Synopsis: At age four, Shinra's power manifests, spreading fear in the village.
Shinra was different. š§
One afternoon, when Shinra was four, a village boy snatched his wooden wolf carving šŗ. A low growl rumbled in Shinra's chest, the black symbol on his palm š seeming to deepen, pulsing with unseen energy. The wooden wolf began to smoke šØ and was dropped. It hit the dirt, already turning to ash šŖØ at the edges.
Shinra extended his hand towards a grey stone. A shimmer distorted the air. The stone, without a touch, began to glow with internal heat. š„ It cracked, fissures š spreading, then disintegrated into a fine, grey powder that drifted away on the breeze. š¬ļø
Ayumi, who had been watching, rushed forward. Her face was a mask of horror. š± "Shinra," she whispered, "What have you done?"
That evening, a hushed conversation filled their home. š£ļø
"He's too powerful, Kenji," Ayumi strained. "He incinerated that stone without even trying! It's wild. Untamed. It's like an uncontrolled bomb š£, Kenji. We can't keep him here."
"His power transcends the Red Mark," Ayumi insisted. "It's not safe for him, or for the village."
Kenji nodded slowly. "The Glimmerwood," š² he suggested, his voice low. "Deep within. It's vast. We can build a cabin š. Teach him there."