Six months ago.
~
“Theeerrrroooooooon, come with us!”
A little girl pulled on Theron’s arm. She was barely a day over ten years old, but her little hands had surprising strength. A pair of large blue eyes adorned her face along with a button nose and vibrant pink lips that looked like they belonged on a doll.
Quite used to his little sister’s antics, Theron continued to rock in his chair comfortably. The calming pitter-patter of rain rebounded against the window.
This was his favorite spot in the whole house, and it was only made better when it was raining. Though he was a Water Mancer, he preferred to be on the inside. He felt that rainfall should be observed, not experienced. There was nothing fun about getting his neat robes ruined.
Little Bobo was the opposite. Rain scared her, especially when it was storming. But she’d also be the first to stomp her way into the nearest puddle.
“Alright, don’t disturb your brother anymore, Little Bobo. You know the Imperial Exams are coming up soon.”
A woman who didn’t look a day over twenty stepped into the room. Her hair was done up in delicate braids, and if it wasn’t for fear of blasphemy, most might call her Empress on instinct when they first saw her.
The affinities of Mancers were hereditary, but nothing was perfect. While his family had been born as Ice Mancers, Theron had been born a Water Mancer.
This wasn’t a big deal to a layman, but the gap between the two was exceptional. Ice Mancers were existences feared no less than Lightning Mancers or the rare Light and Dark Mancers. Water Mancers, however, were lacking in combat power and were mostly auxiliary supports in battle.
Theron had never really minded any of this. He didn’t like to fight. He much preferred to stay home and read. Becoming a scholar was his dream. He thought it was much easier to change the world with words and reason as opposed to a large fist.
Soon, he would become an Imperial Scholar—the first step toward entering the Emperor’s Imperial Court and rising to the status of Prime Minister. When he wielded that power, he would be able to change the world for the better.
Little Bobo pouted, stubbornly climbing into her brother’s lap and lying down. A triumphant smile spread across her little face. How would he read now?
A deep laugh came from the side. A solid man who had been stoking the flames of their fireplace stood to his feet. He walked over and picked his daughter up, saving his son from the little demon.
Their father was no less handsome than their mother was beautiful. His only flaw was the scruffy, slightly greying mustache he sported over his top lip—a feature that garnered no shortage of ridicule from his little girl.
“Bleh! Bleh! Bleh! Too itchy!” Little Bobo dodged a kiss, scrambling across her father’s body like a spry monkey and claiming a new spot on his back.
Theron looked up with a smile. Watching his family’s antics and listening to the dance of the rain across the window, he felt true peace.
The thoughts that consumed him were far too mature for his age. What thirteen-year-old would be so clear-headed to enjoy such a moment? Maybe if he were sixty years older it would have made more sense.
~
That was when the image warped. Time lost its meaning, and Theron found himself rushing through the fields. He had already fallen once, his pristine robes covered in blotches of mud.
How had this happened? Why had this happened?
The festival had taken place on a rainy day, but to a town filled with Water Mancers, this might as well have been a plus.
Everything was perfect, so why was this happening?
Peals of lightning stretched across the skies like a net, particularly large bolts weaving in and out almost like dragons bobbing through the heavens.
The pang in his heart grew worse and worse. He couldn’t hear the screams over the raging thunder, but he could feel their deaths.
His senses had always been amplified in the rain. Maybe of everyone present, he was the first to realize that something was wrong.
But there was still nothing he could do to change it.
Haggard breaths came from his lips, his lungs threatening to tear themselves apart. His throat felt as though a flaming devil was clawing its way up from the pit of his stomach, and his heart hurt so much he almost lost sensation.
Finally, he made it over the hill, and what he saw was a scene he would never forget.
A man wearing fluttering golden robes stood high in the skies. Bolts of lightning fell one after another, most aimed toward him, but a few stray sparks made their way through.
The citizens of their town couldn’t withstand even these small wisps. Just being in proximity to them claimed their lives.
Theron could see his family below. His father shielded Little Bobo and his mother behind him. His little sister had her eyes closed tight, her small arms wrapped around his neck.
“NO!”
He felt the bolt before it even descended, and the man in the sky’s reaction was even clearer.
Standing in those fluttering golden robes, the man casually waved a palm and blocked only a portion of it. He could have blocked it all—Theron was certain. He could feel it.
Theron’s family was burnt to ash in a single strike. He felt his father’s final struggle, but it was all for naught.
Who could stand against Heaven’s fury?
His gaze went white with grief and rage.
Why his family? Why this town? Why here? Who would do this?
The words he heard next were forever etched into his soul.