Jakob – POV

  Our luck as a family has finally turned for the better, or so it seems.

  It began with Nathan, of all people, toddling home with a pouch full of gold coins. A hundred gold coins, to be exact. Never in my life have I seen such an amount in one place. Not even during my adventuring days. The most I ever managed to scrape together was twenty coins, and that was after weeks of risking my neck against goblins and worse.

  And then, as if the gods themselves were raining fortune upon us, Serena returned with even more gold. She claimed she found it in the forest. The forest. That cursed, quiet stretch of trees I’ve always kept half an eye on.

  What in the nine hells is going on with that forest?

  Curiosity gnawed at me, but more than that, concern for my children. So, I went.

  It wasn’t far, just a few minutes’ walk from our home. The air was still, the birdsong ordinary. Nothing seemed out of place. No ambush, no lurking predator. But then I saw it: a massive boulder, its surface scorched black with burn marks.

  I crouched, running my fingers over the stone. The marks were too precise, too deliberate. Magic. Fire magic, perhaps. But why only the boulder? Why not the trees, the ground, the underbrush? If there had been a battle here, the forest would bear scars. Yet it was pristine, untouched, as though the flames had chosen only this one stone.

  Strange. Too strange.

  Should I forbid the children from coming here? My instincts screamed caution, but my senses; those honed from years of adventuring; felt no immediate threat. No demonic presence, no lurking malice. I’ve checked this place often, especially after sensing that demon. Each time, nothing.

  Still, I resolved to keep watch. Every morning, before the hunt, I would come here. If danger lurked, I would find it before it found us.

  Back home, the weight of our newfound wealth pressed on me. A hundred coins from Nathan, a hundred and twenty from Serena. More than enough to live comfortably for years. If we were frugal, perhaps a decade. If we indulged, three years at most. But what then? What happens when the gold runs dry?

  We cannot rely on luck forever.

  No, we must invest it wisely. Perhaps return to our ancestral lands. With the baron’s son dead, there is no longer danger from that vile wretch. What a pathetic end he met: crushed by a loose stone from his own castle. I should warn Jack about such hazards. He’ll be going there soon, after all.

  But the thought of home brings only bitterness. The empire is gone, shattered by the arrogance of its rulers. Lords squabble like dogs over scraps, and law has crumbled into chaos. I heard whispers that our hometown was razed to the ground. Once-proud walls reduced to ash. All because imperial siblings could not set aside their pride. Such a waste of bloodlines, of talent, of history.

  And yet, even as I ponder the fall of empires, my thoughts return to my children.

  Nathan.

  There is something… wrong with him. I cannot explain it, but I feel it. A dangerous, malevolent aura clings to him, faint but undeniable. And with it, mana.

  Mana. In a boy of three. Impossible. Children do not wield mana until the advancement ceremony, and even then, only traces. Yet Nathan’s presence hums with it, dark and unsettling.

  And Serena too. Her mana is gentler, brighter, but still far too strong for her age.

  What is happening to my children?

  I considered confronting Nathan, but the moment I steeled myself, the sensation vanished. As though it had never been there. Was I imagining things? A trick of fatigue?

  Still, unease gnaws at me.

  I will speak with Dianne. We must decide what to do with the gold, and perhaps she can ease my worries about the children. She will not like them wandering the forest, but I will assure her I check it daily. Who knows, perhaps fortune will smile again, and they’ll stumble upon more treasure.

  And yet, a darker thought lingers. Am I a bad father?

  Dianne – POV

  The gods, it seems, have finally smiled upon us.

  Serena returned today with another pouch of gold...one hundred and twenty coins this time. Enough to banish hunger from our doorstep for years. Enough to let me breathe without the constant weight of fear pressing on my chest.

  And yet, the questions remain.

  Who leaves such wealth lying in the forest? Are thieves so careless? Or is something else at play?

  I push doubts aside. For now, I am simply grateful. Grateful that my children will not starve. Grateful that we can live without scraping for every crumb.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  We had planned to leave Kizah before the old baron died, fearing the cruelty of his son. But fate intervened. The son is dead...an accident, they say. A stone falling from the castle walls crushed him.

  A small justice, but justice, nonetheless. The women of Kizah can finally breathe easier.

  Still, I must remind Jack to be cautious when he visits the castle. If stones fall so easily, what else crumbles within those walls?

  But wealth and safety are not the only changes I sense.

  My children. Serena and Nathan.

  I feel mana within them. At first, I thought it a trick of my dulled senses. I was once a healer, trained to feel the ebb and flow of life’s energy. Years without practice have made me less sharp, but not blind.

  Serena’s mana is faint but steady, like a candle flame. Nathan’s… Nathan’s is different. Darker. Malevolent, almost. I dismissed the thought at once. He is my son. My sweet boy. How could he harbor such a thing?

  And yet, the sensation lingers. Then, just as suddenly, it fades. Only the faintest traces remain, no more than the ambient mana that clings to all living things.

  Am I imagining it? Or is something truly stirring within them?

  I do not know.

