Chapter 2 — The awakening
The voice led him to the unknown. Keyaru left his native village and ran to the woods. As he marched deeper, twilight would eventually be eaten by the darkness of the night. It wasn’t the best time for a walk like this, especially in the forest. Unimaginable terrors would crawl out of their dens looking for prey. Let alone navigating it was hard. Only an exile could do so, and a suicidal one at that. The boy wouldn’t have risked it if not for his peculiar fearlessness.
Keyaru approached a tree, grabbed his knife, and started scratching the cortex to smear the resin. He got it all over his clothes. The smell was pungent, yet monsters found the stench even more unbearable. Their good noses played a really cruel joke on them. Others, though, were easier to ward off with a torch. And there was a territorial type. The latter wouldn’t touch the young man, as long as he paid attention to claw marks or smells, which, for better or worse, could have even been felt by a human.
Either way, Keyaru wouldn’t stop. The voice led him further, cheering and supporting. The boy could’ve sworn he’d gone mad, believing some convoluted hallucination. If so, he’d be dead by the morning. That was a risk he was willing to take since it helped save Anna. That jade eye could’ve been real, and not some fever dream, after all. If so, there was little time left.
It’s been four days since Keyaru started his journey with only a single till at the end of it. The voice wouldn’t let him sleep more than necessary to avoid collapsing from exhaustion. The boy ate berries, fruits, small animals — everything he could get his hands on or kill with an already dulling knife. So his wobbly legs and clouded vision weren’t exactly surprising. At the same time, the apple farmer had every opportunity to confirm that the voice's tips were honest and certain. After all, the lad still lived. Although tired, he walked and walked until finally he reached it. A lovely lake in which one could see the full charm of the bright stars. The very same Keyaru used to not lose his way.
"We’ve arrived. Now all it takes is to obtain an eye, and then you’ll remember. " — the voice said impatiently. As the starlight started to swirl above the expanse of the water, Keyaru chanted the spell. And as the last words left his lips, a spirit emerged. A beautiful nymph floated through the air, her green hair gleaming in the silver light. A dweller from another world came to repay an old debt. And although neither Keyaru nor his ancestors had ever rescued any specter, he knew exactly what had to be done. Why? This question has left the boy’s head on the third day of his trip.
"I am the spirit of the stars. Human child, because of the ancient pact, we must thank you for your kindness. What is it you desire?" — she asked, her voice sounding like a small bell. Then Keyaru somehow imagined four options for himself: hands that could crush everything, legs that could conquer the storms, ears that could hear in a thousand leagues, and an eye that could see through everything.
"The eye! I need the all-seeing eye." — answered the young man, his voice trembling, but there was no place for doubt.
"Then I shall grant you the eye." — told the nymph melodically. She flew closer and kissed the boy’s right eye. Surprisingly enough, he felt no pain or even aversion, just a bare warmth. The next moment, he saw.
"So this is what the jade eye is!" Astonished, Keyaru could glance through everything: a bug behind an old oak, flows of magic, energy of creation, waves of spiritual power, and even the true name of the nymph who blessed him. But more importantly, he could gaze at his own reflection. And when a simple apple farmer did, he remembered.
"So this is how it happened?" — Keyaru mumbled, reflecting upon the last moments of the old world. All the suffering, disgust, hope, and most importantly — the thirst for vengeance. The last words of the hero of healing came to fruition; two souls merged, one still innocent and one so scarred that it literally ripped itself from the natural order with sheer hatred. The pain did not disappear, and it led the young man to his fate.
"I thank you, the spirit of the stars. You’ve helped me regain myself. " — the future hero thanked the specter, and the latter smiled one last time before disappearing for good in a pillar of starlight. Now that he had regained his vision and memories, Keyaru only had to wait for the white brand to emerge on the back of his right hand. Only two days until the boy becomes a man, a chosen champion of humanity and one of the ten potentially strongest humans on earth. If history repeats itself, the royal escort would soon arrive in Alban to take him to Capital, after which hell would embrace Keyaru once again. Unfortunately, the young man carried no skills or levels from his previous life. At least not the ones to be identified with an appraisal scroll. And the invulnerability to poisons was among them. Still, it wasn’t even the main source of Keyaru’s worries right now.
"I remember her. Pink hair, emerald eyes. She’s loved, praised and adored. Her name is Flare, the hero of magic. And this time I’ll take everything from that fucking bitch! Pha-ha-ha-ha!!!" — vociferously sweared the young man before loudly laughing. Soon they’d meet again for the first time. It was time to get back to the village of Alban.
