The sun was just beginning to rise as Fily and I headed back after witnessing a horrifying scene, definitely, something a normal twelve-year-old shouldn't see. It was only thanks to Liselotte's mother's testimony that the body could be identified as her husband's. It really surprised me that she was able to make anything out; to me, it was just a mass of burnt flesh and bones.

When I remembered it, I instinctively covered my mouth with my hands, feeling that if I didn't, something would escape.

"Hmm, it might have been too intense of a sight for you... But the sooner you get used to it, the better. This is the world you live in now."

Beside me, Fily commented on something I already knew all too well. But one thing is to prepare mentally, and another is to experience it for the first time.

"Will Liselotte's mother be okay? I don't think staying by the body all the time will do her any good..." I asked after recovering a bit.

"Despite being a child, like everyone in this Village, Liena is a strong woman; she'll know how to cope," Fily affirmed confidently. But for now, she'll need help from the community and as much as the families of soldiers who have fallen in battle."

"You have to stop throwing your age in everyone's face with every comment; it gets repetitive after a while... And I didn't know you knew her so well. When do you talk to her?"

"But! But! But! Even though I'm all the time saying my age, someone always forgets and treats me like a child! Especially those elders from your village! Even though they're the children! How dare they! Nobody remembers I am a former oracle!" Fily expressed her complaints fervently. Whether in her taste for sweets or her personality, it seems the visiare act quite in line with their appearance (or maybe it's just Fily). "Ahem... And I speak with Liena during our baths in the river... Now that I think about it, you haven't come to try to spy on us with the rest of the village children. My magic water hits them before they can see anything, but I can make an exception for you."

"Apart from Liselotte, the ones I'm most worried about are the twins," I said, ignoring the last comment. "Their mother is still looking for them, and considering how Liselotte's father died... I can't believe it was the twins. I'm not one of those people on TV who say: 'I never would have expected it from them,' but why would they do it? And why now?"

"Television?... But you're right; since last night, I've felt the presence of a spirit nearby. I ignored it because of how weak it was, but the corpse was full of its traces," Fily affirmed, pointing to her eyes with her finger.

"Spirits? Do you mean the ones you told me about once? Those beings who serve the gods and possess superhuman powers?"

"Correct, they usually inhabit nature, but this one was so weak; most certainly just arrived in our world. And surely those twins had something to do with it and are paying the consequences of their ignorance."

"But they're just children. If they're being the victims of an evil spirit, we must do something to save them."

"All of you are children to me... Ahem, but you're right; maybe a weak spirit wouldn't be bad for your training."

"I have a bad feeling about this... Why does everything have to do with my training? Was this primordial magic really so interesting that it warranted abandoning your position as an oracle?"

"Oh, you have no idea! I can't wait to see the envy on my grandfather's face when he finds out I've been by your side all this time! My parents might even force me to marry you to incorporate that magic into the family... Not that they'd have to force me, of course," Fily affirmed with a suggestive look. "But, in any case, I've been looking for an excuse to escape that position for a while. Being an oracle gets boring after a few decades."

Once we arrived at the front of my family's cottage, we met my mother, who informed us of Liselotte's presence in my room and Sefie's (we expanded our home before my father left for war).

Fily stayed with Telize to explain the details of the incident, and my mother quickly covered her mouth in horror. As for me, I entered the small cottage to join Sefie and Liselotte.

When I found them, my little sister held a sobbing Liselotte in her arms. Despite her young age of nine, Sefie understood what her friend was feeling. Just six months ago (half a cycle in this world), we received the news that Vindel hadn't survived the war.

His body never returned. It was likely burned in a common pyre after that defeat. Even the lectur, the lord of our territory, perished in that horrible battle. The lectur barely surpassed thirty years; my father didn't even reach them.

According to Fily, people with powerful magic or extensive fortunes can extend their lives indefinitely in this world. But on the other hand, it was normal to die at a young age, especially in times of war.

Upon seeing me, Liselotte jumped into my arms, and her sobbing turned into full-blown tears. Sefie did the same, and whether it was due to her immense empathy or some other reason, she also started crying.

I was never good with children, and despite being the same age in this world, I've preferred to keep my distance and spend more time with adults and Fily. But in cases like these, there was no choice but to hug them back and wait for them to calm down.

When Vindel died, and I became fatherless for the second time, I knew it was my duty in this world to protect Sefie and Telize. I could never bear to be alone again.

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But at this moment, I also made the mental promise to protect Liselotte, the only kid who didn't get my hints and still followed me to my secret training with Fily... At least until she grows up and has someone else to protect her.

To fulfill these promises, I had no choice but to follow Fily's plan. That fire spirit chose to appear in the wrong village. I don't know what its intentions were, but now its destiny will be nothing but to become part of my training.

*****

Among the thick vegetation of the forest, two red-haired children sobbed, heads bowed low. Delia and Denle still had the memory of Serban's demise fresh in their minds. The recollection of the smell and sight of burnt human flesh had kept them awake that night. After what had transpired, they quickly realized how naive they had been to think they could have gone to war with their father. But above all, they were troubled by the thought of how Liselotte must be feeling at that moment.

"What a disaster... to think there was a visiare in that village and such a powerful one at that."

