Strangely enough, Valar knew that he was dreaming. The village in front of him did not look real, most of the wooden houses blurry and the background a smooth grey.

  The one building that was not blurry was a small red wooden building. The roof was thatched, showing that the house was not expensive.

  In the house, there were three people. One was a younger him—he was sure of it—and one was a man with a blurry face. He seemed somewhat familiar, but Valar didn’t recognize him. The third person in the room, a dark haired woman with a big smile and kind features, Valar did recognize. He only saw that face in his dreams… It was his mother’s.

  Valar let out an internal sigh as he looked at the family, laughing and eating their fare. They all sat around a table, the parents, his parents, helping the young child with his food.

  Most of the house was blurry, but the kitchen table and his bed were crystal clear in Valar’s memory. The table was where the family had gathered, and the bed was where his mother had read him bedtime stories.

  Valar wanted to like the dream. It started like this every time—happy and peaceful—but the dream wasn’t over. What started as a happy dream would always end as a nightmare…

  His family’s evening continued as normal until it was bedtime. His mother read young Valar his bedtime story—the one story he always liked the most.

  The story’s name was I wish upon a star, a story that the young child loved immensely. For some reason, the story had resonated with him on a deep level, the boy wanting to hear it almost daily.

  As the young boy’s mother left his small bedroom, closing the door as she left. The boy immediately rushed to the window, looking at the night sky in wonder, and the dreaming Valar felt tears start flowing from his eyes. He knew what was going to happen next, but did not want to see it. As always, he wasn't given a choice…

  A bright light lit up the sky. It was not a shooting star, nor was it the rising sun. Even after countless times seeing this exact dream, he was astonished by its brilliance. The kaleidoscopic wonder that was the pinnacle of light magic.

  After this, the dream became choppy. Flashes of light, burning buildings and screams of people filled the dream. The last thing Valar saw before the dream ended was the man of light gazing at the burning village, still as the stars themselves.

  Valar slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurring from the flowing tears. The dream had been bad and full of mysteries that he would probably never find the answers to.

  Awake, everything just hurt like abyss. That was better.

  Eyes still blurry, Valar tried focusing on what he felt instead. The first thing he noticed was the pain in his soul. The wound was still there, but the pain had lessened marginally. That’s nice at least. It still hurts, but not that badly.

  The rest of this body felt stiff and hurt, but there were no particular areas of pain. His hand—the one that had visited the panther’s mouth—hurt a bit more than everything else, but the difference was negligible. The panther… Where am I?

  Everything from the previous day crashed down on Valar’s mind. His escape, both fights, wounded soul and apparent awakening hit him like a wagon.

  Valar blinked away the gunk from his eyes. He started looking around frantically, trying to figure out where he had been sleeping.

  The room was made of stone, molded by earth mages and painted white. The floor was grey to separate it from the walls, since a fully white room would have been difficult to look at.

  The room was filled with magical artifacts and magical books littered the walls. If his memory served him right, he had been in a similar room once before.

  He had visited in the East Lyndale infirmary once before when he had first complained about the pains to the head matron. She had not allowed a second visit…

  “Good morning Valar,” A calm and refined voice filled the room, prompting Valar to turn his head in its direction. “You seem to have had quite an adventure.”

  There was a man sitting on a chair near the door. He was a lithe man with long silver hair falling over his shoulders. The hair was as straight as hair could be, adding to the clean and eloquent feel the man gave.

  “Who... are you?” Valar asked in confusion. "You don't look like a healer. What's happening?"

  The man smiled at his questions, raising his hand slowly to calm Valar. He was dressed in simple and clean clothes, his shirt white and pants grey. A grey robe was hanging off the coat rack, most likely owned by the man. His stature was relaxed, his legs crossed and a book in hand. The title of the book was in cursive so Valar couldn’t read it—only having the most basic reading skills.

  “A keen observation, young man. My name is Viktor, and I lead a caravan that travelled here from the capital some days ago. I was asked to come help with your healing.”

  Viktor put the book away, leaving a gold colored bookmark on where he had stopped his reading. He focused his gaze on Valar and grinned.

  “You were in a terrible state, you know? The team that brought you here to the infirmary saved your life,” Viktor let out a sigh. “Was the orphanage that bad? To risk your life like that?”

  Valar froze. How did he figure it out? Is there a warrant for me? I… I don’t want to go back!

  “I’m not going back there—even if you force me!” Valar’s voice was trembling, panicked.

  “And why in the abyss would I do that?”

  Valar felt like the world was still, only the last sentence mattering in any way.

  “I escaped… The guards have forced me back every time. Why wouldn’t I be forced back this time too?” he hated asking the question, but he wanted to be sure that the man wouldn’t send him back there.

  A playful note entered the man’s voice. “Valar, could you tell me what the name of the orphanage is?”

  Valar was confused. He had been captured and returned to the orphanage each time he had attempted to escape, but this man was talking about the orphanage’s name?

