The wind whispered through the trees as the sun cast its golden glow over the grassy hill. Small tufts of dandelions danced in the breeze, and the laughter of a child echoed through the afternoon light.
Jae Hoon's feet pounded the dirt path, kicking up tiny clouds of dust. His short, slightly wavy black hair bounced with every stride, and the sun gleamed against his tan skin as he raced upward, legs pumping with the boundless energy only an eight-year-old could muster.
Behind him, a deep chuckle rumbled through the air."You little rascal, slow down!" came the familiar voice of his father.
A moment later, Jae Hoon skidded to a triumphant stop at the top of the hill, throwing his arms in the air. "Haha! Dad, I beat you in this race!"
His father—tall, broad-shouldered, and unmistakably powerful—arrived a few seconds later, hands on his knees, panting. Sweat glistened on his brow, but a proud grin stretched across his face. "You got your old man this time," he laughed, ruffling Jae Hoon's hair with a heavy hand.
Jae Hoon's wide eyes sparkled with excitement as he glanced at the empty hilltop. "So... is this where we'll be activating my mana core? Finally?"
His father stood straight, and for a moment, he didn't answer. Instead, he looked out over the horizon—the sun was just starting to dip, casting streaks of orange and purple across the sky.
Then he turned to Jae Hoon and smiled.
"Yes."
Jae Hoon's heart skipped. This was it—the moment he'd been dreaming about ever since he heard the bedtime stories. About heroes with blades made of fire, about mana that coursed like rivers through ancient bloodlines, about a world hidden beneath the world he thought he knew.
His father kneeled in front of him, eyes suddenly glowing with a fiery orange light, like twin suns burning with purpose.
He raised a brow, his voice lower now. "Are you ready?"
Jae Hoon's breath caught in his throat. He nodded slowly.
"I'm ready, Dad."
His father nodded, then drew a circle into the earth with his palm. Ancient glyphs sparked to life beneath the soil, glowing in tandem with his eyes. The wind picked up—not just any breeze, but a swirl of air that responded to the magic in the air. The kind of wind that listened.
The ground trembled.
Jae Hoon stared in awe as lines of light surged from the circle, wrapping around his ankles, then his chest, then his heart. He gasped—not in pain, but in wonder. It was like something warm and ancient had woken inside of him.
The world pulsed.
And deep within Jae Hoon's chest, something unlocked.
The mana core... had awakened.