Aftermath

Kurt fled the desolate plain, the image of the barren wasteland seared into his mind. He ran as fast as his small legs could carry him, driven by a mixture of fear and guilt. He had unleashed a power he couldn't control, and the consequences were catastrophic.

He finally reached home, his body aching, his breath ragged. Luckily, he thought, no farmlands or villages had been directly affected. The devastation was confined to that empty stretch of land, a grim testament to his destructive potential.

Thomas was waiting for him, standing at the edge of the clearing near their cabin. His face was etched with concern. "Kurt! Where have you been?" he asked, his voice sharp. "You're covered in sweat, and you look…disturbed."

Kurt hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn't tell Thomas the truth. He couldn't confess to the horrifying power he possessed, the destruction he had caused. "I… I was just wandering the city," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "I got… lost."

Thomas studied him, his gaze intense. He didn't seem convinced. "Hmm," he said, his voice low and thoughtful. He knew Kurt. He knew his son was hiding something.

Later that evening, as they sat down for dinner, Kurt overheard a conversation between Thomas and Martha. Some men from the village had come to speak with Thomas, their voices filled with alarm.

"...a terrible catastrophe," one of them was saying. "A huge section of land, miles wide, is just… gone. Barren. Scorched. No one knows what happened."

"The kingdom is in an uproar," another added. "They're confused, terrified. They think it's an attack, but no one has seen any armies, any signs of a battle. They're whispering about enemy kingdoms, about some new, devastating weapon."

"The scholars say that at least five hundred Astra users, attacking with all their might, would be needed to cause such damage," the first man said, shaking his head in disbelief. "It's… it's almost impossible to comprehend."

Kurt listened, his heart sinking with every word. Five hundred Astra users? He, a single untrained child, had caused that much destruction? The sheer scale of his power was terrifying.

Martha wrung her hands, her face pale. "What does this mean, Thomas? What will happen?"

Thomas sighed, his brow furrowed with worry. "I don't know," he said. "But the kingdom will be on high alert. They'll be searching for answers, for someone to blame. And if they ever find out…" He trailed off, his gaze falling on Kurt.

Kurt met his eyes, a silent understanding passing between them. Thomas knew. He didn't know the full extent of Kurt's power, but he knew that his son was somehow connected to this catastrophe. And he was afraid.