Damien lived in the capital of the Empire of Entéroth called Idgard. He was a child from a noble family, specialized in wild boar hunting. His family even owned a vast estate where children and adults could indulge in this pastime for their pleasure.
From a young age, he had learned the art of hunting with his father, and he was quite good at it. However, over time, he had become too predictable, and as unlikely as it seemed, the beasts had learned to avoid him.
He thus turned to a more sophisticated method that had a better chance of achieving his goal: trap-making. He was seen as a heretic within his family, for having cultivated the traditional art of hunting for many generations; it was simply grotesque for him to think of changing the rules, so his family sidelined him.
Despite the prohibitions and blame, Damien still spent hours designing increasingly ingenious and practical traps to capture as many prey as possible. But he was not alone in this game.
A particularly clever and intelligent wild boar, almost endowed with human reasoning, whom he had nicknamed The Genius, always had an edge over whatever he could prepare. The Genius anticipated every trap, every movement.
Damien was fascinated by this adversary who seemed to have the ability to see the future. One day, he ventured a little too deep into the unassociated part of the estate to set traps before a hunt.
But one of his brothers, jealous that he seemed to be enjoying himself while flouting the family legacy by catching far more prey than him, had released the beasts a little too early.
Thus, they blended into the unassociated area where Damien was located, and while fleeing from them, he encountered traps he did not recognize simply because he hadn't placed them there. For the very first time, the roles were reversed and he was now the prey.
He didn't know how to handle this situation, and it terrified him. Despite his knowledge in the field, being hunted altered his perception abilities to the point where he clumsily got caught in one of the most basic traps: a vine that shot arrows when it broke.
He woke up several days later. He had been gravely injured and would have died if he hadn't received help. According to what he was told, the guards arrived and shot all the wild boars around him, but it wasn't really them who saved him.
When they arrived on site, a wild boar somewhat different from the others was beside him, covered in cuts and tears made by its kind. It had actually risked its life to protect him.
At the description, Damien immediately recognized that it was his old enemy The Genius. He had to hold back tears when he learned they had to put it down to end its suffering.
When he was left alone afterward, he took advantage of that moment to cry all the tears he could shed because The Genius was more than just an animal to hunt; it had become a faithful companion and the only one with whom he could share his love for hunting in a certain way.
Damien was devastated by this and needed enough time to recover from it. But then, a flash of determination lit up his gaze. He realized that The Genius had once again outsmarted him.
But he did not admit defeat. He decided to build even more advanced and sophisticated traps in order to surpass The Genius once and for all—this time with the aim of honoring its memory.
—————//————//————//————//—————
Thus, for years he followed this path, until he discovered how to wield his Ora, at which point new, previously unknown perspectives opened up to him.
And Nick detailed everything that had happened to him since that fateful day at school to his grandmother: his sudden migraine, his hallucination, what happened later that evening with Scarlett and the others.
He ended by describing his state of the past few days. He took care not to omit any details, even though he didn't have much hope in what she could tell him.
He had already done tons of research these days without reaching any conclusive results, and although she was a pioneer in the understanding and use of Ora, he doubted she could teach him something about his condition that he hadn't already found.
But, inexplicably, talking to her relieved him of a certain burden, a weight he had been carrying alone for a while that, although crazy in the world they lived in, would seem insane at first glance.
Thus, he hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even Dante. In retrospect, they had rarely seen each other lately. Returning to his story, he finished by asking her what she thought of it all, what could possibly be happening to him.
Looking at her old, bitter face, he noticed she was nodding slowly as if his story had already confirmed a certainty she held.
Suddenly, after a few minutes, she finally opened her eyes—small bright hazel eyes filled with unmasked excitement—and turned them towards Nick:
— Ultimately, these are things that happen, she murmured more to herself than to Nick in front of her.
Nick, not having quite understood what she said, asked her to repeat what she had just said. The grandmother, a bit surprised, seemed to search for her words before beginning:
— What I'm going to tell you today represents the best-kept secret in our family. It has the power to influence not only your destiny but also that of the country and even the entire continent. Are you ready to hear it?
She posed this question with a slight smile as if it were time to show her gift to a child.
