Chapter 1: Prologue
Mana had always been present, flowing through the Earth like an invisible river, moving everything—from the leaves to the wind and even the towering mountains. Humans? They were unaware of its existence, living oblivious to the power that shaped the world.
Until, in a forgotten village, a boy was born. There were no cries, no shouts. He simply opened his eyes and stood silently, as though seeing something invisible to everyone else.
From that moment, destiny had already marked him. The world, which appeared still to others, responded to his presence. The mana, indifferent to all before him, now surged within him, choosing him as its vessel.
From an early age, he was different.
While the other children played carefree, he watched the sky and the rivers, as if he felt something that no one else could touch. His parents, simple farmers, thought it was strange, but they left him alone.
At the age of seven, during a cruel winter, the impossible happened. He touched a dead tree, and suddenly, green leaves appeared as if spring had come early, without telling anyone.
At that moment, he understood. Mana wasn't just around him; it responded to him.
Without masters, without guides, he began to explore his power alone. At sixteen, he already controlled the earth, the waters, and even talked to the winds. But with power came the burden.
On a stormy night, his power was revealed to the world.
The evening had started like any other. People gathered in the taverns, laughter filled the air, and children darted between the wooden houses. A light breeze carried the smell of rain.
— It looks like it's going to storm — said a man, glancing at the darkening horizon.
The clouds formed quickly, faster than usual. The air grew heavy, thick with moisture and tension. Lightning split the sky, followed by distant thunder.
— This storm seems stronger than normal — a woman remarked, pulling her children indoors.
The wind picked up suddenly. Doors slammed, roof tiles ripped off, and the rain came down in torrents. Within minutes, the village was in chaos.
— Close everything! — shouted one of the elders, struggling to secure his door.
The wind was so strong that people could barely stand. The storm roared like a wild beast, threatening to topple houses and uproot trees.
— This isn't natural! — someone yelled, his voice almost drowned out by the howling winds.
People ran for shelter, eyes wide with fear. The village had never seen anything like it. Some began to pray, while others huddled in silence, expecting the worst.
Then, amidst the chaos, someone saw him.
— Look! — a woman pointed.
He stood in the village square, calm and unmoved by the storm, as if nothing was happening.
— What's he doing? — a man shouted in disbelief.
— Is he mad? — asked another, struggling to hold the windows that rattled in their frames.
The wind swirled around him but didn't touch him. He took a step forward, then another. The rain, heavy and relentless, seemed to avoid his body.
— He'll die out there! — a voice from the crowd exclaimed.
Then, something extraordinary happened. He raised his hand, and for a moment, the wind ceased. The rain halted. Silence blanketed everything.
People emerged from their homes in disbelief, looking up at a sky that was slowly clearing. The dark clouds faded, the lightning vanished, and the roar of the storm was replaced by a deep, eerie quiet.
— He... he stopped the storm — whispered a woman, still processing what she had just witnessed.
— How did he do that? — a young man asked, staring up at the now starry sky.
The entire village stood in shock, gazing at the lone figure in the square. The boy who had always been different had calmed the fury of nature with a single gesture.
From that moment, he was no longer just the strange boy in the village.
Powerful monarchs sent messengers in haste. They arrived at the village with promises of unimaginable riches, castles, and even thrones. Each kingdom sought to claim the young man, eager to use his power for war or expansion. A human, without noble blood, possessing a power reserved for gods and legendary creatures—it was a rare opportunity.
— If he serves our kingdom, we will be invincible! — advisors whispered in the courts, believing they could bend magic to their will.
But he refused. Every messenger who came with offers of gold and glory left with the same answer. It wasn't control he sought. Wealth and dominion meant nothing to him. His journey was not to satisfy the ambitions of kings.
With each passing day, his mastery over mana grew. And with that, he set out. He left behind his village, his simple life, and ventured into lands few humans dared to tread.
His search took him to forgotten places, unrecorded by humanity. He walked through ancient forests where elves guarded forgotten knowledge and dwarves whispered legends of ages long past.
Other races soon took notice of the human. To the elves, ancient keepers of wisdom, it was incomprehensible that a mere mortal could wield such mastery of mana. Among the dragons—creatures older than the Earth itself—the surprise was even greater.
— A human mastering mana? — echoed among the elders, increasing their disbelief. Some feared him. Others were curious to see him with their own eyes.
He met wise elves who shared the mysteries of nature, showing him ancient texts so fragile they nearly crumbled to dust. He met dwarves who spoke of the earth's depths and the mana that flowed through the oldest of minerals.
But it was in speaking with dragons that his understanding of mana truly deepened. Their voices, like distant thunder, rumbled through the air as they regarded him with a mix of respect and caution. They were beings as old and powerful as the world itself, and in him, they recognized an unusual strength.
He realized then that his destiny wasn't just to master mana. He had to teach humanity to reconnect with it, to live in balance with this vast, misunderstood force.
His name spread far and wide. He taught kings, peasants, warriors, and scholars alike. His lessons transformed those who listened. His power transcended race and culture, and even those who once doubted him came to revere him as a living legend.
Still, something troubled him. Despite all the knowledge he had gained, a deeper mystery eluded him.
During his travels, he often pondered why humans, of all races, were the most disconnected from mana. It felt as though there was a barrier—something preventing them from unlocking their full magical potential.