  “It’s the Lyndale orphanage for unawakened...” Valar’s jaw dropped.

  “I’m not sure if I should be the one doing this, but let me give you my sincere congratulations,” Viktor’s expression shifted into a genuine smile. “Congratulations on your awakening Valar. You are an iron rank life mage, and thus an adult under Leorian law.”

  Valar was so shocked that he stayed frozen for a good while after Viktor’s congratulations. I… don’t need to go back there. I’m free.

  The tears that had stopped flowing after Valar woke up resurfaced. He buried his face in his hands and wept. The emotional weight of being bound to the orphanage was gone, and Valar’s shoulders felt light. As a feeling, it was almost as good as seeing the forest when he had escaped.

  No. I think this might actually feel better.

  Valar had carried a massive amount of emotional weight for the past years, thinking that he could die any day and receiving no help. The punishments and isolation added to that weight, creating the weight of a mountain to carry.

  This man, completely unknown to Valar, had come and thrown that mountain off Valar’s shoulders with a single question. He didn’t interrupt Valar’s moment either, patiently sitting on the chair, reading his book.

  Valar didn’t truly know who the man was, but he didn’t particularly care. I’m out!

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  Valar breathed slowly, centering himself for the umpteenth time in the last couple days. He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. I need to use the opportunity. This man seems knowledgeable and has been nothing but kind to me. Questions… I need to ask questions!

  “How long have I been here at the infirmary?” He started with an easy question, probing the older mage for a reaction.

  Viktor put his bookmark back to the book, quite a bit further into the book than the last time. He uncrossed his legs and moved his focus on Valar.

  “You were brought to the infirmary early yesterday morning. The treatment itself took almost the whole day. Then you slept for around 12 hours. Now, it’s noon,” Viktor answered. “Before you ask, you are completely healed by all the metrics we have available, save the scarring. That we can’t change, sorry.”

  “No, I'm not. My soul is still wounded,” Valar answered without thinking.

  Silence fell over the room. When Valar looked up, Viktor was looking at him with clear confusion on his face. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that… He seems trustworthy though, so how bad can it be?

  “Say that again?”

  “My soul... is wounded,” he bit his lip, trying to think over if he should divulge any additional details. Leaning to the side of childish naivete, he did. "The wound spews fire when I draw on it, but it hurts. I used it to kill the beasts..."

  Viktor rubbed his face, his calm expression broken. He looked like he was thinking furiously, his eyes flicking between his fingers.

  “That would explain the internal burns. Souls shouldn’t be able to be harmed though… Would a diamond ranker? No…” The man muttered to himself, seemingly having forgotten Valar even existed.

  “I can show you the fire. It hurts, but I think I can control it enough to show just a tiny bit,” Valar suggested. He had already gone as far as to tell the man about it, so why not show it too?

  The man’s eyes snapped up, their silver glint almost entirely overpowering their natural emerald color.

  “Absolutely not. All experimentation is to be done after you have recovered completely and your magic has set in. Pain is a sign of damage, and you don’t need more of either,” Viktor’s voice was steel, not to be disobeyed. “Additionally, you will not speak of this fire or your soul to anyone else, understood?”

  Valar felt like snapping back, annoyed by the man’s ordering. He wasn’t even old, bordering on thirty at most.

  Viktor’s eyes turned completely silver, shaking Valar out of his petulant thoughts.

  “Even the fact that you told me this information without knowing me well is extremely worrying. Souls are not meant to be injured. They are supposed to be invincible,” The man spoke slowly, articulating every word carefully. “If you would have told this to most people, you would be forcibly experimented on or handed to the church—possibly an even worse fate.”

  Valar shivered, Viktor’s tone and presence commanding his attention. He’s actually serious. I would be experimented on?

  “Having a wounded soul is that rare? Rare enough for someone to... take me?”

  “You misunderstand. There are no wounded souls. Souls quite literally cannot be harmed.”

  “I have one right here,” Valar pointed to his chest, thumping it for good measure.

  “And that’s the issue. I have no reason to disbelieve you, and the burns in your body support your claim. The burn scars originating from your center and spreading throughout your body match your declaration, no matter how unreasonable it sounds. That makes this a completely new situation.”

  The man seemed to think for a while before he started speaking.

  “Did you have any plans for after your escape?”

  Valar shook his head, a bit embarrassed to admit that he hadn’t planned anything after.

  “Well then, would you like to come to the royal academy with me?” Viktor asked his question with a bright smile, Valar’s jaw dropping to the floor for a second time in the discussion.

  Viktor mistook Valar’s shock for reluctance, moving to reassure the boy.

  “Of course I would sponsor you, providing an allowance for necessities and leisure during your time in the academy. I just want to research your… condition with you.”

  Is he... serious?

  Valar just started laughing, unable to believe what he was hearing. Viktor looked on with confusion, not understanding what was so funny.

