Tecnomagic Engineer

That night was much harder than any other. At first, I was afraid to go back to sleep and be haunted by the same nightmares as before. However, since no one controls sleep, I ended up falling asleep a few hours later. After all, I was still a baby at that time — a baby who already spoke, walked relatively well, solved calculations that were extremely complicated for the time, read fluently, and had an unimaginable mentality for a child my age. Thinking back, all of that was really very strange and, at the very least, frightening for my parents.

Days passed, and soon I had finished the geography book of the kingdom with the same speed as the previous math book. Even though the geography of that region was different and featured new elements for me, such as the Kaerithar Magic Mines in the Zarkhûn Mountains to the north, or the dense Sylvarûn Forests to the west, among many other details, absorbing that knowledge seemed natural. It was as if new information flowed even more easily to me, especially when it involved magic.

After finishing the geography book and feeling my energy renewed, I decided to resume my attempts to expand my magical vein. The desire to make some progress was so great that I kept pushing myself, even knowing I might end up fainting from exhaustion. Maybe it was still too early to see results... No, I couldn't give up so easily.

- "Huff... Huff... Come on, Dravyn, just a little more... I know... I can do it!" I said to myself, pushing my limits in search of some progress.

But nothing seemed to work.

- "Damn... Huff... Huff... Will my magical vein never expand? My mother said some people just couldn't... Huff... Am I one of them?" I thought, increasingly disheartened by the possibility.

Despite the fatigue, I refused to accept failure as an answer:

- "Argh! No! Not yet. One more try..."

I kept pushing for hours, well past the time my mother usually put me to bed. However, the efforts had no effect. Maybe it was true, maybe I would never be able to expand my magical vein, or worse, maybe I would never be able to use magic, not even in its most rudimentary form. My mother had already mentioned that there were people like that.

I reflected on this that night. Maybe I was worrying too much about something that required time and maturity. This obsession was making me waste a period in which I could be exploring other more interesting things. Reluctantly, I decided to take a break from my attempts and, at least for now, focus on learning something different.

- "Damn... It seems nothing improves the condition of my magical vein..." I murmured, looking at the night sky.

- "Alright. You know what? I can't stay stuck on this. There are still so many cool things to do... Starting tomorrow, I'll focus on something different." Determined, I tried to cheer myself up with this decision.

I fell asleep still bothered by the situation. Not being able to do something I understood perfectly irritated me deeply. It was as if my honor was at stake. And in the case of magic, there was an even greater motivation: a burning desire to master something so fantastic. Even so, I chose to move on and let time decide my magical fate.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and soon I turned four years old. During that time, I accumulated a considerable collection of books. Most of them, accessible to the common folk, dealt with the kingdom's culture or narrated stories of local heroes. Although this type of content was not to my liking, reading had always been essential to me, and above all, it was my parents who gifted me these books. I would never dishonor them by leaving them aside.

On my fourth birthday, my parents kept the tradition of organizing a big party. My father went out to hunt large animals, while my mother busied herself with the preparations at home. By that time, I was much more perceptive of my surroundings. I observed people better, their attitudes, and sometimes even seemed to pick up on nuances of their thoughts.

On the day of the party, several children came to congratulate me and bring gifts. Among them were both human children and those called Zol'karnes, hybrids between humans and animals. It was the first time I really paid attention to the diversity of these species:

Those who resembled the large Howliths had long furry ears, slit-shaped pupils, and sharp teeth and claws. Those who resembled the Vakkur had robust hands and feet, ideal for carrying weight, as well as waterproof fur and large front teeth. There was a fascinating variety, and I was excited to learn more about them.

While talking to the children and trying to understand their cultures and peculiarities, I noticed, in the background, a hooded child sitting alone on a bench. Head down, they seemed isolated from the others. Next to them, a Zhaallk woman tried to approach, offering a cup of juice, but the child refused, remaining withdrawn. The woman stayed by their side, with a sad look.

I found that scene peculiar. Besides, I had many questions about the Zhaallk, so I decided to approach and try to talk to the woman and the child.

