Broken Path

Rei was now eight years old, and his eyes had grown sharper, exuding a maturity beyond his years. His golden hair fluttered in the breeze as he practiced his sorcery in the clearing outside his home. Clad in long pants and a white shirt with a stringed neckline, he stood with quiet determination, weaving intricate patterns in the air with his hands.

It wasn't just the pursuit of perfection that drove him to refine his wind sorcery. No, there was another, far more personal reason. Rei had developed an aversion—no, a fear—of hurting or killing anyone. He knew that such hesitation could be his undoing in this perilous fantasy world. If he was to survive, he had to strengthen his resolve, to steel himself for the day he might have to take a life. He didn't want to be weak.

With a sharp exhale, he unleashed a wind blast at a distant tree. Leaves rustled, some even tore off, but the force wasn't enough to break the trunk. Frustration simmered within him. He clenched his fists, muttering to himself, "Not enough. If I can't even cut down a tree, how will I defend myself?"

After finishing his training, Rei returned to his modest room and sat at his desk, spreading out several sheets of parchment. Blueprints covered the surface, detailed sketches and notes filling every available space. He had also requested information about the regions beyond the village. Caution was his nature, and he wanted every bit of knowledge he could gather. His mind churned, calculating escape routes, contingency plans, and defensive strategies. Even as an infant, he had carved out a hidden hole beneath his house—an emergency refuge in case of an invasion. Preparation was everything.

Meanwhile, a man cloaked in a dark robe stood at the outskirts of the village, peering in with a calculating gaze. His short brown hair was messy, and his sharp, deep-set eyes flickered with interest as he muttered under his breath, "So this is the village where the anomaly occurred. Doesn't look like much... ordinary, even."

This man, Luc, was no mere traveler. He was a spy sent by the king to investigate the strange reports regarding this village. As he wandered through the dirt paths, he adopted the persona of a man seeking to settle down, striking casual conversations with villagers to blend in. His true goal, however, lay elsewhere.

Eventually, he found his way to the village's school, a structure that stood out due to its organization and scale. He observed the lessons from a distance, his curiosity piqued by the systematic approach to education. There was a structured methodology, a curriculum that seemed almost too refined for a simple village.

"This isn't normal," he murmured, his fingers itching to probe deeper.

Utilizing his shadow magic, Luc turned himself invisible and slipped inside. He moved through the corridors like a wraith, his sharp eyes absorbing every detail. The school wasn't just well-run—it was sophisticated. The knowledge being taught here, the structured learning, the way teachers conducted lessons in fragments—it was all… otherworldly.

His attention was drawn to a door marked: "Only for Staff." The word "staff" struck him as odd; it was not a commonly used term in the kingdom. His instincts screamed at him—there was something significant here. He decided to observe the school's hierarchy for the next few days before making his move.

Over time, he mapped out the chain of command. There was a permanent head, an acting head, a vice head, council members, staff, teachers, and janitors. What shocked him the most was the identity of the permanent head—Rei, an eight-year-old child.

"An eight-year-old? Running a school?" Luc whispered to himself, stunned.

When he finally gained access to the restricted library, his shock deepened. Inside were handwritten books—by Rei himself. As Luc flipped through the pages, he felt a chill crawl up his spine. The depth of knowledge contained within these books was on par with the Royal Library. Yet, these were written by a mere child.

He shut the book abruptly. "If I read too much of this, I might be marked for death. This isn't just intelligence… this is a treasure trove."

Deciding not to push his luck, he turned his attention toward observing Rei directly. Using his shadow magic, he cloaked himself and approached the boy's training grounds. What he saw left him flabbergasted.

Rei was practicing with wind sorcery, launching blades of air and bursts of wind energy, then earth and then water. But what caught Luc's eye was the way he manipulated Qi to control elements.

"Impossible...! Qi doesn't work like that," Luc murmured, his fingers trembling.

Then Rei attempted fire magic. Though he couldn't conjure flames yet, he managed to create sparks—an achievement that shouldn't have been possible at his level. Next, he tried wood spells. While not particularly strong, they caused a leaf to grow ever so slightly.

Luc's mind reeled. "He's… creating a new branch of Spirit Arts? He calls it Sorcery?"

The implications were terrifying. If Rei was allowed to grow unchecked, he could revolutionize the very foundation of magic itself. This wasn't just talent; this was something unnatural. Something beyond the scope of what should exist in this world.

Then after a few days, he saw that Lyla, Kaiser, and Thomas were able to use sorcery too. He also saw Kaiser's talent in swords but did not give it much consideration like it did not matter to him. He was only focused on their sorcery. Luc muttered "If the church found this they may consider Rei a heretic. This power might be a fortune for our future but we also have to consider the records however the path has turned away from its original course way too much how can we fix it I have to inform the king immediately."

Luc wasted no time. The following night, he summoned a Drekaven—a shadowy, crow-like creature native to the kingdom's intelligence network. Tying a letter to its leg, he whispered, "Deliver this to the king immediately. The anomaly is greater than we imagined."

The Drekaven, let out a low, guttural caw before vanishing into the night sky, its wings beating in eerie silence.

As Luc watched it disappear, he exhaled, his mind racing. "What… exactly are you, Rei?"