Marcus looked at his son with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the silence between them. His eyes flicked down to the ground for a brief moment, then back to Miles.
"So," Marcus began, his voice still steady but filled with a hint of curiosity, "now that we've addressed the past, tell me, Miles—what element did you awaken to?"
Miles hesitated for just a moment. It felt like a question that carried more weight than it should, but after everything that had happened, there was no turning back now. He inhaled deeply, finding his voice.
"Golem," he said, the word leaving his mouth with a quiet finality.
Marcus didn't say anything for a moment. He simply stared at Miles, his expression unreadable. But the silence spoke volumes. Finally, Marcus blinked, his brow furrowing in clear surprise.
"Golem?" he repeated, almost as if he hadn't fully processed what he'd just heard. "That's... a unique element."
Miles met his father's gaze, his nerves fraying just a little. The surprise in Marcus' tone was undeniable, and Miles didn't miss it. He knew that golem was strange, but he hadn't expected it to throw his father off quite like this.
"I believe you're the first person in history to have it," Marcus continued, his voice laced with genuine surprise. "I've never heard of it as an element before. The way it affects the world, the very fabric of mana itself..." He shook his head slowly, almost as if trying to wrap his mind around it. "It's not something that exists in the records. This is new."
Miles felt a strange sense of validation at his father's words. His element was strange, uncharted territory—but hearing that no one else had it somehow made it feel more real. Like his awakening mattered.
"That's... a lot to take in," Miles muttered, his voice quieter now, the weight of it settling. "I never thought about it being something no one else had before."
Marcus studied his son for a moment longer, as though deciding something internally. Then, with a decisive nod, he spoke again. "Now that I'm here, I'll safeguard you. I'm not leaving you to face this alone, not after all these years." His voice was firm, unwavering. "I'll stay with you until you make your decision about what comes next. Whether you want to join the clan, or walk a different path—I'll respect that. But for now, we need to understand what you and this element are truly capable of."
Miles nodded. The promise of his father's protection gave him a sense of relief, but also more questions. He felt like the ground beneath his feet was shifting, and he wasn't entirely sure where it would lead him.
"I... I want to see it too," Miles replied, a hint of eagerness in his voice. "I'm just as curious as you are. Before everything happened—the attack, the storm—I wanted to test it, see what I could do." His gaze hardened slightly, a shadow passing over his features as he remembered the panic, the chaos. "But... I wasn't able to. I was too scared to."
Marcus gave him a knowing look, the fatherly concern still evident in his gaze. "Fear can be a powerful thing," he said quietly, but there was something in his tone that hinted at understanding, as if he knew the weight of what his son had just experienced. "But you've survived it, Miles. Now it's time to see what you're truly capable of."
Miles looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. He felt the surge of energy inside him, pulsing just beneath his skin. He didn't know what he was about to summon, but the urge to try—to see what his affinity could do—overcame his hesitation.
He looked back at his father, then toward the empty space in front of him. His voice steady, he chanted the words he had only heard in fragments in his mind, the command that felt so natural, so right:
"Golem construct."
Miles felt the air around him hum with energy, the power of the element swirling beneath his feet. But then, something strange happened—a soft glow appeared, shimmering in front of him like a screen materializing from thin air.
It was a deep blue, its edges outlined in faint golden script that made his heart race. "Select Object."
He blinked, his hand instinctively reaching out to touch it, but he paused, wondering if this was part of his awakening. His thoughts raced—had he just unlocked a new ability? Was this some sort of interface to manipulate his new element?
The screen flashed again, brighter this time. It was waiting for him. Hesitantly, he reached toa nearby shelf pulling out a wooden block. It was simple, unassuming—something he'd carved for practice with a knife long ago. But now, it felt significant, almost like a test.
Miles stared at the block, then at the blue screen. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but something told him this was important. Slowly, he hovered his hand over the wooden object, waiting for the screen to react.
The moment he touched it, the screen flickered, and the words changed. "Object Selected."
A faint warmth spread through his hand, followed by a strange sensation as if his very thoughts were being siphoned into the block. His mind raced. I can to shape this block into anything... let's start with a person.
The thought was enough. The mana inside him stirred, flowing from his body to the block. He felt the energy shift, feel the block bend and respond as if alive. His imagination—his desire for it to take shape—was the guiding force, and the wooden block began to shift, molding and reshaping in the air.
The grain of the wood twisted, reshaped, becoming smoother as the outline of a humanoid form emerged—slowly at first, like it was sculpting itself from the inside out. A body took shape, arms and legs forming first, followed by the torso. But it remained faceless, as if the figure were made of clay, unfinished.
A new screen flickered beside the first, this one revealing a list of abilities that could be assigned to the golem. The screen displayed various options—things Miles didn't fully understand yet, but some were clear.
Abilities:
Sight(20): Allow the construct to see and record its surroundings.Movement(50): Enable the golem to move with the fluidity of a living being.Strength: Enhance its physical power.Durability: Increase its resistance to damage.
And then, a prompt: "Select Abilities to Assign."
Miles swallowed, eyeing the options. He glanced back at the figure that was now a rough, wooden silhouette of a person, still missing its features but undeniably loking alive in some way. His mana felt like it was being drained as the process went on, the block slowly taking form.
With the mana he had left, he could only assign two abilities. His thoughts turned back to the golem, to how he would use it. The first ability was clear to him.
Sight. The golem needed to see. It was essential.
And the second? He hovered over the options, considering the others, but the choice felt instinctive.
Movement. It needed to move like a person. If it was to be a true construct, it couldn't just stand there like a puppet.
The selections confirmed with a soft chime, and the mana that remained inside him rushed out—leaving him feeling hollow, his energy spent. He watched, his breath held, as the golem's body pulsed with new life, its wooden limbs stiffening before softening into fluid motion.
As the process concluded, the last vestiges of the transformation finished in the air. The golem's shape became more refined as its arms, legs, and torso were solidified into a completed form. And with a soft thud, the wooden figure fell from the air, landing neatly on the ground before standing upright.
It stood at attention.
The construct—a golem, shaped from his will—was now alive in its own right. It was approximately one meter tall, simple in appearance, but undeniably a creation of his mind,power and magic. The golem's wooden face remained featureless, but its eyes—the essence of its sight—seemed to look ahead with purpose.