Several days have passed.

The night sky rose above the clouds and gifted me their shroud.

"Lightning Bolt!"

Sparks crackle and fizzle to life as a single stream of heated energy leaves my palm, striking a rock. The loud bang of impact cracks the stone in half. Residual smoke burns off the effect, mirroring the smoke of my hand.

"Tsk... That's the best I can do, huh?" I say with a hint of disapproval.

Every night, I have been traveling deep into the forest by our manor and testing my awakened magic. The only spell I can cast is the basic lightning bolt. They say that the first spell you cast is the element you are most attuned to. Over the last few days, my research revealed that the first spell is also what Demon King you are directly related to in the bloodline. Of course, Shino was fire, but the Demon King who created lightning magic was the Lord of storms, Raiden. Not much was said about his upbringing, just that when he rose to be the next Demon King, he shattered a mountain with a single bolt of lightning from the sky. I researched further and found that he developed the lightning attribute just before his fall. Record holders claimed that with his final breath, he produced a bolt of lightning so powerful, so intense, that it became a streak of crimson. But with great power, there is always a cost. After unleashing such devastating magic, the Crimson Flash, many called it, caused his own body to turn to ash from the blowback of magic within his body. And thus was the final day of Raiden, the Lord of storms.

Magic is a curse. Not only is it taboo by the church but also by the continent's religion. It eats away at the caster. The incredible power that decedents acquire will only backfire upon use. The main reason why I have been testing my limits and abilities is to see how far I can go until the damage becomes severe enough to worry.

So far, I can cast only Lightning Bolt, but it was strong enough to blast stone in just a few days. The numbing feeling in my hand has only improved with each test until tonight. I was prepared to go further beyond. Beyond the limit I set, beyond my capacity...

"Lightning Bolt!" I poured every ounce of energy within me to summon another bolt. My current record was three strong bolts; after that, my entire arm was numb and stiff. Tonight was going to be four.

Sparks crackled and collected in the palm of my hand—a bright blue flash, then the sudden force of air breaking, shattering the sound around me. The violent stream of heated energy blasts outward, hitting the same stone as before. The impact slices through the stone and causes it to shatter and explode.

Kaboom!

"G...Grahh!" I yelled in pain. Drops of crimson ran down the length of my hand. Breathing heavily, a wound had opened in my hand; no, something inside my hand combusted and exited from the location. Blood splattered the ground, and I could feel faint from the blood loss. Panic set in as I tried to stop the bleeding desperately. Cries of pain escaped my lips as I began to regret my decision to push myself.

Rustle Snap

I perk up to the sound of twigs and leaves being stepped on. I quickly stood up, concealing my wounded hand to look at the intruder.

"Who's there!?" I shout directly at the location of the sounds.

Standing there, I observed as closely as possible; the moonlight was shaded by the trees overhead, and the darkness swallowed the outline of the person hiding behind a bush. They rustle and approach me cautiously. Instinctively, I reach for my dagger attached to my hip and begin to draw it from its sheath. However, the blade rests back into the sheath as familiar long slanted ears that hold back strands of amber hair. The sparkling green, emerald eyes stare at me, both afraid and worried. Tia stops in front of me and lets a few words escape her lips.

"Are you- Are you bleeding...?"

*

The young elf was up one night when she couldn't sleep in a strange bed, ceiling, and atmosphere. Unable to sleep, she got from her bed and opened the window in her room to gaze at the stars. The nature of the world always seemed to calm her to relax. She took in the fresh air and rested her head on her arms.

"Can I stand staying here for a month? I want to go home. I want to see everyone." She sniffed back her tears and tried to keep her face from crying. Just about returning to bed, she catches a strange figure walking on the grounds.

It was the young boy she met earlier, the son of the lord, Caleb. Her father filled her in on the boy and said that he didn't have a mother to take care of him, the same as her. She still didn't fully understand what happened in his head, but she saw him during the day as he was forced to attend the hall with her father for the upcoming party.

However, tonight was different. The calm and collected boy she was cautious about was sneaking out of his home and going into the forest where wild animals and creatures may lurk. Curiosity overtook her intrigue, and she quickly followed Caleb into the forest. She kept her distance so she could sneak behind without much worry. Elves' ability to see in the dark without much issue made maintaining a line of sight on him easy. 

Following him for what seemed like an hour, he would stop at some point and take a quick look around before agreeing to stay put. She watched him take a look around his surroundings before rolling up his sleeve to his elbow. The boy with silver hair concentrated hard. Tia didn't know what to think about Caleb; she thought maybe he was just being weird.

She didn't expect to see a flash of light burst from his hand and a loud sound of an impact hitting a tree, causing the bark to explode and causing it to topple over. The boy didn't realize that would happen, so he quickly panicked and stepped away. Tia watched as the boy was scared of what he caused before taking a deep breath to relax. 

