Nameless

In the heart of a snowy jungle, where the chill bites deep and the silence was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves, a young boy trained relentlessly. Kinless, a boy of no more than fifteen winters, wielded his bow and sword with a determination that belied his age. His pale skin stood in stark contrast to the dark shadows of the jungle, and his ocean-blue eyes burned with a fierce resolve. His short black hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat despite the biting cold.

"One, two, three... again," Kin muttered under his breath, the words a mantra as he swung his sword. The blade cut through the air, slicing invisible foes with precision honed through countless hours of practice. His movements were sharp, but his arms trembled, the strain of his training taking its toll.

From the heights of a nearby mountain trail, a figure descended swiftly, her golden eyes catching the faint light that filtered through the dense canopy. Maela, the eldest daughter of the noble Cote family, leaped gracefully from the rocky path, her long blonde hair streaming behind her like a golden banner. Her snow-white skin, a symptom of the illness that had plagued her since birth, seemed almost to glow against the darkened surroundings. Despite her fragile appearance, Maela moved with surprising agility, the cold seemingly powerless to touch her.

With a playful cry, she landed behind Kin and tackled him to the snowy ground. "Kaito!" she scolded, her voice a mix of frustration and concern. "Are you pushing yourself again? Look at your arms—they're shaking!"

Kin groaned as he tried to sit up, but Maela pinned him down, her golden eyes narrowing into a pout. She brushed the snow from his clothes, her touch gentle but firm. "You're going to hurt yourself at this rate," she continued, her tone softening. "Why are you so stubborn?"

For a moment, Kin was silent, his gaze fixed on the blade still clutched in his hand. "Because I have to be ready," he replied quietly, his voice tinged with a mix of determination and something deeper—fear, perhaps, or desperation. "The world won't wait for me to catch up, Maela. I can't afford to be weak."

Maela's expression softened, the hint of a smile curling her lips. "You're not weak, Kaito," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But even the strongest warriors need to rest. Let me help you."

Her words hung in the frosty air, a tender reminder that even amidst the harshness of their world, there was still room for kindness and care.

_______

Stepping back into the cabin, Kin and Maela were greeted by the low murmur of voices. The warm glow of a fire danced on the wooden walls, casting flickering shadows across the modest yet sturdy home. At the center of the room, their fathers sat across from each other at the long wooden table, their expressions serious. The weight of their conversation hung in the air like the lingering scent of smoke.

Kin and Maela slipped off their snow-dusted sandals by the door. Maela was careful, placing hers neatly to the side, while Kin kicked his into a corner without a second thought. The two made their way to the far end of the table, their presence unnoticed at first by the engrossed men.

"...So, you'll be able to?" King Nephi asked, his deep voice carrying both authority and worry. His sharp, golden eyes mirrored Maela's, though the lines of age around them hinted at a life spent bearing the burdens of a kingdom.

"Yes," Kin's father replied firmly. His voice was steady, but there was a tightness to it, a weight that revealed the gravity of the decision. "I'll join the front lines. Where my skills are needed." His dark eyes met Nephi's, the unspoken understanding of old comrades passing between them.

"What's going on?" Kin interrupted, his curiosity getting the better of him as he stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth.

Both men turned their heads, noticing the children for the first time. Nephi straightened in his seat, his commanding presence filling the room. "Your father," he began, his tone softening slightly as he addressed Kin, "is going to the front lines. There's an upcoming battle—a critical one."

"A battle?" Maela echoed, her golden eyes widening. Her voice trembled just enough for Kin to notice, though she quickly masked her fear with a forced smile. "Why now? I thought the fighting was far from here."

Nephi sighed, running a hand through his silver-streaked hair. "The war is moving closer, Maela. We can't afford to wait for it to reach us. We have to act first, or more lives will be lost."

Kin's father, a man of few words, added quietly, "This is something I have to do." His gaze flicked to Kin, lingering for a moment as if searching for the right words. "You're strong, Kin. You'll take care of things here while I'm gone."

Kin frowned, his jaw tightening. "You're leaving us?" he asked, his voice sharper than he intended. "How long will you be gone?"

"As long as it takes," his father replied simply.

The room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the crackle of the fire. After a moment, Nephi stood, his chair scraping against the floor. "It's decided, then," he said, extending a hand toward Kin's father.

