4 Choices.
Alger sat with his legs crossed in the dim glow of the library lamp, surrounded by books too old to belong in a place full of children.
He thought deeply about the question he'd avoided all this time.
What do I want from this life? What's my goal?
In his old world, Alger never truly had one. He liked living alone. No one to depend on, no one to disappoint. A quiet job, a quiet home... nothing more.
But this world was different.
Here, he wasn't weighed down by a mundane routine. No noise from cars, no smog filling the sky. Just silence, books, and the stars above.
Alger remembered how, as a teenager, he wanted to explore. He never had the chance. Geography, the ocean, the cosmos—he dipped into everything, always curious, always wanting more. But that dream faded as he grew older and reality grew harsher.
Now... he had another chance.
A real one.
He looked down at his hands, still small, still growing, but alive in a world bursting with mystery.
From this moment forward, Alger made a vow.
"I'm going to explore the Unknown."
He'd become the first human from Mytherra to uncover the secrets of the lost continents. He would rediscover the elements lost in time. He would face the calamities and carve his path through the ruins of history.
But he wasn't stupid.
Exploring Unknown was suicide.
On Earth, "apex predator" referred to species that ruled ecosystems—a lion in a savanna, a shark in the sea.
On Terra? A single living organism is called an Apex predator, and that single organism is not the Apex predator of a mere forest or desert. It is the Apex predator of an entire continent....
Just how unfathomably dangerous are calamities?
Now I understand why they say curiosity killed the cat.
He shook his head.
Enough about cats. Time to choose.
All elements were equal, but each had its flavor.
Terra was balanced—solid offense, solid defense, practical for survival.
Aqua leaned toward defense and utility, adaptable but slow-paced.
Inferno was raw, overwhelming power. Brute force made manifest.
Tempest was wild, fluid, and unpredictable. Slightly weaker than Inferno, but far more versatile.
Alger didn't need brute force. He needed adaptability... versatility...
He smiled.
"Tempest it is."
I'll become a Tempest Conjuror in no time.
***
Two Years Later
Alger was now six years old.
He could finally reach the library door handle without dragging a chair behind him. He could ask Librarian Violet for a stool when he needed a high-shelved book.
Violet didn't like him at first.
She was an old woman with long white hair, more bones than skin, and a permanent scowl. At first, she thought Alger was just another troublemaker. But after a month of quiet visits, she peeked over the shelves... and saw him reading.
Not flipping. Not doodling. Reading. With real focus.
She left him alone after that. And over time, her stern nods turned into small smiles.
Alger had been coming to the library every day since. He studied magic and Terra endlessly. Though he called it "magic," he knew it wasn't the right word—there wasn't a better one.
But progress on awakening his gate?
Nothing.
Still Broken.
And today, while deep in meditation, legs crossed on the cold floor, eyes shut, everything was disrupted by a sudden, high-pitched voice.
"Your name's Alger, right? What do you do here every day?"
He opened his eyes slowly and saw a blonde girl with a ponytail staring at him with sparkling curiosity.
"I'm Ivy! That's what everyone calls me."
Alger stared.
It was her.
The girl who was in the cradle next to his back when they were newborns.
He responded with the grace of someone who hadn't slept in days.
"Yes, that's me... and what I do here is none of your business."
Ivy blinked.
No one had ever spoken to her like that.
If she wanted something, she asked. And she got it. That was how things worked for Ivy.
"What? Unfair! I told you my name! You have to tell me yours!"
Alger narrowed his eyes.
"That's not how it works."
Her cheeks puffed up in protest.
"Tell me!"
"Tell me!"
"Tell me!"
"Tell me!"
Alger groaned, clutching his head.
"Fine! Stop screaming into my ear! I'll tell you... but only if you promise not to tell anyone."
Without thinking, Ivy nodded.
"I promise!"
That's a lie. Alger knows children.The first thing she'd do after leaving the library is tell someone. Probably a Sister. Maybe even the Headmaster. But it didn't matter.
"I'm trying to learn magic."
She gasped.
"Magic! Like what Headmaster and Sister do with their hands?"
What?
Even the Headmaster had an awakened gate?
He already knew Sister Twilight was an Inferno Awakened. But the Headmaster too?
Alger leaned forward.
"Exactly like that. What did the Headmaster do?"
Ivy pouted.
"No, I don't wanna say."
Alger clenched his fists.
Calm down, Alger. Breathe. You are not going to commit war crimes over a six-year-old girl.
"What? That's not fair! I told you my very, very big secret and you're just going to—"
Ivy cut him off.
"Fine! I'll tell you."
She crossed her arms.
"One time after it rained, I went outside and slipped in the mud. The Headmaster saw me and helped me up. Then he held his hand over my head and... and water came out of it!"
She paused.
"Although the water was kind of cold and...."
Alger's eyes widened.
An Aqua Conjuror.
That was huge.
Most people stayed Broken their whole lives. Awakening took years, effort, and money—things most orphans didn't have.
But if the Headmaster was a Conjuror...
He could teach Alger.
He might know tricks... methods... even rituals that could help him break past the barrier.
***
Weeks Passed
Ever since Ivy barged into Alger's life, she has come to the library every single day.
Not to read. Just to copy him.
She'd sit next to him, cross her legs, close her eyes—and last three minutes before getting bored and poking his face.
Every. Single. Day.
Alger learned to tolerate her... barely.
He wanted to ask the Headmaster for a hint. A guide. Anything.
But it was hopeless.
He could already imagine the responses:
"You'll understand when the time comes.""There's a book on that, isn't there?""Study harder, boy."
The Headmaster wouldn't take him seriously until he turned ten.
Alger sighed.
Only a few more years to go.
But he knew one thing for certain.
He would awaken that gate.
And when he did... the Unknown wouldn't stay unknown for long.