  But I do know this: our gold will not last forever. We must plan, invest, secure a future. I will speak with Jakob. Together, we will decide.

  Nathan – POV

  I am such an idiot.

  Of course, my parents would notice. They were adventurers once. Of course, they would sense mana in me and Serena. How could I have been so careless?

  Thankfully, Krizek warned me. He acted before suspicion could take root. Whatever spell he cast, it worked. My parents’ wary eyes softened, their doubts fading. When I asked him about it, he explained it was a masking spell, an old trick demons once used to hide their corrupted humans.

  Comforting. Still, it buys us time.

  Serena and I debated whether to share our secret with Jack. He dreams of knighthood, of shining armor and noble deeds. Would magic tempt him away from that path? Or worse, would he betray us to Mother and Father?

  In the end, we decided to risk it.

  On one of our rest days, we dragged Jack into the forest behind the house.

  “Why are you two dragging me out here?” he grumbled.

  “Brother, we want to show you something,” Serena said, her eyes alight.

  “Is it gold?” he asked, grinning.

  “No. This.”

  She raised her hand, and a small flame danced on her fingertip.

  Jack yelped, stumbling back. “By the gods...!”

  “Calm down, brother,” Serena soothed.

  “You… you can cast? But that’s impossible! You haven’t undergone the advancement ceremony. You’re not even ten!”

  “I know,” she said softly. “But here we are.”

  Jack’s gaze darted to me. “Nathan too?”

  I nodded, summoning two shadowy tendrils that writhed in the air. His face paled.

  “Stop shouting,” Serena hissed. “You’ll bring Mother down on us.”

  I stayed quiet, as we’d agreed. Better to let Serena speak. A three-year-old speaking like an adult unsettles people, she said. I thought I sounded cute. Apparently not.

  Jack’s breathing slowed. He steadied himself.

  “So… what does this mean?”

  Serena grinned. “It means we’re mages. I’m fire and wind. Nathan is shadow.”

  “Shadow?” Jack’s eyes narrowed.

  “Yes.”

  He rubbed his temples. “This isn’t supposed to happen. You shouldn’t have access to your classes yet. The theocracy would see this as… unnatural. Dangerous. You must tell Mother and Father. Before I leave for the baron’s estate. Promise me.”

  Well, Jack was right. If word ever spread that Serena and I had already accessed our classes, the church...the theocracy, would descend on us like vultures. Their laws ruled these lands more firmly than any noble’s decree, and even lords bent the knee to their authority. To them, children wielding mana before the advancement ceremony would be nothing short of heresy.

  “Alright, we agree,” Serena said at last, her voice steady though her eyes flickered with unease. Then she tilted her head toward Jack, a hopeful smile tugging at her lips. “But… would you like to learn, brother?”

  Jack hesitated, and for a moment I thought he might say yes. But then he shook his head. “No.”

  The single word hit Serena harder than I expected. Her shoulders slumped, her smile faltered. Jack noticed, and with a gentleness that surprised me, he reached out and patted her head.

  “It’s too late for me,” he said softly. “I’ve already set my heart on becoming a knight, a warrior. Any interference now might ruin my chances. I know what you’re learning is powerful, maybe even incredible, but I can’t risk it. After my advancement ceremony, though… I’ll learn from you then. That’s a promise.”

  Serena’s eyes brightened again, though the sadness lingered at the edges. “Okay, brother. We understand.”

  Jack studied her for a moment, then asked, “Did you figure all this out on your own, Serena?”

  She shook her head. “No. Nathan taught me.”

  His gaze shifted to me, sharp and searching. For a long moment he said nothing, and I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. Finally, he exhaled.

  “Somehow, deep inside, I always knew you were different, Nathan. Special.” His tone was half admiration, half warning. “But listen carefully...be cautious about who you show your magic to. Shadow magic…” He paused, lowering his voice as though the trees themselves might be listening. “Shadow magic is considered evil by the theocracy. Dangerous. They’ll brand you a heretic if they ever find out. In other countries, it might not carry the same stigma, but here? Here it could get you killed.”

  I forced my face into the most innocent smile I could muster. “Okay.”

  Jack’s stern expression softened, though I caught the flicker of doubt in his eyes. Serena, meanwhile, smirked knowingly at me, as if she could see right through the mask I wore.

  “Good,” Jack said finally, straightening. “Now let’s get back before Mother or Father come looking for us.” He extended his hands toward us, and Serena slipped hers into his without hesitation.

  I followed, silent, my small hand fitting into his larger one. To anyone watching, we were just three siblings walking home together, nothing unusual at all.

  But inside, my thoughts churned.

  I hadn’t told them everything. Not about the warlock spells. Not about the pact. Not about the shadows that whispered to me in the dark. If the theocracy already condemned shadow magic, what would they do if they discovered I was more than just a shadow mage? That I could summon demons, command them, bend them to my will?

  The answer was obvious.

  They wouldn’t just brand me a heretic. They’d burn me alive.

  I stifled a laugh, the sound bubbling up despite myself. If the priests and inquisitors ever learned the truth, they wouldn’t just panic.

  They’d probably soil themselves on the spot.