As Clei stepped through the door, a familiar scent welcomed him—the faint, earthy aroma of aged wood and old books. It was as though time had stood still in this small home nestled deep within the Great Forest of Althea. The air was thick with memories, lingering in the quiet corners of the house.
His eyes drifted over the room. Everything was just as he had left it.
By the door, a few pairs of old slippers sat neatly arranged in a small cabinet. Above it, a woolen jacket hung on a hook, untouched and slightly faded. His gaze fell on a sword lying next to the wall, its hilt still glinting faintly in the dim light. He paused, staring at the weapon for a moment, lost in thought, before quietly making his way further into the house.
As he stepped through another door, the sight of the small, modest dining area greeted him. A wooden table stood at the center of the room, flanked by two simple chairs. On the table, a few plates and cups were scattered, long untouched. A folded piece of paper lay in the cleanest corner, worn from being handled too many times.
Clei sat down in the chair closest to the letter, his movements slow, almost hesitant. He reached for the paper, unfolding it with care, though he already knew its contents by heart. His eyes skimmed the familiar words.
———
Dear Clei,
Father is really sorry that he won't be able to accompany you on your 14th birthday. A lot of things have happened, and... I'm not sure whether we'll be able to meet again. I know you have a lot of questions, but as things stand, I won't be able to answer them. Maybe in the future—if we ever have the chance to meet again.
However, I'm going to leave you this house and everything inside it. Once you think you're capable enough, you should go to one of the kingdoms—perhaps Serdin or Lydia—and begin your life there. The Great Forest of Althea might be your home, our home, but you need to meet and talk with other people. With your talent, as soon as you enter any of the major cities, I'm sure it won't be too hard for you to adjust.
My child, you should live your life to the fullest. Take care, Clei.
Your Proud Father, Laurel
———
Clei placed the letter gently onto the table, his gaze unfocused, his mind swirling with emotions. "Father..." he whispered to the empty room, his voice barely audible. "Your son, Clei, still doesn't know what to do."
Exhaustion weighed on him, not just from the long run through the forest, but from the turmoil that churned in his heart. He rested his head on the table, closing his eyes against the flood of memories. The letter had brought the familiar ache back to the surface, a reminder of his father's sudden disappearance and the countless questions left unanswered.
Within minutes, Clei drifted into a fitful sleep.
He awoke in the dead of night. The house was cold and still, save for the occasional creak of the wooden beams as the wind howled outside. Stretching his stiff limbs, Clei realized he had fallen asleep at the table instead of in his bedroom. His stomach growled, and after a few moments, he stood up to rummage through a nearby container for food.
He found a few ripe apples, biting into one as he returned to the chair. The silence of the night pressed in on him as he ate, and his thoughts inevitably wandered back to his father's letter. Laurel had encouraged him to leave the forest, to go to one of the kingdoms and find his place in the wider world. Clei had spent the past four years training, honing his skills, but had avoided leaving Althea.
In truth, the thought of going to the cities filled him with unease. His only human interactions since his father's disappearance had been brief, violent encounters with bandits. The solitude of the forest had become his refuge, and though it was a lonely existence, it was safe and familiar.
He had devoted himself entirely to training—strengthening his mental force, battling magical beasts, and deepening his knowledge of magic. His days were consumed by meditation, study, and the occasional skirmish. The books his father had left behind, detailing the history of Falstne and the secrets of magic, had been his only companions.
But now, those books had been read and reread. He had learned all he could from them, and with each passing day, his life in the forest had grown increasingly stagnant.
Clei sighed, staring at the apple in his hand, though his mind was far from it. He knew that venturing to a kingdom would open new opportunities—training with other mages, and accessing knowledge beyond what he could find in the forest. But the thought of re-entering human society filled him with dread. The memories of his childhood still haunted him—the fear and hatred in the eyes of those who had cast him out.
He wasn't sure he could trust anyone again.
"If it weren't for Father…" Clei muttered, his voice barely audible in the dark. The only reason he still held a thread of hope for humanity was because of his father's kindness. And yet, the thought of leaving the forest and trusting others again filled him with a deep sense of unease.
The dilemma weighed heavily on him. His father had clearly wanted him to leave, to find his place in the world beyond the forest. But Clei wasn't ready. He didn't trust the world that had once rejected him, and he wasn't certain that he ever would.
"I need to focus," Clei whispered to himself. "I need to become an Adept Mage first. After that... I'll decide."
With that, he stood and made his way to a vacant room next to his bedroom. Sitting down in the center of the room, he crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began to focus on the flow of energy around him.
The air thickened almost immediately, swirling with the subtle yet powerful force of the world essence. Clei had grown accustomed to feeling the world essence coursing through the atmosphere. It was a natural energy that filled every inch of the world, invisible yet omnipresent.
For mages, this essence was the lifeblood of their power. By absorbing and refining it, they could increase their mental force, allowing them to cast more powerful spells. But not everyone could sense or absorb the essence—it was a privilege reserved for those who had awakened to their magical potential.
Clei had begun his journey as a mage when he was just eight years old, inspired by the way his father seemed to control fire with ease. But learning magic had not been the wondrous experience he had imagined. The path had been brutal, painful, and filled with setbacks. The process of absorbing world essence had nearly broken him. His body had rejected the essence time and time again, leaving him bedridden for days.
Only after countless failed attempts had he finally begun to harness the essence without pain. And even then, his progress had been slow.
Years of meditation, discipline, and relentless practice had followed. He had advanced to the level of an Advanced Mage, but the journey ahead was still long. To become an Adept Mage, he would need to triple the size of his mental space—a process that could take years.
Yet despite all his progress, Clei felt stuck. He was strong enough to defeat most of the magical beasts in the safer parts of the forest, but too weak to venture into the truly dangerous areas. His growth had plateaued, and the isolation of the forest offered no new challenges.
His father had told him that when this day came, Clei would need to make a choice: seek out the challenges of a kingdom or risk venturing into the perilous areas of the Great Forest of Althea. Clei had avoided making that decision for as long as he could, but he knew he couldn't delay it forever.
As he meditated, his mind wandered once again to the problem at hand. Should he stay, isolated and safe but stagnant? Or should he seek the unknown dangers beyond his current reach?
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a series of thunderous booms that shook the ground beneath him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
His eyes snapped open, his heart racing. The explosions echoed through the forest, coming from a direction not far from his home.
Clei leapt to his feet, quickly donning his black mask. He dashed outside, his senses heightened, his focus sharpened as he scanned the horizon. The source of the noise was clear—the restricted zone, a place he had been warned about his entire life.
His father's voice echoed in his mind, "Never go there. The Battle Mammoth lives within."
But there was no time for hesitation. Something was happening, something that could change everything.
Without a second thought, Clei sprinted toward the forbidden area, his heart pounding in his chest.