I stood outside Amara’s shop and looked at the people walking on the cobblestone road.

Slightly looking up to the sky, I smiled as I could see the sun right above my head.

Any moment now.

I looked at the glass of the shop and practiced my smile until it was not too strained or weird.

The door to the shop opened, Amara got out, looked at me with a small smile and sighed. “Child, you don’t need to do that, you just need to go to them and ask them, that's all.”

“Yeah.” I looked up to her. “But the last couple of times I played hide and seek with them, I always won, and they got annoyed.”

Amara chuckled lightly in return and waited with me outside the shop.

“Child.” She called out. “You really pushed yourself in the past month.” Amara said, she pressed her lips and looked away quietly, leaving us both in silence.

The silence wasn’t as heavy as it used to be, I had kept the secrets about Regis from my ongoing visions, and about my rebirth. But It is only in the last month that I had also driven myself out, to not be quiet, to feel better, to think better.

I smiled a bit, “thank you Amara.” I said without looking at her, but I could see her flinch.

Small yells and shouts came from the side, as a small group of kids walked on the street, sometimes bumping into themselves and thrashing around.

I looked again at the glass and saw my smile.

“Child.” Amara called out and I looked at her, she opened her mouth ,as if to say something and stopped. Smiling slightly she nudged me forward. “I’m proud of you.”

I gave her a wide smile and went to the group, “hi!” I shouted, grabbing their attention.

They all turned to look at me, and some of their expressions instantly soured. One of the kids, Zen, who had a sour face, cupped his hand around his mouth, “whoever beats me in a race to the town's gate! wins!” he shouted and started to run.

The group was filled up with smiles and started to run and laugh after Zen.

I ran after them and past Amara who had a frown and a clenched hand placed on her chest. I ignored her and kept running without trouble, keeping pace with the group.

When we reached the gate, we were all breathing heavily, Zen, who reached the gate first, looked at me and frowned.

After a moment of rest, everyone looked at each other with smiles, some lightly pushed each other as they argued over who was faster.

More importantly, some were looking at me instead of utterly avoiding my presence.

I thought for a moment about what I should do and brought up a smile on my face, “what are we going to do next?” I asked the group.

They all looked at Zen who was staring at me with a frown.

“Alright!” Zen said, “if you want to be with us! you need to…” he stopped for a minute and looked at the group. “You will need to steal the old black beard’s pipe!”

The group instantly turned their gaze to me.

I tilted my head slightly at the name, “who is this old black beard?” I asked the group.

“The grumpy blacksmith on the edge of the town,” one of the kids said.

“The mean dwarf,” another continued.

Oh. Realization dawned on me, “You mean Koll? Why do you want me to steal his smoking pipe?” I asked Zen.

“He has a scary face,” one of the kids declared.

“He made Thomas cry!” another confessed, one of the kids, presumably Thomas, twitched at the mention of his name.

I held both my hands to stop them and looked at them sternly, “ok alright, I admit he can be intense.” I looked at Zen, “but we should treat others how we wish to be treated. how would you feel if someone stole something from you?” I asked him without hesitation, trying not to think about my compulsion to say what I said.

Some of the kids frowned at me.

“Just leave us alone, we don’t want you in our group!” Zen yelled and most of the group agreed with him. “Don’t follow us anymore.” He said and started to leave with the group. None looked back.

I stood there, looking at their back with furrowed brows, I took a big breath and started going back to Amara’s shop.

I could just go and find another group I thought as I walked, they weren’t really nice anyway, a bunch of insignific-

I shook my head before my thoughts could spiral out of control.

Ever since what happened with Koll, I had been trying to control my thoughts more, to figure out what’s going on with me, with the daily visions about Regis, and with the seldom nightmares.

The visions all started the day I formed my mana core, and nightmares are becoming less frequent, how do they connect? I thought as I reached the shop. I clenched my fists and opened the door.

Amara, who was at the front desk, looked up and pressed her lips when she saw me.

“They wanted me to steal Koll’s smoking pipe.“ I took a seat on a table. “I’ll just find a different group, the town is a bit small, but there’s got to be more than ten kids right?”

