On the eighth day of March, three days after the end of school, lightning strikes could be seen sprawling all over the night sky. Trees were uprooted by the strong winds, throwing their razed trunks onto the road. The heavy rain sounded like hammers battering the houses on Spellise Street.
Further down the street, an inconspicuous house blending in with all the other houses around it had one of its rooms lit. This was the home of the Madwen family. Richard, who was the eldest son of Marcus and Celine, stared at the ceiling, penetrating nowhere. His brown eyes begged heaven to bestow upon him something that the adults could only have and enjoy in this era.
The tumultuous rain outside never had the chance to disturb his reverie. As a child born in a generation where every walk of life believed in magic, his inner self cried to experience such adrenaline. The glory it brought, the new life he could have, and even the news outlets were full of it. It was a pity that he had no chance to set his eyes upon such a dream until his thirtieth birthday.
Richard's thoughts were disturbed by two loud consecutive knocks on his door. He lazily got out of bed and walked straight to the door. Upon opening the blue door, he was immediately greeted by his mother's concerned face.
"Richard, do you have any problem?" Celine asked him. It didn't sound like she was worried, as she intentionally raised her voice to compete with the heavy downpour.
Even in her late thirties, his mother still looked like her teenage self. It was not a surprise, as human beings nowadays had longer lifespans. It was all thanks to the side effects of staying inside that magical world for long periods of time.
Richard wasn't bothered to answer his mother's inquiry; instead, he went directly to his bed and slumped his body, upset with his current situation.
Celine sighed deeply, following her son into his room. "Darling, you know that entering Permonium Sanctuary at your age is deadly to your body. Even if I allowed you to enter, it would still be impossible without a Fay Queen. You know the rules," his mother comforted, reminding him of the rules surrounding his desire.
Permonium Sanctuary was a magical world where physics was ineffective. In fact, this massive, fantastical world was not a product of human technology.
Richard lifted his head to look at his mother, who was now sitting on his bed. "I know, Mom. But I can't wait another eighteen years to enter Permonium Sanctuary," he complained, pouting his red lips.
"You're only twelve; there's nothing to rush about. Enjoy your childhood, Richard. You'll regret it if you don't when you're already an adult." His mother didn't know whether to laugh at her son's naivete. "Also, your father and I enrolled you in Celipsis Arcane Academy," she added with a bright smile from ear to ear.
Celine was delighted to see her son's surprised look. As far as she was concerned, being enrolled in Celipsis was every child's dream. She felt pleased to finally stir her son's happiness.
"Mom, you're joking!" Richard exclaimed, invigorated by the news. This was amazing! Finally, he was only a step away from his dream.
Celine was even more pleased to see her son's priceless reaction. She nodded her head in confirmation. "But of course, it still depends on you whether you pass the entrance exam or not."
Richard jumped onto his bed, gliding toward his mother's embrace. He planted hundreds of kisses on her face. "Thank you, Mom! Don't worry, Mom, I'm a genius! I will certainly pass that exam!" he proclaimed, joy sparkling in his eyes.
The clamoring sound of the rain on the rooftop permeated the whole room as the mother and son duo struggled to find the words to say to each other. Celine heaved a deep breath, caressing her son's back. She started to roam her eyes around the room, only to find evidence of his addiction to Permonium Sanctuary.
In the corner of his room, she saw drawings of different tiny human-like figures, which she began to imagine as Fays. Even though they looked crude, she was still amused by the effort Richard had put into drawing thirty of them in different colors and structures.
Celine smiled at the realization of how she missed her son's growth. Unfortunately, even though she wanted to be with him, she couldn't leave her responsibilities behind. It was hard to be a mother and a master of a thriving civilization at the same time.
Her time was divided between being a mother and a Fay Master. The former was her obligation, and the latter was still her obligation. She felt even guiltier with this thought.
She glanced at her son's work before she went out of his room, knowing that he wouldn't talk to her anymore. "Good night, Richard," she said before closing the door with a heavy heart.
When the door shut, Richard sat in the corner of his bed. His rosy cheeks, one of the characteristics of children his age, frowned, aware that this day would end fruitlessly. He got out of bed and walked directly to his desk. He grabbed a red crayon, finishing his drawing. He looked at it from several angles, discontented with some details. He grabbed a yellow crayon and drew a crown above the head of a tiny woman.
As he leisurely finished his drawing, a thunderclap sounded from outside. It was more powerful than the last, startling Richard. He scratched his head, seeing the unnecessary line on his artwork. He pondered for several seconds, deciding whether to throw it away and make another one or keep it just the way it was. Afterward, he chose the latter, deciding that the line was not that glaring.
When he lifted the artwork and was about to post it on the wall, he heard a knocking sound outside his room's window. He jerked his head, only to find nothing. However, he could still hear the knocking sound growing more desperate.
Powered by his curiosity, he went near the window and inspected the outside, only to have the same answer—there was nothing outside. However, the knocking sounds continued, giving him a creeping feeling.
Richard hesitated to open his window, as the storm was still raging outside with no hint of stopping. In fact, the sound was not loud enough to be made by an animal or even a human, which was definitely impossible. Clenching his fist, Richard slowly opened the window, inviting the strong wind and rain into his room.
