Theo finished his training, and as he was returning home, passing through a village that feared him, leaning on a wooden sword that barely helped him walk, Theo was returning home.
He was happy that the training was over, and happy with his development, he felt that something had changed, something had shifted inside him.
As he passed through his village, he spotted Rayne from afar, he almost raised his hand to greet him first, but his mind quickly drifted to what had happened in training today. He only became aware when Rayne called out to him.
"Theo, Theo, have you fallen asleep while walking or what", Rayne was calling out while waving his hands in front of Theo's face trying to make him alert again.
Theo paid attention and lifted his face looking at Rayne while his eyes were looking with pity, Rayne didn't understand why Theo was looking at him like that, but he didn't care anyway. The day was beautiful, but the sky wasn't clear as usual, clouds were covering the sky while warning of the approach of winter again, they were threatening the village with rain while summer wasn't over, they were threatening the simple residents of that village that the coming winter would be worse than before, the wind was blowing and the air was no longer hot as usual.
Trees were scattered where he was standing, where the old grandfather who planted trees in that area lived, he was one of the few people who did not look at him with fear or worry, he had never shown him those feelings before. Theo tried to remember, but he only remembered one expression that came from him and it was 'shock', he didn't remember why either, but he stopped thinking and shook his head, then returned to Rayne.
"The weather will be cold today, won't it", Theo asked smiling a faint smile at Rayne.
"Oh, while we're on that topic, didn't Aunt Celia tell you something about the weather, the villagers are already waiting for me". Celia used to provide Rayne with information about the weather at such times, given that he was Theo's only friend, and the villagers always relied on her.
Theo looked at the sky again while feeling an ominous feeling, he didn't know where this feeling came from, but it was suffocating him as if someone was strangling him to death, Theo hated this very sudden feeling, and tried to remember anything that might indicate any reason for those feelings, trying to forget this feeling, he said to Rayne.
"It seems you've overcome your obstacle, Rayne, and are on the verge of reaching the third rank"
Rayne looked at him smiling and did not reply while he was thinking of a suitable answer, Rayne was infinitely close to the third rank. He had already taken the step, but he couldn't step on the ground in front to finish that incredibly small step, he kept thinking a lot about the reason and training endlessly and he always asked Kyle for extra training and a system to follow after finishing training to try to advance. Kyle had always sighed while trying to guide him indirectly, but no matter how much he helped, it remained difficult for a twelve-year-old child.
"It was really simple, but it seems I was blind", Rayne said looking at the sky too trying to pierce the clouds to see a part of the clear sky.
Rayne didn't succeed and lowered his head looking at Theo, and Theo lowered his head too looking at him while saying.
"Breaking through to the third rank will be incredibly painful, Rayne, and you'd better find something you can sit in and preferably fill it with water", Theo said remembering something that made his face grimace for a second before returning to normal.
"Alright, Rayne, I'll leave you here now", Theo said as he bid farewell to Rayne going home.
As soon as Theo arrived home, he found his mother Elena waiting for him at the door of the house, she always waited for her son at the same time, whether he was late or early, she always waited for him smiling only until she saw him, she would rush to help him walk until he sat on his bed, then she would sit beside him until she healed him.
Theo was sitting quietly feeling guilty that he was sitting doing nothing while his mother was doing everything, the longer it took, the heavier his guilt became. Elena looked at him while guessing what he was thinking.
"My son, don't think too much, you are still young for such thoughts, don't feel such guilt, Theo, just sleep and rest now", Elena said holding his head, then slowly moving it while placing his head on her lap, then she sat playing with his hair slowly and massaging his head.
"You know, my son, if I hadn't known I was pregnant with you, I might have fallen into despair, you were the one who made me live those happy days"
Elena said while looking at Theo with love. "I cannot be away from you for a moment without my heart being worried about you and I keep thinking about you, my wish is always that you are safe and sound"
Elena patted Theo's head a little, played with his hair a little, then massaged his head a little until he fell asleep in his mother's arms. And Theo wakes up after several hours, then gets up from his bed to go have lunch, then goes out to train under Celia's hand, sometimes she trains him on the fire element, and sometimes the darkness element.
"Now, Theo, can you tell me about the history of the five continents", Celia asked Theo as soon as he sat in front of her, with her eyes closed and meditating.
