In the world of Tearna, where one's path is set at birth, all are born to play a part. Be it tree cutters or kings, all have a role to play, every piece, a place. In this way, the world can continue to turn through the cycles.

Landrin Cain had always known and accepted this and his place in it as a simple fact of life.

In the Kingdom of Crowngard stood a backwater village called Aarondale, It being just a short walk over the hill from the city of Shildegrave. But at some point, they had decided that having a city spring up on their doorstep wasn't enough incentive to move. Which, over the centuries, had become a point of pride and some celebrity for the village. Enough to attract tourists already visiting the city to come to take a look around.

However, most who came were those who couldn't afford to stay in the city or those who had been kicked out and needed a place to stay the night.

Aside from a troublemaker or two every now and then, those who most often took advantage of the village were merchants looking to sell in the city without paying expensive boarding and storing taxes.

One such merchant would become a constant source of misery for Landrin.

As the oldest child, it was only expected that he would follow after his father and become a Crafter like him and even, one day, have the family Class item passed down to him as it had been to his father from his father and so on back to the founding of the village.

That was until Obern Dell snaked his way into Landrin’s life.

Black tongue Dell was everything hated about the merchant class, all bundled into one aged husk of a viper in human skin.

If there was one thing known about merchants, then it was if they didn't know you, a merchant would watch you get robbed by another of their Class before stepping in to sell you something that would no doubt fix the problem you just got yourself into. Unless that Merchant was Dell, then any merchant would do everything within their power to warn you about him. That was how hated he was.

Unfortunately for Landrin and his family, they didn't know any of this when he knocked on their door one day.

The morning his life changed started like any other. Landrin woke to the sound of his mother calling his name, washed up, and dressed before looking at himself in the little mirror in his room. Checking the scratch on his cheek; he had gotten the day before. Much as his mother had complained about it leaving a mark, it looked like it was healing just fine and was already hard to see.

After, Landrin looked at himself and frowned. Something that had become part of his morning routine.

Landrin was eleven years old, and in a few months, he would be twelve and be able to start gaining levels, yet…

He was still so thin. He had thought he would start looking more like his father, but he seemed a long way from that as he looked at himself.

He had his father’s hair, a black so dark as to remind you of a winter night, something that he was secretly proud of, being one of the only three people he knew to have it. Aside from that, he didn’t look much like him, at least in the way Landrin wished. His father was tall with muscles the size of Landrin’s head, whereas when he flexed, all Landrin saw was a little lump.

No, the more time passed, the more he believed those who said he looked more like his mother. Landrin had his mother’s eyes which he knew he didn’t dislike; he was just as proud of them as his hair. They were an azure blue and flecked with gold, Like the Lapis stone in the hairpin his father had made for her, which she was never seen without.

That, along with his hair, had led to no end of attention from the older women of the village for Landrin and just as many pinched cheeks. That was to say nothing of the fact that several had tried to make a deal with his family to have him marry a daughter or some other female relation over the years.

But with the confidence that could only exist in a child's mind, Landrin looked at himself again, sure that he would begin to look more like his father once he started levelling.

‘Lan!’ His mother called again, and he dutifully obeyed. Leaving his room and running down the stairs. Lan turned around the corner and bumped into his father, who caught him before he fell.

‘What did I say about running in the house,’ Lan’s father said in a voice as solid as the ground itself, ‘what if it had been your mother or young brother you ran into like that?’ He asked, sitting him down.

‘I wouldn’t have hurt my head,’ Lan said, rubbing his forehead where he had collided with his father.

When he didn’t look amused, Lan looked down. ‘Sorry…’ Despite the frown that had been there a moment earlier when Lan chanced a look, he found a slight smile on his father’s face.

Unlike his own, Lan’s father kept his hair short and rarely let his beard grow, although that was more for his mother. Who would often say she liked looking at his face more than for any practical reason.

Which had always been a point of confusion for Lan back then, as she would always stare daggers at anyone else who did so.

‘Go eat before it gets cold,’ he said, tussling Lan’s hair and waving him passed. As Lan entered the dining room, he found his mother setting plates on the table. Her long chestnut hair was tied up in a ponytail held up by her hairpin. Dressed in a spring dress and apron, she looked at him with a smile that turned into a pout.

‘Oh, Lan, I told you to comb your hair. You look a mess,’ His mother said after taking one look at him.

Lan tried to explain that he already had but stopped as his father took his seat and gave him an innocent look.

