John studied Arcos with quiet intensity, his thoughts spiraling faster than he could keep track of them. How? The question echoed relentlessly in his mind. How could a child—someone so young—possibly wield Aetherium?
It wasn't merely rare.
It was a power that only a handful of beings even knew existed, let alone possessed. Mortals weren't meant to touch it. They weren't meant to survive it.
And yet...
Arcos stood before him, alive, breathing, unknowingly shattering everything John believed about the world.
Arcos noticed the distant look in John's eyes. His excitement slowly faded, replaced by uncertainty.
"Is everything okay, John?" he asked quietly, his voice hesitant.
John didn't answer.
Arcos lowered his gaze, nervously twisting his fingers together.
"Is... is Aetherium bad?" he whispered, a trace of fear creeping into his trembling voice.
The question snapped John back to reality.
He blinked, finally seeing the worry written across the boy's face.
"No," John answered immediately, shaking his head. A warm smile spread across his face as he tried to ease the child's fears.
"It's not bad."
He paused before continuing.
"It's just... incredibly rare. Rarer than almost anything in existence."
Arcos's tense shoulders eased slightly, though uncertainty still lingered in his eyes.
John slowly crouched until they were eye level.
"It's also one of the hardest powers in the world to control," he explained calmly. "But because of that... it's unlike any other power. Strange... unique."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"If you learn to use it properly, it can do things you wouldn't even believe."
Arcos's eyes widened with wonder.
"Like what?"
John chuckled softly.
"We'll get there."
He gently placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"One step at a time."
His voice became firm, filled with quiet confidence.
"I'll teach you how to use it, Arcos. The right way."
"You've been given this gift for a reason."
"And I'll make sure you use it for something good."
A spark ignited within Arcos's eyes.
"Really?"
"You mean it?"
"Absolutely," John replied without hesitation.
"You've already taken your first step."
He smiled reassuringly.
"The rest..."
"We'll figure out together."
Excitement filled Arcos's face.
He looked toward the other children scattered around the training grounds. Some practiced swordsmanship while others carefully controlled streams of magic beneath John's watchful eye. Their laughter drifted through the air, mixing with the sounds of determination and hard work.
Arcos couldn't help but smile.
He wanted to train beside them.
He wanted to laugh with them.
He wanted... friends.
"What will my first task be, Master?" he asked eagerly.
John followed the direction of the boy's gaze.
For a long moment, he simply watched the other students.
Then his smile faded.
A quiet sadness settled over his features as he looked back at Arcos.
"Arcos..."
His voice was gentle.
"Your training will be different from theirs."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"It will be harder."
"Not just physically..."
"...but mentally as well."
"The power you possess requires a very different path."
The excitement slowly disappeared from Arcos's face.
His shoulders drooped.
His eyes fell toward the ground.
"So..."
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
"I won't get to train with everyone else?"
The disappointment in those words struck John harder than he expected.
Without another thought, he stepped forward and rested both hands firmly on the boy's shoulders.
"Arcos."
His tone was reassuring but unwavering.
"Don't let this discourage you."
"You'll still talk to them."
"You'll still make friends."
"I promise I won't stand in the way of that."
A small smile returned to John's face.
"But your journey is different."
"And one day..."
"It'll make you stronger in ways they could never imagine."
Slowly, Arcos lifted his head.
The disappointment remained...
...but beneath it, determination began to take its place.
He remembered why he wanted strength.
To protect people.
To stop other villages from suffering the same fate as his own.
And yes...
To stand beside the children he admired.
His resolve hardened.
"So..."
He met John's eyes once more.
"What is my first task, Master?"
John smiled, pride quietly flickering across his face.
"We begin with your mind."
"And your body."
Arcos frowned.
"My... mind?"
John nodded.
"Yes."
He gently placed a hand against the boy's chest.
"The power you possess..."
"...your connection to Aetherium..."
"It comes from your soul."
"From the moment you were born, your soul became connected to the Aetherium surrounding this world."
"It has always been there."
"Dormant."
"Waiting."
"If you tried to use it now..."
"...it would be weak."
"Fragile."
Arcos listened without interrupting, hanging onto every word.
John slowly raised a finger and gently touched the boy's forehead.