Amara shook her head and sighed, “you don’t have to push yourself this hard child,” she said quietly, “you are perfect, just as you are.”

She looked a bit to the side, where a training dummy with a crude sketch on it laid, “and as for that group, I have the perfect punishment for their rude behavior.” She said with a sly smile.

I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“How, how is the old man anyway?” I asked slowly.

Amara brightened, “I believe that he is actually smoking much less, he always has that pipe near him, but he doesn’t smell like that powder anymore.”

I felt my heart thump, “that’s amazing right?” I asked excitedly to which Amara nodded with a smile.

She looked at me for a couple of seconds with her lips pressed, “would you like to go and see him? He still rants about you everytime I’m visiting him, but I think he could talk with you without making a fuss.”

“I would be glad to visit him.” I answered immediately, making Amara smile.

After closing the door to the shop, we set off to the edge of the town.

As we walked, my mind drifted to the visions of Regis, the city they lived in didn’t get invaded in the end, but he has become more distant, and so has his parents.

Whatever happened in that Dresa city turned everyone’s life around. And the demon horde… It gives me a sense of foreboding. I thought as I furrowed my brows, looking forward at the people coming and going.

But it still doesn’t explain why those visions started.

“Are you worried about meeting with Koll?” Amara asked while looking at me, “we can turn back if you want.”

I lightly shook my head and clenched my jaw.

I looked up to her, “Amara, can mana affect your dreams?”

She narrowed her eyes a bit, “mana shouldn’t give you nightmares, or something like that,” she said slowly, as if she already knew why I asked.

“but… if there could be something that affects your dreams outside of alchemy, maybe…” she continued only to stop, her expression became stern, “child, since when do you have those nightmares?”

My mind turned cold, a normal person won’t have these nightmares, I shouldn’t make her worr- No. I shook my head slightly.

I looked up at Amara, “I have them almost frequently, for… as long as I remember.”

Her eyes widened a bit for a moment, “could you tell me more about them?” She gently asked.

The images of the nightmare crossed my mind, blood, gore, hollow sockets of eyes staring at me. the constant screams of Charlotte, James, and sometimes even Amara echoed in my mind.

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“I’d rather not talk about them Amara,” I pleaded and she nodded in return, “they are just bad.”

Amara nodded. She looked at the air with pressed lips and hummed. “Child, I believe we should talk with your parents again, no, actually, just with James.” Amara replied, her face turned into a cold mask.

I couldn’t help but look at the ground, feeling my shoulders slump slowly. I shouldn’t have tol-

Amara placed her hand on my shoulder, “you are in no trouble child. I think that I figured it all out.” She gave me a side eye. “Though, I hope that I’m wrong.”

Hearing her made my mind turn cold for a moment, only to burst in a river of thoughts.

Fool!

What have I done?

What did she figure out?

When mana slowly started to gather around me, I took a small breath and calmed myself, before Amara could notice my emotions.

I could feel small cold lines of sweat start to roll down on the back of my neck, as we kept walking.

Without even noticing, we already reached Koll’s smithy, even though my mind was still in turmoil, Amara still had her hand on my shoulder, which now seemed much warmer than before.

Before knocking, Amara looked at me and stopped, “child?” she called out, her voice sounded a bit distant.

I focused on her warm hand and voice, and shook myself out of my stupor, “yes, I’m ready.” I said as I looked at her.

Amara didn’t knock, instead she kept her hand hovering near the door as she looked at me, her eyes looking over my sweaty neck. She slowly tilted her head downwards in question and I nodded in return.

After she knocked a couple of times, I heard heavy footsteps beyond the door.

With a swish, the door opened, with Koll standing at its entrance.

The moment his eyes laid upon me, he froze like a statue, his solid muscles only contributing to the image.

Unlike the previous times, his beard had more rings on it, his eyes, although they were switching between me and Amara, didn’t look dull but sharp. And most importantly, he didn’t smell like rancid powder.

Koll shook his head, “nae.” He muttered while closing the door, but before he could close it, Amara put her foot to block the door.

“Ow!” She yelped as Koll kept on closing the door. “Koll open the door at once!” She shouted, as she started to pull the door open.

