Life and death. It's something you can't predict. One minute you're laughing, the next you're gone. How many people had I seen, in my old life, who were here one day and vanished the next? Maybe they took their own lives, victims of their own failures like me, or maybe it was something sudden—a disease, an accident. And they had no second chance. Not like me. It always seemed so random, so cruel. And here I am, with a new life, a fresh start... but I can't shake the thought. How fragile this all is. How easily everything can be taken away.

The village had never looked so peaceful. That was the bitter irony. A quiet, sunny day, children playing, women hanging laundry, and men discussing the harvest or local business. But I couldn’t stop the dark thoughts, the fear gnawing at me like an itch I couldn’t scratch.

Fast forward to now—flames consuming the village. Bright red, licking the sky as if the stars themselves were burning. The air thick with smoke and ash. The corpses of those very same villagers scattered across the streets, their faces frozen in pain and terror. Men, women, children... no one spared. The blood pooled around the dirt roads, mixing with the dust, creating a sickening sight. Screams pierced the night like needles, and the acrid scent of death filled the air.

5 Hours Ago

3 years had passed since Clara’s birth, and our lives continued to flow in a routine of training and magic lessons. News spread about the increasing number of monsters in the nearby forest, and the village sent adult males to deal with the threat. Naturally, my father and Sylas’s father were part of that group. Lately, though, they'd been staying out longer than usual, sometimes even camping in the forest overnight. It made sense, given the heightened danger, but it didn’t make things any easier.

That day, Sylas had helped me practice fire magic again,

"You're getting better," Sylas said with a smile, as I conjured another small flame in his palm. "But you still need to control it better. If you don’t, you’ll burn down your mom’s flowers."

I chuckled, "Oh come on, I won’t do that. I’ve got this, see?" I focused, keeping the flame steady. "No accidents this time."

Sylas raised an eyebrow. "We'll see about that. Last time, you almost set your sleeve on fire."

I grinned, shrugging. "That was one time."

"You’re lucky your mom’s such a good healer," Sylas teased. Then, she demonstrated the spell again, explaining how she was able to cast her own fire magic effortlessly. "It’s all about visualizing the core of the magic in your mind before you release it."

"How are you so good at this?" I asked, half in awe. "I’ve been practicing for months, and you picked this up in just a few weeks."

Sylas shrugged modestly. "Maybe it’s the elf blood," she said with a smirk. "But you’ve improved a lot, Duke. I’m sure you’ll surpass me soon."

I nodded, determined. "I have to. There’s no way I’m letting you beat me in everything."

"Dream on!" Sylas laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "But let’s make sure you don’t explode. Ok great, do it”

"I call upon the heat within, release a burst! Flame Burst!"

A burst or fire came out of my palm as if it could devour anything caught in it, though the radius is small I will be able to make it bigger when I get older. My heart is pounding fast, I feel like a ton of blood gallons are bumping into my veins at once.

“No way, I did, I finally did it. Thank you Sylas” I said

“No problem, hehe” She giggled

After the burst of fire was over, I rushed inside the house while my mom was teaching Clara the basic knowledge of magic.

Her eyes softened as she looked at me, a proud smile spreading across her face. “I’m so proud of you, Duke. You've worked so hard for this.” Thank you Sylas for having been with him and helping him with his magical abilities”

“You don’t have to thank you miss, friends always help each other am I right?” Sylas said with a bright smile on her face

“It's almost dinner time, Sylas you should return home,” I said

“See you tomorrow,” she said while turning her back to me and going straight outside. “Yeah,” I muttered. Tomorrow gonna be fun since I have taken a huge step in my magical career

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And just like that for the first time, I successfully cast an E-rank spell. Fire magic wasn’t my strongest suit, but after months of effort, I finally did it. A small flame had burst forth from my hand, controlled and focused. Sylas, always the prodigy, had guided me through it patiently, while Clara watched with wide eyes.

During dinner, my mom Clara, and I talked about how our magic had been lately

"You’ve worked so hard, Duke," she said with pride. "To think you’re already at E-rank in fire magic. And Clara’s picking up on it faster than I expected too."

I grinned, feeling a rare warmth that had nothing to do with the fire I’d conjured earlier. "I couldn’t have done it without you and Sylas. She’s the one who’s a natural at this stuff."

