My name is Loki.
I am but a child in a group of wanderers. While others can only think of how to survive another day, I gaze at the vast sky with unwavering conviction and say: "I will be the hero who stops this chaos."
However, a child's idealism is often crushed by cruel reality.
A few days ago, our group was ambushed. A man stood defiantly in the middle of the road, his hands blazing with fire. He demanded our water and food supplies by force. Elder Denn, our leader and protector, firmly refused. To hand over our supplies was nothing short of mass suicide.
Fueled by rage, the sorcerer attacked. Flailing flames surrounded us, turning the street into a suffocating little hell. Elder Denn fought with everything he had, but age and exhaustion pushed him into a corner. Finally, a decisive kick struck his head, slamming him to the ground.
Trembling and weeping behind the ruins, I could no longer stay silent. Torn between terror and the refusal to lose everything, I ran out, charging through the flames. Instinctively, I touched the searing tongues of fire—and a miracle occurred. The fire did not burn me; instead, it was absorbed into my body, as if I were a vessel thirsty for magic.
I struck back with the very fire I had stolen. The sorcerer was stunned, but his experience far outweighed mine.
He turned to me with a look of utter disgust. As he hurled a massive fireball toward me, my body froze. I was too paralyzed by fear to move.
Suddenly, Elder Denn leaped in front of me to protect me.
JEZZZT!
His back was severely burned. He collapsed, losing consciousness. The sorcerer stepped toward me with a demonic grin, kicking the Elder's body out of his way.
"Why... why are you so cruel?" I sobbed, my voice trembling through the tears.
"Cruel?" He burst into laughter, a sound as harsh as grinding metal.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS WORLD!"
He bellowed those words, then lowered his voice as he began to choke me. "Let me tell you something, boy. Here, the strong are the rulers, and the weak are but prey."
He continued to throttle me until I gasped for air, then slowly carved into my left arm with a knife. The pain surged through every nerve... until everything turned black.
I woke up inside a dimly lit tent. My head throbbed violently, as if a piece of my memory had just been forcibly ripped away
"Loki? Thank goodness you're awake!"
Liana, my sister and a fellow member of our group, approached me with a face etched in anxiety.
"What happened? My head... it hurts so much," I muttered, clutching my throbbing temples.
Liana took a long, deep breath, trying to steady herself. "The group managed to drive that sorcerer away, Loki. It's okay now. We're safe... for the time being."
She looked at me with an unreadable expression. "When we struck back, the sorcerer suddenly seemed dazed. He lost his focus and couldn't use his magic at all. He looked utterly confused before he finally fled after we all ganged up on him."
My sister explained it in simple terms for a child my age. Yet, despite her words, I felt as though something had been ripped from my memory. I touched my bandaged left arm, lost in thought about what had truly transpired.
The next day, I finally managed to crawl out of bed. My body still ached with every step. I stepped out of the tent, yawning, and spotted someone roasting fish over a campfire. I approached and sat across from him.
His name was Allen, a swordsman and magic user who served as my mentor in daggers and swords. In my eyes, he was a truly kind man.
Allen gave me a gentle smile. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm much better," I replied through another yawn. I glanced around. "Is Elder Denn still asleep? And where did my sister go?"
Allen handed me one of his roasted fish. "The old man is lazing around in his tent. As for your sister, she's off fishing over there."
Following Allen's lead, I ran toward the riverbank where Liana sat. "Sister! How many fish did you catch?!" I shouted as I approached.
Peering into the wooden bucket beside her, I bit back a laugh. "You're terrible! There's nothing in here!"
I teased her mercilessly. Fed up, Liana suddenly pinched my left arm. I yelped in pain, "Ow! Stop it, Sis! Mercy!"
With a satisfied smirk, she retorted, "Here's your 'fish'! How does it taste?"
After she let go, I called her cruel, but she just shrugged, saying I was the one who started it. Eventually, she smiled and patted my head before packing up her gear to lead me back to camp.
Once we returned, Allen asked, "How many did you get, Liana?"
Liana stood there in stony silence. I leaned toward Allen and whispered, "She caught absolutely nothing."
Allen and I burst into laughter, mocking her lack of skill. Liana, visibly annoyed, balled her right fist playfully. "You two want to die? Is that it?!"
In the midst of that laughter, I looked at them one by one. Allen, Liana, and Elder Denn who was still snoring in his tent. They were my entire world. this was the last time I would see them smile without a burden.
We sat and shared stories until the evening sun began to dip. Elder Denn finally emerged from his tent. Seeing him, Allen called out, "Old man, where are you off to this late in the day?"
Still half-asleep, Elder Denn grunted as he shuffled toward the river. "I'm going to wash my face. And save some fish for me to eat!"
He then informed us that the group would be moving out in a few days. We would stay put just long enough for everyone to be fit for a long journey.