The sun slanted down between the treetops, filtering through in golden beams that painted the ground with irregular patterns of light and shadow.
The forest was calm, but not silent.
The distant song of a few birds could be heard, the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind, and above all, the heavy breathing of someone being pushed beyond his limits.
On a thick branch of an ancient tree lay Aurum, stretched out on his back, one arm behind his head and the other hanging down in complete carelessness.
His golden hair shone under the sunlight, and his dragon tail swayed slowly, almost as if it were keeping the rhythm of the training below.
Unlike him, there was nothing relaxed beneath that branch.
Agnitus stood in front of Kairou with his arms crossed and his gaze firm.
His posture was straight, unbreakable, like a statue that never yields.
In front of him, Kairou carried on his shoulders an improvised wooden structure from which stones hung, tied with thick ropes.
They were not few.
Nor were they light.
Kairou's legs trembled.
His arms were tense, muscles defined by extreme effort.
Sweat ran down his forehead, slid along his neck, and soaked his clothes. Each breath was deep, forced, almost painful.
The exercise was too heavy, so much so that it seemed his muscles were about to burst from the extreme exhaustion his body could no longer hide.
His knees bent for barely a second.
Agnitus noticed.
—You can rest, Kairou. We will continue tomorrow.
Agnitus's voice was not cruel. It was not mocking. It was serious, direct. As he spoke, he took a small white towel and calmly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Kairou looked up, surprised.
He had not expected to hear that.
—Agnitus, I think… my body is about to burst —he said with difficulty, trying to maintain his posture— For some time now you have been adding heavier and heavier stones. I do not think I can keep going like this, sir.
His voice was not an empty complaint. It was honest. His arms burned, his back ached, his hands were marked by the constant friction of wood and rope.
Agnitus took a step forward.
—No… never say that you cannot continue.
His eyes locked onto Kairou's.
—You must give it your all, even when your body wants to surrender. You must keep going, no matter what. Do you not want to become stronger, or do you wish to remain just as weak?
The words were not an insult. They were a provocation.
Kairou felt something inside him tighten. It was not wounded pride. It was something deeper.
He lowered his gaze to the ground.
For a second, the weight on his shoulders seemed to double.
He remembered his failures. He remembered every time he was not enough. Every time he arrived too late. Every time someone had to protect him.
—You are right, Agnitus… I do not have to give up yet. Not yet.
He adjusted his posture.
His legs stopped trembling so much.
Agnitus, hearing those words spoken with more firmness than before, allowed a small smile to appear on his face.
—Good.
Then he uncrossed his arms.
—Well then, it is time for a lesson about abilities. Sit on the grass… I think you know what these are, or am I mistaken, Kairou?
Kairou carefully released the stones. They fell to the ground with a dull thud. His shoulders dropped as if the weight of the world had finally been removed. He let himself fall onto the grass, still panting.
—Abilities? —he asked, trying to recover his breath— Well, they are abilities that only heroes or the sins like you have, right?
Agnitus immediately shook his head.
—No. You are extremely mistaken, Kairou…
He remained thoughtful for a moment.
—Let us see how I can explain it… Mmm… How about you explain it, Aurum, since you are up there?
Up on the branch, Aurum slowly opened one eye.
Then the other.
He let out a long, dramatic sigh.
—Ahh… do I really have to explain abilities to your apprentice, Agnitus? —he muttered, barely turning his head—. What will you give me in return?
Agnitus did not even look up.
—I do not know. How about a high-quality wine for you to drink tonight?
The silence lasted barely a second.
—Fine —Aurum replied almost immediately, lazily sitting up— In the end, I am bored. I should have gone with Kael. Things must be far more entertaining. There should even be beautiful women in the elven kingdom.
Kairou looked at him, confused.
Agnitus sighed.
—Stop babbling so much, get down from there, and explain abilities, Aurum.
—All right, all right…
With an agile and elegant movement, Aurum let himself fall from the branch and landed softly in front of them. His presence was relaxed, yet there was something about him that commanded respect effortlessly.
He stretched his arms, cracked his neck slightly, then looked directly at Kairou.
—Well, listen carefully, apprentice. I will not explain this again, so pay attention.
His tone shifted slightly. Still carefree, but no longer lazy.
He sighed for a few seconds before beginning.
—Look, abilities are not only possessed by heroes or by us, the sins, nor even by the Demon King. Everyone has abilities.
Kairou frowned.
—Everyone?
—Everyone —Aurum repeated—. A long time ago, this world was a world without magic. A world completely different and strange compared to how we know it now. People lived, worked, fought… but magic did not exist.
The wind moved the leaves above their heads.
—Until… a man, whose origin was unknown, changed that.
Agnitus remained silent. He did not interrupt.
—No one ever knew his real name. Some called him a savior. Others called him a disaster. But the truth is that from the day he appeared, the world began to change.
Kairou listened without blinking.
—The air grew denser. The earth more fertile. The sky… deeper. And every being born from that day onward was born with magic.
Aurum raised a hand and placed it over his own chest.
—The heart of those newborns no longer served only as a pump that made blood circulate through the body. It also caused magic to flow and move through the veins. The heart became the magical core of every living being.
Kairou lowered his gaze to his own chest.
He could feel the beats.
Was his magic… there?
—And thanks to that —Aurum continued— there are three types of abilities. From the birth of each being, a certain amount is given. Some people develop one. Others, more than one. But everyone has at least one.
Kairou immediately raised his head.
Aurum extended one finger.
—Type one abilities are those that increase strength, speed, or any aspect that influences only the body. They are simple. Direct. Perfect for physical combat.
He extended a second finger.
—Type two abilities are stronger than type one. They are of the summoning and power-enhancement type. They summon a weapon or something that aids their bearer. Swords, spears, beasts, armor… If you see someone with an ability like that, be very careful. They are extremely strong.
His gaze grew more serious.
He extended a third finger.
—But someone with a type three ability… that is another story.
The atmosphere seemed to grow heavier.
—They can alter or, at times, modify everything around them.
Kairou swallowed.
—The most common thing is that people who activate one of these abilities drag their enemies into the World of Souls.
The name lingered in the air.
—A different place. Isolated. Where a near-death confrontation will take place. If you are dragged there, there are only two ways to get out.
Aurum lowered his hand.
—You either fight with a similar ability until the other person's ability becomes unstable and the place shatters… or those trapped within that ability die until only one remains standing.
The forest seemed to fall silent after those words.
Kairou felt a chill run down his spine.
After finishing, Aurum remained completely silent.
Kairou did not know what to say.
He did not know what to think.
If everyone had an ability… then he…
He slowly lifted his gaze.
—Then… can I have an ability?
Aurum smiled faintly.
—Yes, exactly. Everyone is born with an ability. Or the heroes who were summoned to this world. The moment they touch this world, they are also granted an ability by the rules of this place.
There was no doubt in his voice.
No mockery.
It was a fact.
For a second, Kairou simply remained still.
Then something changed in his expression.
His eyes shone.
The fatigue seemed to vanish.
A smile appeared slowly… and then spread completely.
Upon hearing Aurum's words, Kairou became completely happy, laughing from ear to ear at the thought that he could become much stronger.