Time continued to pass peacefully, and Elwyn reached the age of eight. Over these three years, the young boy had made tremendous, almost superhuman progress in his various trainings and lessons.

  On the magical front, my daily training in controlling my internal flow now allows me to direct it anywhere in my body.

  Thanks to this, I can use bodily reinforcement for about ten minutes.

  But most importantly, I am also capable of intensifying the flow in my eyes and opening the portals within them, allowing me to travel between Ilnolia and the Ethereal Pne at any moment. Moreover, having experimented with several levels of intensification, I can also manage my vision of the worlds as I wish.

  Physically, I have become quite proficient in handling my short sword during training with Father-Volden and, with the help of the vilge hunters, I have also learned to use a short bow.

  Thus, I was able to help out a bit during the hunts before winter.

  In terms of combat, my leg movements and agility have become faster and more supple than before, and I now know how to maintain an upright, stable posture.

  Regarding my knowledge, I can recognize and write almost every letter of the alphabet, as well as all the numbers, thanks to Uvina’s lessons.

  Now, all that remains is to keep my handwriting fluid, uniform, and straight—a continuous duty for anyone for whom writing is at the heart of their world.

  And finally, on a social level, I do not hesitate to ask questions or request information from people in a respectful and courteous manner.

  Meanwhile, my interaction with children my own age is virtually non-existent. Elwyn is far too advanced for his age, and the other vilge children struggle to include him in their group.

  But despite this ck of peer retionships, the bond he shares with his little sister Le?na is entirely different.

  The four-year-old sees her big brother as both an ideal to aspire to and as a comforting pillow with which to sleep soundly. It was not uncommon for her, at night, to sneak into Elwyn’s bed to fall asleep peacefully after a nightmare or during a storm.

  As for Elwyn, the young boy sees his little sister as a human being in full growth and evolution, with whom he tries to understand and learn those elusive feelings and emotions he so sorely cks.

  However, the way he views his little sister is far from cold or distant. They often spend time together in the vilge, and sometimes the young boy even spends his time combing her hair under Ophélia’s watchful eye and guidance during quiet evenings.

  __________________________

  On one beautiful sunny day, Elwyn and Le?na set out together into the nearby woods. They were in search of blueberries so that Ophélia could bake a homemade pie to celebrate Volden’s birthday.

  To do this, Elwyn equipped himself with his short sword, as Father-Volden had instructed when they went hunting, and a small wicker basket to collect the fruit. The young boy was dressed in a brown shirt and trousers, along with a short-sleeved leather jacket.

  His little sister, for her part, wore a long, fir-green dress gathered at the neckline and cuffs, with a simple leather belt around her waist. Her dark ashy hair was styled into two braided pigtails that met at the back of her head.

  Once they were ready, the two children set off in the early afternoon and arrived at the edge of the woods after a good fifteen minutes of walking.

  Upon entering the woods, the little girl turned toward Elwyn and a big smile began to light up her angelic face.

  — The st one to find blueberries will do the dishes for a week, she decred carefree, before dashing off through the woods.

  — Le?na, be careful where you step. You might trip over a root and hurt yourself, Elwyn cautioned.

  Ignoring her brother’s advice, the little girl sprinted off in search of blueberries, which made Elwyn sigh in exasperation.

  The young boy watched as his sister disappeared behind a bush and then decided to search on his own, hoping to finish this challenge, which he would ter call perfectly ridiculous and childish, as quickly as possible.

  As he began to carefully observe his surroundings, he noticed that in certain parts of the woods the trees were spaced far enough apart to let plenty of light filter through.

  It was upon seeing this that Elwyn remembered Ophélia’s trick for finding blueberries.

  — Blueberry bushes are small shrubs with tiny, oval, finely serrated leaves. They grow in pces where the sun does not shine too harshly and where it stays cool.

  Elwyn then decided to inspect those clearings in the woods where there was enough space between the trees to allow sufficient light, yet not so much heat.

  Thanks to this method, it took him less than ten minutes to find his first shrub, and about fifteen more to fill his basket nicely.

  — Alright, now that that’s done, we need to find Le?na. I hope she hasn’t gotten lost along the way…

  The young boy then turned around and decided to return to the entrance of the woods to retrace his little sister’s path.

  To do this, Elwyn entered the Ethereal Pne, so as not to have any obstacles in his way, and, of course, he activated his Ilnolian vision.

  To his great luck, or misfortune, his search for Le?na was made easier, after switching Pnes once he reached the edge of the woods, by a piercing cry that echoed through the entire forest.

  However, since this cry was not reassuring, the young boy quickened his pace toward it, using bodily reinforcement on his legs.

  He eventually arrived, after less than a minute of running, next to the little girl, who was lying on the ground.

  Le?na had just fallen, and her face was filled with terror.