"Tens of thousands of years ago, the great continent was divided into 5 large continents, namely the continent of Alfheim for the elves, Jorundir for the dwarves, Therion for the beasts, Demonium for the demons, and Incelandia for humans. And battles always occurred between them, the oceans were filled with blood from the amount of killing, the rivers dried up from the number of corpses, famines occurred, and each race devoured their own kind from the intensity of hunger", Theo said while his breath quickened, then he took a breath before continuing. "Mages appeared as a beacon of hope among humans in this era called the Age of Chaos, they protected humans in the beginning until humans settled in a part of the Incelandia continent, where it was completely occupied by the other continents, until they expanded little by little until they regained the Incelandia continent for humans again, and even initiated attacks on the other continents, but they did not succeed in occupying any part no matter how hard they tried because each continent had a huge barrier preventing any other race from entering".
Theo had always felt awe of that history of the world, he was shocked every time he heard that story or read it or told it, and he thought that the world was now in a state of peace until Kyle threw more terrifying truths at him.
"The great mages did not give up in their attempt to take revenge on the races that occupied our continent until they came up with a plan to destroy the continent of Therion, which was the cause of the greatest harm to humans, and they invented a spell to turn themselves into beasts. The first time, a 9-ring mage turned into a beast and entered the continent successfully, then he self-destructed until they destroyed half of the continent and destroyed the barrier surrounding the continent".
Theo took a deep breath before continuing the last part of history. "All races descended upon the continent of Therion, destroying and stealing its resources until the beast race almost disappeared. And whoever appears from the beasts, they form a master and slave contract with humans forcibly, and endure endless suffering and humiliation".
Theo finished the story looking at Celia waiting for her response. The first time he heard this history, he was really terrified of it, even more than he was shocked by Kyle, but he quickly calmed down because this was history and it had already ended.
"Well, Theo, you remembered well, now you are ready to learn the last part of the story, the part you will never know unless you reach my level", Celia said while her eyes were still closed.
Theo looked at his aunt with anticipation, his heart pounding, she had started a year ago teaching him about history and the map of the continent and he had always paid attention to her.
"In fact, the five continents have merged into one continent called 'Arcanum' now, and that is all you need to know for now", Celia opened one eye looking at Theo who was surprised by such a statement. Even she was surprised when she reached 6 rings, and learned more about the world, and knew many truths that were previously hidden from her. In fact, she was able to access a little of that information when she was at 5 rings, but she did not believe it before.
"The continents did not disappear, they merged into one and we now call it 'Arcanum', and the barriers also did not disappear, they still exist even now but they have weakened so much that even a beginner 6-ring mage can enter them now without transformation or disguise."
Theo's shock increased and his heart pounded violently, and his breathing rate increased faster, this was information he would know as soon as he reached 6 rings and he was hearing it now, no mage would tell me that he would not be shocked by such information, some would even faint as soon as they heard such dangerous information, a mere leak of this information could lead to the annihilation of humanity due to their recklessness and greed.
Theo's heartbeats were accelerating like war drums pounding inside him, shock still controlling his features.
'Annihilation of humanity, is the world this dangerous, are humans this greedy'
The thoughts of chaos, death, and betrayal that Kyle had described in training returned to manifest before him in a much larger terrifying form.
He hadn't imagined that the world's dark history hadn't ended, but was just an introduction to a more dangerous future.
He looked at his aunt Celia, her calm face hiding immense knowledge and weight, knowledge that could destroy the world if it fell into the wrong hands.
'This is the secret you are talking about, the secret that only those who reach her level will know'
He felt a sudden and heavy responsibility fall on his young shoulders, knowledge like this cannot be carried easily.
Celia looked at the expressions on Theo's face, she saw the shock, the terror, and the sudden awareness of the weight of this truth. She sighed calmly, then continued in her composed voice that carried a tone of caution and sorrow.
"That is why, Theo, this truth remains a buried secret, known only to a very few great mages and seasoned fighters who have proven their wisdom and loyalty. It is not knowledge taught in academies or written in public books. It is passed down in whispered lips between those who can be trusted absolutely. The leak of this information to the public, or to those who possess power without wisdom, can unleash widespread chaos, new bloody conflicts between races, a crazy arms race, and perhaps a new war that spares no one".
'A new war', the words shocked Theo deeply, just the wars of the five continents in history were enough to make him shiver, let alone a war that would encompass the whole world again. He felt a coldness running through his veins despite the warmth of the place.
"But, why are you telling me now, I am just a beginner mage". The question came out in a low voice, reflecting the confusion he felt.
Celia smiled a very faint smile, barely visible on her lips, her wise eyes looked directly at him.