Nick, although naturally quite calm, had undergone significant changes in his life these past few days that had caused him to lose his composure several times and even put Scarlett in danger according to him.
He had decided to get himself together quickly, find an explanation for what was happening to him and resolve it if necessary. In searching for the cause of his current state, he had prepared for all conceivable eventualities ranging from simple hallucinations and overwork to a one-way ticket to hell.
Therefore, this beginning of revelation from his grandmother did not shock him excessively. Without any hesitation, he nodded yes.
He then fell silent to let her continue.
— Well, she said. For generations and for hundreds of years now, a mysterious ability has awakened in our family. From what you've described to me, I've concluded that it can only be that. Taking a breath, she continued. Nearly half a millennium ago, the continent was completely ravaged by an unknown individual. It was actually our ancestor. Following a traumatic situation, he had just awakened this ability. However, he let anger consume him and came to destroy everything.
She paused again. Nick's eyes lit up after his grandmother's words. At the same time, a shiver ran through his body. He had a bad feeling. What she had just told him illustrated exactly what he had seen in his hallucinations. His grandmother's words pulled him away from his thoughts:
— This ability, as mysterious as it is dangerous, usually awakens in adulthood, but in some cases, like yours, it awakens towards the end of adolescence. In adulthood, it is easier to control its awakening, unlike in adolescence. And if I believe the situation that happened to you, it seems perfectly normal that your awakening is so painful.
Suddenly struck by a revelation, Nick hurried to interrupt her to ask a burning question:
— And what about the hallucination I had at school? I had never experienced anything like that before. Why did I see what I saw? It shouldn't be possible, I said, both excited and anxious.
The old lady scratched her chin very slowly and did this gesture for quite a while, allowing her grandson's excitement to subside.
— Indeed, it's rather curious. It seems to me that it's not normal to have started your awakening so early and without apparent reason, she finally said.
Again another question on the tip of his tongue, Nick continued:
— Why didn't you ever tell me? I thought I was going crazy. He suddenly stopped and entered deep thought. Is Scars aware? he asked as seriously as possible.
— No not at all, replied the old lady. And you shouldn't be aware either.
No one should be aware.
— And why is that, grandmother? he inquired, a hint of threat in his voice.
— Because it's a curse. A very sad omen. The awakening of this ability means you will have to cross paths with him.
Her voice choked in her throat. She looked truly shaken, which was not like her at all. Nick decided not to press the matter and asked something else:
— And why shouldn't I be aware? I think on the contrary that it's one of those things that the whole family should know.
Very troubled, the old lady seemed hesitant before answering. Nick immediately grasped the importance of what she might say or not say. She finally made up her mind and said uncertainly:
— You see, your sister doesn't need to be aware. The awakening of this ability concerns only one family member per generation. And it is the eldest child who is supposed to be able to awaken it.
— In that case, why shouldn't I be aware??! he asked this time raising his voice. He was clearly very annoyed by his grandmother's responses.
— Well, she managed to say after a long hesitation, simply because I wasn't sure you would be able to awaken it. It would have served no purpose to torment you.
Nick was clearly not very satisfied with this answer. Irritated, he jumped up from his seat in one go. He paced the room back and forth to calm down.
He then returned to sit down and spoke in a voice he wanted to be clear as if he were talking to a child; he leaned closer and said to his grandmother:
— And can you tell me what made you hesitate? I am indeed the eldest; there's no doubt about it. Why didn't you tell me anything from the start? I've been living these last few days in constant torment, not knowing if I was going crazy or not, he continued after a short pause. And you tell me that you knew from the beginning without wanting to tell me? And don't tell me you didn't know. You look like an old woman but you know everything that happens before your eyes; everything even my condition, he finished very upset.
His grandmother seemed to take the end of his monologue as a compliment, giving a faint smile which only served to irritate her grandson even more. She regained her seriousness and finally decided to speak:
— The reason, if you want to hear it, is not going to please you. You had a sister once, a twin sister. She left when she was still a baby. The fact that there were twins as the firstborns was a first in the family. No one knew how to react. We didn't know if she could awaken it, if it was you or if you both could. So your parents and I decided not to tell either you or Scarlett, waiting to see if you would show it one day. If that were to happen, we would have informed you in front of the whole family.