The clouds above us shimmered brightly, drifting lazily across the sky as our carriage rolled forward on the long road home. Sunlight slipped through the gaps between the clouds, painting everything in warm gold but for some reason, my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
I clasped them together tightly on my lap.
*Calm down, Hikaru. Calm down.*
But how could I?
Those gods…
Those laughing, irresponsible, absolutely suspicious gods…
*What exactly did they give me?*
The thought alone made my stomach twist.
I glanced at my parents, who were seated calmly across from me inside the carriage. Father looked relaxed, arms folded, eyes half-closed as if enjoying the ride. Mother sat upright beside him, her gaze fixed on the window, though I could tell her thoughts were somewhere far away.
"…Hey," I finally said, breaking the silence.
Both of them looked at me.
"When you went to the Church of Blessings," I asked carefully, "what did you receive?"
Father blinked, surprised by the question. "Hm?"
Mihatu scratched his chin. "Ah, that. Let's see… I received *Swordmanship Level 2* and *Space Illusion Level 3*."
"…Space illusion?" I repeated.
Mother nodded gently. "Yes, Hikaru. It allows the user to move through space to locations they're familiar with. It's also useful in battle."
My eyes widened. "In battle? How?"
Father leaned forward slightly, clearly slipping into teaching mode.
"If you don't have magic," he explained, "space illusion can boost your speed, distort distance, or reposition yourself instantly. You can close gaps, retreat, or even attack from unexpected angles."
"That sounds broken," I muttered.
"But it's dangerous," Father continued seriously. "Without proper control, you might end up somewhere unfamiliar or worse."
"Worse…?" I swallowed.
"There are rumors," Mother said softly, "that failed space illusions have sent people into places they never returned from."
"…That's terrifying."
Father nodded. "And if truly uncontrolled, it can even pull others into another space without noticing."
I looked at him sharply. "Can you control it, Father?"
He went quiet.
"…Somehow," he said after a pause, "all we know is that space illusion once saved us."
Saved…?
"Back then…?" I echoed.
The air inside the carriage shifted.
Mother stiffened.
Father's jaw tightened.
Before I could ask more
The carriage suddenly lurched to a halt.
"Huh?"
I peered out the window.
Up ahead, several figures blocked the road.
Bandits.
They had people tied up adults and children alike.
My heart skipped.
Mother's voice turned firm instantly. "Hikaru. Stay inside. Do not move."
Before I could even protest, Father stepped down from the carriage.
The air changed.
I felt it.
Father activated his space illusion.
A glowing circle formed beneath his feet, lifting him slightly above the ground. His steps blurred floating, accelerating as he drew his sword mid-movement.
Mother followed immediately.
Father extended his hand, and the same spatial glow wrapped around Mother's feet, allowing her to move with him.
She opened her item box mid-stride, pulling out a spellbook.
Her voice rang out clearly.
"By the power of the deep,
I summon theeWater Dragon, to my aid!
Infuse this sword with your ancient might!
Glowing white, shining bright!
Let our bond be strong and true
Release, *Aquamoria Invoco!*"
Light erupted.
Father's sword glowed brilliantly.
Each slash tore through the air, enhanced by water and space itself. Bandits flew back, weapons shattered, ropes snapped.
I watched from the carriage, completely frozen.
*They're amazing…*
Father leapt, slid, vanished, reappeared every movement fluid, precise, overwhelming.
Within moments, it was over.
The captives were freed.
And before I realized it
I was standing beside them.
"…Hikaru?!" Mother gasped.
I blinked. "Ah."
She immediately pulled me back, shielding me with her arm.
The guards of Lapryth arrived shortly after, taking control of the scene.
As we returned to the carriage, my eyes drifted to one child among the rescued.
He looked about older at my age.
But something felt… off.
He didn't look relieved.
I couldn't feel his presence at all.
As the carriage moved, I kept looking back.
"Hikaru?" Father asked gently. "Are you okay?"
"…Yeah," I said quietly, sitting beside Mother.
The motion lulled me.
Darkness followed.
---
*Morning Chaos*
"WAKE UP!"
