The arrival of little Elwyn into the small family formed by Ophélia and Volden proved difficult for them. Indeed, they had not had time to prepare, either mentally or materially, for having a child at that moment.

The first days were a whirlwind of errands: obtaining a bed and the appropriate bedding, buying baby‐sized clothes, preparing his room, and securing as best they could all the “dangerous” parts of the house.

Fortunately for them, Elwyn was not a crybaby or a fussy infant like many others; rather, he was an observant and calm baby who analyzed everything happening around him, trying to understand it.

Thus, the daily life of the young couple was not drastically altered by the arrival of the little boy. It simply required that Ophélia take the baby with her while she performed her work as the village magician and healer.

Meanwhile, Volden took care of the village’s security, training the guards and assisting the hunters with his skills as an adventurer.

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When Elwyn reached the age of six months, he began to crawl on the floor and explore every corner of the house. He would pick up everything he found along his path and test both the taste and the durability of each object. Moreover, he loved listening to Ophélia read and enjoyed books in general, even though he did not yet understand their content. He was especially drawn to the drawings and illustrations, particularly if they depicted a majestic dragon.

Another one of his pastimes was watching Volden practice with his sword in the garden through the living room window. He even mimicked his movements with his little arms.

However, among all these daily activities there was one that was completely incomprehensible to the Ilnolians: the “hunt” for Entities. And so, it sometimes happened that the little boy would try in vain to catch swirling, dark, misty strands fluttering about like flies.

These supernatural beings are called Entities and are found in the Ethereal Plane, a perfect mirror world of Ilnolia.

The Ethereal Plane is a world devoid of constructions and sterile of organic life; it is also completely covered by a thick, permanent purple mist called ether. Another peculiarity of this Plane is that the events and things occurring there are invisible to the eyes of Ilnolians, though not to those of the Entities residing in Ilnolia. Moreover, the Entities are capable of observing Ilnolia from the Ethereal Plane, since Ilnolia is superimposed onto it like a transparent overlay, but what they see is slightly blurred and intangible.

Even though Ilnolians are unable to observe an Entity in its natural Plane, some people do possess the ability to sense the presence of one of these beings.

Thus, being a half-Entity, Elwyn is capable of seeing what happens in the Ethereal Plane from Ilnolia. But in those moments, he no longer sees what is happening in Ilnolia. Sometimes, he sees events unfolding simultaneously in both planes, as if they were one and the same.

However, since the little nephilim has not yet mastered his power, he frequently ends up bumping into various obstacles around the house because he simply no longer sees them due to an untimely shift in his perspective. This, of course, caused a great deal of worry for his adoptive parents, who had to keep a nearly constant eye on him, just in case.

Apart from such accidents, Elwyn spent his days in peace and tranquility.

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Ten months had passed since the little nephilim arrived in the village of Eriana, and it was the fifteenth day of the second month of summer. Elwyn was now one year old, and it was on that day that the Deity Ogme was to make its first annual visit to the village.

Ophélia and Volden welcomed the Deity in the early afternoon. Dressed in a long beige robe, similar to the one it had worn during its first visit, Ogme sported its belt adorned with multiple pouches.

After greeting its hosts, the Deity settled on the first sofa in the living room, soon joined by Ophélia and Volden.

It was then that Volden, who was slightly tense following the Deity’s arrival, initiated the conversation.

— So… did you have a good journey?

— By my reckoning, since it didn’t rain on the roads this time and the weather conditions were good, I would say yes, I had a pleasant journey.

— It’s true that last time… traveling was not so pleasant.

— Indeed. Ogme then paused briefly before moving on to a more pressing subject. And tell me, how is little Elwyn doing?

That very pointed question was the real reason for its visit.

It was Ophélia who then answered.

— Well, it was difficult for both of us at first… and even for a while afterward, actually… but now things are much better; we are managing Elwyn and his… little problem.

Ogme then assumed a more serious expression and directed its gaze toward Ophélia.

— By “little problem,” you mean that at certain moments, Elwyn does not perceive his surroundings correctly.

At these words, the young woman’s expression turned even more sorrowful.

— Yes, that’s exactly it…

Seeing this, Volden gently took Ophélia’s hand to reassure her.

— Do not worry too much about it, Ophélia, Volden. This phase he is going through is only temporary.

That single sentence from the Deity was enough to slightly reassure the young couple, who sighed with relief before bombarding it with questions, starting with Ophélia.

— What exactly is happening to him?

Ogme settled more comfortably on the sofa before answering.

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— What Elwyn is currently experiencing is a common phase among half-Entities. His human side and his Entity side are in internal conflict, each vying to see which tendency will predominate within him. Unfortunately, this conflict triggers the activation of certain powers, including another one that will become even more problematic in the near future.

Ophélia grew slightly pale when she heard the word “problematic” from the Deity’s mouth.

— What do you mean by that?

— For now, Elwyn simply has perception problems between Ilnolia and the Ethereal Plane. But after this, he will enter a higher phase where he will travel randomly between the two worlds.

Upon hearing that, Ophélia covered her face with both hands, then exhaled in exasperation at this new information.

— No way…

Seeing his wife’s exasperated face, Volden turned to the Deity with an anxious look.

— What can we do to help him at that time?

Ogme replied to Volden while looking at Ophélia.

— It is precisely to address that problem that I entrusted the child to you. I know that Ophélia has reached a sufficient level of control over the ether to create extraplanar portals. Moreover, she possesses the gift of sensing the Entities in the Ethereal Plane.

The young woman slowly lifted her head toward the Deity.

— So, if I understand correctly, you’ve calculated everything from the start, haven’t you?