Richard put both his hands in front of his head to block the painful rain battering his face. He struggled to see what was in front of him. The rain was so heavy that he instinctively closed his eyelids to keep the piercing water out of his eyes.
Seeing a tree branch hammering against the wall of their house beside his window, Richard nearly burst out laughing at his stupidity. He bravely opened his window and clashed with the storm, only to be jested by a tree branch.
When Richard lowered his head to close the window, he saw something that caused his mind to go blank. His heart rapidly palpitated, causing his body to tremble. He suddenly felt thousands of butterflies fluttering inside his stomach. Richard couldn't control his rapid breathing in disbelief. Not caring about the battering storm and the horrifying sounds it brought, he lowered his hand, afraid that the tiny human-like figure would be damaged.
His instincts now controlled his whole body. A Fay Queen was in his hand. He was holding a Fay Queen! There was a Fay Queen lying in his palm! A Fay Queen! His wish had come true!
Richard immediately ran to his bed, shocked. Everything felt surreal. His eyes were fixed on a human-like figure wearing a red dress in his hand. She was trembling as the water dripped off her body, and Richard didn't know what to do. How could he, when his mind wasn't functioning well since he first laid eyes on the Fay Queen?
Another thunderclap struck, illuminating his room. It was then that he realized the window was still open. Richard ran toward the window, closing it faster than he had ever done. Going back to his bed, he witnessed how the Fay Queen took off her dress, grabbing the blanket to cover her body.
Richard blushed at what he had seen but quickly dismissed it to verify whether everything that had happened was real. "Ouch!" he cried when he felt the pain of pinching his cheeks.
'It's real! Everything is real!' he jumped up and down in agitation.
The two-centimeter lady signaled for Richard to come near her. He complied willingly, putting his head a mere centimeters away from the Fay Queen. Without warning, the Fay Queen touched Richard's nose, producing a blinding light that overwhelmed the whole room.
Afterward, Richard heard a female robotic voice in his head: "Permonium Link commencing."
"Ding! Permonium Link has been successfully activated! You have earned a Red Grade Fay Queen! Welcome to the Permonium Sanctuary, Richard Madwen!"
Hearing the announcement, the young boy cried out in disbelief. Finally, he was now a Fay Master!
In the midst of his celebration, two knocks sounded on his door. Richard panicked, thinking about how he could hide the Fay Queen. Surely, if his mother knew about his possession of a Fay Queen, everything would end just like that. He rummaged his eyes around his room, searching for the best hiding spot.
"Richard, are you still awake?" he froze at the sound of the deep voice outside. It was his father! A man who always followed the law. It would be better if his mother caught him, but not his father! Richard panicked even more. His dream would be destroyed in a matter of minutes. He wouldn't let that happen!
Marcus knocked on his son's door again. He pressed his ear against the door to confirm if Richard was truly sleeping. He frowned, hearing the restless sounds of footsteps. "Richard, open the door! I know you're still awake!" he exclaimed, irritated by his son's behavior of not opening the door immediately.
Celine, who was listening to her husband's angry voice, glared at him. "Marcus, there's no need to yell! He's just a child!"
The man scratched his head, familiar with the consequences of responding to his wife. This time, it was Celine who knocked on the door, but she was flabbergasted when she heard a banging sound, as if someone had fallen badly. Without a second thought, Marcus forcefully opened the door, slamming it down to the floor. His heart throbbed with concern for his son's state.
This was the only juncture when he felt vulnerable to being frightened. As a father, he didn't want to see his son in trouble, nor did he want to worry his wife, whom he loved so much.
When Marcus and Celine entered their son's room, they were stricken by what they saw. "Richard, what are you doing in there?!" Marcus was the first to react to the situation. He glared at his son, who was lying on the floor, holding a drawing in his right hand. It looked like he had fallen from his closet while trying to paste his artwork on the wall. "What's wrong with your head that you wanted to paste that drawing up there?!" he exclaimed, pointing at the wall above the closet.
Celine didn't stop her husband from scolding their son. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest upon hearing the loud thump a while ago. She silently stood to the side, listening to the angry voice of her husband giving their son a good scolding.
Marcus only stopped when he noticed the calm weather outside. He regretted scolding his son when he discovered Richard staring at the floor wordlessly. He stepped closer to his son and pulled him up off the floor. He heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that there was no injury. He was thankful that he had bought a house with a wooden floor.
Marcus patted his son's shoulder. "You must go to sleep. It's already ten in the evening," he said tenderly. Richard nodded his head in compliance before grabbing his blanket and covering himself. Marcus noticed that the young boy glanced at his room's door, which was now lying on the floor.
"Don't worry; I'll fix that tomorrow," he promised with a smile.
Richard closed his eyes without saying anything. Afterward, he felt a soft kiss planted on his forehead. "Good night, Richard," his mother said as she adjusted his blanket.
He listened to the footsteps getting further away, followed by his mother's angry voice: "You really can't control your strength, Marcus!"
"Love, it was not my fault," his father responded.
"If it wasn't your fault, then was it mine?!"
Richard shook his head, smiling at his parents' banter. He glanced at the top of the closet with an even wider smile before closing his eyes.