Before the fire fell

The buzz only grew louder, until the heavy door behind the reception slammed open and an older man stormed out. "What the hell is with all this noise—?" the Guild Master barked, then stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened.

"…Caden?"

Caden raised a hand. "Hey, old man."

The Guild Master broke into a grin. "You bastard! I thought you were dead!"

Leo watched with mild amusement as the two men embraced like old friends. He wasn't surprised—he knew of his father's past, of the stories involving the Hero Kael, and the battles they had once fought together.

"So, what brings you here after all these years?" the Guild Master asked.

Caden gestured to Leo. "This one. My son. He wants to become an adventurer."

The Guild Master turned to Leo, raising a curious brow. "That so? Hmm… well then!"

He called over a receptionist. "Get him a guild pass."

The woman at the counter—bright-eyed and clearly thrilled to meet Caden—nodded eagerly. "Of course!"

She turned to Leo with a kind smile. "Name?"

"Leo," Caden answered for him.

"Age?"

"Ten."

"Skills?"

Caden opened his mouth, but paused. "We didn't get a chance to check the second one. But the first is Echoes of Forgotten."

The receptionist's eyes widened. "A-Rank rarity? That's impressive…!"

She looked expectantly at Leo. "And your second skill?"

Leo froze. Damn it, what should I say? I can't tell them about Void Reclaim…

"Ice," he blurted.

Caden raised an eyebrow. "Ice? How do you know that?"

Leo scratched his cheek. "Uh, when you were all asleep, I… kinda practiced. It just came to me."

That doesn't even make sense, Leo thought. But I hope it works.

Surprisingly, no one questioned him further. Caden simply shrugged. "He does have some healing affinity. Maybe it's tied together."

The receptionist nodded and finished filling out the form.

The receptionist, after stamping Leo's new guild card, looked up with a small smile. "Hmm… seeing your age and skill, there's a suitable beginner quest available. Would you like to take it?"

Caden glanced at his son. "This will be your first official quest, Leo. Are you ready?"

Leo nodded, eyes gleaming. "Yes. I'll do it."

"Alright then," the receptionist continued, handing over a parchment. "Your task is to hunt down three goblins hiding near the edge of the starting jungle. It's close by, not far from your village. As proof, you'll need to bring back their ears."

Leo took the parchment and read it briefly before tucking it into his belt. "Okay. I accept."

Just then, a realization hit him. He glanced at Caden, slightly embarrassed. "Uh… I don't have a sword."

There was a short silence—then Caden chuckled, crossing his arms. "You were ready to fight goblins with your bare hands?"

The receptionist giggled, and even the guild master let out a short laugh.

"Well," Caden continued with a teasing grin, "why don't you borrow a temporary weapon from the guild?"

The guild master gave a nod. "Of course. For a new recruit like him, that's fine."

Leo was handed a basic short sword—not much, but enough for goblins. He held it in his hands, testing the grip, then nodded.

"I'm heading out."

Caden ruffled his hair lightly. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Leo smiled. "No need. I'll be fine."

With that, he left the guild and made his way toward the jungle. The starting area wasn't inside the capital; rather, it was the familiar forest just behind his home village. He traveled alone, his footsteps light, his senses sharp.

Caden, meanwhile, made his way back to the village to spend time with Selene and Lia.

The scene shifted.

Within the dense brush of the starting jungle, sunlight barely filtered through the canopy above. The scent of damp earth filled the air. Leo moved silently, crouching near the shadows, tracking.

After a while, he found them—three goblins, green-skinned and snarling, gathered around a fallen log.

Without hesitation, Leo struck.

A clean slash—one goblin down. The second lunged, but Leo's movement was sharp and smooth. He dodged, twisted, and drove his blade through its neck. The third tried to flee, but Leo closed the distance quickly and ended it with a precise strike.

The bodies fell still.

He exhaled slowly, wiping the blade clean on the grass before crouching to retrieve the ears.

"Hmph… It took time to track them down," Leo muttered, rising to his feet. "But they were easy to kill."

He stared at the bodies thoughtfully.

"Too bad," he whispered to himself. "None of them had skills… so I can't use Void Reclaim."

The forest was silent again, save for the wind in the leaves.

Leo sheathed his borrowed sword and began the walk back, his first quest complete—but his journey was just beginning.

As Leo tied the bundle of goblin ears and prepared to head back, something strange hit him.

His nose twitched.

Blood… flesh… fire…?

The scent was faint, yet sharp—unnatural. He stiffened. His senses, enhanced through constant training and subtle mana awakening, were unusually strong now. But this... this wasn't normal.

"What… is this smell?" he murmured.

Then he looked up—his heart dropped.

Billows of black smoke curled in the distant sky.

It wasn't near the jungle. It was behind him—toward the village.

Toward home.

Leo's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened. "No…" he whispered, stepping back, trembling.

"That's coming from the village…"

For a brief second, his mind tried to deny it.

No… it can't be. It's evening, everyone should be home, safe, laughing… Lia, Selene, Lyra—Caden would never let anything happen…

But the scent grew stronger with every second.

The smoke… thick, choking, rising higher.

"No… no, no—NO!"

His legs moved before his thoughts could catch up.

Leo ran.

Faster than he had ever run before.

Through the underbrush, over tree roots and broken branches, past startled animals and fading goblin tracks. The forest blurred around him. His heart pounded like a war drum in his chest.

Please… let me be wrong.

Please… let them be safe…

The sky above him bled orange and black.

And the smoke—closer now—was undeniable.

Home was burning.

Leo ran—ran until his legs screamed, until his lungs felt like fire.

But even as he dashed through the woods, weaving past trees and leaping over roots, the visions in his mind returned like cruel ghosts.

Lia's innocent smile.

Selene's gentle touch.

Caden's strong voice.

Lyra's laughter under the sun.

No… I can't lose them.

Not them. Please… not them.

"I—I can't suffer anymore… please…!"

Then—

SHHHHHH.

The sharp sound of his boots skidding across the forest floor broke through the air as he came to an abrupt halt. His breath caught. His wide eyes trembled with dread, unable to accept what stood before him.

"No…" Leo whispered. "It… it can't be…"

Before him stood the edge of the village.

Or what was left of it.

The wooden fences were splintered, shattered. Smoke billowed from rooftops that were now engulfed in blazing fire. Ash fell from the sky like snow, dancing through the charred air. Several homes had already collapsed, reduced to burning rubble.

And then—the smell.

Blood. Flesh. Smoke. Death.

Corpses… villagers he had known, burned beyond recognition. Some were still smoldering. Others had been torn apart, their blood staining the ground in thick pools of red.

Leo's heart dropped into a pit of despair. "No… mom… dad… Lyra… Lia—please…"

He ran into the heart of the village, barely able to breathe. The thick smoke choked him with every step, but he pushed forward. Eyes darting, frantic.