The tree bark splintered when my fists hit them, flying around me. More and more splinters came flying my way when I began speeding up my punches. By the time I was done, there was a huge crevice in the tree, as if something had taken a bite out of it.

I looked up at the sky, feeling the warm sunlight on my face, observing the leaves falling from the tree that I had just punched half to death and feeling the wind making my hair flutter around me.

Why? Why did that have to happen? Do I deserve this? Is this really all I amount to? Why give me these talents when I can't use them correctly? Am I just supposed to jump around all my life? Does the world not want me to fight? Why... I thought I had finally overcome everything... Why am I still being punished... oppressed and controlled by them... they aren't even in this world. Eight years... eight years and... and still...

I once again punched the tree, making it shake violently. A branch fell down towards me.

"Alt!" someone yelled.

I looked up at the branch and caught it without much trouble. I tightened my grip and felt some sharp splinters digging into my hand.

"How long have you been watching me?" I asked as I put the branch on the ground and deactivated my magic mark.

From behind, I could hear two people approach me.

"Not long," Alyra said with a calming voice.

"What do you want?" I asked coldly.

"You wouldn't come to class so-" Alyra began but I interrupted her.

"And why should I come to class?! There's nothing I can do!"

I was louder than I planned on being and watched as Alyra backed away from me with a shocked expression. But I couldn't help my anger. I wasn't even angry at either of them. I was angry at myself. Angry at myself for not being able to overcome something like that... or was I just disappointed. What can I do to overcome this? I have been hit and kicked so many times that I just can't help it... But this is a new life in a new world with a new body and name, so I expected to magically forget my former life and just live here in peace... but that's not how reality works... is it?

"Don't scream at me *sniff*"

Alyra might be about to cry... Just cause I'm too stupid to properly do things.

"I-I'm sorry," I said.

"You better be," Alyra said, crossing her arms.

She really is just a nine-year-old after all. I couldn't help but smile.

"Good, now that you've calmed down a little why don't you tell us what this whole problem is about?" Ilmar suggested.

"I-"

"You will tell us, we're your friends. And sometimes friends have to force you to let them help you," Alyra stated matter of factly.

"Fine," I responded.

The three of us sat down in the middle of the clearing, around a stone that stuck straight out of the ground like a pillar. I had no clue where it came from, it was already there when I found this place and when looking at the moss and the cracks in it one can assume that it has been here for a while.

"So, now tell us what's wrong Alt," Alyra said.

"Well I don't even know what to tell you," I said.

"Tell us why you decided to just disappear from our lessons," Ilmar said.

"Why should I come? All you guys do now is combat training and things I can do on my own," I said pointing towards a tree that had a few long hanging branches which could be used to get up. Behind that tree were multiple others with branches conveniently placed so that they made a natural course similar to the ones we had used for lessons.

"You really think that's a solution?" Alyra asked, raising one of her teal coloured eyebrows.

"I... I don't know," I responded.

"Just tell us what went wrong... if you don't we can't help you." Alyra put a hand on my shoulder.

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"It's just that... I guess I'm afraid of being hit..."

Ilmar suddenly began laughing and Alyra shot him what I'm just going to describe as the glance of eternal death. Her golden eyes were commanding and immediately made her brother stop laughing and become kinda stiff.

"S-Sorry, but I mean... why would you be afraid of something like that?" Ilmar asked.

Alyra's head snapped back to me and looked at me with widened eyes.

"Did your parents hit you?" she asked, dead serious.

"What! Of course not," I responded. "It's... it's because of something I can't tell you."

At that moment I felt the pain I had felt in my past life as if it was happening yet again. For a moment, nothing happened, everyone was silent until Alyra suddenly mumbled, "So that's why..." She was so silent that even I had trouble understanding her. When she suddenly jumped up Ilmar stepped back, afraid she might hit him... or something like that.

"Well then now that, that is out of the way, why don't you show us that new magic mark you got?"

I was taken aback by how suddenly the mood and atmosphere changed. It was as if nothing had happened. As if she had completely forgotten about our conversation just seconds ago. Does she know something? But how... no... it's impossible that she knows... right?

"Alyra... what exac-" I began but she interuppted me.

"Alt, magic mark," she said impatiently.

