Returning Back Home

Kael walked with steady steps, the cool morning breeze lifting strands of his disheveled hair as his thoughts spun endlessly. The sun was only just beginning to rise fully, casting long shadows across the dirt path leading to his home. Yet, despite the tranquility around him, his mind was anything but peaceful.

Magic.

It was no longer a mere concept. It was real. The weight of that knowledge settled heavily on Kael's shoulders as he walked, a growing sense of curiosity gnawing at him. He had seen it, felt it—the overwhelming presence of the creature and the raw power that had swirled in the forest.

Could I have done that? he wondered. Could I, too, tap into that power?

His mind buzzed with a flood of questions. He thought back to his old books on magic, filled with theoretical knowledge that seemed so distant back then, so academic. Now, they felt more like a distant road map—a path he might walk. If he could.

Would I be able to use magic? If I could, then what kind of abilities would I have?

Magic was a complex, almost mystical subject in Kael's old books. He remembered learning that mages were divided into various tiers based on their magical abilities and potential. But he had never thought that someone like him could ever be one of them. His thoughts wandered further. Was he destined to awaken a certain type of magic, or could he be different?

He had heard of people born with natural talent, but those were the exceptions. The outliers. Kael always considered himself average. But last night, surviving the creature's onslaught, even if it was unintentional, seemed like more than just coincidence.

Could I be one of those rare cases?

With a slight frown, he realized he needed to revisit his old books. Maybe there was something he missed—a sign, a clue, a piece of knowledge that would help him understand what had happened to him. His curiosity and uncertainty urged him on, but the closer he got to his home, the more his mind shifted to something else.

---

As Kael approached his front door, he spotted her.

Standing at the doorway, her posture stiff with worry, was his stepmother, Virelle. Her usual grace and composure were gone, replaced with a look of clear concern, her eyes scanning the horizon as if she had been waiting for him to return. The moment their gazes met, her face softened, and her worry melted away, replaced by a warm, wide smile that Kael hadn't seen in a while. She stepped forward, her arms opening wide.

Without a word, Kael stepped into her embrace. The familiarity of it felt comforting in a way he hadn't expected. It had been so long since he truly acknowledged her care, but in that moment, standing in her arms, a warmth spread through his chest. The kind of warmth that reminded him of something he had lost.

My mother...

For a split second, Kael was struck by how similar Virelle's embrace felt to what he remembered of his birth mother. That tender care, the genuine concern, it was all so familiar. His heart clenched slightly, and for the first time, he found himself appreciating her presence—not as his stepmother, but as someone who truly loved him, despite all the complexities of their relationship.

---

As they broke apart, Virelle's eyes scanned him from head to toe, the worry never quite leaving her face. "Are you alright? Did anything happen? What's going on? I heard about the creature in the woods, and—"

Her barrage of questions, all filled with concern, brought Kael back to the present. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the rapid-fire questioning. Though she meant well, he couldn't exactly explain the full truth of his ordeal—not the part where he had been in mortal danger, not the part where he had almost been devoured by the dark creature.

"I'm fine," Kael said reassuringly, though the smile he gave her was faint. "Really. Nothing happened. I just… got caught up in some of the mess, but nothing serious."

Virelle's brows furrowed, but she didn't press him further. The sincerity in his tone was enough to calm her, even if she still looked concerned. She reached up to gently touch his cheek, her fingers lingering for a moment, as though feeling for any sign of injury.

"You're sure? You seem... alright, but you've been through a lot. You're not hiding anything from me, are you?" she asked, her voice soft and filled with that motherly concern.

Kael felt a strange pull in his chest, a mix of guilt and tenderness. He nodded, careful not to let his true thoughts slip. He didn't want to worry her more than he had to.

"I'm sure, Virelle. Really," Kael said, his tone steady, though his mind wandered to the dark creature that had almost ended his life. He still couldn't make sense of how he had survived. Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was something else entirely.

As Virelle sighed in relief, Kael turned slightly, ready to head inside. "I'll be inside. I just need to... think for a bit."

"Of course," she replied with a warm smile. "I'm just glad you're safe. Come in when you're ready. And... don't forget to eat. You'll need your strength."

Kael nodded absentmindedly, his thoughts still on the questions surrounding his survival. But for now, he would push them aside—at least until later.

As he stepped inside, the weight of his newfound knowledge about magic sat heavy on his shoulders. He had questions, and he needed answers. But there was also a warmth in his heart, an emotion he hadn't fully allowed himself to feel in years.

Maybe there was more to his life than what he had ever expected. Maybe magic wasn't the only thing he needed to figure out.

