Haldir, Elrohir, and Aerin were looking at a table in Haldir’s study. It displayed a map of the entire Elven Empire. The elves were marking places on the map after discussing something.

An attendant of the mansion knocked on the door to the study and spoke, “Master, Lord Neige has arrived and awaits your presence.” Immersed in the discussion, Haldir couldn’t hear the announcement. After a while, the attendant came back again to announce Lord Neige’s arrival. But he was shoed away and reprimanded by Haldir for disturbing him. The attendant returned to Lord Neige’s side and spoke awkwardly, “Lord Neige, Master seems to be busy at the moment. Maybe you could come back at a later time?” Lord Neige, the elf who was just blessed with a granddaughter and had come to share the good news with Haldir, felt annoyed by this.

Ignoring the pleas of the attendant, he began storming to the study. The attendant tried his best and cast various spells to halt Lord Neige's advance. Unfortunately for him, the difference in their power was huge, as Lord Neige, irritated by his pesky spells, subdued him easily and hauled him upon his shoulder. The helpless attendant swayed like a burlap sack over Lord Neige’s shoulder and couldn’t move a muscle.

Lord Neige reached the study in an instant and threw open the door. The elves inside were all startled. Haldir recognized Lord Neige. Looking at the poor attendant slung over his shoulder, Haldir chided him, “Old Hag! Release the poor kid. I know you’ve been bored lately, but bullying youngsters? You should be ashamed of yourself!” Laughing, Lord Neige released the attendant, who hurriedly bowed to Haldir and left the study. He spoke, “Well! If you had just met with me, it wouldn’t have been so dramatic now, would it?”

Finally recognizing Lord Neige, both Elrohir and Aerin greeted him, “Hello Uncle Hagan! It’s been a long time since we saw you! Not since the feast, Eh?” Hagan laughingly replied, “Yeah! I haven’t seen you guys since the feast. After the feast came to a close, I went on a journey to find a worthy successor for my Unique Spell. Unfortunately, it proved difficult to find a youngster who was compatible with it. I just returned to my home today.” Remembering why he had arrived here, he continued excitedly, “Old Hal! I’m a grandfather now!! Imagine my surprise when I came home and got to know that my daughter-in-law was in labor! I have a granddaughter now! Hahahaha!” Witnessing the gleeful Hagan, all of them smiled happily and congratulated him.

All of them congratulating him stoked Hagan’s ego as he started bragging, “This old man’s granddaughter is no ordinary one. She’s a reincarnated Soul!” All the elves present were stunned by the revelation. Hagan, savoring their stunned expressions, continued, “Before you all question the credibility of this Old Man, I’ve got absolute proof of it. The Mark of Reincarnation spoken in the legends is present on my granddaughter’s right hand! It is iron-clad proof that she is a reincarnated soul. She can even be called the most unique person of this era!”

Haldir and the group took a while to come back to their senses. Seeing Hagan looking down upon him smugly, Haldir cleared his throat and seemingly innocently questioned him, “Does your daughter remember her previous life?” Hagan answered speechlessly, “Of course not! It’s impossible for a reincarnated soul to remember its previous life! That’s why the legends don’t even mention it! What rubbish are you spouting?” Grinning foolishly, Haldir revealed, “Sorry to burst your bubble, but my grandson is also a reincarnated soul. In addition, he remembers his previous life. So, your granddaughter might not be the only unique person in this era!”

Hagan went through a lot of emotions: disbelief that it was possible to retain memories of previous life, shock at the revelation that Haldir had a grandson, joy for Haldir, speechless at the way Haldir revelation that his grandson was also a reincarnated soul, and many more. Haldir, witnessing these changing expressions of Hagan, felt content and satisfied. Even after a while, Hagan was in a stupor as he unsuccessfully tried to make coherent sentences. Witnessing this, even Elrohir and Aerin joined in on finding satisfaction in it. Aerin even slyly pulled out an artifact used for recording video and audio, a transparent Orb, and started recording Hagan’s breakdown.

After a long while, Hagan came to his senses and yelled at Haldir, “What the fuck’s wrong with you!? Is that a way to drop the bomb that all of a sudden you now have a grandson?!” After calming down a bit, he continued, “Well, it’s a given that I wouldn’t be privy to that sort of information since I was away, but for fuck’s sake, Hal! There’s a proper way to tell that sort of an announcement! And it’s not springing it up in a conversation!” Haldir chuckled as he replied, “Well, it was worth it since you lost your smug face, and as a bonus, shut you up! Hahaha!” He continued, “And don’t worry! It’s not like I didn’t want to tell you that I had a grandson. He was born today! We named him Aldon! You came over here before I could go to your place to share the news! It seems that both your granddaughter and my grandson share a birthday!” Speechless, Hagan sighed, giving up on reasoning with Haldir. Hagan curiously asked Haldir, “How’d you come to know that your grandson was reincarnated? Did he also possess a Mark of Reincarnation? And how’d you come to know that he had memories of his previous life?”