Seeing the situation get heated up in an instant, I quickly decided that we shouldn’t force him, I lightly grabbed Amara’s clothes, “Amara it’s alrig-”

“Just listen to tha little devil and begone! Ya foul wench!” Koll Bellowed out from the creak, In return I tried to pull Amara away as she also started to pull the door more to no avail.

“Koll! Don’t be so damn stubborn!” Amara pleaded when Koll started to get serious, slowly closing the door without any struggle.

“Wait!” She shouted before her foot got any more crushed, “I will tell my customers that they should go to you for any tool they need!”

The door stopped closing, Koll peeked from the crack at Amara avoiding looking at me, “tha only thing people buy at yer store is aphrodisiac.” He muttered making Amara flinch.

“That, that’s exactly the point!” she said, and regained her composure “Do you know how many customers I have?”

Not that much? I thought, looking away from Amara’s prideful expression.

Koll slightly opened the door, and stared at Amara, “how many?”

She smiled smugly, “about thirty usual customers.” She retorted back in an instant.

I looked up to Amara with a blank expression, when?

For a moment they both stared at each other, Amara with her head high and Koll stared with narrow eyes.

“What do ya want in return?” his gaze switched between me and Amara quickly.

I gulped slightly as Amara looked down at me, “I just wanted to apologize, for what I have done, sir.” I apologized with my head down. “I didn’t mean to do it, and I won’t do it again.”

Koll remained silent, until Amara coughed slightly.

“Apology accepted.”

I lifted my head to see him staring at me, “now get out of my sight.” He closed the door in an instant, I could hear the sound of something being locked.

“That damned stubborn dwarf.” Amara muttered and sighed, she grabbed my hand and pulled me. “Come on, forget about him.” We started to walk back to her shop.

Before we walked too far, I looked back at the smithy, seeing a peaking Koll move away from the windows.

I should find another way to make it up to him. I thought as we kept walking.

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When we reached Amara’s shop, she tried to lift my spirits up, saying that he always acts like that, and that I’m more grown up than him.

I couldn’t help but smile a bit as she tried to take my mind off what I did to him.

However, when James came to the shop, Amara’s demeanor changed completely, her expression turned stern, “James, I must speak with you and Dante”

I had known that she wanted to talk with James about something, but nonetheless, when she asked James to talk, I could feel my mind turn cold.

James, seeing Amara’s expression nodded stiffly, threw a smile towards me and ruffled my hair, making me relax a bit.

As he sat at our table he gave Amara a small smile, “How are you James? Oh I’m fine you know, I had to get a drunk guy out of a tavern before he could harass the waitress.” He said to himself, but when Amara gave a small cold smile he stopped.

“Did something happen again?” He looked between me and Amara.

In response, Amara held up her hand and gave James a stern gaze. “Not yet, I believe there might be someone in the town, or maybe in its surroundings, that is doing a reconnaissance on Dante, or keeping check on him with the Aether arts, a sage.”

A sage? I thought Amara had taught me a little about them and the sage forest, how they are one of the few beings that can use the force, Aether, to create all sorts of spells, from healing to space spells.

James’s eyes opened wide, he rubbed his chin in thought, “if this guy used kind of invisibility spell, then that would explain why there was not a single noise about it in the last five years, but…” He looked at Amara, “what makes you think that we are dealing with a rouge sage? Or do you think that he was sent by the sage forest?” He finished returning Amara’s gaze.

Amara shook her head, “I doubt that he is from the sage forest, from what I know, the Inyslian council usually works with the sage forest and gives them jobs, for healing soldiers in battle grounds, or operating portal gates, but looking after a single child?” She let the question hang in the air.

Before James could open his mouth She continued, “I thought about this because of Dante’s nightmares.”

I could feel myself stiffen a bit, from the side James looked at me and I looked in his eyes.

“James, he has been having them for as long as he remembers, that is the first reason. The second one, is his strong and overbearing emotions, there is no way that a child his age, prodigy or not, could have these types of emotions, unless there is someone that can use spells like the great dragons in the picture.” Amara thoroughly explained her reasoning.