Tia was intrigued even more by this young boy. She knew about their proposed marriage but didn't feel much about it. Even for her age, she was still mentally the same age as Caleb. So, for the next few nights, she would stay up to follow and observe Caleb at a distance as he practiced his magic in secret. Noticing every time he would use his power, he would recoil and rub the hand that fired the blast.

Every night, she would try to get closer to get a good look at the boy. He seemed so different than the first time she saw him. Her initial thoughts kept telling her that he wasn't that interesting. He seemed plain and did not care about anything around him. A slight feeling of spite welled in her that she would know this boy for a long time, and she didn't want to in the slightest. However, that night, this night she didn't feel that way.

The determination, the desire, the passion, the fire that burned behind those light blue eyes filled her heart with a sense of wonder and excitement. Who was he? Why does everyone ignore him? Why is he so alone? Thoughts of this degree floated through her mind. She didn't know how to approach Caleb; being timid and shy forced her to keep a distance. Every waking second, she couldn't stop thinking about Caleb; the blue flash from his hand plagued her dreams, and the face of a person wanting to prove something held her still.

Happily, she followed him one night. Determined to get closer to see him, maybe build the courage to speak to him. Sitting behind a bush, barely away from Caleb, she watched in anticipation of witnessing the beauty of the light from his hand, the presence of his stature, the hidden side of a boy she once thought nothing of. He did his daily routine of firing his three bolts into a single rock, each blast chipping away at it.

Thinking it was over, she stood up and called out his name. She hoped to grab his attention, but she was suddenly startled when a fourth crackling sound of thunder struck the rock, blowing it in pieces.

Eyes wide, she watches as the boy slips to his knees, holding his bleeding hand—the grunts and cries of pain ring within her ears. Taken aback, she loses her balance and stumbles backward, stepping roughly on twigs and leaves, making a racket of noise. Gasping upon her mistake, she quickly crouches once again. Caleb had taken notice of her presence and promptly went on guard. Knowing she was spotted, she didn't know if she wanted to hide or run away.

No.

She told herself no. Regardless that this wasn't how she wanted to approach him, she couldn't help but notice the pain he was experiencing, hiding the bleeding hand behind his back. Determined to move, she shot up from the bush and slowly approached the boy. Holding her hands to her chest, she slowly walked toward him. He reached for his dagger and attempted to draw the blade but quickly hesitated. She stepped into the dim moonlight; her eyes sparkled in the night...

*

"Are you-Are you bleeding?" Tia asks.

Blinking momentarily, I attempt to step forward to answer her, but the feeling in my legs gives out, and I tumble to the grass. Confused about the sudden spill, a dizzying feeling washes over me, and breathing becomes difficult.

"Caleb!"

I raised my head. This was the first time she called my name. I looked at her kneeling in front of me. Her eyes looked past my soul. She had this aura around her that I couldn't shake what it was. Taking matters into her own hands, she quickly took mine.

"Stay still. I am only a beginner, but you'll at least feel better." She held my bloodied hand with gentle care.

There was a warm sensation flowing through me as the pain quickly subsided, and I watched a yellowish-green light envelop my entire hand.

Ahh, yes, healing magic. The only magic Demon Kings didn't pass down was of the holy light of God. Divine magic is the only form of magic, to my knowledge, that is widely accepted in all the continents and Kingdoms. Holy magic is cast for protection, recovery, and curing.

Her magic is basic, but I can tell she has a giant well within her body. She pours as much as she can into my hand, slowly returning to standard color. The numbing sensation lingers, but proper movement returns to my entire arm.

"Thank... You." I say quietly.

"Thank goodness it worked..." She replies with a sigh.

I stand up and look at her for a moment. She tries her best to look into my eyes, but her timid behavior restrains her gaze. Breaking the ice, I speak up, "Did you follow me?"

"Huh? Oh! I did, but I..." She trails off as she doesn't know how to answer.

"Don't worry about it. I was careless with sneaking out. I need to get better at doing that." I wave my hand and turn away from her.

"Why did you hurt yourself?"

Her words fill my ears. I take a deep breath and turn to her. "You must push yourself beyond the limits to get stronger at something. However, I didn't think this would happen." I gesture my bruised hand. "I don't know anymore. I intend to find out what I can do with this."

Other than my intelligence, magic was now the other skill I had. I resented picking up a sword and training, doing anything combat-related like my siblings did. Magic was stained on me. So, it became something that intrigued me that night. In the end, I learned a lot this night.

I learned that magic was more powerful than I could imagine. The power output of a nine-year-old boy is enough to kill a fully armored man with a single blast of my spell. I learned that the blowback of magic is more devastating than I wanted to know firsthand. Finally, I realized that your magic abilities don't improve by firing it off in the middle of the night. Training is pushing your limits of magic, creating that gateway to it, and expanding it as much as possible before it shuts down. My last shot was the strongest one I have produced.

Oh, I also learned one last thing. Tia is a very kind girl.