"Is he alright doctor?"
"Yes, surprisingly he has no injuries."
Fuzzy and muffled voices. Isaac's vision is still blurry.
"Where am I?"
"Oh look he is awake."
His vision started to get clearer, Aunt Jen and a doctor were beside him.
"You're in the hospital honey."
Isaac then realised, he was on a bed and observed his surroundings. There were several other beds with patients laying on it.
"The knights found you laying down,unconscious in the middle of Misty Forest during thier patrols. Tell me Isaac, what were you doing?"
Isaac's memory was foggy. He could barely remember anything last night.
"I- I can't remember." Isaac stuttered.
"Your condition is fine, but why were you unconscious in the middle of the woods?" the doctor asked.
Isaac can't put his finger on it, everything that happened as if it was dream.
"I'm sorry doctor, I can't remember anything."
The doctor felt a bit sceptical but didn't think much about it.
"Since your condition is perfectly stable, you may discharge soon.
Aunt Jen is relieved but at the same is highly anxious of what happened.
"Why were you in Misty Forest to begin with? I told you that place is dangerous!" Aunt Jen scolded
"Sorry Aunt Jen, I just wanted to help someone."
"Help someone? What do you mean?"
"An old man asked me to find his "heirloom" in exhcange for 3 gold. How could I reject such an offer." says Isaac as he grined and rubbed his head.
"Who was the old man, and what happened after?" Aunt Jen curious wanting for answers.
Isaac sighs and says "Thats the part where I can't remember."
Aunt Jen's mouth strenched and drawn back exposing a bit of teeth.
"Did you know how worried I was last night knowing my child went missing!?"
"I'm very sorry Aunty, I just wanted to help our family. 3 gold worths a lot."
Aunt Jen calmed down a bit.
"I'm grateful to have a son like you, but please don't get yourself in danger again. You have a dream to achieve."
Those words triggered something in Isaac.
"Dream? Ohhhh yeahhh!!! How could I forget!!?? TOMORROW IS THE EXAMINATION!!!"
Isaac quickly got off his bed and strenched his body.
"Aunty, I need to discharge ASAP. I need to prepare for tomorrow."
He rushed towards the exit
"Isaac, you just- , okay I'm coming."
"I can't wait to continue my traini-"
As Isaac went through the door, someone passed by him through the door as well but something out of the ordinary happened."
"What the-"
He was fazed on what he just saw. Isaac looked back at the man that just passed by him.
"Wh- what are these flashy particles?"
The man that passed by halted, he had the Imperial Knights insignia on his shoulder pad.
"Got a problem mate?"
Isaac stood still and looked completely nonplussed on the things he is seeing.
"Uhh n- nothing, just pasing by."
Sparkling blue particles surrounded the man, and at his chest there was a blue flame.
"This is not normal. What in the world is going on!?" Isaac thought.
He sprinted away out, only to see more blue particles and blue aura flowing through the hallway. Left and right were people surrounded by particles thier chest had coloured flames. The colours and the intensity weren't the same. Most of them were blue, but some were light green and cyan. No one seems to notice these things, except for Isaac.
"W-What are these? Dust? No… it's glowing. Is this… smoke? No, it's too smooth. It's dancing—floating."
He scurried to the hospital's exit. Outside there were buildings and pedesterians walking. More particles and aura flew in the air. Isaac rubbed his eyes, thinking his eyes have gone bonkers. All of a sudden, everything he saw previously, vanished.
"Huh? What in the world is going on!? Am I seeing things?" Isaac asked himself.
He looked puzzled and blinked rapidly trying to make sense on the things that just happened. Aunt Jen nudge Isaac's shoulder from behind.
"Isaac is anything the matter? Why did you ran off all of a sudden?"
Isaac was startled when Aunt Jen was behind him.
"Oh n- nothing, I was too excited to go training. That's all, totally nothing weird happened."
Isaac felt reluctant to tell her the truth. Even himself wasn't sure about what he saw.
"Alright Aunt Jen, I'll be heading off to train. See ya!"
Isaac sprinted away, waving his hand to Aunt Jen and ran to his training area.
"Wait!" Aunt Jen sighs. "That boy..."