Two faces were suddenly right in front of mine.
"WHOOAA!"
I jolted upright.
"Master Hikaru is awake! Breakfast time!" Sakari cheered.
"You nearly scared my bones to death!" I groaned. "I'll be down in a second!"
They laughed as they left.
I sighed.
*Those two…*
I opened the window, gazing at the calm sky.
"…Hey, gods," I muttered. "You better not have ruined my life."
"Hikaru!" Father's voice echoed. "Come eat!"
"I'm coming!"
---
*Status Reveal The Silence After the Light*
The dining table felt unusually quiet.
Too quiet.
I could hear the faint ticking of the wall clock. The soft clink of utensils. Even my own breathing sounded loud in my ears.
Father placed his cup down slowly.
"So," he said, casually but too casually. "Show us your status."
My heart skipped.
"…Huh?"
Mother smiled. It was gentle, warm… and terrifying. "You checked it already, didn't you, Hikaru?"
I swallowed.
*I forgot. I completely forgot.*
My fingers curled slightly. My palms were sweating.
In my head, panic ran laps.
*What if they get angry?*
*What if they think I'm a monster?*
*What if*
"There's no need to be scared," Father added, leaning back in his chair. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."
That made it worse.
"…Okay," I muttered.
Slowly, I raised my hand.
The familiar translucent screen appeared in the air.
For a moment
No one spoke.
Then Father leaned forward.
"…Wait."
Mother blinked once.
Then twice.
Then
"…Level ten?"
The words came out of her mouth softly, almost like she was afraid they might break if she said them louder.
Father stood up so fast his chair nearly fell backward.
"LEVEL TEN?!"
The room exploded.
"Magic ten?!"
"Swordmanship TEN?!"
"Summoning?! Item Box?! ALL TEN?!"
Father ran his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth like a man who had just discovered his house was secretly built on a dragon's nest.
"That's impossible! Level five is the highest blessing recorded! Even kings don't go past five!"
Mother leaned closer to the screen, eyes wide, hand trembling slightly as if she wanted to touch it but didn't dare.
"…Hikaru," she whispered. "Are you… really our child?"
I flinched.
"That was a joke," she quickly added. "…Mostly."
"Congratulations," Father said automatically.
Then his expression changed.
"…No. Wait."
The humor drained from his face.
This wasn't good.
The air grew heavy.
"Hikaru," Father said slowly, his voice lowering, "listen to me very carefully."
I straightened.
"You must never *never* show this to anyone else."
Mother nodded immediately. "Not friends. Not nobles. Not guild members. Not even the church."
"If word gets out," Father continued, "demons, kingdoms, and organizations will all come for you."
I clenched my fists. "…Because I'm strong?"
"Because you're a *threat*," he replied honestly.
Mother reached out and held my hands. "Power like this can save people… but it can also destroy everything around you if used wrongly."
I nodded slowly.
"…I'll hide it."
They both exhaled in relief.
Then Father sat back down.
"…You really did receive too much."
"Those gods," Mother muttered, rubbing her temples. "What were they thinking?"
*Trust me. I'd like to know too.*
---
*The Talk About the Future*
Silence lingered again longer this time.
Then Father cleared his throat.
"Hikaru," he said, softer now. "You're six years old."
"Yes, Father."
"And six is the age when one begins training."
My ears perked up.
"…Training?"
Mother nodded. "Swordmanship. Magic. Control."
"Can I really?" I asked.
Father smiled faintly. "You've been waiting for this day longer than anyone."
My chest warmed.
"But," he added, raising a finger, "not alone."
"…Huh?"
"You need a master," Mother said.
"A master?" I echoed.
Someone who could teach me?
Guide me?
Help me not explode accidentally?
Before I could say more, Sakari stepped forward with a pitcher of water.
"If you'd like," she said carefully, "Nina and I know someone."
Nina nodded. "Someone capable."
I paused mid-bite.
"But…?" I asked instinctively.
Sakari hesitated. "If Hikaru trains under him… he cannot stay here."
The room froze.
"He must go to the master's place," Nina continued, calm but serious. "And train for ten years."
