The night was deep, and the cold wind rustled through the forest leaves, whispering softly. The dense shadows of the trees swayed under the moonlight, like countless black arms stretching out, trying to swallow everything.
Xiao Yu stood in an unfamiliar ruin, his small figure enveloped by the towering, crumbling stone pillars, making him look particularly helpless.
"Dad… Mom…"
He called out softly, his voice carrying a trace of unease. The surroundings were eerily silent—there wasn't even the sound of insects, as if this place had been cut off from the world.
It was supposed to be an ordinary trip, but somehow, he had ended up here. Just moments ago, he had been walking through the forest with his parents, but in the blink of an eye, his vision had been engulfed by a strange light. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in this desolate ruin.
The air here was different from the outside world—it was thick with moisture and carried a faint, almost imperceptible magical aura. The ground was covered in cracks, and ancient stone tablets lay toppled over, their inscriptions blurred beyond recognition. The collapsed walls bore faint traces of past grandeur.
Xiao Yu's heartbeat quickened. He knew this was no ordinary place.
He forced himself to stay calm and carefully scanned his surroundings, hoping to find a way out. That was when his gaze was drawn to a massive stone gate standing before him.
The gate was pitch black, embedded in a towering wall, and emitted a faint blue glow. Strange runes covered its surface, whispering an ancient language, and at its center, a rotating magic circle pulsed with an eerie blue light—as if something slumbering within was beginning to awaken.
Xiao Yu's heart clenched. Instinctively, he wanted to back away, but an invisible force held him in place.
Suddenly, the magic circle flared brightly. A massive energy surge erupted, pulling him toward the gate!
"Ahhh!"
He struggled, his small feet sliding against the cracked stone floor as he desperately tried to resist the pull. But the force was overwhelming, as if the will of the world itself had chosen him.
His body was dragged toward the glowing portal!
"No—!"
Just before he was swallowed by the magic, his right hand slammed against the center of the glowing circle!
A blinding blue light engulfed the entire ruin.
A chilling sensation surged through his body like icy tendrils slithering through his veins, devouring his very soul. His consciousness reeled, and the pain was unbearable—but his throat produced no sound.
"AAAHHHH—!"
A deep, ancient voice echoed in his mind, as if whispering across an eternity.
"The bearer of the curse shall receive its gift…"
"Your magic shall surpass mortals…"
"Yet, you shall never be able to cast a spell…"
The voice carried an irresistible authority, like a divine decree, imprinting an irreversible mark upon his very being.
His magic was being reshaped.
The energy within him swelled at an unnatural rate, exceeding the limits of ordinary people. He could feel the immense power coursing through his blood, as if his body had become a massive magic vessel.
And yet—he could no longer sense the flow of magic.
This was not just a restriction. It was a complete seal.
He had been cursed.
A magicless monster, burdened with power he could never wield.
The unbearable pain surged through him, and Xiao Yu's consciousness faded into darkness…
—
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally opened his eyes again.
Warm sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a soft glow on his face. A familiar voice rang in his ears.
"Xiao Yu!"
His mother, Lin Yuehuai, appeared before him, her eyes red with tears as she held him tightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"You're finally awake… Do you know how long you've been unconscious? You suddenly disappeared for an entire day! We searched the whole forest and only found you outside the ruins…"
Her voice trembled with lingering fear.
Xiao Yu stared at her blankly, the memories of his ordeal still fresh in his mind. He wanted to tell his mother what had happened, but the moment he tried to speak, a sharp pain shot through his head, forcing him to stay silent.
He… couldn't say it.
"Yuehuai."
His father, Xiao Zhan, spoke from the side. His expression was calm as always, but his gaze carried a hint of solemnity.
"Let the mage check his condition first."
An elderly magician stepped forward, placing his hand on Xiao Yu's forehead and closing his eyes to sense his magic.
A moment later, his brows furrowed deeply.
"…This is unusual."
Lin Yuehuai tensed instantly. "Unusual? What do you mean?"
The magician hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.
"The child's magic reserves… far exceed those of an ordinary person. In fact, his capacity is greater than most adult magicians."
Lin Yuehuai was stunned for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"…But he cannot use magic."
The air grew deathly still.
Xiao Zhan's expression shifted slightly. "What do you mean?"
The magician's voice was deep and solemn.
"We tried to guide his magic flow, but no matter what we did, his magic refused to move. It's as if something has completely sealed it."
"Even when we tried external guidance, his magic remained trapped inside his body."
"This means…"
"…He will never be able to cast magic."
Lin Yuehuai's face turned pale in an instant. She looked down at Xiao Yu, her eyes filled with sorrow and worry.
"Xiao Yu… is it true? You really… can't use magic?"
Xiao Yu lowered his head, staring at his small hands. He could feel the overwhelming power inside him—so vast, so immense…
Yet, it was completely out of reach.
It was as if his body had been permanently stripped of the right to wield magic.
"…"
His heart sank.
He had become… something unnatural.
And this curse, cast upon him on this fateful day, would forever alter his destiny.
—End of Chapter 1—