Slowly opening his eyes, Velmir woke up and observed everything around him carefully until he was sure that there was nothing wrong. "Huh, my hair was always this long? I thought it was.....short?" He tried to memorize his face, but he couldn't remember anything. Giving up on his actions, he tied his long hair, took the time, recollected all the information he had gathered the night before, and thought in silence. "The tear, magic..... oh my blue veins!" He suddenly lifted his hands and stared at the veins while questioning himself "It gets darker? It doesn't matter, Lucas will give me the answer anyway."
Only then did he realize there was a mark on his palm. A glowing white mark that seems like a combination of circles and strange lines, forming a complicated symbol. Although he had no idea about that mark, he felt like it was something truly belonging to him, and somehow, he sensed it.... the mark was missing a part. "I'll keep this as a secret. Let's get my answer first." He muttered and went outside to find Lucas, who was then practicing spear technique. Having just stepped outside the house, Velmir witnessed all of it, and in his heart, something has echoed. The love of material art? The movement of a swordmaster? He didn't know, but in the back of his mind, he remembered everything he had seen.
"Wow, so you wake up this early?" Lucas quickly turned around, looked at the standing boy, and his bloody spear melted away. "He can do that?" He thought in his mind, but still, it didn't take him long to respond and ask about the former event. "Can you explain to me what happened last night?"
Lucas gently replied with a warm smile
"Your body is filled with Ignis, you've awakened element not long ago, and you can't control the given Ignis."
"I don't know why your Ignis is this pure, but you seem like an exception."
"I guess you have awakened all elements or at least 2 special ones."
"Give me your hands, I'll help you stabilize Ignis, focus, and memorize this feeling."
Velmir was stunned from the start; he heard every word in a focused manner and was delighted. In his student life, he was never a special person, an average academic life, and average points. He was the most ordinary student, except that he had the most beautiful girl in school as his childhood friend. Everything about the past flashed through his mind, and now he could be a special person in this world.
With high expectations, he reached out his arms to Lucas without a word. In seconds, his sense became sharper and sharper; everything felt like a flow in his body. He concentrated, closed his eyes, and imagined the flowing Ignis in his body. "I could feel it!" He thought in his mind with joy. The two stood still for minutes until the blue veins disappeared.
The two both opened their eyes, but before Velmir could thank Lucas, he heard a whisper, "Strange....why there's only water?" The news shocked him, his eyes widened, and slowly revealed a hint of sorrow. "So I was not at all special then..." The despair in his eyes couldn't stop, but he knew even if he wasn't talented, he still had to go back home. Step by step, he steadily calmed his mind and focused on the main point.
"Lucas, can you teach me mag-"
"No"
The refusal came quickly with a helpless tone "I wouldn't even know where to begin, how could I teach him. Ahhh, I wish I had learn more about it."
"Then how did you learn?"
"Instinct." He said with a smirk at the corner of his lips. "Hehe, I'm a genius, he must be thinking how cool I am!"
"That's not very helpful." Velmir responded with a mocking voice, and his eyes scanned Lucas more precisely. High-quality leather boots, luxury rings, the smell of a gentleman, with all of that, he came to a conclusion: "A noble!" With the skills of a natural-born street performer, he placed his hand on his forehead like a tragic person, he added:
"Ahh, I guess I have to find an academy then. Without any money or any help. You know, embark on an unknown journey, fighting enemies, sleeping on grass, trying to survive alone..."
A swift glance - "Unless there's a generous man who is willing to intervene."
He finished his dramatic speech with a sigh. He slowly looked at Lucas while he stood still and made a ridiculous face. Even though it was thought to have failed, after a few moments, he spoke.
"...I can write you a letter - to Niren Academy." Velmir's eyes lit up, and hope filled his mind. But then the man added some words with a heavier voice.
"It will take some time.... about a year, and you have to go to my mansion."
He didn't expect this to happen; he only thought that receiving his help was great enough. Even though he missed his family, he knew that his safety had to be secured. "I want to get home quickly, but I'll take my time." Not long after, he agreed to live in Lucas's mansion, and the two set off hastily.
On their way, they talked like brothers, hunting, bathing in rivers together, crossing the forest, learning to control Ignis bit by bit, and after five days, they arrived at a large waterfall, giving their last rest before going to the society. At that time, they watched the stars and spoke one by one with ease and comfort.
"So we're close to the town, right?"
"Yeah, tomorrow will be the day."
"But why haven't I seen it?"
"Oh, forgot to tell you, we're heading to the closest Aether Shard."
"Aether Shard? What is it?"
"You didn't know? It's a place that has teleportation built in."
"Dang, how was it created? It's truly a miracle!"
"Ah, you're curious, right? It's an interesting story. 1634 years ago, a magician called The Almighty Mage had created it, no one knows how, but he was the one who opened the way to this era, the Fallen Era."
"It sounds like a myth. I wonder if we could become like him." - Velmir wished out loud, smiling like he never was. Maybe he had accepted this friendship. He didn't know why, but deep in his thoughts, loneliness was always present, and he saw it in his friend, too. Bit by bit, he changed his look to Lucas, who was falling asleep, his eyes glowed, and for the first time in this world, he felt like he was with his family.
Standing up, he went to the nearby waterfall and practiced his magic. Since this journey began, he hadn't been able to control it yet. "I have to imagine it...slowly." Things were like when the purified tear appeared, the dews, twinkling water sparks, were the same, except that he still couldn't control it. In the middle of the night, he trained and trained, failed and failed. He ignored everything, only concentrating on himself.
As time passed by, animals and glowing lights appeared in the forest. Looking at him, they saw him tired and failing over and over, just like this world was excluding him. Despite his failures, he never stopped trying. He was in despair, yet he still used everything he had to survive. He didn't ask for anything; he just wanted to return home. Exhausted and fatigued, he fell to his knees. Velmir questioned this world.
Why?
Why am I this useless?
Why is it always me?
What did I do to deserve this?
Why can't I use return...home?
His voice spread his pain throughout the forest. Hopeless and powerless, he laughed and struck his head against the cold ground, blood spilled out, blooming a crimson flower. In his eyes, there were no sparks; the only thing that remained was despair. In his deepest pain, a soft but familiar female's voice reverberated in the forest before his conscious fade away. "Don't cry again."