Haldir started narrating what had happened. His face began darkening the further he spoke about his grandson’s previous memories. When he finished explaining all the events, even Elrohir and Aerin’s faces had darkened. After taking a while to comprehend the story, Hagan left out a sigh filled with sorrow as he felt sad for Aldon. He then understood why Haldir had gone on a rampage before.

While he was feeling sorry for Aldon, his sight fell on the expanse map of the Elven Empire with markings on it. He realized something from the markings and became horrified by the realization. With a slightly trembling voice, he questioned the group, “Don’t tell me... Are you guys out of your fucking minds!? What you’re thinking of doing is blasphemous and almost considered treason to the Crown! You’re considering this merely to avenge Aldon’s previous life’s death?”

Elrohir growled as he spoke angrily, “‘Merely’? What kind of a father would sit around quietly when he knows the injustice suffered by his offspring. Be it in this life or the previous life. My son will always be my son. Are you really suggesting I cross my hands and do nothing? You haven't witnessed the pain present in my son’s eyes when he was narrating his previous life’s memories, but we have! What kind of a father would I be if I don’t even try to ease the pain present in my son’s heart? What kind of a family would we be if we don’t even try to bring justice to him?” Both Haldir and Aerin nodded vehemently.

Yet, Hagan tried to convince the group against taking any action, “Time heals everything. Aldon will also eventually overcome his pain in Time. You just have to wait patiently...” Haldir cut short Hagan’s sentence, “Wouldn’t you be doing the same thing as us if you were in our situation?” Hagan promptly shut up as he knew all too well that he would also take the same course of action. He sighed in defeat and spoke, “Fine. Though I don’t agree with your course of action, I’ll keep quiet about this. But don’t misunderstand me, I won’t help you in any way regarding this. You are all treading on a very dangerous path. Be careful, or you’ll bring your entire Throm family to ruins.” Haldir laughed and patted Hagan on his back, “Of course! We never did intend to involve you in this mess! You're my Sworn Brother! Why the hell would I push my family’s problems onto you!” Hagan chuckled and retorted, “Well, you still owe this Sworn Brother a drink! How about we go get that drink now?” Haldir chuckled wryly as he replied, “Not today, Old Hag. Maybe next time.” Haldir sweated inside as he remembered how bad of a drunk Hagan was.

Hagan, remembering something, spoke seriously with Haldir, “You do remember the Blood Oath we made in the feast, right?” Blood Oath was the highest form of an Oath you could make in Elven traditions. According to Elven traditions, it involved drawing a drop of blood from each participating member and taking an oath under the World Tree’s name. Invoking the World Tree’s name was paramount to putting your life on the line. Hence, the Blood Oath was very bounding and would never be broken willingly by any elf. But conveniently, the Blood Oath could be broken if all the parties involved wholeheartedly agree to forgo the Oath.

Haldir sweated as he remembered the Blood Oath. Elrohir and Aerin looked on puzzledly at Haldir as they didn’t know what Blood Oath he had made. Haldir cleared his throat as he replied weakly, “Come on, Old Hag! That was done when were piss drunk. Why don’t we forget the whole Oath!” Grinning slyly, Hagan replied, “Nah! If anything, the information I’ve learned about Aldon today sure paints him in a good light. Therefore, no way am I going to break the Blood Oath!” Realizing that Haldir’s Blood Oath involved Aldon, both Elrohir and Aerin looked straight at Haldir, wanting him to spill the beans. Haldir spoke awkwardly, “Well... I may have agreed... to betroth my grandchild with Hagans’ if they were of the opposite sex...”

Flabbergasted by the revelation, Elrohir and Aerin stared at Haldir judgingly. Not able to endure the judging stares, Haldir tried to reason, “It’s not my fault. I was drunk!” Elrohir and Aerin became speechless and embarrassed by their old man’s thick skin.

Chuckling, Hagan bid his farewell, “Well then, I’ll be leaving now. I don’t want to embarrass Old Hal anymore.” Elrohir interrupted him, “Before you leave, at least tell us the name of your granddaughter! Don’t you think we should at least know the name of the girl who is now, apparently betrothed to Aldon?” Elrohir glared at Haldir while speaking to Hagan. Hagan laughed and replied, “My granddaughter’s name is Sylph. Don’t worry, I won’t force anything between them. They’re just betrothed. When they grow up, they can decide for themselves whether to continue or break off the engagement.” Hagan exited the household cheerfully after bidding his farewell.

