CHAPTER 2 — The Day everything changes
The morning began the same as any other—quiet, cold, and deceptively ordinary. Dew clung to the grass like tiny shards of glass, glittering weakly under the pale sunlight that filtered through the crooked huts of Ravel Village.
Eyron woke before his siblings, as always.
He sat on the worn wooden floor, staring at the crude toys he had carved the night before—two small wooden animals for the twins. Their birthday was tomorrow. He didn't care about birthdays, but the twins… they adored him to the point of obsession. Their little hands always reached for him first; their first words were his name, not "Mama."
He smirked faintly.
They would like these.
But he needed one more thing: ribbons. Red ones. The twins loved red.
And that meant going to Ms. Karma's shop.
He stepped outside. The air was still. Birds perched silently, as if waiting for something to break.
It did.
He barely made it past the well when three boys blocked his path. A lanky one—Joren—grinned, showing crooked teeth.
"Well, well… little Eyron. Whatcha got there?"
Eyron didn't respond. He simply stared, eyes calm, empty, unreadable.
Joren snatched the toys from his hands. "These look nice. My brothers might like 'em."
Eyron tilted his head, voice flat.
"You have brothers?"
Joren puffed his chest. "Yeah."
"Pity," Eyron said. "A weak bloodline shouldn't continue."
The boys stiffened. Joren's face twisted.
"You little—!"
Another boy jabbed a finger at Eyron. "Help us steal buns from Ms. Karma, or we smash these!"
Eyron studied them with unsettling calm. Kids his age would panic. Cry. Beg.
He instead smiled a cold, tiny smile.
"Fine," he said. "I'll help you. Follow me."
The boys exchanged triumphant grins.
Eyron walked ahead, expression unreadable.
Ms. Karma's shop sat near the center of the village, its wooden structure old but sturdy, smelling of flour and herbs. As they approached, the bullies whispered excitedly. They thought they had him.
They didn't realize they had already stepped into a trap.
Eyron slowed his walk intentionally, counting the stalls along the street. People were out today. Perfect.
Inside the shop, the air smelled of fresh buns and ink. Shelves lined the walls. Ms. Karma stood behind the counter, writing down inventory.
Eyron glanced at her, then at the bullies, then subtly at the loose floorboard near the front shelf—the one villagers constantly complained about.
Perfect.
He stepped on it softly. It creaked.
He turned around abruptly.
"Now."
The boys rushed forward, expecting him to distract Ms. Karma for them.
Instead, Eyron deliberately shoved the nearest boy—not too hard, just enough.
The boy stumbled forward, tripped on the loose board, and slammed into the shelf. Baskets tumbled. Glass jars shattered. Another boy fell with him in the chaos. The last tried to run but tripped over the first two.
Three idiots collapsed in a heap.
Ms. Karma snapped her head up, furious. "YOU LITTLE THIEVES!"
The boys screamed.
Eyron stepped back, carefully untouched by the mess. He widened his eyes with perfect innocence.
"They tried to make me help them steal," he said softly. "I told them it was wrong…"
He let his voice tremble as though frightened.
"…but they threatened me."
People outside peeked in. A crowd began forming.
Whispers rose instantly—
"Those boys again?"
"Always causing trouble!"
"Poor Eyron…"
"His family is so polite. Shame their kids are bullied like this."
Reputation. Social leverage. Emotional manipulation.
Even at seven years old, Eyron understood humans frighteningly well.
The parents of the bullies stormed in minutes later, yelling at their kids—
"Why did you drag Eyron into this?!"
"Stealing? Have you lost your minds?!"
"Apologize to him right now!"
Eyron simply stared at the boys as they were dragged away, faces red with humiliation.
This was no childish victory. This was calculated.
A test.
And he passed.
At home His mother rushed to him, gathering him in her arms.
"Eyron! Are you hurt?"
His father clenched his jaw, staring after the bullies. "Did they force you again? This village… it's getting unsafe."
The twins clung to his legs, eyes wide and watery.
"Big brother… we're sorry… we should've gone with you…"
He patted their heads, voice calm.
"You didn't need to. I handled it."
Handled it.
He didn't brag. He didn't explain.
He simply stated the truth.
His siblings looked at him with awe and devotion deeper than before.
As if he were something untouchable.
Something above them.
That night, as he lay in bed, the air shifted again—softly this time, like a whisper brushing his ear.
A faint chime echoed in his mind.
DING.
Eyron froze.
Then words—bright, cold, and sharp—floated before his vision.
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[Skill Unlocked]
ANALYSE (LV.1)
Description:
See through intent, potential, emotional weight, and concealed truths. The eyes that dissect fate.
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He stared at the glowing text.
Slowly…
A smile curved his lips.
The day had changed indeed.
The world just didn't know it yet.