"Because you are no longer just a beginner mage, Theo. Your power is growing faster than you imagine, and the dark side of your magic, and your unique ability to use fire and darkness together, indicates enormous potential that may be related to the nature of this new 'Arcanum' world. In addition, your strong will that I saw in training, your ability to endure pain and harsh truth, these qualities make you a person who can be trusted to carry a part of this secret, you need to understand the true nature of the world you will face if you leave".
Celia saw Theo's surprise at her watching him while he hadn't felt her, then she continued.
"Yes, Theo, I saw you in training and you have indeed exceeded my expectations, and I know that you thought about how humans are so greedy, but don't you notice that you are also greedy for power and feel disappointed after every training", Celia said smiling at Theo who seemed to understand something.
'This, this is it?' Theo was surprised as he noticed the mistake he had made, then he smiled awkwardly.
"Hehe, sorry", Theo said smiling and scratching his head.
"It's alright, Theo, everyone makes the same mistake you are making, distinguishing our true motives is not always easy, especially when it comes to power. The desire to protect those we love is a noble motive, but it can easily turn into a desire for power for the sake of power itself, and that is the trap many fall into".
She nodded her head slowly, her gaze returning to being serious. "But now, let's return to the more dangerous matter, Theo. The fact of the continents' merging and the weakening of the barriers is a very dangerous secret, as I said. Knowing that 'Arcanum' has become a reality and that races can mix again is not just historical information, it is fuel that can ignite a war the world has not seen the likes of in thousands of years".
Her voice became quieter, but its tone carried an immense weight. "The history of the five continents that you memorized by heart is a history of brutal conflict, of greed, of attempts at domination and annihilation. The grudges did not disappear simply by the separation of the continents. The blood that was shed in the oceans and rivers did not completely dry up in the memory of the other races. The annihilation of the continent of Therion is still a scar in the history of the beasts, and their treatment as slaves to this day increases the bitterness. The elves in Alfheim, the dwarves in Jorundir, and the demons in Demonium, all of them remember what happened, and all of them possess the power and the desire for revenge or domination if the opportunity arises".
Theo finally connected Kyle's harsh words about battles with Celia's words about the history of the races. "Why didn't the barriers disappear completely if they weakened", he asked, trying to understand the technical details of this enormous geographical and magical change.
"No one knows the complete reason", replied Celia, this question seemed to still puzzle her as well. "And this is not something you need to know now. This weakening is what makes crossing them possible now for those who possess sufficient magical power, like a mage at my rank or even someone who has just formed their sixth ring".
She sighed again, looking at her old book beside her. "That is why, knowing this truth is power in itself, but it is also a huge responsibility. Imagine if merchants, adventurers, pirates, or even rulers of kingdoms knew that they could cross the alleged barriers, how would they act, greed would drive many to try to explore, exploit, and perhaps occupy other lands in search of wealth or power, and this would awaken old grudges and ignite wars again".
'The world is this complex and dangerous', Theo thought, he felt the burden increasing on his thin shoulders. "Who knows this secret then", he asked.
"A very few number", Celia confirmed in a low voice. "On the human level, perhaps only the great mages in the very high ranks, and some military or political leaders who have proven their absolute loyalty to the continent. Kyle knows because he went through training in a special place. I know it because I have reached a certain level of power and knowledge. This secret is protected by all our lives. Anyone who tries to reveal it or exploit it for anything other than the good of everyone is considered a traitor and may face a very harsh punishment".
Celia saw the hesitation on Theo's face, she smiled a sad smile this time. "I know this seems very scary, and that leaving the village, family, and friends is a very difficult decision for a child your age. Elena..", then Celia stopped and did not continue.
But immediately Theo replied. "I don't care about the village, Auntie, only Rayne I might care about a little, and you and my teacher are who I care about, as for the rest, I don't care about it at all and never did".
His face was decisive and indifferent. And as soon as Celia saw his face, her eyes filled with pity for this child who had not lived his childhood.
"When you grow up a little, Theo, perhaps after a year or more, and have formed your second ring, and reached a fourth-rank fighter, I will accompany you somewhere", Celia said thinking. 'I won't let you go to this place alone', as if she had made her decision and would never go back on it.
Theo was surprised that he would go somewhere, he felt anxious as it was the first time he would leave his small village where he was born.
Theo, her only nephew, whom she had raised as if he were her son, she had taught him, raised him, and protected him, she would never tolerate anything happening to him, she might even erupt if he was harmed.
She had always watched Theo's training with Kyle fearing that something might go wrong by mistake, she was preparing to kill Kyle if he had even a hint of bad intention towards Theo.