I was taken aback by her tone but if it meant I wouldn't have to talk about that other stuff I didn't mind it. And she seemed to know something so it might not be a good idea to get on her bad side.

"Alright alright," I said before activating my second magic mark.

The spiralling lines spread over my entire body and I began to feel strangely light.

"So, what exactly does it do?" Ilmar asked.

Both of the students were studying my mark. I just smiled at the question and let mana flow into the mark. The black energy emerged from my right leg, its dark green outline shimmering strangely. It seemed like a sort of smoke. I focused on the spot right behind the siblings and as soon as I took a step forwards the black energy consumed me. At that moment I was behind the twins.

"Oh my," Alyra said.

"That's pretty neat if you ask me," Ilmar said. "Although that idiot... what was his name... Gilal... Gidal... ah, Gridal... I think. Anyway, that idiot keeps saying that it's a type of magic used for running away, a so-called shame to all wood elves."

I let out a chuckle. "Maybe he's right," I responded, although not trying to hide my sarcastic tone.

"So you already have an idea of how to use it?" Ilmar asked.

I seem to have piqued his interest...

"Of course I have. Who do you think I am?"

"Of course you have, oh great lord Altair." Ilmar bowed down before me like a humble servant would before their king or lord or duke or whatever they had in this world.

"Well then, show us," Alyra said excitedly.

"Alright, alright. Give me a second," I responded, a smile on my face.

I channelled even more mana into my new magic mark, which allowed me to use what I called warp magic. Since it allowed me to practically warp or jump or step through space. I also figured out why technique names were even a thing... it allowed you to easily envision whatever that technique was, which made it easier to pull off once it was learned.

I only worked on this new magic for a week, and even then for only a few hours a day since no matter how angry I was I still thought that this magic was pretty cool, or as Ilmar said: pretty neat.

Under my breath, I mumbled: "[Far Step]". The black-dark green energy surrounded me almost immediately. I also took a step forward, focusing on a spot slightly behind and to the left of Ilmar as I moved my arm, with my hand formed into a fist, backwards as if to hit something behind me. Once I finished my step I was right behind Ilmar, my fist just centimetres away from his head which I shortly after struck.

Before he could even turn around I had already taken another step after once again mumbling: "[Far Step]. I was now on top of a branch on one of the trees around the small clearing.

"Where is he?" Ilmar asked, rubbing the back of his head and looking around hectically.

I now concentrated on the spot where I would be facing Ilmar directly if I stood there, except a bit higher, mumbled the technique name and stepped off the branch, lifting my fist. I appeared slightly above Ilmar after the black-dark green energy had consumed me and had my fist right in front of his face. There was a lot of momentum but I managed to land on both feet with my fist just a centimetre or two away from Ilmar's nose.

"What the!" Ilmar jumped backwards.

I just smirked at him. Alyra whistled and walked towards us.

"Anything else you can do?" she asked.

"I can warp stuff away with it, and if it is within grabbing distance of me I can warp it to me," I explained.

"Can you like... warp or whatever... your fist?" Ilmar asked.

"It seems I can only use it on the whole thing or not at all," I said.

"Still... this might be one of the most powerful types of magic ever..." Alyra said, studying my magic mark.

But I sadly had to disappoint her since I was bad at using this type of magic effectively. Even compared to my first time using wood elven magic... this was just excessive. If I were to put it in numbers I'd say that it took me about ten times more mana to use warp magic than when I use wood elven magic.

I really hope I can increase my efficiency with this... The possibilities...

"But how exactly do you... warp?" Alyra asked.

"Oh, I just have to concentrate or envision the spot I want to warp to or the spot I want to warp something to. This makes it incredibly difficult to use my [Far Step] in new places but once I get better it might become easier," I explained.

"[Far Step]?" Ilmar asked.

"A technique name, still work in progress, by the way, it's like with the predator techniques. By saying the name your body will automatically know where to put the mana once you learned it, same with this," I continued to explain.

"Interesting... When you think about it... this type of magic could turn you into the best hunter this village has ever seen," Alyra said.

"How so?" Ilmar asked.

"Well, why shoot something with a bow when you can just warp onto its back and cut its throat? Why run after it with the predator techniques when you can just warp onto its back and cut its throat?" Alyra said with a smile on her face. "You know what? School might not be that useful for us. So why don't we just go hunting?"