‘Never mind, you can do so later. Sit down,’ much as Lan’s mother tried to be stern, it was often undermined by her overly coddling nature.

As he moved to sit, Lan saw his little brother Silas watching from the table.

‘Moring,’ he said in a small voice.

‘Come on, you need to say it louder, or no one is going to be able to hear you,’ Lan said loudly and watched as Silas’s face turned bright red.

Silas was the spitting image of Lan, only without their mother’s eyes, but looked even more like their mother aside from that, and despite Lan’s best efforts, Silas seemed trapped in his shadow.

Even when they played outside, Silas held on to Lan’s hand all the time, like not doing so would be the end of him. Which Lan was sure was the only thing driving his little brother to keep up with him when they played, even though he was three years younger. And even if he could only do so for a while before Lan had to carry him back home.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Nevertheless, Lan was sure he would start opening up with a little more effort.

After the meal of eggs, bacon and fried bread, Lan’s mother cleared the table and came to stand behind him.

‘Are you ready to try looking inward again?’ she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

‘Yes,’ He nodded and closed his eyes.

As Lan’s birthday closed in, he had started trying to find his Innerself, and his mother seemed as determined for him to do so as much as he was, taking time in the morning to try and help Lan find it.

‘The Innerself is all that you are, laid bare. In this way, we can improve. The inner self is the true self, so you may never stray from your path. The Innerself is the window to your soul; in this, you can stay true to who you are.’

As Lan’s mother spoke, he tried to hold the words in his mind as he looked for his Innerself, which he had almost found a few times before it slipped through his hands.

Everyone would eventually find it after their first Level. But it was believed that the younger one could find it the better for them, and it was seen as a sign of a lot of promise in those that could find it earlier. Some even said it was a sign that one would use magic one day, and he was determined to find it before his next birthday.

Almost as if the thought was the key he was looking for. Lan saw a small blue light appear somewhere between thought and sight.

Lan's mother’s hands squeezed his shoulders as he tensed. This was the fourth time he had gotten as far as to see the light, and he tried to not get too excited this time.

‘Look closer, Lan and allow the light to grow. Let it grow solid in your mind.’

Lan tried and, a moment later, saw Runica forming around the light. The mythic language of the gods said the exact words his mother had repeated, and Lan started to speak them.

‘The Innerself is all that I am, laid bare.’ Lan’s mother squeezed his shoulders a little more before fighting to relax.

‘In this way, I can improve. The Innerself is the true self, so I may never stray from my path. The Innerself is the window to my soul; in this, I can stay true to who I am.’

A blue light filled Lan’s sight when he spoke the last word. Flinching, Lan fell back before his mother stopped him from falling from his chair.

When his view cleared, Lan found that his sight had changed. Around each corner of his sight were framed by braided Runica. In the bottom left corner was a small red flame, while on the left a small blue one that was almost a tenth the size.

Looking around, Lan found the change of point of view felt more natural than what had been before.

[Welcome.]

Lan flinched again as a voice he had heard once before filled his mind, memories of that day filling his mind as a small white Runica circle appeared in the middle of his view. A voice Lan could never forget but had hoped he one day would.

[You have opened your eyes to the world as it truly is. For this, the Lords of Light have granted you the power to look within. May it aid you through your path.]

[Inner sight: Unlocked. Grants you the ability to interact with parts of your Tome with passive thoughts.]

[Innerself Tome: Unlocked: Grants you access to your Innerself Tome and the manifestation of one’s Innerself.]

Blinking hard, Lan looked at his mother, who, already knowing, had tears in her eyes. With this, Lan was the first one in his group to gain their Tome.

Silas jumped with terror on his face as their mother wrapped Lan up in a huge hug. He calmed a moment later and grinned at Lan when he realised it was a good thing. While their father gave him a proud smile before patting him on the head when his mother let him go.

After some time, Lan was left alone to listen to the voice talk him through the Tome.

[Name: Landrin Cross]

[Level: None]

[Title: Child]

[Race: Human]

[Health: 10/10]

[Mana: None]

[Attributes:]

[Strength: 5]

Body: 5

Will: 5

Dexterity: 5

Mind: 5

[Charisma: 5]

[Abilities:]

[Hidden: unranked]

Hidden: unranked

[Hidden: unranked]

[Skills]

[None]

‘So this is me,’ Lan thought as he looked at the page in the floating book of crystallised dark blue glass that had appeared when he had started to wonder why the Innerself was called a Tome.