"…Ten years?" I repeated.
I looked at my parents.
Ten years.
That was… long.
Very long.
"…That means we'll be apart," I said quietly.
Mother's eyes softened. Father clenched his fist under the table.
"Yes," Father admitted. "But we will always be here."
I thought about it.
About power.
About danger.
About my parents nearly dying before my eyes.
Then I smiled.
"…I want to go."
Everyone looked at me.
"I want to learn," I said honestly. "If I'm strong enough, I can protect you."
Mother's eyes welled up.
Father smiled proudly. "You really are our child."
---
*Inside the House When Parents Are Alone*
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
The soft sound of water splashing outside echoed faintly through the open window Hikaru watering the plants, humming to himself without a care in the world.
Inside, the adults remained seated.
No one spoke.
Mihatu stared at the table, his fingers wrapped tightly around his cup. The tea inside had long gone untouched, thin steam curling upward like a reminder of time passing.
Yare was the first to break the silence.
"…It's time, isn't it?"
Her voice trembled.
Mihatu didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he exhaled slowly, as if releasing something he had been holding inside for years.
"…Yes," he said at last. "It's time."
Yare's hands clenched together in her lap.
"I knew this day would come," she whispered. "I told myself to be ready. I told myself I wouldn't panic."
Her shoulders shook.
"But now that it's here… I feel like my heart can't keep up."
Mihatu stood and moved beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not weak for feeling this way," he said gently. "Any parent would be afraid."
Sakari, standing near the doorway, spoke quietly. "You always knew Hikaru was different."
Yare nodded slowly. "From the moment I held him… I felt it."
She looked toward the window.
"After that day… four years ago…" Her voice broke. "When the demon came… when I was taken…"
Her breath hitched.
"I thought I lost him. I thought I would never see him again."
Mihatu's jaw tightened.
"And when he saved you," Yare continued, tears falling freely now, "that power wasn't something a child should ever have to carry."
Nina crossed her arms, her expression calm but serious.
"That is exactly why he must go."
Yare turned to her sharply. "You say that so easily."
Nina met her gaze. "Because I've seen what happens when someone like him stays."
Silence fell again.
Mihatu finally spoke.
"Back then… we couldn't protect him."
Yare shook her head violently. "That's not true."
"It is," Mihatu said firmly. "Not completely. Not fully."
He clenched his fist.
"When the enemy comes again and they will they won't hesitate. And next time, they won't make mistakes."
Yare covered her mouth.
"What if…" she whispered, "what if sending him away is what breaks him?"
Sakari stepped forward.
"He won't be alone."
Yare looked up.
"Our master," Sakari continued, "is strict, yes but he protects his disciples with his life."
Nina nodded. "He trained us. He hid us. He kept us alive."
Yare swallowed hard. "But Hikaru is just a child."
"A special one," Nina said gently.
Mihatu turned toward them.
"You're certain?" he asked. "That this is the right choice?"
Sakari smiled faintly. "There was never another choice."
Nina added, "His destiny has already begun."
Yare lowered her head.
"…I hate destiny."
Mihatu placed his forehead against hers.
"I know," he whispered. "So do I."
They stayed like that for a long moment.
Then Yare inhaled deeply.
"If he goes," she said, "promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me he won't be told the truth yet."
Mihatu stiffened.
"…Not yet?"
"He's not ready," she said firmly. "If he learns why he's being hunted now… it will crush him."
Nina nodded. "I agree. He needs strength first."
Sakari added softly, "And confidence."
Mihatu closed his eyes.
"…Then we wait."
Yare wiped her tears.
"We let him grow."
Mihatu opened his eyes, resolve returning.
"And when the time comes," he said, "we will stand beside him."
Sakari smiled warmly.
"You've raised him well."
Nina added, "His master has been waiting a long time."
Yare looked toward the window again.
Hikaru laughed outside, accidentally spilling water on himself.
Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile.
"…He doesn't know yet," she whispered. "That his journey has already begun."
Mihatu placed a hand over hers.
"But when he does," he said, "he'll be strong enough to face it."
The room fell silent once more.
Not with fear
But with resolve.