking from behind the closed door of his parent's room. The tom was low and urgent, laced with fear.
On the next morning, a stranger arrived— a man with stern face and a long coat. He exchanged words with his father at the door. Lucas stood on the stairs, watching silently. Before stepping out, his father, knelt in front of him, the pendant dangling from his hand.
"Until I come back" his father said, his voice steady but soft, "you're the man of the house, take care of your mother."
Lucas nodded, clutching the pendant tightly. He wanted to protest, to ask where his father was going, but the look in the man's eyes silence him. His father ruffled his hair, gave a fleeting smile, and disappeared through the door.
Lucas never saw him again.
Months later, the truth came—his father was dead. The news broke his mother. Day by day, she withered away, her sadness consuming until she was gone too. Lucas was left alone, a child adrift in a world that had taken everything from him. If not for Ned's family, he knew he would ended up in a orphanage. They had taken him in, fed him,clothed him, and treated him as one of their own.
Sitting there now, staring at the pendant, Lucas felt the weight of everything is symbolized. It was like his father's last words were still echoing in his ears." Take care of your mother". He had tried. God know how much he had tried. But now, five years later , all he had was the family that had saved him, and he silently vowed to protect them with everything he had.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Meanwhile, Ned trudged up the stairs to their shared room, his body still sore from Shannon's thorough scoulding. She had unleashed her fury on him, even imposing strict new rules: he now had to inform his parents whenever he left the house and always bring Lucas with him because, in her words, "Lucas is a responsible boy who can keep you out of trouble"
"At least she doesn't know about the bet at the inn..." Ned muttered under his breath, opening the door to their shared room.
Inside, Lucas sat on his bed, lost in thought, his pendant still in his hand.
"You're looking at that thing again?" Ned asked concern creeping into his voice.
"I was just thinking," Lucas replied softly, his voice heavy with emotion. "I have to show high aptitude in this test. With enought power, I'll never lose what's important to me again."
"Hey, you don't have to think about that" Ned said, trying to cheer up him, "have you forgotten? Teacher Albert always says I'm a sharp genius"
Lucas snorted, the faintest hint of a smile returning to his face. "Yeah, and he also says that if you spend less time lazing around, and more time focusing on your studies, you'd be famous."
"Well," Ned said, puffing his chest dramatically, "If a situation like the one with your parents ever happens again, I'll find a way to fix it. You can count on me"
"Thanks, Ned," Lucas said, the sadness fading from his eyes as determination took its place. "This time, if anything tries to destroy my second family, I'll be ready to stop it."
Relieved that he'd lightened his friend's mood, Ned sighed.
"Anyway, I'm exhausted," Lucas said, lying down. "I'll sleep now."
"Yeah, same here. Don't worry—I won't make any noise," Ned replied as he climbed into bed.
The room fell silent, save for the rhythmic sound of their breathing as the two boys drifted off into sleep. Their dreams were a chaotic mic of hope and fear, filled with visions of the future and the looming test that would define it.