  Indeed, she was standing right in front of an enormous boar.

  The wild beast measured more than two meters long and at least one meter wide. It had small, piercing blood-red eyes, and its tusks were sharp, as was its dorsal crest.

  Seeing that the giant boar was facing Le?na, Elwyn slowly moved closer to his little sister, all the while maintaining visual contact with the wild animal, which began to snort powerfully from its snout, causing dead leaves to be blown about.

  Once he reached her side, the young boy pced his hand on Le?na’s shoulder to get her to respond to his presence, but she remained frozen in pce.

  Elwyn then had to force her to stand up, and once she was on her feet, he positioned himself slowly between her and the giant boar.

  — Le?na, get home immediately and go fetch Father-Volden, he whispered.

  Le?na looked at Elwyn, who was pcing his basket of blueberries right beside him, then turned her gaze toward the wild animal, which had begun to scratch the ground with its feet.

  — Le?na, back up slowly, and if it starts charging, run between the trees.

  The little girl then grabbed her brother’s right sleeve to get his attention.

  — And you… what are you going to do? she asked, trembling.

  The young boy slowly turned his head toward Le?na while keeping an eye on the giant boar.

  — I’ll try to distract it while you run away.

  This answer did not please the little girl, and she frantically tugged at her brother’s sleeve.

  — No, stay with me. You must stay with me. You promised Mom you’d protect me, she pleaded with tearful eyes.

  To reassure her, the young boy pced his hand on hers and gently stroked it.

  — That’s exactly what I’m doing, so please, go home. I’ll catch up with you ter.

  — Promise?

  Elwyn nodded firmly.

  — Promise, I’ll come back.

  Le?na then reluctantly ceased tugging at her brother’s sleeve.

  After that, the little girl looked at the wild boar, which now seemed about to charge.

  Seeing this, Le?na completely let go of Elwyn’s sleeve and began to back away.

  — That’s good, Le?na, keep going. I’ll attract its attention, he said, unsheathing his short bde from its sheath and pointing it toward the giant boar.

  It did not take long for the wild beast to decide to charge toward the two children.

  Hearing the sound of the giant boar’s heavy steps, Le?na began to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction, trying to keep an overhead tree for protection.

  At the same moment, Elwyn leaped to the right to narrowly avoid the charging beast and struck its right fnk as it passed—but without effect. The young boy’s bde failed to cut into the boar’s thick hide and merely slid off.

  — Tsh, grumbled the young boy.

  The wild animal abruptly stopped and turned to locate its target again. However, this maneuver gave Elwyn just enough time to switch Pnes and vanish completely from the boar’s view, and snout, as it searched frantically in all directions.

  From the Ethereal Pne, the young boy calmly observed and analyzed the giant boar for a while.

  — What are you? Where do you come from? How did you get here without the hunters noticing? Judging by your size, you’re not from around here. You’re far too big and dangerous for anyone to let you wander so close to the vilge. And your eyes, they aren’t a natural color for a boar…

  Unable to find its prey, the wild boar expressed its frustration with loud, shrill howls.

  GRUIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIK

  Once its frustration subsided, the giant boar began to search for the scent of the other target that had fled first.

  — I see what you’re trying to do.

  For several minutes, the young boy continued to follow the wild boar from the Ethereal Pne, until they arrived not far from the edge of the woods.

  — I’m sorry, but I must stop you from leaving these woods.

  Elwyn moved quickly until he was at the right fnk of the giant boar.

  — If my mere strength does not scare you, then I will have to take it up a notch.

  The young boy then used bodily reinforcement on his arms and legs before unching himself toward the wild animal, swiftly tracking the trail of Le?na.

  Once the giant boar was within reach of his short bde, Elwyn shifted to another Pne and sshed at its fnk, with success this time.

  Once the tip of his sword penetrated the boar’s thick hide, the cut along its right fnk was deepened, and the young boy managed to ssh extensively along the beast’s right side, though not enough to completely neutralize it.

  The giant boar, wounded, then writhed in pain and let out powerful cries that echoed throughout the woods and beyond.

  GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK

  — You shall not touch her, Elwyn decred, slightly out of breath, positioning himself in front of the wild boar and pointing his bloodstained bde at it.

  The giant boar’s blood-red, piercing eyes fixed on the young boy, and in them, he saw pure rage.

  With that look, the wild animal made its decision.

  It wanted to destroy him first.

  The giant boar charged once more toward Elwyn, and the young boy leaped to the right to narrowly avoid it. Unfortunately, the wild animal anticipated this and delivered a powerful headbutt to his left, propelling Elwyn against a tree several meters away.

  Crac

  That was the sound of the young boy’s back striking the tree violently.

  Elwyn y face down on the ground, still conscious, his breath short and his back broken.

