The group flew straight toward Fallhaven’s capital. They had been away long enough, and who knew what had been discovered, or what was being plotted in the shadows of the south.

  As they soared through the skies, Kai began to get the hang of flying. The sensation of freedom thrilled him. He dove low, skimming the surface of a nearby river, his fingers brushing the rushing stream, then shot upward, rising above the clouds. He scanned the horizon, breathing in the crisp air with a wide grin.

  Umbra glided beside him, giddy with excitement.? “You’re enjoying yourself, I see,” she said, her voice light. “Isn’t it great? That sense of freedom and power you feel when you fly. Like you could hunt anything below with just a thought.”

  Kai chuckled. “That would be you. I, on the other hand, don’t have such thoughts.” He laughed louder, clearly enjoying himself.

  Watching the two of them, flying and chatting in their powerful new forms, Scry smiled warmly. He sat beside Liliya on her gryphon, discussing the spell she was working on.

  “You really care about those two, huh?” she asked, noticing the fondness in his gaze.

  “They’re the closest thing I have to family,” Scry replied softly. “Maybe I have some in the spirit world, but I’ve been gone too long. Going back now wouldn’t change anything. Besides, I have things I need to accomplish here.”

  “Is it about your memories?” Liliya asked gently.

  Scry frowned. “How do you know about that? Was it that blabbermouth up there?” He nodded toward Umbra, a hint of irritation in his voice.

  “I overheard her speaking with Lisa’s spirit. He was worried about you,” Liliya explained.

  Scry’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the dark wyrm flying beside Nerva and Lisa. “Yes, since you already know… My memories were sealed by someone. I can only unlock them by strengthening my spirit core, or rather, my soul, really. Kai helped during his evolution, and I recovered some fragments, but not enough. I need more.” He exhaled deeply, staring into the distance.

  Liliya didn’t press further. She sensed the pain behind his words.

  Suddenly, Kai dove toward Nerva and scooped Lisa into his arms. “Come on! Let’s have some fun!” he called out.

  “Be careful, you two!” Nerva bellowed after them.

  Liliya smiled at the sight. It was rare to see Kai so carefree.

  “He hasn’t had much time to relax,” Scry said. “Since he arrived, it’s been one challenge after another. I hope he can be more like himself in the future. He wasn’t always like this.”

  “Like what?” Liliya asked with a chuckle. “Murderous, bloodthirsty, vengeful, and absurdly powerful for his age?”

  Scry nodded. “Yeah… He used to be a regular boy who loved playing with his friends and dreamed of freedom. Then he was taken, forced to fight, forced to evolve into what he is now. My greatest wish is for him to be truly free. To be himself, like he is right now.”

  They watched as Kai spun through the clouds with Lisa in his arms, Umbra close behind, laughing.

  “I’d like that for him, too,” Liliya said softly. This world steals innocence without a second thought. To be truly carefree, one would need to be stronger than even the gods. She watched Kai, her heart beating a little faster.

  After a while, Kai returned Lisa to Nerva’s embrace, and the group continued flying toward Fallhaven.

  ***

  Rond Duchy – Estate of Duke Francis: A day ago

  In a brightly lit chamber adorned with lavish paintings and an array of weapons encased along the walls, a clear display of power, sat a middle-aged man behind a massive desk. His short brown hair and neatly trimmed mustache gave him a composed appearance, but his demeanor betrayed fury.

  He slammed his palm against the desk and rose to his feet, shouting at the two cowled figures before him.

  “You imbeciles! You’re telling me Nerva has been out of Fallhaven for months and no one noticed? We could’ve invaded! Their strength is halved!”

  “My lord, please forgive us,” one of the robed figures stammered. “The information was tightly guarded. We only just managed to uncover it.”

  “I don’t care,” Francis snapped. “Ready my personal unit and call our mercenaries. We strike at the Fallhaven border at dawn. This opportunity must not be wasted.”

  “But, sir,” the second figure interjected, “we halted our attacks because the beast hordes were slaughtering our men. Are you certain this is wise?”

  Francis roared, “Do not question me! We attack in the morning. Prepare mages to teleport us south. He won’t expect us from that direction.”

  “But what about the villages along the border? There are many…”

  “Who cares?” Francis sneered. “Burn everything to the ground. Once we seize their territory, I’ll control the entire southwest. Our power will spread, and the trade routes will be ours. Imagine the crystals we’ll earn. Peasants are expendable.”

  The two figures bowed and vanished into the shadows, leaving Francis alone.

  “You always thought you were better than me, Theodor,” he muttered, a cruel grin forming. “This time, I’ll show you, you’re nothing without your precious shield.”

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  He chuckled darkly, then added, “I should call the League, too. Those bastards owe me after botching their last mission. ‘Hundred percent completion rate, what a joke.”

  He ground his teeth, eyes gleaming with ambition.

  ***

  After a few hours of flying, the group landed.

