The forest was calm with the gentle rustling of leaves being the only sound. The moon was low in the sky, bright and silvery, and it made the shadows in the clearing very long. Stephen's sword was held high, his gun was aimed, and the fourteen layers of his magic shields were lightly glowing, signaling that he was all set for a fight. Every muscle in his body was stretched, and he was at the peak of his senses.
There was a movement at the side of the clearing, a silhouette that was stretching slowly like it was getting comfortable against the tree. "Very impressive," said a voice that was teasing and calm.
Stephen's gaze became sharper. "Who are you? Tell me your name and do not hide."
One young man came into the light, his dark locks of hair elegantly covering his forehead. In the moon's glare, the silver eyes were sparkling—sharp, calculating, and a bit mockingly. His height was more than that of Stephen's by at least one head, and he was broad-shouldered and confident in his attitude.
"The one who introduces himself first," the boy daintily spoke while bowing a bit, "Nathaniel Tyler Von Cerzt is the name. You might refresh your memory of me, the birthday party you attended a few months ago."
Stephen was still as a statue. That's Danielle's crush...
"You..." Stephen articulated very carefully, though his voice still sounded light and squeaky. He moved his sword little and with that, he was ready to land a blow. "Who are you? How did you reach here? And how did you know…"
Tyler laughed, a soft sound that caused the leaves to shake. "Don't be tense, small sun. I bring no evil. The reason I appeared was...you are awesome. I had to witness it."
Stephen's heart was beating quickly. "Awesome? You mean... my magic? My sword? My..." He gestured to the pile of spells that were around him. "All?"
Tyler grinned. "Indeed. To speak the truth...your sword fighting, your sharpshooting...add that to the face. Really awesome. You're also... small," he playfully said, "which marks you as a late bloomer in all aspects. But that only makes you more impressive. Very Impressive. Really and Seriously."
Stephen did not look pleased at all. "You know, I'm really not sure whether to trust you or not. How do I know that you're not just a spy sent to watch me....or even worse?"
Tyler, with his hands up in surrender and a mischievous smirk on his face, replied, "Calm down, I'm not here to cause any trouble at all. I just wanted to meet the child who has the power which otherwise would take decades to master."
The shimmering layers of mana around Stephen became even more pronounced, defensive but inquisitive at the same time. "And who told you about me? About the part where I am still a boy?"
Tyler, which can or had to be the opposite of his originally thought mood, leaned against the tree. The moonlight shining from his silver eye could give more than one clue about his tricks. "Lerman is my uncle. The Cerzt family has long been connected with the Empire's mages. My family is in charge of the Empire's magical surveillance and to be honest, we have been very occupied these past months with the lost Rupertz treasure. I got bored, so I went through my uncle's office, and...uh..well, I learned about you."
Stephen's eyes were squinted. "That still doesn't mean that you can be trusted. What can I do to make sure you won't be unfaithful to me?"
Tyler's smile got even bigger. "Oh boy... I see your point." He offered a hand, pierced his finger with a needle and allowed a single drop of blood to roll onto the palm of his other hand. The blood was not totally colorless; it was very faintly shaped into an intricate rune. "Here is a Cerzt oath of blood. One drop of blood is binding. If my family—or I—break this oath, we die. Our next generation dies. Our bloodline suffers... permanently."
Stephen was speechless. "W-why? Why is your blood worth... that much?"
Tyler, looking slightly serious though still laughing, said, "I am the one who sees the future... Prophecies concerning the future is my field of magic. The Cerzt family has many magic specialties, but mine is to see potential futures—through dreams, visions, and subtle signs. Initially, I might not have known of your identity, but my magic allows me to see events happening before they even get manifested." Stephen's hands were shaking slightly despite his defensive position. "Prophecy? You... you can see... the...future...? My future?"
Tyler took a moment to slowly nod. "Indeed. Over the last few months, ever since you turned eight, I have saw fragments of your future. Your strength... your struggles...your secrets. I have seen the curse casting on you, and I have also seen the way you must go. This is the reason I am here. To give you a heads-up and to assist if you are willing."
Stephen felt a lot of things at once; his lips compressed and his thoughts were going a hundred miles an hour. This... this kid has so much information. But the vow, the Cerzt family... would they lie? Or not?
"Then why did you choose to come to me?" Stephen inquired quietly, still very cautious. "Why not just inform my family or my Father?"
Tyler gave a negative nod, his silver eyes brightened. "Because some truths are too dangerous to be told. Your father... your father must not know. Not now. And some of your sisters... well, they might not be able to grasp it. I am here only for you. Only because I have seen that one day... you will need help. And you will need to put your faith in someone. Maybe me."
Stephen let out a slow breath and the tension in his shoulders dropped a little. "I... I am not sure if I can yet trust anyone," he confessed.
Tyler shifted his head slightly, and smiled. "I get it. Trust must be earned, and not just given. However, I can guarantee you—the oath I took is something that cannot be broken. If I were to lie... I'd die. So would my family. That's the way of the Cerzt blood magic."
Stephen's gaze was locked with Tyler's silver one as he was looking for any trace of dishonesty. However, he was unable to discover even a hint of it. The boy appeared to be bright, playful and at the same time serious—a mixture that was making Stephen feel both uneasy and curious.
Tyler was continuing, "Your magic is... more than sufficient for a person of your age," and he moved closer, but still held his hands up as a sign of peace. "A decade would still not be enough for a master of magic to completely master ten layers of magic. You possess more than that. Fourteen. And your swordsmanship...it's something I have never witnessed before." Should you manage to mix all this correctly one day, you might even overtake the Emperor himself."
