The sun hung low over the village of Virelia, casting long shadows across the dusty streets. The sounds of bustling villagers carried through the air laughter, the clink of metal, and the shuffling of hurried footsteps. Yet, amidst the noise and the light, one child stood apart from it all.
Nasir Tsuki, or as the villagers called him Ashspawn sat on the edge of a wooden bench beneath the large oak tree, his golden eyes fixed on the ground. The whispers of the market crowd, the curious glances, the occasional muttered curse—they all passed through him like the wind, unnoticed.
At five years old, Nasir was a strange thing in Virelia. His skin was dark, almost too dark, with a shimmering glow to it that seemed unnatural under the sun. His hair, wild and untamed, was a stark white-gold, the color of untouched snow. But it was his eyes, glowing a sharp, intense gold, that unsettled everyone who dared look into them.
The whispers followed him wherever he went, a constant reminder that he didn't belong.
"That boy is cursed," a woman's voice floated through the air, her words sharp with fear. "Ashspawn... born of dragons and dark magic."
Nasir didn't react, didn't flinch. He'd heard it all before. The stares, the fear, the hatred he had grown used to it. He wasn't sure if he even understood it fully. The villagers' hatred wasn't because of something he had done; it was because of who he was. And who he was, was a mystery—one that even his own mother refused to talk about.
His mother, Aria Tsuki, stood nearby, her silhouette a constant, steady presence. Despite everything despite the way the villagers turned their faces away whenever she passed, despite the way they whispered behind her back she never left him. She never let him feel truly alone.
Aria's voice broke through his thoughts, soft and steady. "Nasir."
He glanced up, meeting her gaze. His mother's eyes were gentle, but there was something else there too something hidden deep behind the warmth. She was always careful with him, careful not to let her love show too much in front of others, careful not to reveal any of her true emotions. There was something about her that had always felt like a puzzle, an enigma wrapped in kindness.
She extended her hand to him, her fingers brushing lightly against his golden tail. It was small still, barely more than a flicker of light in his younger years, but the tail was there a reminder of his Drakari bloodline, a mark that had made him an outcast.
Nasir took her hand, his own smaller one wrapping around her fingers. He didn't speak. He never did unless it was absolutely necessary. His silence was something the villagers feared almost as much as his eyes. It was as if he were a creature from another world, a being they could neither understand nor control.
Aria led him away from the bench, her movements graceful, and yet there was an edge to her steps a quiet determination. She had been the village's protector once, a healer and guard, respected by many for her strength and skills. But once Nasir was born, everything changed. She was no longer seen as a protector, but as an outcast, a traitor to the village that had once embraced her. The villagers now saw her only as the mother of the Ashspawn.
Nasir's small hand tightened around hers as they passed the village square. He could feel the eyes of the people on him, but he didn't care anymore. He had long since stopped feeling anything for the village that had cast him aside.
In the distance, the sun dipped lower, and the shadows stretched longer across the fields. The golden hues of the sunset were beautiful, but Nasir's gaze was drawn, as always, to the distant mountains that framed the horizon. He didn't know why, but the sight of those distant peaks always made him feel something stir deep inside something that was more than just a passing thought. A sense of longing. A quiet pull.
But it was a feeling he couldn't name. And for now, it was something he would keep to himself.
"Tonight, we'll work on controlling your flame," Aria said, her voice warm but firm. She had always known how to guide him, even when Nasir didn't understand what she meant. "You're getting stronger, Nasir. We need to make sure you can control it."
Nasir nodded, but there was no joy in the motion. The golden flame that Aria spoke of had always been a part of him. It had first manifested when he was barely three years old a bright, fiery blaze that would burst from his body whenever he was in distress or danger. It was part of him. But it was also something he feared, something he didn't fully understand.
His golden flame could shape itself into armor, could enhance his strength, could manifest into a katana of pure fire. But there were times when it consumed him, when the power within him felt too wild, too uncontrollable. And then there were the moments when the flame felt… wrong.
"Do you ever think of him?" Nasir asked quietly, his voice barely a whisper. His golden eyes flickered up at his mother, studying her carefully. His father his true father was a mystery. The one figure who should have been in his life was gone, and Aria never spoke of him. Not once.
Aria's hand stiffened around his. For a brief moment, Nasir felt her hesitation. The briefest shift in her composure. But then, just as quickly, her face softened, and she looked down at him with a gentle smile.
"Your father's past is not for us to worry about, Nasir," she replied, her tone soft but firm, as though repeating a mantra she had told herself many times. "You have me. And that is all that matters."
Nasir didn't push the issue further. He had learned, over time, not to ask. His questions always seemed to make her sad. But the truth of his father's disappearance a truth that even his mother avoided hung in the air like a shadow.
As they walked through the village gate, Nasir's golden eyes swept over the fields and forests beyond. In the distance, he thought he saw something flicker a shape, a shadow, like a fleeting image dancing on the edge of the sunset. He blinked, but when he looked again, it was gone.
Nasir frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. It was as if something someone was watching him. A chill ran down his spine, but he didn't say anything. Not yet.
For now, he followed his mother, his small golden tail flicking behind him, as they made their way to the forest clearing where they would practice his flame.
And deep within him, something stirred. Something ancient. Something unseen.