Lan found that he could still manifest the Tome over his sight like before, and he would later learn that that was how most people saw it, with only a few people being able to see it as a real Tome.

Within this form, there were only two pages of the book. Even though it looked to have more half-inch thick pages, they couldn’t be turned to.

Although the Tome followed him, Lan could also touch and move the spectral book around. He could also get more information from the voice when he asked.

Not needing an explanation of his name. Lan moved on to Level even though it had been explained to him before at school.

[The Nature of Levels – Levels are the milestones in your Soul's growth through the experience you gain. Once you reach one of those milestones, also known as Leveling up by mortals, the gathered experience manifests as attribute points.

You will find that your Level will affect many things in your life, both placed there by other mortals and by the will of the Lords of Light.

For example some items, you will need a certain level to link to yourself. This is a fundamental way to determine if you can use that item effectively. In the case of the Lords of Light, it is a way to judge one's worthiness.

Notice - This is a small example of all the ways your Level will play a role in your life.]

Even though Lan had heard something similar before, having it coming from the voice made it seem grander. Although gaining levels was a large part of life, no matter what you did.

Having only what people told him to go off didn’t paint the complete picture. Hearing the voice and seeing the Tome made him feel like there was a whole aspect of life that he had yet to understand.

Even though Lan didn’t think he needed an explanation of Titles, the voice started on its own when he focused on it.

[The Nature of Titles - On the surface, Titles are just as they seem, an indication of identity or job. However, there are Titles that are more than just so. For example, the Title of Noble or Lord depending on how high this title is, can give the wielder dominion over the land itself. Those with these titles also radiate an aura of authority that others can sense.

Some titles can be more impactful, some have not been seen in centuries, and some have yet to be found, but all matter.]

Although Lan knew that some titles had different effects, like the title of Child making it so he couldn’t gain levels, the part about titles never seen before had his mind racing.

‘How do you find a title no one else has?’ Lan tried asking the voice.

[The easiest way is to do something that no one else has before…]

Hearing this, Lan sighed and flopped back onto his bed, the Tome moving to float above him. That didn’t seem easy at all.

Feeling like he had a good idea of what race was. Lan looked to the next and winced.

[The nature of Health.]

‘Wait, no stop!’ Lan jumped up. ‘I don’t need to hear that one,’ he blushed even though no one was in the room and looked to the next one. If there was anything he needed explaining, that was certainly not it.

[The nature of Mana - Mana is the remnants of the world's creation and is the first form of magic.

Some are born with the power to harness and use this power as their own. At least briefly, before it becomes part of the world again. As you can only hold so much within you and never forever.]

This brought an image of throwing around fireballs and fighting against dragons with a wall of ice. No one said that he couldn’t become the first hero crafter. In some of the stories, the heroes would make their own weapons.

So no one could say that he couldn't do it. He was almost halfway there already. Lan laughed before focusing again and looking to the next.

[The nature of Attributes – Attributes are the different aspects of your physical and mental self. Investing in each of them with Attribute points will increase them. Each Attribute may be the same for all, but each can be shaped to encompass a range of forms.]

This Lan already had some idea about. To become a crafter, he would need to focus on Dexterity, Strength, and Mind, with some Charisma to help with selling. At least, that was what his father said.

How much of each he would find out once he started training. Looking to the next thing on the page, Lan frowned.

[The nature of Abilities – Abilities are the third form of magic. It is also the widest range and strictest form of magic, from seeing in the dark to flying and even turning your skin to stone.

Abilities are vast in the forums they come in but shallow in depth.]

‘But why do I have three abilities, and why are they hidden.’ Lan asked, touching them and having nothing happen.

[You have yet to meet the conditions to awaken those abilities.

Notice - that locked abilities can be inherited abilities and, in some cases, are considered lost even to the family.]

‘Right…’ he sighed. All that did was make him want to know what it was even more. Maybe it was something that no one else had seen before. Maybe he can talk to animals or something. Flying sounded good too.

[Without mana, one would need wings or something similar to fly.]

With his hopes dashed, Lan moved on to the last thing on the page.

[The nature of Skills – Swordsmanship, smithing, bartering to singing, and much more. If Level and Attributes are the foundation of your path. Then Skills are the framework of your growth. Training your skills and learning new ones will be a daily aspiration.]

That brought Lan back to the other thing that he needed to do that day.