Chapter 2 — The awakening
The voice led him to the unknown. Keyaru left his native village and ran to the woods. As he marched deeper, twilight would eventually be eaten by the darkness of the night. It wasn’t the best time for a walk like this, especially in the forest. Unimaginable terrors would crawl out of their dens looking for prey. Let alone navigating it was hard. Only an exile could do so, and a suicidal one at that. The boy wouldn’t have risked it if not for his peculiar fearlessness.
Keyaru approached a tree, grabbed his knife, and started scratching the cortex to smear the resin. He got it all over his clothes. The smell was pungent, yet monsters found the stench even more unbearable. Their good noses played a really cruel joke on them. Others, though, were easier to ward off with a torch. And there was a territorial type. The latter wouldn’t touch the young man, as long as he paid attention to claw marks or smells, which, for better or worse, could have even been felt by a human.
Either way, Keyaru wouldn’t stop. The voice led him further, cheering and supporting. The boy could’ve sworn he’d gone mad, believing some convoluted hallucination. If so, he’d be dead by the morning. That was a risk he was willing to take since it helped save Anna. That jade eye could’ve been real, and not some fever dream, after all. If so, there was little time left.
It’s been four days since Keyaru started his journey with only a single till at the end of it. The voice wouldn’t let him sleep more than necessary to avoid collapsing from exhaustion. The boy ate berries, fruits, small animals — everything he could get his hands on or kill with an already dulling knife. So his wobbly legs and clouded vision weren’t exactly surprising. At the same time, the apple farmer had every opportunity to confirm that the voice's tips were honest and certain. After all, the lad still lived. Although tired, he walked and walked until finally he reached it. A lovely lake in which one could see the full charm of the bright stars. The very same Keyaru used to not lose his way.
"We’ve arrived. Now all it takes is to obtain an eye, and then you’ll remember. " — the voice said impatiently. As the starlight started to swirl above the expanse of the water, Keyaru chanted the spell. And as the last words left his lips, a spirit emerged. A beautiful nymph floated through the air, her green hair gleaming in the silver light. A dweller from another world came to repay an old debt. And although neither Keyaru nor his ancestors had ever rescued any specter, he knew exactly what had to be done. Why? This question has left the boy’s head on the third day of his trip.
"I am the spirit of the stars. Human child, because of the ancient pact, we must thank you for your kindness. What is it you desire?" — she asked, her voice sounding like a small bell. Then Keyaru somehow imagined four options for himself: hands that could crush everything, legs that could conquer the storms, ears that could hear in a thousand leagues, and an eye that could see through everything.
"The eye! I need the all-seeing eye." — answered the young man, his voice trembling, but there was no place for doubt.
"Then I shall grant you the eye." — told the nymph melodically. She flew closer and kissed the boy’s right eye. Surprisingly enough, he felt no pain or even aversion, just a bare warmth. The next moment, he saw.
"So this is what the jade eye is!" Astonished, Keyaru could glance through everything: a bug behind an old oak, flows of magic, energy of creation, waves of spiritual power, and even the true name of the nymph who blessed him. But more importantly, he could gaze at his own reflection. And when a simple apple farmer did, he remembered.
"So this is how it happened?" — Keyaru mumbled, reflecting upon the last moments of the old world. All the suffering, disgust, hope, and most importantly — the thirst for vengeance. The last words of the hero of healing came to fruition; two souls merged, one still innocent and one so scarred that it literally ripped itself from the natural order with sheer hatred. The pain did not disappear, and it led the young man to his fate.
"I thank you, the spirit of the stars. You’ve helped me regain myself. " — the future hero thanked the specter, and the latter smiled one last time before disappearing for good in a pillar of starlight. Now that he had regained his vision and memories, Keyaru only had to wait for the white brand to emerge on the back of his right hand. Only two days until the boy becomes a man, a chosen champion of humanity and one of the ten potentially strongest humans on earth. If history repeats itself, the royal escort would soon arrive in Alban to take him to Capital, after which hell would embrace Keyaru once again. Unfortunately, the young man carried no skills or levels from his previous life. At least not the ones to be identified with an appraisal scroll. And the invulnerability to poisons was among them. Still, it wasn’t even the main source of Keyaru’s worries right now.
"I remember her. Pink hair, emerald eyes. She’s loved, praised and adored. Her name is Flare, the hero of magic. And this time I’ll take everything from that fucking bitch! Pha-ha-ha-ha!!!" — vociferously sweared the young man before loudly laughing. Soon they’d meet again for the first time. It was time to get back to the village of Alban.