"But..."
"When you strengthen your mind..."
"So too will your power."
His voice remained calm and deliberate.
"Aetherium responds to your thoughts."
"To your emotions."
"The way you think."
"The way you feel."
"Those things determine how powerful it becomes."
"It can be as gentle as a passing breeze..."
"...or powerful enough to reshape the world."
"It all depends on your control."
Arcos's heart pounded inside his chest.
His hands slowly clenched into fists.
He stood a little straighter.
"I understand, Master."
His voice no longer carried uncertainty.
"I'll train my mind."
"I'll train my body."
"I'll do whatever it takes."
A proud smile appeared on John's face.
"Good."
"Your path won't be easy, Arcos."
He looked directly into the boy's determined eyes.
"But if you remain true to your purpose..."
"I have no doubt you'll achieve greatness."
Arcos stood waiting, practically vibrating with anticipation.
John's expression became serious.
"Alright, Arcos."
"Your first task."
"Ten laps around the town."
"Fifty push-ups."
"One hundred squats."
"One hundred crunches."
"And one hour of meditation."
Silence.
Arcos stared at him.
His eyes widened.
His mouth slowly fell open.
"Wha..."
His voice cracked.
"Master..."
"I'm only ten years old!"
"That's impossible!"
The weight of the challenge crushed the excitement inside him.
John simply smiled.
It wasn't mocking.
It was patient.
Knowing.
"Nothing..."
"...is impossible."
His words carried quiet certainty.
Then he added one final sentence.
"And it starts now."
Before Arcos could argue, John placed a firm hand against his back and gently pushed him forward.
The boy stumbled a step before turning around in disbelief.
John's expression never changed.
There would be no negotiations.
Arcos let out a long breath.
"...Alright."
The word escaped as little more than a mumble.
He squared his shoulders.
Determination returned to his eyes.
Then he turned...
...and began to run.
Each step carried him toward something that felt impossible.
Yet somehow...
For the first time...
He believed he might actually reach it.
Deep within the grand council chamber, Valion stood before the leaders of the realm.
The flickering torchlight cast long shadows across the ancient stone walls, making every face seem colder than the last.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Heavy.
Each word spoken about John felt like another stone placed upon Valion's shoulders.
Their stories painted the same image.
A monster.
Not a man.
A monster.
Valion's legs trembled.
His mouth had gone dry.
"But..."
His voice barely escaped his lips.
"How could one man do something like that?"
Zyrenith, the council's strongest magic wielder, leaned forward.
Hatred burned openly within her eyes.
"Now you understand..."
Her voice was cold enough to freeze the room.
"...why we call him a monster."
There wasn't an ounce of sympathy in her expression.
Only contempt.
Only hatred.
Valion swallowed hard.
Another memory surfaced.
One he hadn't shared.
"There's..."
He hesitated.
"There's one more thing."
The council turned toward him.
"When I met John..."
"...he wasn't alone."
"There was a boy."
"No older than ten."
"He was crying."
"Sobbing."
"He was holding two bodies."
Valion lowered his eyes as the memory replayed in painful detail.
"John..."
"...was standing behind him."
"Just watching."
Silence spread through the chamber.
The council exchanged uneasy glances.
Even Zyrenith's expression shifted.
"A child?" she asked quietly.
Valion nodded.
"Do you think..."
His voice shook.
"...John killed the boy's parents?"
A murmur spread across the council.
Valebane finally broke the silence.
His voice remained calm.
Measured.
"It is possible."
"He has committed countless atrocities."
His eyes met Valion's.
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention."
"You may leave."
Valion nodded slowly.
His heart still felt unbearably heavy.
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the chamber doors.
The ancient wood groaned as they swung shut behind him, the echo lingering through the stone halls.
The guard who had escorted him earlier stepped forward without speaking and silently gestured for him to follow.
Together, they walked through the dim corridors of the castle.
Valion's thoughts refused to settle.
John.
The crying child.
The bodies.
None of it made sense.
By the time they reached the castle's towering entrance, the guard stopped and opened the great doors.
A cool night breeze greeted Valion as he stepped outside.
He drew a slow breath.
Somewhere beyond the darkness...
John was still out there.