Gradually, he began to suspect that this was no mere human limitation. Something more was at play. An ancient entity—a force as old as the universe—had perhaps sealed away humanity's magic, fearing what they might become if they unlocked its full power.
And it was this fear that sealed his fate.
In a confrontation of unimaginable intensity, the earth trembled, the sky split, and even the stars seemed to dim. But in the end, he was sealed away. His power was torn from this world and imprisoned in a place where even time could not reach him.
A thousand years passed. The name Aslam, once revered, had become a myth. Humanity had forgotten his legend, but the marks of their great hero lingered in whispers around campfires and in the stories passed down through generations.
The evening had started like any other. People gathered in the taverns, laughter filled the air, and children darted between the wooden houses. A light breeze carried the smell of rain.
"It looks like it's going to storm," said a man, glancing at the darkening horizon.
The clouds formed quickly, faster than usual. The air grew heavy, thick with moisture and tension. Lightning split the sky, followed by distant thunder.
"This storm seems stronger than normal," a woman remarked, pulling her children indoors.
The wind picked up suddenly. Doors slammed, roof tiles ripped off, and the rain came down in torrents. Within minutes, the village was in chaos.
"Close everything!" shouted one of the elders, struggling to secure his door.
The wind was so strong that people could barely stand. The storm roared like a wild beast, threatening to topple houses and uproot trees.
"This isn't natural!" someone yelled, his voice almost drowned out by the howling winds.
People ran for shelter, eyes wide with fear. The village had never seen anything like it. Some began to pray, while others huddled in silence, expecting the worst.
Then, amidst the chaos, someone saw him.
"Look!" a woman pointed.
He stood in the village square, calm and unmoved by the storm, as if nothing was happening.
"What's he doing?" a man shouted in disbelief.
"Is he mad?" asked another, struggling to hold the windows that rattled in their frames.
The wind swirled around him but didn't touch him. He took a step forward, then another. The rain, heavy and relentless, seemed to avoid his body.
"He'll die out there!" a voice from the crowd exclaimed.
Then, something extraordinary happened. He raised his hand, and for a moment, the wind ceased. The rain halted. Silence blanketed everything.
People emerged from their homes in disbelief, looking up at a sky that was slowly clearing. The dark clouds faded, the lightning vanished, and the roar of the storm was replaced by a deep, eerie quiet.
"He... he stopped the storm," whispered a woman, still processing what she had just witnessed.
"How did he do that?" a young man asked, staring up at the now starry sky.
The entire village stood in shock, gazing at the lone figure in the square. The boy who had always been different had calmed the fury of nature with a single gesture.
From that moment, he was no longer just the strange boy in the village.
Powerful monarchs sent messengers in haste. They arrived at the village with promises of unimaginable riches, castles, and even thrones. Each kingdom sought to claim the young man, eager to use his power for war or expansion. A human, without noble blood, possessing a power reserved for gods and legendary creatures—it was a rare opportunity.
"If he serves our kingdom, we will be invincible!" advisors whispered in the courts, believing they could bend magic to their will.
But he refused. Every messenger who came with offers of gold and glory left with the same answer. It wasn't control he sought. Wealth and dominion meant nothing to him. His journey was not to satisfy the ambitions of kings.
With each passing day, his mastery over mana grew. And with that, he set out. He left behind his village, his simple life, and ventured into lands few humans dared to tread.
His search took him to forgotten places, unrecorded by humanity. He walked through ancient forests where elves guarded forgotten knowledge and dwarves whispered legends of ages long past.
Other races soon took notice of the human. To the elves, ancient keepers of wisdom, it was incomprehensible that a mere mortal could wield such mastery of mana. Among the dragons—creatures older than time itself—the surprise was even greater.
"A human mastering mana?" echoed among the elders creatures, increasing their disbelief. Some feared him. Others were curious to see him with their own eyes.
He met wise elves who shared the mysteries of nature, showing him ancient texts so fragile they nearly crumbled to dust. He met dwarves, who spoke of the earth's depths and the mana that flowed through the oldest of minerals.
But it was in speaking with dragons that his understanding of mana truly deepened. Their voices, like distant thunder, rumbled through the air as they regarded him with a mix of respect and caution. They were beings as old and powerful as the world itself, and in him, they recognized an unusual strength.
He realized then that his destiny wasn't just to master mana. He had to teach humanity to reconnect with it, to live in balance with this vast, misunderstood force.
His name spread far and wide. He taught kings, peasants, warriors, and scholars alike. His lessons transformed those who listened. His power transcended race and culture, and even those who once doubted him came to revere him as a living legend.
Still, something troubled him. Despite all the knowledge he had gained, a deeper mystery eluded him.
During his travels, he often wondered why humans, of all races, were the most disconnected from mana. There seemed to be a barrier, something preventing them from reaching their full magical potential.
Gradually, he began to suspect that this was no mere human limitation. Something more was at play. An ancient entity—a force as old as the universe—had perhaps sealed away humanity's magic, fearing what they might become if they unlocked its full power.
And it was this fear that sealed his fate.
In a confrontation of unimaginable intensity, the earth trembled, the sky split, and even the stars seemed to dim. But in the end, he was sealed away. His power was torn from this world and imprisoned in a place where even time could not reach him.
A thousand years passed. The name Aslam, once revered, had become a myth. Humanity had forgotten his legend, but the marks of their great hero lingered in whispers around campfires and in the stories passed down through generations.