A few hours later, the cabin door creaked open once more as Nephi, his wife, and Maela prepared to leave. Maela hesitated, glancing back at Kin, her golden eyes filled with unspoken words. "Be careful," she whispered, her voice almost lost in the chill of the night.

"You too," Kin replied, his own voice steady, though his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

As the door closed behind them, Kin stared at the fire, its embers glowing faintly. The silence left behind felt heavier than before, carrying the weight of things left unsaid and fears unacknowledged.

________

As Kin trudged to his bedroom, his mind churned with a storm of emotions. The fire's dying embers flickered in his thoughts, a faint reflection of the resolve burning in his chest. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. One day, he thought fiercely, I'll transcend beyond ordinary limits. I'll become so strong that my father will never leave or risk his life ever again.

The weight of his exhaustion pulled him into a restless sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

"Kinless… wake up, child."

A deep, resonant voice broke through the veil of his dreams. Kin's eyes fluttered open, and his breath hitched. He was no longer in his room. The space around him stretched infinitely, a vast void shimmering with faint, otherworldly lights. Before him stood a colossal figure, cloaked entirely in black. Its form was indistinct, shifting and blurring at the edges, as if reality itself couldn't fully contain it. The air around it hummed with a strange energy, heavy and suffocating.

Kinless scrambled backward, his heart pounding. "W-who… who are you?" he stammered, his voice trembling as he stared up at the towering being.

The creature tilted its head, the motion slow and deliberate. "You wished, didn't you?" it asked, its voice low and reverberating, as though it echoed from the depths of the void itself.

________

Kin's fear was palpable, each breath shallow and shaky as his gaze remained fixed on the towering figure before him. The oppressive presence pressed down on him, making it hard to think, let alone speak. But he forced the words out, his voice cracking with both fear and defiance. "I… I did," he admitted, swallowing hard. "So tell me… what do you want from me?"

The figure tilted its head slightly, the motion deliberate and unnervingly slow. "It is not what I want," it intoned, its voice a deep, resonant hum that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "It is what you desire, child. Speak."

Kin's heart pounded in his chest as he hesitated. Desire? What do I even want? He knew nothing of magic or powers, nothing beyond the feel of a sword in his hands or the pull of a bowstring. His mind raced, fumbling for an answer.

"I… I wish for…" he began, but the words caught in his throat. Panic set in as the figure loomed closer, its presence like a stormcloud threatening to engulf him. Desperation clawed at him. He needed to say something—anything.

And then, like a flash of lightning, a thought struck him. Something wild, something bold. Something that might change everything.

"I WANT THE ABILITY TO WISH FOR ANYTHING!" he shouted, the words bursting from him with all the force he could muster. His voice echoed in the void, trembling but resolute. "Anything I can imagine, anything I could ever want—I want the power to make it real!"

The figure paused, its form shifting subtly as if the fabric of the void itself reacted to Kin's declaration. For a moment, silence reigned, heavy and unnerving.

When the figure finally spoke, its voice carried an undertone of something akin to amusement—or perhaps approval. "Ambitious," it rumbled, the word stretching out as though savoring its weight. "Very well. Let it be so."

A sound like a distant thunderclap reverberated through the void, and Kin felt a strange warmth pulse through him. The energy was overwhelming, coursing through his veins and filling every corner of his being.

The next moment, he jolted awake, gasping for air. The faint light of dawn peeked through the cracks in the wooden shutters, illuminating his familiar room. Kin sat up slowly, his mind reeling. Yet deep within, he felt it—that spark of something vast, boundless, and utterly unimaginable.

The power to wish for anything was now his.

A faint snapping sound echoed in the vast emptiness, and suddenly, Kin was awake. His eyes shot open, and he sat up in bed, his heart racing. The familiar walls of his room greeted him, bathed in the dim glow of sunlight streaming through the window.

He touched his chest, his breaths coming in short gasps. It felt so real—the creature, the void, the deal. As he looked down at his trembling hands, a strange sensation washed over him. Something had changed.

Kinless couldn't explain it, but deep within him, he could feel a spark—a new power, raw and untapped, waiting to be unleashed. And somewhere in the depths of his mind, a small space whispered to him, a place he instinctively knew he could reach if he just willed it.

The wish had been granted. And with it, his path to transcendence had truly begun.