  “Viktor, I’ve lived in an orphanage practically my whole life, locked to a house with a woman I hated with my whole heart,” Valar explained with a slight tremble in his voice. “You are offering me a sponsorship to the most prestigious academy of the country and an allowance on top of it. Of course I’m on board, although I’d like to discuss the details in further detail soon.”

  Viktor just looked at him: “That easy? No questioning on ulterior motives or dangers?”

  “Well of course I want to know about stuff like that later, but I’m being offered a sponsorship at a mage school right now!”

  Viktor just rubbed his face and shook his head, muttering something about naive children. He collected himself and started speaking once more.

  “We’ll have to get you in the academy with only your life affinity—congratulations on a rare affinity by the way—but that shouldn’t be hard considering your age. How old are you? Fifteen, maybe even fourteen?”

  “According to the orphanage, I’m thirteen and a half,” Valar scratched his neck in embarrassment. “Usually people think I’m younger because of my small size though.”

  “Well that’s surprising too, to say the least. I assumed you were older because those ages would be more reasonable times to awaken,” Viktor’s speech started getting faster as he got excited. “The normal age for awakening ranges between sixteen and eighteen, most people awakening at seventeen. A younger awakened has a head start on others because they can start adventuring when they are younger, providing they don’t die from the process of awakening. We’re lucky you had the life affinity, as that mana helped your body heal faster.”

  The man continued speaking, Valar trying to interrupt unsuccessfully.

  “You having the life affinity is kind of annoying though, since the faculty teaches only healing magic to iron rank life affinity mages. I’ll have to get you combat instruction somehow in addition to fire magic runes…”

  Valar saw his chance and interrupted the man’s ramblings.

  “The fire magic works without runes though. I just draw it out and… boom,” Valar moved his hands when he spoke, trying to mimic an explosion.

  Viktor seemed surprised, but not terribly so. He muttered to himself for a little while and continued speaking.

  “That’s weird but not unheard of. Beasts and abstract mages use their magical powers without runes too, so your situation might be similar. That’s something for later experimentation though. And that happens only when you have healed completely and you are at the academy—if you still want to go.”

  “I’d rather come with you than starve somewhere,” Valar chuckled mirthlessly. “I would have probably just joined the adventurer’s guild if you didn’t offer another option. Wait, could I have even joined it without schooling?”

  Viktor nodded thoughtfully and rose from his chair. He pointed at Valar and grinned.

  “Probably not... Anyway, it's time to get up. Let’s go buy you clothes and inform everyone that needs informing.”

  “Everyone that needs informing? Who do you mean?” Valar dreaded the answer, because he knew at least one person that he needed to talk to.

  “First, we start with the guards. You are still technically 'wanted', as I suggested that you were kept off record. I wanted to be the first to talk to you,” Viktor grinned.

  A flash of panic crossed Valar's face, but he calmed himself with the thought of freedom. “I guess we could go talk to them, since the guards are usually nice enough, even if they dragged me back a couple of times,” he was ready to end the discussion right there, not wanting to hear of the next stop. Please be just the guards, please be just the guards…

  “Then we need to visit the orphanage,” Viktor added, his expression quite a bit more sour.

  Valar looked down, balling his fists. He didn’t want to go back there, even for a moment.

  “Do we really? I.. don’t want to see that woman again,” Valar’s voice was trembling despite trying to keep calm.

  Viktor sighed and walked in front of Valar. He looked down at the boy’s eyes, his own back to their natural emerald green.

  “I helped heal you Valar. I’ve seen your scars—even the ones on your back,” His voice was serious. “I’ve got no doubt that you despise that woman, but we need to cut that place off from your life. I don’t want you to have regrets, and so we will visit them.”

  “It just feels like losing. I promised myself I would never go there again…” Valar said, his voice weak.

  Viktor crouched down to Valar’s eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “I will not let her get you,” His voice was like steel. “Your protection is guaranteed, and I swear that on my life.”

  Viktor pulled something out of a pocket in his robe and placed it in Valar’s hand. Valar had seen the icon on the badge before.

  It’s an adventurer’s guild badge, that’s for sure. But that means…

  The ranks awakened were divided into were iron, bronze, silver and gold. Valar had been taught that gold and even silver rankers were rare, possibly only five to ten golds and thirty silvers residing in each city excluding the capital. The badge Viktor had given him wasn’t any of those colors though…

  The lesson had included two more: Onyx and diamond. Onyx rankers were national resources capable of defeating entire armies by themselves. Nations reportedly had very few of them and guarded details about them religiously.

  Diamond rankers… They were more myth than actual fact according to the head matron’s teachings. There were rumors that the king was one, but they were just that. Rumors.

  Valar looked up from the badge and handed it to Viktor, his mind made up. If this man swore by his life that Valar was safe, he would be so. No questions asked.

  After all, even the domineering head matron of the orphanage was an ant compared to an onyx ranker.