Clara, still small but growing in her magic, beamed at the compliment. "I’m gonna be strong like you, brother! And Mama, too!"

I ruffled her hair. "You’ll be even stronger, Clara."

The conversation soon shifted to our father’s growing absence due to the monster hunts

“Dad’s been gone longer than usual,” I said to Mom as we sat down for dinner. The scent of the stew she made lingered in the air, the heat of the kitchen keeping the chill of the evening at bay.

Mom sighed softly, stirring her thoughts with the spoon. “Yes, Duke. The forest is growing more dangerous. Your father’s worried.” she gave me a reassuring smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “But he’s strong. He’ll be back before you know it.”

“I know he’s strong, but...” I paused, trying to find the words for the anxiety twisting in my gut. “He’s been out there for days. What if something happens?”

She looked at me with soft eyes, her hand resting on mine. “Your father is a fighter, Duke. And he’s not alone. The men out there are trained for this.”

“Still, the village feels... different.” I kept my voice low. “It feels... too quiet lately.”

Mom bit her lip. “You’re not wrong. It’s been... unsettling. But we’re not defenseless. And besides, your magic is improving.” She smiled more brightly this time. “You’re becoming stronger every day, and your father would be proud.”

I felt my face warm at her words, though the knot in my stomach didn’t disappear. She was right, my magic had come a long way, and my swordsmanship was steadily progressing. But something still didn’t sit right with me.

I was about to reply when a deafening boom cut through the air.

“What was that?” I shot up from my seat, heart racing. The ground trembled slightly beneath us, and for a moment, all I could hear was the panicked shouting from outside.

Mom stood up quickly, grabbing my arm as we both rushed toward the door. “Stay close,” she muttered, her voice tight.

We stepped outside, and my heart sank. There, in the distance, thick smoke rose into the sky. Flames danced on the horizon, illuminating the darkening sky with an eerie glow. And the screams... I could hear them clearly now—people crying out in fear and pain.

“By the gods...” Mom whispered beside me, her hand gripping my shoulder tighter than ever.

The peaceful village was being consumed in chaos.

Then, from the smoke, figures emerged—dark, menacing figures. At first, they were just shadows, but as they came closer, I could make them out clearly. Bandits. Dozens of them. Armed with swords, axes, and even magic, they tore through the village like a plague.

But none of them stood out more than the man leading them—a towering figure riding a massive lion. His armor glinted in the fire’s glow, and his presence alone was enough to send a wave of fear through the villagers. His hair was dark and wild, his eyes cold and merciless, and his face was pinned with the kind of cruelty that made my skin crawl.

He held his greatsword high, his voice booming across the village as if he were delivering a death sentence. “I am Arthur, leader of this pack! We’re here for your women and children! Anyone who dares to oppose us... will die!”

Behind him, the bandits swarmed the village. Their weapons glistened in the light of the flames, and they cut down anyone in their path without mercy. Men, women, it didn’t matter. The scent of burning wood and flesh filled the air, choking out any remaining sense of safety.

My hands trembled as I took in the scene. Bandits were everywhere, attacking indiscriminately. I saw houses being set on fire, and villagers desperately trying to defend their homes, only to be slaughtered in seconds. The bandits moved like a swarm, overwhelming everything in their way.

“We need to find your father!” Mom shouted, her voice shaking with urgency.

I nodded, but deep down, I knew. Most of the men, including my father, were still out in the forest, fighting the monsters. The village’s strongest warriors weren’t here to protect us. We were defenseless. And Arthur’s group... they had swordsmen, they had mages. The odds were stacked against us.

As I realized where the raid started, I was in complete shock, it started near Sylas’s house, and Mr. Thalion is out there with my dad.

“This is bad... really bad...” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

The streets of the village had turned into a battlefield. Men scrambled to grab whatever they could find—pitchforks, brooms, even broken chair legs—to defend their families. Bandits swarmed over them like wolves.

I watched as a farmer swung his shovel desperately, only to be struck down by a bandit’s sword. He fell with a hollow thud, unmoving. The bandit didn’t even pause, already turning to his next victim.

The crackling of fire followed close behind. Somewhere in the distance, a roof collapsed with a thunderous crash, sparks shooting into the sky.

“This can’t be happening,” I whispered, my hands trembling. My feet wouldn’t move, no matter how hard I willed them.