  He could no longer move, nor regain his breath, and was on the verge of losing consciousness.

  Meanwhile, the giant boar cautiously approached its now immobilized, harmless prey.

  After several seconds of complete stillness and excruciating pain along his spine, Elwyn slowly regained control of his body. The pain gradually subsided, like a candle fme dimming slowly under a gss dome, allowing him to slowly turn his head toward the wild boar.

  The young boy was utterly exhausted and disoriented by the shock, finding it difficult to move or breathe properly, but at least he was intact.

  At the same time, the giant boar stopped after finding an angle facing Elwyn and began scratching the ground, before resuming its charge toward him.

  — I… I feel really terrible… he managed to say, gasping for breath.

  As the wild animal charged, it was suddenly struck on its left fnk by a sphere of compressed air, which sent it hurtling about ten meters away, crashing into a tree.

  — Elwyn! Are you okay? Ophélia asked, hurrying over to the young boy.

  Elwyn turned toward the young woman and saw that she was accompanied by Volden, his long sword unsheathed.

  — Mother-Ophélia? Father-Volden? I’m… fine… I think. How’s Le?na? asked the young boy, completely disoriented by exhaustion.

  — She’s fine, don’t worry, replied Ophélia as she knelt beside him.

  Meanwhile, Volden slowly approached the giant boar and observed it intently.

  — Ophélia, this is indeed a creature of chaos.

  The boar straightened up and turned toward Volden, who was blocking its path.

  The chaotic boar let out a howl of pain and frustration.

  At the same time, the blow it had just received broke a few of its ribs and worsened its wound on the right fnk.

  GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK GRUIIIIIIIIIIIIIK

  Without much thought for what might follow, the chaotic boar suddenly charged toward Volden, hoping he would step aside so that it could reach its true target, Elwyn.

  The chief of the vilge guard of Eriana was determined to hold his position and brandished his two-handed sword toward the sky.

  — Air Bde! he shouted, before delivering a sharp downward strike.

  At that precise moment, the engraving on the pommel of Volden’s sword lit up with a purple glow, and a whirlwind of air formed around his bde before being rapidly projected at the charging boar.

  The chaotic boar collided head-on with the air bde and was completely sliced in two along its entire length, before disappearing, after a few seconds, into a dark violet mist that rose and then dissipated into the sky.

  Volden then sheathed his sword and joined his companion and his adoptive son.

  — Is he alright?

  Ophélia held Elwyn in her arms, and the young boy seemed to have lost consciousness.

  — He’s fallen asleep.

  — I see. And his back, how is it?

  — He’s… fine. His back and spine had reformed by the time I reached him. I didn’t have time to treat him.

  — In that case, leave him to me; I’ll carry him home.

  Volden then took the young boy in his arms and helped his companion to stand.

  — And you? Are you okay?

  The young woman shook her head.

  — No, I’m not alright. Our daughter and our son nearly died today. I should have been there. I should have accompanied them…

  She clenched her fists in anger and helplessness.

  — Ophélia… You know as well as I do that no one can predict the location or the opening of a chaotic portal. It could have happened at any moment during their stroll around the vilge. Don’t bme yourself. Breathe. Everything is alright.

  She sighed.

  — I know… It’s just that… it could have ended so badly…

  — But it hasn’t. Elwyn fought well. He even managed to wound a creature of Chaos at an age when one can barely handle a defted goblin, and he bought enough time for Le?na to run away and alert someone about the situation. They are both safe, and we arrived in time so that the worst did not happen.

  — That’s true… you are right. They both reacted well.

  Volden then smiled with satisfaction.

  — And all of that is thanks solely to me.

  — What do you mean, ‘solely’ thanks to you? asked Ophélia, pouting at this incongruous remark.

  — Well, it’s me who trained Elwyn in combat and told him to keep his sword with him when leaving the vilge.

  — Oh, really? Then can you remind me who taught Le?na to ask for help in case of trouble? Who also told Elwyn to protect her and take care of her when they leave the vilge?

  — That’s true, you are right. It’s also thanks to you, admitted Volden.

  — Just wait, it’s me who takes care of the children most of the time while you py soldier.

  — Hey, it’s because I py soldier that the vilge hasn’t had any monster problems for a long time, replied Volden, outraged by her words.

  — Now you see what it’s like to be put in second pce regarding your own family, replied Ophélia with a hint of sarcasm.

  For several seconds, a long, heavy silence settled between the two spouses until they both burst out ughing at the absurdity of the situation, for in the end, it was indeed thanks to both of them that everything had turned out well.

  It was only after they had recovered from their emotions that they returned home, allowing Elwyn to rest and recover from this harrowing ordeal. In fact, once the young boy was confined to bed, little Le?na decided to stay by his side during his convalescence, which sted an entire day.