Aaron's vision blurred as he struggled against the cold, dark waters enveloping him. His body felt heavy, and each breath seemed harder to take. "Is this how I die? Without doing anything?" he thought, despair filling his mind. His eyelids grew heavier, and he felt himself slipping away. "How did this happen?" he wondered, as his mind drifted back to the events that led him here.
It was a crisp morning in the village of Minhail. Aaron, a young orphan, was hard at work chopping wood in the dense forest. The rhythmic sound of his axe striking the logs echoed through the trees. Aaron's grandfather, John, was old and could no longer work, so it fell to Aaron to provide for them. Despite the strain, Aaron didn't complain. He knew they had to survive, and he was determined to support his grandfather.
After hours of labor, Aaron finally finished chopping the wood. His hands were blistered, and his muscles ached, but he had managed to gather a substantial amount of firewood. He carefully bundled the logs together and hoisted them onto his back, making his way towards the village market.
The walk to the village was long and arduous, but Aaron pressed on. Minhail was a place filled with resentment towards him and his grandfather. They had been exiled many years ago due to a mistake John had made in his past, and the villagers had never forgiven them. Selling wood was a difficult task, as most villagers refused to pay Aaron a fair price.
As Aaron entered the bustling market, he could feel the eyes of the villagers upon him. He approached a few merchants, hoping to sell his wood, but they offered him only half the usual price. With no other choice, Aaron accepted the paltry sum and pocketed the money.
With the meager earnings, Aaron headed towards the food stalls to buy provisions for himself and his grandfather. He carefully selected the items they needed, counting each coin to ensure he had enough. As he made his way through the market, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with Daniel and his sidekicks, Martin and Frank.
Daniel, the son of a noble named Marc, was known for his arrogance and cruelty. He and his cronies had tormented Aaron for years, taking pleasure in his suffering. "Well, well, look who we have here," Daniel sneered, blocking Aaron's path. "The village outcast."
Aaron tried to ignore them and move on, but Daniel and his gang closed in around him. "Going somewhere, Aaron?" Martin jeered. "What's in the bag? Food for your worthless grandfather?"
Ignoring the taunts, Aaron attempted to push past them, but Daniel grabbed the bag of food and tore it from his hands. With a cruel laugh, he tossed the food onto the ground, stomping on it with his boot. "Oops, looks like your dinner is ruined," Daniel mocked.
Anger and frustration welled up inside Aaron, but he knew fighting back would only make things worse. He knelt down to pick up the scattered food, his heart heavy with despair. "You're nothing, Aaron. Just like your grandfather," Frank added with a sneer.
That night, Aaron returned home with the ruined food, feeling defeated and hopeless. John looked at him with weary eyes, knowing all too well the hardships his grandson faced. "I'm sorry, Grandfather," Aaron said, tears welling up in his eyes. "I couldn't protect the food."
John placed a comforting hand on Aaron's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Aaron. We'll get through this. We always do."
Despite John's comforting words, Aaron felt a burning desire to prove himself and restore his grandfather's honor
Back in the present, Aaron's consciousness began to fade as he struggled to stay afloat in the water. The cold had seeped into his bones, and his strength was nearly gone. Just as he was about to give up, his mind flashed back to that fateful night.
An unexpected tragedy struck. The peaceful forest where Aaron and his grandfather lived was attacked by a monstrous wolf, a creature of immense size and ferocity. John, Aaron's grandfather, fought valiantly to protect his grandson but was grievously injured in the process. Desperate to save him, Aaron managed to carry his wounded grandfather and fled towards the village, the wolf in relentless pursuit.
Aaron reached the village entrance, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Help! We need a healer, please, please!" But the villagers, harboring their grudge, refused to help, claiming Aaron and his grandfather were cursed. Among the crowd stood Daniel, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "Look who it is. The outcast and his worthless grandfather," Daniel sneered. "You see that wolf? It's his doing."
Rage boiled within Aaron. In a moment of unrestrained anger, he punched Daniel in the face. The villagers, incensed, hurled rocks at Aaron and his grandfather, chasing them away. With no other options left, Aaron fled towards the edge of a cliff, his heart pounding with fear and sorrow. As the villagers closed in, Aaron knew he had no choice.
Standing at the edge, Aaron made a desperate decision. Holding his grandfather close, he jumped from the cliff, the villagers' jeers echoing in his ears. In his final moments, Daniel hurled a large sword at Aaron, striking him in the heart.
Back in the present, Aaron, teetering on the brink of death in the river, felt overwhelming guilt and despair. "Why am I so useless? I have no elemental powers, nor has Aitheria chosen me. If only I were a little stronger, I could have saved Grandfather."
His mind drifted further back to a pivotal moment in his past. The scene changed to the Minhail Elements and Aitheria (ELAE) School, where young villagers discovered their abilities and potential. It was a kingdom's decree that every child who turned 17 must be tested.
Aaron remembered standing nervously in line, waiting for his turn. One by one, his peers discovered their powers. Daniel proudly demonstrated his mid-level Aitheria, drawing admiration from the onlookers. When it was Aaron's turn, he tried the elemental globe first—nothing happened. He then attempted to manifest Aitheria—but once again, nothing.
It was an excruciatingly embarrassing moment. The other students mocked him openly, their laughter ringing in his ears. Aaron felt utterly humiliated and powerless. With no elemental powers and no Aitheria, he had felt like he had no place in the world.
Back in the present, Aaron's body hit the bottom of the river. The icy water rushed around him, but Aaron's thoughts were consumed by a mix of sorrow and determination. "I must become stronger. For Grandfather. For myself."
As Aaron's vision began to fade, a faint, mysterious light shimmered beneath the water. With his last ounce of strength, he reached out, grasping the light. An unfamiliar warmth spread through his body, reigniting his will to survive. He could feel it—a connection to something greater, something powerful.
Aaron knew that this was not the end. It was just the beginning of his journey to uncover his true potential and restore his grandfather's honor.