As they were sailing north, the man who accompanied John and Andrew kept asking them countless questions. Most of the time, the two brothers didn't know how to respond. Having grown up in the wilderness, they knew so little about the outside world. He asked where they came from and who their parents were, but the names they gave didn't seem familiar.
In truth, the names they used weren't even their parents' real names. In the real world, their father had been known as Hakko, but they only ever called him "Father" or "Nani," the way their mother addressed him. Their mother's name had been Kariya, but in the forest, she had simply been called Mary. These were identities lost to time.
The man was intrigued. He tried to understand how these two young men ended up in the middle of a world that was now full of cities, languages, and people. But John and Andrew had no clear answers. All they knew was the forest, the ocean, and the hunt for survival.
As their boat moved steadily toward the north, the man decided it was time to share something with them. He told them that the nine realms were in a state of emergency. The kings had united and issued a royal decree, a search had begun for a young man born during the night the magical barrier was broken. This man, it was said, had the power to either unite or destroy the mythical creatures that had started leaking into their world.
John and Andrew didn't know what to make of this. Mythical creatures? For them, life was about feeding, hiding, and surviving. Their father had died before chaos truly spread. They knew nothing of creatures from beyond, let alone the ancient prophecy.
The man told them their first stop would be King's Landing, the capital of all nine kingdoms. There, he would leave them. John and Andrew were excited; they didn't know it yet, but they were about to walk into the centre of a global storm.
While sailing, they encountered a military ship moving in the opposite direction. The soldiers on board stopped their boat and questioned the man about any recent sightings or news. He knew nothing and answered accordingly. But as they continued sailing, the sea suddenly turned wild.
A violent wave struck the ship. Panic spread. John hid under the lower cabin. There, he felt a strange heat burning from within his body. It wasn't just fear. Something inside him was reacting violently. The creature, the one hidden deep in John's being, the same that once lived in his father, was afraid. If John's body died, the creature would be erased forever, since it had long abandoned its form.
Fearing for its existence, the creature reached into its deepest core and poured out power to calm the ocean. From above, Andrew watched in shock as the ship stopped trembling, and a glowing light poured from the cracks of the cabin. Inside, John lay unconscious.
The creature had stopped the storm. The ocean returned to calm.
Andrew rushed to his brother. When John awoke, confused and unaware, Andrew asked him what had happened.
"I don't know," John said, looking just as puzzled. "I was sleeping."
The sailor who had accompanied them was speechless. He had never seen such power. But John brushed it off. "You saw nothing," he insisted.
As the journey continued, the boat arrived at the port of the capital city. The size and splendour of the place overwhelmed them. They had never seen so many people in one place. The city held over ten million residents. Compared to the silence of the wilderness, this was another world.
They took some small belongings from the boatman and stepped into the city. Meanwhile, the sailor approached the royal guards and pointed at the brothers.
"Those two," he whispered. "They aren't normal. Especially the older one — the one with the wild hair."
Curious, the guards caught up with John and Andrew.
"You there, stop!" one called out.
The brothers stopped. Having never seen soldiers before, they didn't know whether to fear them or not.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
John replied, "I'm John, and this is my brother, Andrew. Our parents died. We came here looking for a new life. That man on the boat brought us."
One guard softened. "Well, maybe we can help. You can come with us. We'll get you food, shelter at least until you find work."
"A job?" John asked.
"Yes," the soldier said. "In the capital, you can't survive without a job."
"Alright," John said. "Take us wherever you think we should go."
They were escorted toward the palace, where the guards informed the Queen of the Southern Realm about the two young strangers.
"Bring them in," she said.
When the queen saw them, a strange familiarity struck her. They reminded her of someone from long ago. But the faces had changed with time.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice firm.
John walked into the chamber confidently. "I'm John, and this is my brother. We came here to find a new home. The guards told us you might help."
She repeated her question: "Who are you?"
This time, John hesitated.
Andrew stepped forward. "Our parents are gone. We have nowhere to go. A man brought us here, and we thought we could start a new life."
"What were your parents' names?" she asked.
They gave the only names they knew, the wilderness names. The queen did not recognise them.
"You may stay," she said. "But only for a short while. You'll need to work and find your place."
"Thank you, madam," they said.
That evening, as they dined with the queen and her daughters, she asked, "Tell me your skills."
John smiled. "I've hunted over a thousand gazelles. I can swim, catch fish, survive."
The queen chuckled, not out of mockery, but because she felt like she was speaking to children.
Later that night, the queen allowed her daughters to chat with the brothers. John and Andrew laughed and felt a sense of peace they had never known.
But as darkness fell, the same glowing power returned.
John's body lit up in the night. Andrew saw the light through the cracks of the door and rushed in. The creature inside John had awakened again. But when it saw Andrew approach, it vanished instantly.
John woke up.
"I'm fine," he said.
"No, you're not," Andrew replied. "I've lived with you all my life. What's happening isn't normal. You're glowing from the inside out."
John hesitated. "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying we need to find someone who can explain this. In the morning, we search for help."
And with that, they agreed.
The next chapter of their journey and the truth about John's power were about to begin.