Dherma Village, 40 years ago

“Have you ever wondered what it’s like?” Kraisten asked from the top of the village bell tower. The place had been declared out of bounds ever since it had nearly crumbled in a storm three years ago. Unknown to most, Kraisten had used his awakening power to mend it months ago. Now it was only the outside that looked decrepit, on the inside the structure was as strong as granite.

“The cities?” Aspion shrugged. “Probably boring. What could they have there that we don’t?” He crossed his arms. “Besides, it’s not like we can get there.”

“Uncle Ferion went to join the count’s guard last harvest,” Kierra said. She was the only one of the group who wasn’t an awakened, though tagged along either way.

“Idiot,” Aspion smirked. “He was recruited. Big difference. Recruits don’t go there because they want to. And it’s not like he liked the place or anything.”

That much was a lie. While their uncle had been recruited, he had sent several letters back to the village, including a pouch of copper coins and high-grade lumber. The mere fact that he had enough to hire a travelling merchant to travel all the way to Dherma showed that being a guard paid well.

“I’m thinking of going there.” This wasn’t the first time Kraisten had said something of the sort. In the last several months, the only conversations the three had been having were about awakening, doing on trips outside the village, as well as the cities. This time, though, there was something different in his voice—anyone could tell that his mind had been made up.

“Right,” Aspion whispered.

He wasn’t like his friend. The son of the village scribe, it fell on him to take over from his father. Writing was considered a rare gift, almost as rare as awakening, so his fate was set since birth. Neither awakening, nor having a sister that was a better scribe than him was able to change the will of his father; in that aspect, the man was as unshakable as Kraisten’s father had been.

“If I find a way. Will you two come with me?” Kraisten asked.

“Sure,” Kierra said almost instantly. Aspion, however, hesitated.

They had all heard stories about the cities. Going there meant a new beginning—all ties with the village would be severed. As an awakened they would be looked after, with luck they might even reach a moderately high position. As an awakened forger, Kraisten would be snatched up by an artisans guild on the spot. Thanks to his two skills, Aspion could potentially find work as a guard. Kierra, though, had nothing. If she didn’t awaken, she would have to be left behind.

“Aspion?” Kraisten nudged. “It’s not like you to be humble.”

“And it’s not like you to be reckless.” The blonde snapped. “At least, it didn’t use to be. You’ve changed a lot since your awakening.”

“I suppose so.” Kraisten smiled. “You know how it is.Once you unlock the room there’s no turning back.”

“No turning back…”

Aspion’s awakening had been drastically different. For him, he had gone to the village awakening spot—as he had been doing every year on his birthday—then suddenly felt the power of the Seven Moons bloom inside of him. There was nothing spectacular about it. He had remained the same person he had always been, only this time his parents were much prouder of him… and also all sorts of relatives came asking favors.

In Kraisten’s case, the change had been dramatic. Always quiet in the past, he had suddenly become wild and reckless. In the first week alone, he had broken more rules than Aspion could think of. It had been fun—the tricks they’d played, the dares they’d gone through with, the secret trips to the awakening shrine. Lately, though, Kraisten’s obsession was becoming dangerous.

“Why do you want to go to the city so much? It’s not like it’s bad here. The way things are going, your father will step down in a few years. That will make you the village chief.”

Kierra laughed. Even with Kraisten’s awakening, it was difficult to visualize him as chief. It was an unimaginable thought, yet Aspion knew first-hand what the chief’s plans were. He had used his increased perception to listen in on a conversation between the chief and his father. Apparently, the old man had been bitten by Crippled-spawn and was already starting to show signs of the illness. In a few years he would barely be able to walk without help, after another five he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.

“It’s not a few years,” Kraisten whispered. “My father told me he’ll make the announcement on my birthday.”

Aspion and Kierra stared. That was far too soon.

“So, what are you going to do?” Aspion asked the question. “Run for it?”

“No. There’s another way. The question is will you join me.”

“Of course he will,” Kierra said before Aspion could reply. “You’re friends after all.”

“Sis…” Aspion wanted to tell her that she wasn’t included in the invitation, but couldn’t. He wasn’t certain if there was anything going between her and Kraisten—the two hadn’t been particularly close in the past, but lately he had started seeing things. Maybe it was all in his imagination, or maybe it wasn’t. “…don’t speak instead of me. I can give my own answer.”

“Well?”

“Of course we will.” Aspion sighed. “I didn’t want to be a scribe, anyway.”

“Good. In that case, level up as much as you can. I’ll need you at full strength by the end of the week. After that we’ll walk out of the village.” Kraisten smiled. “All of us.”

With that, the conversation ended. With a nod and a wave, Kraisten climbed down the tower, starting his way back to the village chief’s mansion. Kierra followed shortly after.

“You coming?” Kierra looked back as she started climbing down the belltower.

“Go ahead, I need to think about something.”

“Okay. See you home.”

Aspion closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the bracelet on his left arm had changed from bronze to copper. Anywhere this would have been seen as a great feat. However, he still couldn’t catch up to Kraisten.

What are you planning? Aspion wondered. Whatever it was, it had the blond worried.