Stephen's mouth was about to form a smile but he controlled himself and spoke in his usual high-pitched, innocent tone. "Is that really what you think?"
Tyler lighted up the room with his laughter. "Indeed, I do. And your face... it's distracting, I should confess. So charming that it cannot be taken seriously. But I am serious. Do not waste it by acting for a long time as someone else. Secrets are heavy, little sun."
Stephen was surprised. "How… how did you know I have to pretend?"
Tyler leaned to the tree, arms crossed, a smirk on his face. "I get a lot through my dreams. And what I have got tells you are suppressing more than anyone realized. That's why I came. That's why I am here now. You are not alone, Stephen. But it is up to you to decide if you want to trust me."
Stephen still suspicious, lowered his sword a bit, but curiosity and relief were already shown on his face.
Tyler's stare became a bit softer as he, almost inaudibly, said, "One day, all these truths will make sense. And the earlier you get to know them, the sooner you will be able to endure the storm that is coming. You are unique, Stephen... but you are not invincible yet."
Stephen felt a tightening sensation in his chest. The wind softly swayed the trees in the forest and it took Tyler's words like a prophet. He was conscious of it—the future's pressure downwards was great, yet he was somewhat relieved that someone was aware.
The little boy who had come to his birthday party, the one that was liked by Danielle, the one who now calmly stood before him under the moonlight in the forest... was not just a boy. He was a leader, a signal, and probably the only friend that Stephen could count on during the storm.
Stephen gulped. His grip on the sword hilt slowly eased off. He kept the gun ready, and the mana shields were layered like armor, but the heart beat a little lighter.
"Why... why me?" he finally whispered almost to himself.
And Stephen could sense it: the starting point has just been set.
The woods were still. The moon was low, waning, and at the same time, the first rays of dawn were slowly spreading over the horizon in gentle shades of orange and pink. Stephen's breath was barely visible in the chilly air, and the rustling of leaves can be heard as the only sound. Tyler was lying against a tree, looking at the last stars, taking a long, deep breath.
"Have you ever heard of Somnora?" Tyler inquired, his tone placid, almost curious.
Stephen did not reply and moved a bit on the ground covered with moss. "I… I'm just a little boy of eight," he said, keeping his high-pitched and soft voice. "Such curses is beyond my knowledge."
Tyler's eyes widened. He gave a long sigh and the slightest trace of annoyance was present in his voice. "Hmph. That's… not very useful."
Stephen moved his head and blinked. "I said I don't know. I'm simply a child."
"That's what I mean," Tyler said, almost to himself. Then, switching to a more assertive tone, he slightly moved forward, his silver eyes mirroring the fading stars. "Somnora… was once a legend. Somnus—Hypnos in Greek mythology—was the god of sleep. Child of Nyx, Night, and Erebus, Darkness."
Stephen's eyebrows came together. "Hypnos? It sounds... luxurious."
Tyler thought very little of the remark during which he went on speaking, "He lives in a dark cave where sun don't shines. There are poppy flowers blooming and the River Lethe wandering around, a river that bestows forgetfulness on its drinkers. Somnus, the god of dreams, can make both gods and humans sleep… with only one touch, or even a whisper. His twin brother is Thanatos, the god of death. They pair up pretty much all the time. In one legend, we find Somnus helping Hera in putting Zeus into a deep sleep; thus she could manipulate the course of the Trojan War without the god's intervention."
Stephen, all the while, was listening with astonished eyes and said: "This… is a lot to remember."
Tyler responded affirmatively. "I know but I guess you're really stupid. But the reason why I'm telling you this is because of your ancestor, Rupertz, attributed the curse to this very story. Somnora is no more than a legend—it was born out of Rupertz's imagination."
Stephen couldn't believe his ears, he sat there and blinked as if trying to synthesize. "The curse was invented? For himself?"
"Of course," Tyler affirmed, keeping his voice calm but very serious. "As per Rupertz's chronicles, he brought into being Somnora—the curse of never waking—because he wanted undisturbed sleep. Being immortal is a heavy price to pay, and death was not an option for him. He then came up with a way to finish without really dying and that is sleeping forever."
Stephen's reaction was to gulp down the words. "Does… does that imply he is not dead?"
Tyler with some delay nodded. "Rumors have it that he is still around. Maybe in a different place anywhere in this world...still sleeping. The exact location is not known."
Stephen was lost deep in his own world of thoughts and so was quiet with his gaze fixed on his hands. Tyler on the other side of the cage took advantage of the situation to speak up. He leaned back, lowered his voice and said, "There is one more thing—a forbidden book that was penned by Rupertz himself. It is a complete account of Somnora. He handed it over to his closest friend—Cerzt, my ancestor—so that Cerzt could also experience the eternal sleep in case he wanted to."
Stephen's response was just a flicker of his eyes. "There is a book… that tells the story of Somnora?"
Tyler's reaction was a slight and even faint smirk. "Indeed. But according to our family legend, Cerzt thought Rupertz was a silly man. He asserted that the curse was actually death in disguise. Yet… it is still very strong. Horrifying. And absolutely unsafe."
Stephen shivered, picturing the idea of not waking up ever.
Tyler faced him, silver eyes sparkling, looking grave now. "Do you… do you know precisely what Somnora is? Or how large its influence is?"
Stephen's mouth became parched. He moved his head from side to side, not knowing what to say. His fingers pressed down hard on the grass he was sitting on. The first light of dawn was making long shadows in the forest, and the young boy's tension and the tall, peaceful figure's calmness were both illuminated.
And there, under the disappearing stars and the ascending sun, the question was suspended in the atmosphere.
TO BE CONTINUED...