- "Hello, miss, excuse me..." I said, approaching slowly.

- "Oh, if it isn't the little birthday boy Dravyn! Hello, boy! Do you need something?" she replied, with a calm and friendly tone.

- "Yes, sorry to bother you... I saw you from afar and noticed you are Zhaallk, right?"

- "You know our species?" she asked, surprised.

- "Few people know who we are, even as adults. It's even rarer to find a child who differentiates species so well at your age! Congratulations, boy," she said, amazed, while patting my head.

- "So, what would you like to ask?" she added, smiling satisfied.

- "Well... I've always liked the Zhaallk, as well as dragons and Serpentia. You are amazing! Is it true that you can regulate your body temperature at will?" I asked, excited.

- "Of course! We can control our temperature at will. Besides, we can see the heat of our prey and have special teeth to inject a very powerful venom," she replied, proud.

- "Wow! Incredible! Can I see your teeth?" I asked, excited.

It was at that moment that I noticed the hooded child sitting next to the woman, peeking at our conversation. They seemed to laugh discreetly, as if enjoying our interaction. But as soon as I noticed and looked directly at them, they quickly turned away, as if they had never been watching me. I found that curious and decided to address them as well.

- "Hi, my name is Dravyn. What's yours? Are you also a Zhaallk?"

The child didn't respond or show any reaction, remaining head down. They seemed to ignore me completely or maybe were very shy. But I didn't like to give up easily, so I insisted, leaning in to try to face them directly.

- "Hey, I'm talking to you! What's your name?" I said, quickly approaching their face.

Startled, the child fell off the chair. I panicked, as it was not my intention to cause that.

- "I-I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, running to help them up.

But when I grabbed her hand, she pushed me, causing me to fall to the ground. Although she didn't use much force, I was thrown a few meters, which intrigued me with such strength. Before I could react, the child got up and ran out of the house, while the Zhaallk woman followed, visibly worried. They seemed to be close, like relatives.

My mother and father quickly approached, alarmed.

- "Son, are you okay? We saw what happened. Why did that child do that?" my mother asked, concerned.

- "Don't worry. It wasn't her fault, nor the Zhaallk woman's. I was the one who approached without respecting her space," I explained, trying to calm them down.

- "Everything's fine, folks! Let's get back to celebrating!" my father said, holding his inseparable beer mug, trying to divert the guests' attention.

The party continued, but my mother decided to stay close to me, worried that something similar might happen again. Later, I saw two figures slowly approaching from a distance. I went to the door to greet them. As they got closer, I realized it was the Zhaallk woman and the hooded child, who seemed to be crying.

The two bowed as they entered, apologizing for what had happened. Before I could respond, I bowed as well, taking the blame.

- "Please, don't apologize. I am the one at fault for invading her space. So, I apologize."

My mother and the Zhaallk woman looked at me, surprised. The child, on the other hand, seemed confused, perhaps because she was the one who had pushed me to the ground. Still, I maintained my apology.

- "Miss Zhaallk and you, hooded child, it was my fault. You shouldn't bow; I am the one who should apologize."

- "Son..." my mother murmured, still perplexed.

- "Mr. Dravyn..." the Zhaallk woman whispered, incredulous.

At that moment, I heard the hooded child's voice for the first time, timid and hesitant.

- "...I-I understand. D-don't worry. You just wanted to know my name. I should have been more polite and said it earlier. Y-you don't need to apologize..."

Realizing it was a girl, I straightened my posture, trying to be even more respectful. However, something burned inside me: I needed to know her name.

- "S-so, may I know your name, miss?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

- "...S-Scilia. Scilia Von Draerys..."

At that moment, I felt something unprecedented. My heart raced like never before, and a wave of well-being washed over my body. I couldn't help but smile, while my face blushed slightly.

The Zhaallk woman took Scilia's hand, a bit awkwardly, and explained that they needed to leave. Despite our efforts to convince them to stay a little longer, they left. They had to work early at the village bakery the next day.

I was sad that the conversation had been so brief, but one thing was certain: I would visit them at the bakery as soon as I could. After all, my curiosity about them only grew.