A small chuckle escaped Asselin's mouth observing the shocked expression on the silver headed baby's face. "Oh my, did I startle you, little Ely?" Her words were like honey that could calm even the most eruptive volcano. But it seemed that her words fell on deaf ears, as the silver-haired baby shrank even further beneath his blanket. He trembled so intensely that one could mistake him for being lost in a white dessert. He was deeply shaken. It was his first time witnessing magic, but its pleasantness was ruined when he realized it was dark magic. In his former life as Mark, such notions were alien to him. The concept of witchcraft, often brushed off as stories concocted for privileged children, held little weight in his life. Such Luxuries were far removed from his everyday reality. His main preoccupation centered around the modest desire for a peaceful night's sleep. Now, seeing what he had always considered mere spooky tales come to life, and to top it off, witnessing his Nana
With the misunderstanding now cleared... Truth be told some damages had been done. First things first, Asselin was indeed a witch... or rather, a mage, magician? I guess that sounds more proper and less spooky. And this world houses these beings—magicians, they are the cornerstone, pillars and the most exalted beings on this world. 'Of course, there is a hierarchy. Where there is power, there is a ladder. Someone has to be at the top, overseeing everyone and everything.' And don't even ask me why I have her as a caretaker. but my Nana happens to be one of them. But here's the craziest part, I, too, have the potential to become a mage. As she proclaimed, I was supposedly some sort of chosen one, someone rare. Thanks to her teachings—though I still can't figure out why she bothered explaining all this to me—I've come to learn that everyone in this world can use magic. Magic is a common thing here, but don't be mistaken—it's still considered a rare and wondrous kind of miracle.
Months flew by, and the hungrily awaited day finally arrived for the little one. It had felt like an eternity, but now he was finally placed on the ground, his tiny feet touching the floor as he took his first tentative steps. He was relieved to graduate from his pastel-blue blanket that had cradled him for six months. It wasn't that he disliked the blanket. It may have been a bit early for a baby to walk, but he couldn't contain his impatience anymore. He just had this feeling that he could do it. Asselin, as his caretaker, wasn't against the idea either. Watching the little one try and struggle to get out of the swaddling blanket he was wrapped in convinced her to accept this decision. She had seen her fair share of babies, and while most couldn't even crawl at this age, it didn't seem outrageous, especially for someone as experienced as her. She entertained the idea without much thought, until the little sunshine started taking those first tentative steps, bypassing the c
Sensing the shift in his demeanor, Asselin calmly asked, "Would you like to open your presents now?" Her composure mirrored her understanding of Yon's temperament, neither surprised nor disappointed by his reaction. It had long been an intriguing observation that Yon, since the day his mother passed, had been slightly off, but after meeting his siblings he was awfully silent and... lost. Even at the tender age of one, when most babies would throw tantrums out of nowhere, especially at night, seemingly to purposefully rob their families of a good night's sleep and peace... ...these miseries! "Eek!" The one-year-old toddler, with twinkling eyes and rosy cheeks, squealed in surprise. Clutching the parchment he had just swiped from the ground, he looked around, realizing he had been caught red-handed by his nana. The look on his face was priceless, as if he had been caught stealing candy. His sudden reaction seemed to have given him away as his caretaker approached him. "My,
Tapping inside his reservoir, he drew out his magical energy amd poured into the jewel-like black crystals. "..." The lids were indeed too tight! There was no sign of them loosening, even though he was pouring his Magical energy into the box. Once again, Yon found himself stuck. Nothing seems to happen despite his efforts. Frustration and confusion mounted as he paused to contemplate his situation, searching for any overlooked detail. Suddenly, inspiration struck like lightning, and he could hardly contain his excitement. Without hesitation, he put his new solution into action, confident that this time he would be successful. With his small hands trembling slightly, the mischievous little rascal gently touched the four matte black jewel-like crystals positioned at each cardinal direction, readying himself to inject them with magical energy once again. However, this time, there was a noticeable difference. He wasn't tapping into his own reservoir. Instead, he was drawing fro
'Don't judge a book by its cover, Nana. Just because you happened to guess right doesn't mean you have the full picture,' he admonished, a gentle chiding in his tone. 'I know you don't have the best impression of him, but to think that even you would be blinded by such petty judgements.' Taking a deep, steadying breath, he reached out to grasp the mysterious book. 'I'm not excited, just curious.' He insisted, though the light in his eyes told a different story. He held the book gingerly in his hands, examining its external appearance. On the surface, it seemed unremarkable - a plain yellow cover, devoid of any title or markings. 'Don't judge. The surface is but a surface. Besides... what an interesting choice of color. Let's take a look at it.' Shaking off the prickles of disappointment and unreasonable expectations, he carefully flipped open the cover, to catch a glimpse of what it might hold. Flip. Blank! The first page was completely empty, not a single word or illustratio
A young child with hair like spun silver and skin as flawless as porcelain lay peacefully slumbering on a plush bed, clad in an adorable baby blue romper adorned with shimmering silver patterns. Twitch-twitch. Twitch-twitch. Without warning, the little boy began to thrash and cry out. "Waaaaaaah!" Asselin was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Furrowing her brow, she swiftly scooped the child into her arms, gently rocking him back and forth. "Shhh, Little Ely, don't cry, don't cry. There, there. Nana's right here, Nana's here. Shhh, it's okay, it's okay." Gradually, the little boy's cries subsided. 'What the hell?!' Continuing to soothe him, Asselin murmured, "You worried me so much, little Ely. This is the first time you've cried this hard, and without any warning whatsoever. One moment, you were peacefully opening your gift, and now you start crying out of the blue?" She held the child at eye level, a scolding tone in her voice. "You're becoming quite the naughty one, lit
"... Wake up, sleepyhead." 'No, I don't want to! Uhm, I don't want to go to school...uhmmm...so cozy...I don't want to...' "I guess you're not feeling hungry, eh?" Sighing loudly she added, "And to think I cooked all those delicious meals. A pity... a real pity. I guess I have no choice but to give these away and bring you some porridge..." ?! The mention of the loathsome thing, immediately woke him up with a scowl. 'No! No porridge... anything but that! Huh?' Looking at his surroundings with droopy eyes, the little boy drifted back to sleep. 'Oh, it's just a nightmare... by the damned gods! For a moment, I thought...' "Ah. So you were awake, little El. I was just about to leave. I thought you wouldn't want my cooking anymore and would prefer the cook's good ol' porridge. Well it can't be helped, I'll let the cook know." Yon was confused... when did his Nana start playing dangerous games like this. 'Did I do something to upset her... No, no. I'm sure I was on my best behavio