In the orphanage—Safe Heaven—kids left behind by this cruel world were taken under its wings, and the one who supported these wings, the backbone of this structure, was the infamous Valor clan.
However, nothing comes free; selected children are taken under the clan's tutelage to produce powerful, loyal vassals.
And today was the day.
A young boy no older than the small age of nine years was training mercilessly, hitting the wooden dummy like he was going to kill a human.
Although his frame was small, befitting his age, each muscle was properly trained to its current peak.
Hitting the dummy a few more times, he stopped his movement before slicking his white hair back. The golden tips of his hair were dripping with his sweat like dripstone, his violet eyes clear as the blue sky, as he looked behind his back.
The strong presence that had been looking at him moments ago was a woman—a beautiful and dazzling woman—whose hair flowed like liquid gold. She was wearing light steel armour, its pauldrons, and greaves decorated with white feathers.
'An Awakened? Is today the day for selection? Is she an ascended, but none of the ascended I have studied about match her characteristics, then is she...' His eyes widened in shock.
A Transcendent.
It was a Saint.
The peak of the current world.
Wren immediately bowed to her and greeted her with great respect.
"I apologise for not recognising Saint Sky Tide of the White Feather Clan; it's a pleasure to meet you."
The Saint nodded silently before walking towards him. As she approached, Wren felt the warmth of her presence; it surprised him, as he had expected the opposite, given her emotional response.
"Who is your teacher, young child?" She asked as her amber eyes examined the wooden dummy.
Wren shook his head.
"I have no teacher." He replied.
Saint Tyris looked at him for a few moments before nodding and leaving him behind without any further words.
He just stared at her back till she disappeared like a phantom. Looking at the dummy for the last time, he turned before spinning himself and kicking the wooden dummy, breaking it in half.
"This was the 8th dummy I have broken this year; the headmaster will be quite delighted to know about it." He muttered before walking towards his quarters.
Entering the familiar room, he grabbed his towel and opened the door to the bathroom. He took his clothes off, revealing a few scars on his body.
"The era of the nightmare spell... What a cursed luck, I wish I could live like the people from the past. Studying seems easier than training myself to death. I wonder if people die from studying too hard. I don't think someone will die from such a trivial thing."
The Nightmare Spell first appeared in the world a few decades ago. Back then, the planet was just starting to recover from a series of devastating natural disasters and subsequent resource wars.
At first, the emergence of a new disease that caused millions of people to complain about constant fatigue and sleepiness did not attract a lot of attention. But when they started to fall into an unnatural slumber, with no sign of waking up even days later, governments finally panicked. Of course, by then it was already too late - not that an early response could have made any difference.
When the infected started dying in their sleep, their dead bodies turning into monsters, no one was ready. Nightmare Creatures quickly overwhelmed national militaries, plunging the world into complete chaos.
Shaking his head, he opened the shower tap, letting the cold water hit his body to clear his mind as he washed himself properly.
"Saint Sky Tide, I wonder if she could become my teacher..." He paused and chuckled, his laugh muffled under the sound of the falling water, "I will take a rest tomorrow, training too hard has caused me to get into delusions." He muttered to himself.
Closing the tap, he walked out of the bathroom, drying himself with the help of a towel. He wore his clothes before lying on the bed.
Tired.
He was very tired, and shortly after, he drifted into a deep sleep. Wren would not wake up until the next morning.
***
In the headmaster's cabin, a tense atmosphere had settled in. The cause was none other than the saint from the White Feather Clan, who sat calmly reading through the files of individuals.
And the current file in her hand....it was the file of an extraordinary individual. The one she had met in the morning.
A lean, young boy with milky skin and white hair, whose tips were golden like they had been dipped in pure gold. He was engrossed with his training, so much so that he couldn't even hear her voice until his training ended.
"Is there any information about this child's relatives?" She calmly asked.
The headmaster shook her head in denial.
"No, not even a trace. When we had first found him out at the orphanage gates, I had accessed the data from the surveillance; however, there was nothing in it."
Saint Tyris raised her brow. The child was definitely not normal; perhaps it was her fate to watch over this child.
"I will take this child under my tutelage, and the rest I have picked will be escorted by the PTVs arriving tomorrow morning." She said with her usual calm.
The headmaster rang her bell and called for her assistant before whispering a few things. The assistant nodded and left the cabin.
"Wren will be here in a few moments. Is there anything you want to ask, Saint Sky Tide?" She asked.
Saint Tyris remained silent for a few moments before asking only two questions:
"I noticed that the child seemed very motivated during his training, although it's a good thing, but it seemed a little different. Could there be any reason behind such motivation?"
The headmaster chuckled slightly.
"I have seen the same thing, and the reason behind it seemed quite naive and yet at the same time very mature. He said that he had to repay this gratitude for sheltering him, even though his parents had left him alone in this cruel world, they would also want the same."
Saint Tyris remained silent.
"Does he not hate his parents?" She asked.
The headmaster remained silent and looked out of the window, and said:
"He doesn't. Wren believes that his parents must have a reason; the hope in that child's eyes made me feel sad." Her expression was sombre.
Then, someone knocked on the door of her cabin.
It was her assistant, standing alone when he should be with Wren.
"May I ask the reason why you are alone here?" She asked with a smile.
Her assistant nodded.
"It seems Wren was sleeping as he wasn't responding to my calls, and you also know how hard it is to wake him up." He responded.
Nodding, the headmaster turned her head toward the Saint and said with a small smile:
"I have to ask your pardon. Wren is a very hardworking child, and he needs plenty of rest, so you have to come tomorrow to accommodate him. If you have any other concerns, please let me know over the call."
Saint Tyris showed no signs of objection. She nodded and stood before leaving the cabin.
Walking out of the orphanage, Saint Tyris couldn't help but think.
'She is quite a woman, after all.'
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First chapter of my remake. I still see the flaws in my writing, but also feel some clarity in it. It will be a long journey, the updates might not be consistent, and this will stay like this forever, I guess. Anyway, it is good to see people again.
See Ya!