— Indeed, I left nothing to chance. At the same time, his mother asked me to entrust him to competent and reliable people, in case things should go awry for her…

At that moment, little Elwyn emerged from his hiding place. He was quietly settled, with his little articulated wooden dragon, just behind the sofa where his adoptive parents sat.

Ogme turned its gaze toward the little boy, who noticed after a few seconds the heavy look fixed upon him.

The young boy suddenly froze.

Seeing that the Deity’s gaze had shifted next to them, Ophélia got up to go see Elwyn, but when she saw his expression of frozen terror, she became slightly alarmed.

Quickly, she turned to Ogme, who did not take his eyes off Elwyn, and it signaled her not to intervene.

The little boy was confronted with a being of colossal power, whose mere look completely overwhelmed him, as if someone were simply placing a finger on an ant to immobilize it.

The Deity then extended its right hand toward Elwyn and beckoned him to come closer.

Instinctively, the little boy obeyed and crawled slowly toward the Deity, keeping his toy with him and maintaining eye contact.

Once at the Deity’s feet, the little boy froze, and Ogme gently picked him up and placed him on its lap, face to face.

Upon closer inspection, Ogme noticed that Elwyn wore a short chain around his neck, to which was attached his bronze concealment ring.

Meanwhile, the little boy continued to gaze into the Deity’s eyes, which suddenly placed its right hand on his head and caressed it gently.

Then Elwyn understood that this powerful being was not hostile to him at all, and he decided to offer his toy as a token of friendship and peace.

The young couple, witnessing the entire scene, was astonished by what had just transpired before their eyes. Ophélia, who had wished to intervene, sat back down when Ogme signaled her not to step in, and Volden was left speechless in the face of this display of intimidation.

The Deity accepted the little boy’s offering and began to pose the wooden dragon in various realistic positions, while Elwyn watched in wonder. The wooden creature first assumed the pose of a leaping dragon ready to take flight, then transformed into that of a dragon soaring mid-air, before taking on the form of a dragon diving toward the ground, and finally it transformed into the shape of a curled-up, sleeping dragon, much like a cat.

Following that, the Deity took the little boy back into its arms and placed him beside it while returning his wooden dragon. It then turned to Volden and Ophélia, both of whom were still dumbfounded.

— Half-Entities often have difficulty integrating into any society. To compensate, they frequently resort to using, and even abusing, their strength and powers to establish a position of dominance. People tend to be very wary of them, even rejecting them outright, and it is important to show them from a very young age that there exist beings far stronger than they are. In doing so, they will find a more peaceful and intelligent way to blend in, rather than risk being crushed by someone who does not appreciate their methods.

Volden then broke his silence.

— That’s a rather extreme method.

— The human equivalent would be those stories about child-eating monsters for naughty children.

— Yes, but those are just stories. We’re not really going to summon a monster to punish them.

— Different species, different customs. Entities and Ilnolians do not necessarily feel things in the same way. Look.

Ogme pointed at Elwyn, who was busy playing with his wooden dragon and trying to mimic the various figures he had seen earlier.

— Does he look shocked or traumatized?

Volden looked at the little boy’s face, which seemed more preoccupied with his toy than with his surroundings.

— No, he even seems to have completely forgotten what just happened.

— But no. What he felt at the moment I fixed my gaze upon him is now engraved within him, and that unpleasant sensation might serve as “child-eating monsters” should he misbehave.

Ophélia then spoke up.

— Why not use a story instead of what you just did?

— Because Entities are born from what lies at the very depths of the Ilnolian “Heart”, whether it be a need, a wish, a desire, a very strong emotion, or a sentiment. We are not “natural” beings of Ilnolia, and your monster stories cannot affect us if we take refuge in the Ethereal Plane. So, if you want to scare an Entity, you must make it understand that you can reach it even in the Ethereal Plane.

The young woman turned her gaze toward Elwyn.

— So, if I understand correctly, you only believe what you see.

Ogme nodded.

— That is precisely why I have so much work to do at the academy. I must constantly verify all documents, books, texts, and other writings before officially adding them to the library, even if I have already attended a several-hour-long presentation on the subject just before receiving the writings.

— And you are only afraid of what can truly affect you, she added.

— Exactly. Moreover, I omitted to mention one thing. Half-Entities can have fears related to their Ilnolian origin, like a fear of spiders or snakes, whereas pure Entities do not, except perhaps for the fear of their own “destruction.”

— I see…

Silence fell over the room and all eyes turned toward Elwyn, who continued to play quietly with his wooden dragon, until Ophélia posed a question to the Deity.

— Are all nephilim babies as calm and well-behaved?

— What do you mean by that?

— Well, because of his… vision problems, he has already bumped into a wall, a chair, or a piece of furniture more than once, and each time, he did not cry.

Volden agreed with his partner’s remark.

— It’s true I haven’t often seen him cry over an injury… In fact, has he ever been hurt at all?

Ophélia shook her head in negative.

Noticing that his adoptive parents were watching him intently, Elwyn proudly showed them the new figure of his dragon, which was curled up like a cat.

At that sight, both parents complimented the little boy, who then resumed his activity, and Ogme seized the renewed attention of his hosts to answer them.

— Not all nephilim are crybabies; it simply depends on the individual, and as I have already mentioned, we do not feel things in the same way.

Ophélia then followed up on the Deity’s words.

— So, could it also be related to one of his powers, then?

Ogme grew silent for several long seconds before responding to the young woman.

— I’d prefer not to address that topic right now. Just know that his powers have no destructive capacity, so there is nothing to fear on that front.

This important piece of information alleviated some of the burden for the young couple, and the conversation then turned to lighter subjects until it was time for Ogme to depart for Agnos.