Though slightly taken aback, Elrohir and Aerin felt joyous regarding the betrothal. But, they still started lecturing Haldir on his drunken antics the moment Hagan exited the premises.

***

Time flew by as Aldon started growing up. He learned the Elven language only a few days after his birth. While in other families, the parents would tell stories to keep their kids entertained, the situation in the Throm family was quite the opposite. Aldon shared his stories of adventures with the family as they listened to them with great interest.

***

Haldir started Aldon’s Magic Training when he reached the age of five. He brought Aldon to the training grounds of the mansion and spoke, “Now, Aldon, I know that you have trained in Magic in your previous life, but just hear me out for a minute. You’ve shared your stories with us, and they have made some things clear for me. The Human Race’s grasp on Magic is very shallow. Hence, though you had trained to a high level, it was all superficial. Now listen to me carefully when I explain certain things.” Aldon was astonished by his grandfather’s claim that the power he held in his previous life was merely superficial. Though he was taken aback, he believed his grandfather’s words as he had witnessed the frightening strength possessed by him. He listened curiously and attentively at Haldir.

Satisfied by the diligence shown by Aldon, Haldir continued, “As you already know, training in Magic primarily involves cultivating the mystical Energy known as ‘Mana’. The cultivation of Mana and the Mastery of controlling the Mana leads to gaining proficiency in it. The greater your proficiency, the more advanced spells you can cast. Like you already know, proficiency is measured by the Realm system. The spells, accordingly, have also been classified the same way. That is, Realm 1 Magic Spells are those spells that can be cast by Realm 1 Mages. This much, you had already known. But Humans have classified the Realms numerically, with no deeper meaning behind them. Though we also classify the Realms in the same way, we have a deeper reason and significance than convenience, as to why we classify them. Now observe this.” Haldir pulled out a note and presented it to Aldon.

“

Realm 1: Realm of Practice

Realm 2: Realm of Advancement

Realm 3: Realm of Application

*Hurdle of Awareness*

Realm 4: Realm of Awareness

Realm 5: Realm of Self Actualization

Realm 6: Realm of Conflict

*Hurdle of Realization*

Realm 7: Realm of Comprehension

Realm 8: Realm of Law Creation

Realm 9: Realm of Sovereigns

*??? Hurdle* (Unknown Hurdle)

Realm 10: Realm of the Gods

”

Haldir explained the note, “Every three Realms have a Hurdle. It’s not a physical hurdle, but a Hurdle that tests your proficiency of knowledge in Magic. If you have comprehended the necessary things, you can successfully cross the Hurdle easily. But, if you can’t cross the Hurdle successfully, you can’t progress to the next Realm. You also cannot skip the Hurdles. I’ll let you in on a secret, Hurdles are not present just to impede your progress, it is there to actually help you cross the necessary threshold.” He continued, “The First Realm is where you observe the Flow of Mana and learn the basics of Magic. In the First Realm, you can only cast basic spells like Illuminate and Fireball. You progress to the Second Realm when you learn the properties of Mana and gain proper control over it. To progress to the Third Realm, you have to master your control over Mana and should be able to vary its properties fluidly. In the Third Realm, you will learn the proper spells which are useful in a conflict or a battle. That’s why the Third Realm is called the Realm of Application. To progress to the Fourth Realm, you have to successfully overcome the Hurdle of Awareness.”

Aldon questioned, unclear about the Hurdles, “What do I have to do to overcome them? I’ve never encountered this in my previous life.” Haldir answered, “I was coming to that matter. The basic goal of overcoming a Hurdle is simple. For overcoming the Hurdle of Awareness, you have to invent or realize a way to cast spells without using the Mana surrounding you. The Human Race has unknowingly developed a way to cross this Hurdle, the Grimoires. The Grimoires the Human Race use are Artifacts that store Mana and cast spells. Though this way of overcoming the Hurdle is not wrong, it’s the most improper way you could overcome it. The Hurdle of Awareness pushes you to find a path to be independent of the Mana surrounding you to cast spells.” He mischievously asked Aldon, “What way do you think is most suitable to overcome this Hurdle?” Aldon pondered over it seriously and answered, “The most feasible way would be to produce your own Mana. But, I thought that it was impossible to produce Mana artificially?!”