  They were still only halfway to the southern border, but had to stop. Lisa needed a bathroom break and was getting hungry.

  Kai knelt and sparked a fire using his fire mana, beginning to prepare a simple meal for her. Umbra settled beside him and nudged his arm gently.

  “Yeah, yeah, I didn’t forget about you, you glutton,” Kai sighed. “Anyone else hungry?”

  Everyone except Lucius stepped closer, smiling.

  Kai groaned playfully. “Fine, we might as well eat together. Give me twenty minutes…”

  He turned to Lucius. “You know I have enhanced hearing, right?”

  Lucius frowned. “So what?”

  “I can hear your stomach growling from here. Come eat with us, don’t be weird,” Kai said with a grin.

  Nerva chuckled.

  “Fine,” Lucius muttered. “But only because it’s proper not to refuse food.”

  “Who cares about him? Give me some good food!” Scry laughed, sitting down beside Lisa. He’d been keeping watch while she was away.

  “Spirits don’t need to eat, you know,” Liliya reminded them. “Right, guys?” she asked the other three spirits.

  “Well, we don’t need to,” Max replied, “but we still enjoy it.”

  “I love meat!” Rufus exclaimed, while Shelly simply snored, curled up nearby.

  Kai smiled. “Good thing I’ve still got some meat to cook, and fruit cakes Harrietta gave us before the trip. But we’ll need to stock up on regular supplies soon.”

  The group rested for a while, sharing food and laughter, before continuing their journey south.

  ***

  As they continued north, something tugged at Liliya’s senses.

  She was more attuned to detecting spells than anyone in the group, even Kai, despite his constant use of spirit sense.

  “Everyone, stop!” she called out. “The rules of space and mana in that clearing to the west are distorted. Someone’s used space magic there.”

  She pointed toward a location several dozen kilometers away.

  “This could be trouble. Follow me,” Nerva ordered, and the group soared toward the clearing.

  They arrived at a wide meadow surrounded by woods. It felt unnatural, too symmetrical, too clean. As if it had been shaped by human hands.

  The group landed, and Xarion spoke first. “The mana here is off. Someone’s tampered with the land. Right, Liliya?”

  She nodded. “Let me take a closer look.”

  Smiling faintly, she cast Mindseye. Scry watched her mana flow and the intricate circles forming around her. Her eyes turned white as the spell activated.

  She followed the trails of mana to a spot where the distortion peaked, then chanted another spell: “Timeless Echo.”

  Time twisted. Scenes unfolded.

  A massive teleportation circle flared to life, igniting the surrounding mana and opening a portal. Hundreds of soldiers marched through, followed by a ragtag group of mercenaries. Last came four figures cloaked in dark robes, their faces hidden behind black, faceless masks. With them rode a man on a Firehoof Steed, clad in ornate armor encrusted with gems.

  The vision flickered and dispersed. Liliya collapsed, only to be caught by Kai.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched across his face.

  She smiled weakly. “I’m fine. Just tired. Time magic takes a toll.”

  Nerva’s face paled, and his mana swirled around him like a living storm.

  “What is it?” Umbra asked.

  “Those were Rond’s armies,” Nerva said grimly. “Alone, they’re manageable. But they had four members of the Voiceless League with them. All Master Knights. And that damned Francis of Rond was there too. He’s not powerful himself, but he’s armed with dangerous relics.”

  “We need to warn Theo. Immediately.” Nerva pulled out his communication artifact, urgency burning in his eyes.

  Just as he was about to activate it, Lisa cried out, her voice trembling. “Those were the ones who attacked us, the black men!”

  Zara wrapped her arms around her protectively, holding her close as Lisa shook.

  Nerva and Kai both clenched their fists, barely containing their fury.

  They will pay, Nerva thought. But first, I need to let Theo know.

  He knew his priorities. Vengeance could wait. For now.

  ***

  Meanwhile, Rond’s forces had breached the barely guarded southern border and were advancing toward the capital. Villages burned in their wake, and the residents were mercilessly slaughtered.

  As the corpses piled up along the path, Francis chuckled and spat onto the ground.

  “Filthy peasants,” he sneered. “They actually dared to oppose me. Dogs, just like their master.”

  He laughed coldly and urged his Firehoof Steed forward, eyes gleaming with ambition.?

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  Origins: A New Beginning

  by KhaosZero

  In a world where concepts live like people, who is to say he can’t become one.

  What You Can Expect

  - Rational Protagonist

  - Some Slice of Life

  - Some Mystery / Psychological / Tragedy Themes

  - Substantial Character Growth, Both for MC and Side Characters

  - A Story that Starts Fast but Slows Down

  - Well Developed World and Magic System

  - 1500-2500 Word Chapters

  - No Instant Overpowered MC

  Release Schedule

  - Daily first 2 weeks followed by 5x Week Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri @ 14:00 CET