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Chapter 1 - The Brat of Lokai Village

It was the middle of the night, and the small village of Lokai, tucked away on an island, was deep in sleep. Not a dog barked, not a leaf rustled—just peaceful silence under the moon.

Until—

"KUKKDUKOOOOOOOO!"

The loudest, weirdest rooster sound ever echoed through the village, snapping everyone out of their sleep.

Doors slammed open. People peeked out of windows, blinking and furious.

"Who the heck—?!"

"It's that brat again!"

"Middle of the night! What's wrong with him?!"

Up on the rooftops, a boy—around 14—was laughing like a maniac. He jumped from one house to another, arms wide, shouting with joy.

"HAHA! That actually worked! I should record your faces!"

Villagers rubbed their eyes. Some groaned. Others looked ready to throw sandals.

"That boy again! Someone catch him already!"

"He did this last week too!"

"He even dyed the well water green once!"

The villagers, now wide awake and furious, grabbed their torches and stormed toward the Chief's house.

Outside the big wooden doors, the group gathered, shouting and complaining.

Inside, Chief Gorran—an old man with a long beard—was half-asleep at his desk when the door slammed open.

"Chief Gorran!" shouted the crowd.

The chief blinked. "Huh...? Oh no, what did Rai do now?"

Behind the chief's chair, the very boy they were yelling about—Rai—was crouching, giggling and trying to stay hidden.

He had messy hair, a muddy face, and eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"I just wanted to test my new trick!" Rai said, popping out from behind Gorran.

"What trick?" Gorran asked, already tired.

"I made that sound! With my mouth! Took me a week to perfect it. Cool, right?"

"You made that noise?!" a woman shouted.

Another man yelled, "I thought it was the apocalypse!"

"He's got too much time and too little fear!"

Gorran sighed and looked down at Rai. "You're not even sorry, are you?"

Rai scratched his head. "I mean... kinda? It was funny."

More groans came from the villagers.

"That's it! He needs punishment!"

"Make him clean the stables for a month!"

"He stole my socks and tied them to chickens!"

"Don't forget when he filled the village bell with fish!"

Chief Gorran raised both hands. "Alright, alright! Calm down!"

The villagers fell into tense silence. Gorran looked tired but calm, eyes steady behind his old glasses.

"Look, everyone," he said. "I know Rai's a troublemaker. But he's also just a kid."

Rai's smile dropped for a second. He looked down.

"But," Gorran continued, "this can't keep going. So here's the deal: starting tomorrow, he works. No more jumping around like a squirrel at midnight."

"Huh?! What kind of work?" Rai asked, panicking.

"Helping the farmers, cleaning the barns, hauling water, guard duty. You'll be too tired to cause chaos at night."

The villagers lit up.

"Finally!"

"Make him carry water all day!"

"Yes! Let's see how funny he is after that!"

Rai sighed and flopped to the floor. "You guys are no fun."

"Neither is waking up to your rooster scream," someone muttered.

As the villagers left, yawning and grumbling less than before, Gorran shut the door behind them and turned to Rai, who lay flat on the floor, arms stretched out.

"So," Gorran said, sitting beside him, "you want to tell me why you keep doing this?"

Rai rolled over, staring at the ceiling. "I dunno. It's just... boring. No kids. No fun. Everyone treats me like I'm made of noise and problems."

Gorran nodded slowly. "You are made of noise. But you're not just problems."

After a pause, Rai sat up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Why am I the only kid here? Why's there no one my age? Why can't anyone have kids?"

Gorran stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "That's the village's curse. We did something we weren't supposed to do and the heaven's punished us."

Rai blinked. "So I'm a... what? Miracle?"

Gorran chuckled lightly. "Or a mistake. "

The silence grew heavy.

"I don't want to be the only one forever," Rai said softly. "I want to change that."

Gorran raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

Rai nodded, more serious than ever. "I want to become powerful. So powerful that I can fight the heavens . Break the curse."

Gorran studied him. "That's not an easy goal, Rai."

"I know. But I'm serious."

"You'll need strength, knowledge, maybe even madness. And even then, it won't be enough. This is a heavenly curse, Rai. The kind that can't be broken by brute force or clever tricks. It was placed on Lokai for a reason . Many have tried to lift it, and all failed. Some lost their lives... others, their hope."

He stepped forward, his voice rising. "Rai, this isn't a game. You're talking about going up against something divine. I don't want you chasing something that could break you."

"I have to try," Rai said. "I want to be a cultivator. Learn the path. Train my body, my mind, my soul—everything."

"No!" Gorran snapped, suddenly angry. "No more talk of curses and cultivation! You'll stay here. Work the land. Help the village. That's your path. Not chasing fantasies that will only get you killed."

Rai clenched his fists. "I want to fight for something. I want to change things!"

"You think working to keep this village alive is worthless?" Gorran barked. "You think feeding people, carrying water, fixing fences doesn't matter?"

"I don't want to live and die as the last kid of Lokai," Rai said, his voice cracking.

Gorran's face softened, but only for a moment. Then he snapped, "Enough, Rai. Starting tomorrow, you do your punishment. Farming. Guard shifts. Cleaning. Whatever work the village gives you. End of discussion."

Rai nodded reluctantly. "Starting tomorrow?"

Gorran pointed to the floor. "Starting now. Sleep on that cold wooden bench. Let it teach you the first lesson: comfort is your enemy."

Rai winced. "You sure you're not the cursed one?"

Gorran snorted. "You're not wrong."

They stepped outside. The moon was still high. The village was quiet again.

Then—"KUKKDUKOOOOO!"

Both of them froze.

Rai blinked. "That wasn't me."

A goat stumbled from behind a tree, bleating and somehow making the exact same ridiculous sound.

Rai burst into laughter.

Even Gorran cracked a smile. "Maybe we should punish the goat too."

Rai wiped a tear from his eye. "Lokai's first warrior goat."

The next morning, Lokai village was wrapped in an unusual silence. Birds chirped, the wind moved the trees—but something was off. Too quiet.

A few villagers stepped out of their homes, blinking in the morning sun.

"Where is that brat?" one woman muttered. "No rooftop shouting?"

"No weird animal sounds either," said an old man.

Two shopkeepers exchanged a glance. "Did he actually oversleep for once?"

Chief Gorran stood by the well, arms crossed, squinting at the roofs. "Huh. Maybe he's actually doing his punishment."

But far away, on a grassy cliff just below a mountain ridge, a boy stood alone, the wind brushing his messy hair.

Rai looked over the village—his home.

"Thanks for everything," he whispered. "I'll become strong. Strong enough to cure this curse. Even if it's a heavenly one. Even if I have to face the gods themselves."

He adjusted the small bag on his back, tightened the old belt around his waist, and turned away.

One last look. One last grin.

Then he was gone.

The brat of Lokai had vanished.

But his story had just begun.

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