The children's blood froze in their veins when they heard the voice of the fire spirit, and even more so when it took shape before them.

"So that was the oracle you spoke so much about, boy. To think I didn't sense her until I increased my powers somewhat after consuming a soul... No, perhaps she allowed herself to be sensed upon realizing my presence."

Fierlon looked towards the children huddled together, and a smirk formed on his fiery face.

"There's no choice, we'll have to change location... But since the conditions have changed, I think little Delia would be more useful as part of my power."

"No... No! You promised!" Denle gathered his courage and stood between his trembling sister and the spirit.

"Promises without a magical contract don't mean much, boy; you'd know that if you weren't a little child... But don't worry, once I've squeezed your sister's completely, I'll release her soul. I wouldn't want to anger Liliefer, after all."

Fierlon began to descend slowly towards the children. It was no problem for him to snatch the little girl's life hidden by her brother in just a second, but he took his time because he loved observing human emotions.

However, he interrupted his advance in surprise as Delia pushed her brother aside. Although still trembling, she was now standing in front of the fire spirit.

"You can... You can take... my soul. But...! But don't hurt Denle!"

"Delia! No!"

Fierlon chuckled. For him, this was truly unexpected. All the human children he had consumed in antiquity could only cry or scream.

The fire spirit could see why these siblings had received Ardentes' blessing. Fortunately for him, the gods didn't intervene directly in the human world, so there would be no repercussions for what he was about to do.

"Don't worry, little one, you will meet again in Liliefer's realm."

The fire spirit brought his flaming hand closer to the girl, who closed her eyes and lowered her head.

But after a short second, an eternity for Delia, what came was not death but the piercing scream of the spirit.

Delia opened her eyes to find herself again embraced by her brother. She must have jumped at the last moment to try to protect her. He also opened the eyes he had closed, and the two children watched the unfolding spectacle.

The fire spirit had backed away quite a bit and was holding his right arm, or what was left of it. Between them and Fierlon stood a boy with silver hair and golden eyes.

"Rendal!" the twins shouted in unison.

"I'm surprised he learned to hide his presence so quickly, he always ends up exceeding my expectations." Behind Delia and Denle emerged a figure with blue hair and long drooping ears from among the vegetation. She had a childish appearance but a haughty expression. Her golden eyes stopped analyzing the situation and now focused on the children at her feet. "Brats, are you alright? It seems like a cliché from ancient tales, but apparently, we arrived just in time."

*****

Behind me, Fily had positioned herself next to the twins so they were safe if the spirit wanted to go after them. That visiare is much stronger than I am, after all. So I can focus solely on the enemy in front of me.

"Ugh... so, this is a fire spirit... it looks more like a demon."

"This is a joke... Why am I being attacked by just a child!? Where did you come from!"

The fire spirit was furious. Fily told me she would reveal her presence before arriving, putting the spirit on alert and diverting its attention towards her. That would give me a chance to attack.

She mentioned it was the advantage she would give me for it being my first real battle, but honestly, I don't know who in their right mind faces their dear pupil in their first battle against a flaming demon. Why don't I leave this to Fily and go hunting some nearby slimes instead?

"I don't know what nonsense you're thinking, but it's rude to play with your food," Fily said without enthusiasm, leaving me no choice but to sigh.

"Food? Why are you stealing the words right out of my mouth, visiare?" asked Fierlon. A smug expression could be discerned in the flames forming his face. "It seems you're underestimating me for having just returned to this mortal plane. Let me tell you, I have enough power to escape from you. And not only that, you caught me off guard before, but I'm more than capable... Of stealing the soul of the child you've put before me before doing so!"

Without waiting for a response, the fire spirit lunged at me.

"He was only focused on me until the end... You can tell he just returned to this world," Fily commented, sighing. "Not only is he weak, he didn't even spare a second of consideration for the sword that cut off his flaming arm, let alone detect the aura of its wielder... Will this serve as training? Or is it just a waste of time?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Fierlon shouted but was abruptly cut off. Before he could react, the spirit had been split in two.

The eye-like holes in the flames of the two halves that used to be Fierlon stared at me seriously for the first time.

"What...?" the fire spirit began to say. But I had no interest in hearing his last words for what he had done to Liselotte's family.

I raised my right hand, and promptly, the two halves of Fierlon were absorbed into the palm of my hand.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Fily approached me, jumping excitedly, leaving the two astonished siblings behind.

After closing my eyes and trying to concentrate (which was difficult thanks to the noises and the excited breathing on my neck from the visiare), I finally found what I was looking for inside me (or inside my mind, I still don't fully understand it).

I raised my hand, and fire emerged from my palm again, like in the ceremony. But this time, it was by my own will, and, more importantly, the fire was no longer white but seemed normal.

"I knew it! You were able to absorb the spirit's power!... Well, it was a weak spirit, so it's not much… but most importantly! We were able to verify one of the attributes of primal magic! Wonderful!"

Fily enthusiastically recited her monologue, even though the twins were listening. Well, knowing her, she had already considered that the children had seen everything with their own eyes and would want an explanation anyway.

The monologue ended with the visiare unable to contain her excitement and pouncing on me. I wasn't prepared to receive her, so we both ended up falling to the ground.

The twins just looked at each other, still shocked and unable to utter a single word.