Raul stood frozen for a moment, watching the bullies disappear into the distance, his mind still racing.

His snapped finger, however, brought him sharply back to reality. The pain was like nothing he’d ever felt before—a burning, throbbing agony that coursed through his hand, up his arm, and deep into his chest.

He instinctively tried to move it, but the moment he did, a searing pain shot through his body, and he gasped, nearly collapsing from the intensity. His vision blurred for a second, and his stomach twisted.

For a moment, he just stood there, breathing heavily.

I’ve been through worse, he thought, recalling his old life and the random injuries he’d gotten over the years. I’ve had worse pain than this. I can handle this.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to push past the panic creeping into his chest. The pain was unbearable, but it wasn’t life-threatening. He knew what he had to do—he’d been taught how to handle dislocations by a doctor friend back in his old life.

Raul looked down at his hand, grimacing. The finger jutted out awkwardly at an unnatural angle, swollen and bruised. He flexed it again, and the pain shot through him like a lightning bolt.

Okay. Focus.

Raul steeled himself and placed his thumb at the base of the dislocated joint. His other fingers gripped the rest of his hand firmly to stabilize it. With his heart pounding in his chest, he took one final deep breath and twisted the bone back into place in one swift, controlled motion.

The pain exploded in his mind—sharp, brutal, a hot, pulsing fire . His vision blurred again, and his breath caught in his throat.

He stayed still for a moment, eyes closed, trying to breathe through the pain.

He used a healing spell Reshia had taught him, the one she’d demonstrated to him to use for small injuries. It wasn’t the most powerful healing spell he had, but it was enough for light mends.

[

Console quest.

Debug the new errors in Chiming Winds. Create a functional wind blast spell.

Quest Rewards - Level up points x 30

]

His hand no longer sore, he turned to the girl who was now wiping her eyes.

Her sobs had quieted, but she still looked shaken and scared. He walked over to her, trying to keep his tone calm. "Hey, stop crying," he said gently.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The girl turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. Raul blinked, recognizing her. "Aisha?" he asked. "Alice's daughter?" Raul had never been so close to her and was now just realizing just how cute she was in close proximity.

Aisha nodded, her eyes filled with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. Raul could see that she was still shivering.

"Why aren't you at the chief's place, learning magic like the others?" Raul asked, trying to keep his voice cool.

Aisha looked down, her shoulders slumping. "I don't feel like going..." she whispered. "I... I couldn’t learn the spell. Everyone else got it so easily, but I couldn’t. I’ve always been good at magic, always the best, but now... now I feel like I’m not good enough. I don’t want to try anymore.”

Raul's heart sank a little. He could see how demoralized she felt. She was struggling, and it had clearly crushed her confidence. But he didn’t understand what that had to do with the bullies.

“Why are those guys picking on you then?” Raul asked, his brows furrowing. "It doesn't make sense."

Aisha sniffed, wiping her eyes again. “I just ran into them,” she added quietly.

Raul thought for a moment.

“Just go home then,” he said, his voice a bit firmer now. “You should be safe there.”

Aisha shook her head quickly. “I can’t,” she said, her voice cracking. “Mom’s at work. I’m locked out. The door’s locked, and there’s no one to let me in.”

Raul’s concern grew. He didn't want to leave her alone out here, especially with the bullies still around. "You can’t stay out here by yourself," he said. "Come with me to my house. You’ll be safe there.”

Aisha hesitated, looking unsure. “I don’t know...”

Raul could see her inner struggle. She wasn’t sure if she could trust him, or if it was just a bad idea. But he needed to make her feel safe. "Look, I don’t mind leaving you alone," Raul said, his voice gentle but serious. "But I can’t let you stay out here where those bullies might come back. You’d be safer with me.”

Aisha looked at him for a long moment. Finally, she sighed and nodded, a little defeated. “Okay... I’ll come.”

Raul gave her a reassuring smile. “Good. Let’s go.”

As Raul approached home, he noticed his father, Marcus, standing near the gate. He was in the middle of a serious conversation with a stranger, someone Raul had never seen before.

The man was tall, wearing a dark cloak that seemed to obscure most of his features, and his eyes were hidden which made it hard to tell where he was looking. His presence gave off a strange, unsettling vibe—like he was someone who didn’t belong in this peaceful village.

Raul paused, feeling a bit uncomfortable as he watched the man nod slowly, his voice low and measured. The man turned to leave, bowing his head slightly toward Marcus in a gesture of respect.

Raul couldn’t help but notice how the stranger’s movements were deliberate, careful—almost too careful. There was something about the way he carried himself that screamed danger. The cloak hung loosely around him, almost as though he were hiding something underneath it.

It also struck him as odd that someone would show such deference to Marcus of all people.

The stranger disappeared into the distance, his footsteps silent as he left the compound. Marcus turned, and for a brief moment, his face showed a hint of disturbance, but it was gone in an instant.

His expression shifted into something more upbeat, and he grinned widely when he saw Raul walking toward him.

“Well, well! Looks like you’ve started listening to my advice, boy,” Marcus said, his voice laced with amusement. “Bringing in girls, I always knew you’d come around eventually.”

Raul blinked, a bit thrown off by the sudden shift in mood. He glanced over at Aisha, who had quietly followed him into the yard, looking uncomfortable.

“Dad, who was that guy?” Raul asked, trying to sound casual, though his curiosity was piqued.

Marcus gave a chuckle, slapping Raul on the back. “Oh, just a friend from a while back. Don’t worry about him.” His eyes flicked over to Aisha, “What happened to Alice’s daughter Raul?”.