Maybe it's time I start paying attention to what truly matters.

---

After finally reassuring Virelle that he was fine, Kael excused himself with a polite but weary smile. He needed time alone, to sort through the torrent of thoughts racing through his mind. The past twenty-four hours had turned his world upside down, and he couldn't let the strange events go without seeking some kind of understanding.

Before heading to his room, however, Kael realized he hadn't eaten since the night before. The thought of food stirred a dull ache in his stomach. He sat at the kitchen table, the same table he had eaten countless meals at over the years. Virelle had already prepared a simple meal for him—bread, cheese, and a warm bowl of stew. It wasn't much, but it was enough to quiet the hunger gnawing at him.

He ate quickly, his mind wandering to the questions that gnawed at him. Magic, survival, the creature—none of it made sense. But deep down, he knew that something had changed in him, something he couldn't quite grasp yet.

Once he finished, Kael thanked Virelle and excused himself. His feet carried him up the stairs and into his room, where he had spent countless hours before, reading, dreaming, and asking questions about the world that no one seemed to answer.

---

Kael's room was modest, the walls lined with bookshelves crammed with dusty volumes. Most of them were historical accounts of the kingdoms of Virela—stories of battles, rulers, and ancient magic that Kael had always thought were nothing more than stories. He had long ago stopped reading those, finding little in them that sparked his curiosity.

But there was one book, tucked away on the highest shelf, that Kael always returned to. It was the one book Virelle had given him when he was very young—the one that told stories about magic. She had always encouraged him to read it, though back then, Kael had dismissed it as nonsense. After all, how could magic possibly be real? He was just a normal kid from a village that seemed to care little about the world beyond its borders.

He pulled the book from the shelf now, dusting it off as he opened it. The cover was faded, the pages yellowing with age, but the words inside still felt vibrant to him. As he flipped through the pages, Kael's fingers brushed over the familiar text that had intrigued him years ago, back when he was just a child.

---

The book explained magic as a flow of energy, produced by the laws of the world—laws that maintained balance and harmony. Kael remembered reading it with disbelief as a child, unable to comprehend how something so fantastical could be true.

Magic was all around us, but only mages could see it and harness it, the book had said. Kael had been skeptical then, and he was still skeptical now. If magic truly existed everywhere, why couldn't he see it? Why couldn't anyone in this village?

Back then, Kael had turned to his stepmother, Virelle, for answers. He could still remember the warmth of her embrace as she had knelt beside him, her soft voice trying to reassure him.

"You know, Kael," she had said with a gentle smile, "the world is full of things we can't see. Just because you can't see magic now doesn't mean it's not there. One day, you might understand."

At the time, Kael hadn't been convinced. Her words had been comforting, but they didn't change the fact that he couldn't feel the magic around him.

But now, with everything that had happened—the creature, his survival, the strange feeling he'd had in the forest—Kael couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it.

Was it possible? Could I really be a mage?

---

The book also spoke of the spirit root, the source of a mage's magical ability, and how it determined the potential for magical power. There were seven types, each corresponding to a different level of magic, from the red root for Tier 1 mages to the purple root for Tier 6 mages.

Kael had never given much thought to the idea of spirit roots when he was younger. But now, as he sat in his room, the words in the book felt more real than ever. He remembered the descriptions—how a red spirit root meant a mage could reach Tier 1, how an orange root could reach Tier 2, and so on. But he also remembered the implications: the higher the spirit root, the more powerful the mage.

His mind raced. If he was truly awakening as a mage, then what kind of spirit root did he have? What kind of abilities could he develop? He wasn't sure how to even begin to test this idea, but the thoughts swirled in his head relentlessly.

Could it be a special identity? Like royalty or nobility? Or is it something learned, something that anyone can unlock with enough study and practice?

The book didn't give answers to those questions. It only spoke of the spirit root's significance and the importance of cultivation. And while Kael felt an intense urge to understand it all, part of him still wondered if the answers could lie in his own hands, in his own actions. Could magic be something he could learn, or was it entirely dependent on fate?

He closed the book with a soft sigh.

Maybe his stepmother was right, after all. Maybe magic was something he couldn't see yet. But Kael was determined to change that. If there was even the smallest possibility that he had some kind of potential, then he would find a way to unlock it. He wouldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers, not after everything he had witnessed.

With the book back on his desk, Kael turned toward the window, staring out at the quiet village. He didn't know where his path would lead, but he felt something stir within him—a sense of purpose.

Whatever magic was, Kael Theron was going to discover it, even if it meant challenging everything he thought he knew about the world.