Scratching his chin, Haldir replied, “What you said is correct. It is impossible to produce Mana artificially. Then what do you think is the nest feasible option?” Aldon pondered over it again and replied in confusion, “The only other way I find feasible is storing Mana and using it to cast spells. Grimoires work on this principle. But, you said that it was the most incorrect path. I don’t understand.” Laughing, Haldir replied proudly, “Good! You’re absolutely correct!” Aldon became even more confused.

Haldir explained, “The principle is correct. But instead of storing Mana in an artifact that can be stolen by enemies or lost due to carelessness, why not just store Mana in your body itself!” Aldon argued, “But, it’s impossible! I’ve never heard of people able to do that!”

Haldir laughed as he exerted his Magical Prowess. The entire training grounds became overwhelmed by the light green aura emanated from him. His veins throbbed as his body shone with a light green luster. He exclaimed, “Do you still think that after witnessing this?”

Dumbfounded, Aldon replied, “Impossible... How are you doing it?” Smiling mischievously, Haldir answered, “I’ll give you a hint: The more tempered a vessel is, the more quantity and quality of something it can contain.” Aldon understood the hint quickly as he replied amazedly, “So you mean to say that you tempered your body to an extent where you can contain that much Mana inside it? What a monster!!” Haldir laughed as he withdrew his aura, “You praise this Old Man too much!” He continued with a twinkle in his eyes, “I’ve given you a clue. It’s left to you to interpret it however you want and break through the Hurdle of Awareness by your own means.”

After digesting the new information, Aldon asked curiously, “I’ve understood the aim of the Hurdle of Awareness. What’s the aim of the Hurdle of Realization? And what is that Unknown Hurdle?”

Haldir sighed as he answered Aldon’s questions, “If I knew the aim of the Hurdle of Realization, I would have broken through it myself! As for the Unknown Hurdle, no one knows what type of Hurdle it is or whether it truly exists. The information that we have comes from a distant, gone by era. Till now, no one has ever reached the Realm of Sovereigns, let alone come across the Unknown Hurdle.” Aldon was awestruck by the vast expanse of Magic’s limits.

Haldir interrupted his thought process with a question, “You do know about the Elemental Affinities of individuals, right?” Eager to impress his grandfather with his knowledge, Aldon answered, “Of course! There are Nine Affinities in total: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Healing, Necromancy, Worldly and Godly. Wordly and Godly affinities are slightly different than the others. One who has Wordly affinity can cast spells of every affinity except Necromancy. One who has Godly affinity can cast spells of all the affinities. You can distinguish the different affinities by the color of the individual’s aura while using Magic. The colors associated with the affinities are respectively: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Violet, Colourless, Black, White, and Grey. Taking you as an example, since your aura color is light green, I’d say your Elemental affinities are Wind and Healing. An individual having dual or more than two affinities is a very rare occurrence.”

Haldir praised his grandchild, “Excellent! Your knowledge of Elemental affinities is on point!” He asked curiously, “What was your Elemental affinity in your previous life?” Aldon replied smugly, “Godly affinity! I was the only human in history to have that particular affinity!”

Haldir cleared his throat as he spoke, “We elves have had a few of individuals with Godly affinity in our history. Even so, it still is the rarest affinity found in an individual.” Worrying about something, Haldir pulled out a small stone tablet from his pocket and asked Aldon to place his hand on it. The moment Aldon placed his hand on the tablet, it began emitting a grey smoke. Sighing, Haldir returned the tablet to his pocket and spoke, “Your Elemental affinity is still the Godly affinity in this life too.”

Seeing the slightly worried look on Haldir’s face, Aldon spoke, “Godly affinity is the rarest and most useful affinity of all! It’s a reason to be joyous; why are you worried about it?” Haldir sighed as he replied, “Perhaps the Humans don’t know this, but having the Godly affinity is not as convenient as they think. We’ve had around ten elves with Godly affinity in our history, but only one among them was able to surpass the average individual and distinguish himself. The reason for the lack of fame of any other Godly affinity individuals was the inability to master even one Elemental affinity. They had good proficiency in all of the affinities but couldn’t master any one of them. The vast repository of spells, contrary to expectations, held them back from progressing forward in the path of Magic.” Thinking deeply upon this revelation, Aldon spoke after a while, “I have to tread carefully then.”

Not wanting the little kid to think deeply about it now, Haldir spoke encouragingly, “Yes. But, if you succeed in conquering the weakness, you will be unstoppable! And I’m absolutely certain that you will be able to succeed. After all, you’re this Old Man’s grandson!”

Haldir raised Aldon and spun him around while laughing wholeheartedly. Though slightly embarrassed by it, Aldon smiled radiantly as he was content and happy with his new family.