World of dreams and nightmares

Waking up from the dream, morning had arrived, and Alaric felt as though he had forgotten something, but he couldn't remember the contents of the dream. "What exactly did I just dream about?"

Alaric, confused and trying to recall the dream, could only remember one sentence: "They're waiting for you where it all began, and to ensure everything comes to an end" "They... Who are they?" Alaric muttered, still perplexed.

Suddenly, he heard a voice from outside his room.

"Alaric, dear, it's time for breakfast, wash your face and come eat," his mother called. Alaric, hearing his mother's voice, immediately rushed out of his room, putting his thoughts about the dream aside.

After breakfast, Alaric, noticing his father drinking a cup of coffee, became curious about the story of the knight in silver armor his father had told him the night before.

"Dad, what happened to the knight in your story last night? I didn't hear the end," Alaric asked, eager to hear more about the tale.

Gregory rubbed his head and didn't immediately answer Alaric's question. "I don't really remember. I heard the story from a poet in the city, but a story like that must certainly end happily, like many others," Gregory replied with a smile.

Alaric's mother, Isolde, sat beside them. "Why are you curious about knights, Alaric? Do you want to become one?" she asked gently.

Alaric paused for a moment before turning to his parents. "Can I become a knight, Dad? Mom?"

Gregory and Isolde exchanged glances for a moment before hugging Alaric. "Be whatever you want, my child, but promise us that you will use your strength for the right path, and if you gain power, you must help others. The stronger you become, the greater your responsibility," Gregory said, holding Alaric's hand.

Alaric grasped his parents' hands and made a vow to them.

Isolde then added, "But first, you should see what talents you have. When you go to the city with your father, go with him to the sacred temple. The priests there will examine your talents and give you a prophecy."

Hearing this, Alaric was filled with excitement about the upcoming journey.

A short while later, Alaric heard the voices of his friends from outside the house. "Alaric, come play with us!"

"Your friends are calling you, go ahead and join them," said Alaric's parents.

Alaric, happy, quickly ran to the door and hurried outside. "I'm going now," Alaric said as he left.

Inside, Isolde sat next to Gregory, looking thoughtful and worried.

Seeing his wife with such an expression, Gregory asked, "Is something wrong, dear?" he asked, curious.

Isolde held Gregory's hand and asked, "Do you think you and Alaric should go next week? There's been a lot of rumors lately about the appearance of heretics. Some say they come from the Church of Demons, and there's even word that the Inquisitors have been seen in the city."

Gregory, hearing his wife's worry, wrapped his arm around her and reassured her. "It's fine. We'll be okay. And if it's the Inquisitors, they must have already dealt with those heretics. They work quickly."

Isolde tried to calm herself but still felt uneasy. "But you remember, Alaric is different, he's special. When he was six years old, he awakened his Mana, even though people usually don't awaken it until they're fifteen. He doesn't remember it at all, and after that, I cast a spell from my clan to block the Mana around him, which is why he hasn't noticed it yet."

Hearing his wife's continued concern, Gregory tried to calm her again. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. I'll always be with him on the journey."

Isolde took comfort in her husband's words.

Meanwhile, outside, Alaric and his friends were playing on the meadow. As usual, they were playing a game of ball. However, when Alaric threw the ball too hard, it bounced into a nearby forest.

Feeling responsible for the mistake, Alaric quickly entered the forest to retrieve the ball.

After some time searching, Alaric finally found the ball stuck in a gap in a tree. After struggling to pull it out, he managed to get the ball. But just as he was about to head back, Alaric heard a voice deeper in the forest. "Help... help me."

Hearing the plea for help, Alaric felt he couldn't ignore it. He ran further into the forest, but before he realized it, he had entered a dense fog.

From within the fog, Alaric heard footsteps and an increasingly strong foul odor. "What is this smell?" Alaric, confused, looked around, trying to figure out where the footsteps were coming from.

Suddenly, from the fog, a figure appeared. It resembled a human corpse, missing several limbs, and with no eyeballs left.

Yet, Alaric didn't seem scared at all. On the contrary, he walked closer to the creature. "What are you?" Alaric asked flatly, staring fiercely at the creature.

Alaric showed no sign of fear whatsoever, even when facing the creature. He remained calm, and rather than being afraid, he was more intrigued by the being in front of him.

The creature paused for a moment before opening its mouth, accompanied by a bone-grinding sound. "Aren't you afraid of me, kid?" it asked in a raspy, deep voice.

"Why should I be afraid of you? You're not scary at all," Alaric replied.

Hearing Alaric's response, the creature laughed loudly. Its laugh, mixed with the sound of bone scraping, made it sound eerie.

After laughing, the creature drew closer to Alaric. "Humans like you are rare. I'll enjoy eating you and your soul, kid," it said before lunging at Alaric to attack.

However, the creature suddenly stopped and began to retreat slowly, as if it saw something that frightened it.

"Who... what are you? Why does a human child like you have a soul like that?" The creature asked, full of fear, backing away and refusing to come closer.