Oh, that is what she meant when she said that she figured it out? I thought as I felt myself relax a bit, only to tense up again, if she is right, that means that somebody is after me, and what prevents him from hurting James, or Charlotte, or Amara?

“Is there anything we can do? To find whoever this is? If there really is a person like this in the town?” I asked, drawing looks from James and Amara.

James looked at me and chuckled a bit. “There is no need for you to worry about it kiddo.” He sent a stare in Amara’s way. “I think it’s best that only me, you, and Charlotte talk about this.”

Amara faced his stare head on. “I think that telling Charlotte that there is a rogue sage giving your child nightmares is not the best choice. As for the child, he is in the center of it all. He is much smarter than a normal five year old. He needs to know what’s going on.” She said, making James frown and shake his head slightly.

“Sage or not, I’m not going to keep it a secret from her.”

“Very well, but don’t forget, it is all a speculation, it still doesn’t make sense that a rogue sage will go all the way to give nightmares to a child.”

James turned to look at me, “what are you seeing in those nightmares anyway kiddo?” He asked me slowly.

“His nightmares are often blurred, so he doesn’t remember them so well.” Amara interjected, saving me from telling him.

But James's question did make me think about the situation. are the nightmares some kind of a warning? From the pursuers? As if ‘we know who your real parents are, when they come to get you back, we will kill your current family, and then them’?

I should get more powerful to protect them.

If there really is a person after me, I must get more powerful.

They shouldn’t be in danger because of me.

“Kiddo?” James called out to me, breaking my line of thought. “You don’t remember even a bit from them?” He put his hand on my shoulder.

I took a small breath before answering, “I remember that… You were no longer with me, that I was alone.” I answered vaguely, feeling my heart clench a bit.

It isn’t a lie, but it isn’t the whole truth either. I thought as I looked at my dad’s worried eyes.

“And were all of them like that?” He asked again to which I nodded.

The room went silent and heavy, Amara pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, while James rubbed my shoulders a bit with a Small smile.

“Maybe, it is a sage sent from the parents? To make him get used to leaving them?” Amara voiced out, looking at the both of us while massaging her nose.

No, not probably, but If I tell them, they will simply be in more trouble, trying to help me, the target on their head will be bigger. I thought to myself as the room was deep in thought.

“Then what do we do?” James broke the silence, “the last I checked, we didn’t have a sage in our town, without one how could we find another sage?”

“Will you be willing to move to a nearby city? Maybe Buz Qvccadh?” She asked in return.

“Yes of course, but…” James answered immediately only to stop, “it’s still speculation, right?”

Amara looked at me for a moment. “Those types of emotions, they are not normal, it makes much more sense to me if there was a sage in the picture.”

“But they could still be natural nightmares right?” James asked, making Amara sigh.

“Maybe…” she weakly agreed, she gave me another look, “yeah maybe, it could be that I’m really just an anxious old woman.” She commented and chuckled.

“Nonsense Amara.” James chuckled too, making the air in the room lighter.

“For now,” Amara continued, “let's agree to keep an eye out, Dante isn’t truly in danger in the town, and up until now there wasn’t anything but dreams, I will brew some potions that could slow your heartbeat, make you more relaxed in the night”

The moment James heard her, he took out a small coin pouch, but before he could offer to pay Amara put her hand up.

“No, James, you are not going to pay.” She objected, “and stop offering me money, every time I do something.” She hissed, staring at James until he backed down.

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After Amara made her potions, we sat for a bit drinking tea and bid her farewell.

“Kiddo.” James called out as we walked on the street. “We will always protect you, no matter what. You don’t need to worry about anything, ok?” He tried to reassure me with a smile, to which I nodded.

I will get more powerful. I thought to myself while smiling back at him, I will make sure that everyone is safe.

Right before we got out of the town, I could hear a rustle from one of the street corners.

With a small glance to the side, I spotted one of the kids from Zen’s gang hiding in a far corner with a smile on his face.

For a moment, I remembered the first couple of times I played with the gang in hide and seek, and how I could always spot them or hide from them flawlessly.

Kids are not magic casters with the ability to go invisible, there is someone out there after me, I should get more powerful. I thought to myself clenching my jaw.

I will get more powerful.