Timber trees were everywhere, left and right. The ground was dry, perfect for training.
"198....199...and....200."
Isaac stands up after completing 200 push ups. He then starts climbing up the trees, parkouring from branch to branch. He parkoured across the forest, to train his agility and coordination. As he was leaping across, suddenly he saw those particles and aura once again.
"These things again. What even are you?"
He dropped down from the tree, carefully analysing those particles and aura. The particles float in the air, and the aura flow through the particles, like a wave in the oceon. He then realised, that the trees also had the same flaming aura emitting from it. He approched the tree slowly, he placed his left hand on the tree bark. Bright light radiated, things just got a whole lot weirder.
"W-wh-what am I seeing!?"
The aura wasn't only radiating on the outside, as he placed his hand, he saw the same blue aura flowing within the tree through its stem and roots.
"You got to be kidding me..."
He observed the aura flowing in the tree, it was moving from the soil into the roots and transported through out the tree. After witnesing such things, Isaac thought of an idea. He closen both of his hands, touching both palms, holding his hands together.
"Seems like my theory was correct."
By touching the tree, he saw the aura flowing within it. So he thought, what if he touched his own body. He saw the similar type of aura flowing within him.
"W-wait a minute."
But the flames weren't blue, it was a dark violet colour and he saw....
"SCHLUCKK!!!"
"Is this...how my life...ends."
"I'm sorry Matty...I didn't make it. Looks like...you're right old man."
...a glimpse on what happened last night. The memory of the events that occured have flown into his mind. The horrific statues, the broken heirloom, the shadowy figure that entered him and his body crushing the statues.
"W-what the!?"
Isaac was staggered to the point he fell down on his knees. He was left speechless, panting non stop, couldn't believe what just happened. Three of his fingers touched his forehead as he close his eyes.
"D-did that actually- no it can't be, b-but it was too real."
Isaac took a deep breath, calming down a bit, then he saw a small puddle of water. He gaze onto the puddle, some particles and aura can be seen but what left a nerve-wrecking impression was the reflection. His eyes were glowing turquoise.
"MY EYES HUH!!??" Isaac shocked.
He then rubbed his eyes, it then turn back to his normal brown coloured eyes. The particles and aura also disappeared. He was left in awe.
"These eyes...its giving me the ability to see these weird particles? Whatever are these, it's freaking me out."
The sky was bleeding red as the sun dipped behind the jagged hills. Shadows stretched long across the training field
"I should head home, this was too much for me. Tomorrow is a big day."
Isaac climbed the trees, and leap through the branches on his way back home. After a while, he reaches home, ate dinner and heads to bed.
"I hope nothing goes wrong tomorrow." Says Isaac before shutting his eyes to sleep.
_______________________________________
The light of dawn illuminates the land, a new day approaches. Isaac gets ready, packing his stuff and exits his bedroom. Aunt Jen and Uncle Cyrus are eating breakfast on the table.
"Come and have breakfast dear." Says Aunt Jen inviting Isaac.
"Sorry Aunt Jen but I need to get going, or I'll be late."
Isaac snatches two pieces of toast that were on the table and went to the door. Uncle Cyrus then interupts
"You really think you have a chance out there kid?"
Isaac halted, his uncle has always doubted him, he expected things to go out this way.
"Who knows, you never know unless you try right?"
Uncle Cyrus gritted his teeth
"Hmph, if you say so. Don't cry when you get humiliated."
"Not gonna happen." Isaac responded.
Isaac opens the front door and waves to both of them.
"Wish me luck! See you later!"
Aunt Jen waves back to him, then he shuts the door and moves forward to the examination venue. He pulled out two pieces of paper from his bag turning out to be a map and a letter.
"The examination will be held at The Knights Headquarters. Quite far but I can make it there just in time."
He followed the map, passing through several towns, forests and hills. After some time,as he is reached a hill's peak, he can finally see the kingdom's capital, Soleil City from up there.
"I-it looks more beautiful that I imagined." Says Isaac in awe.
Isaac continues his journey, the headquarters is just a few miles away. Suddenly a man flew out of a tree that was beside him. Long tied hair, muscular body and chains on his arms.
The man leaped through, going to the direction of the capital.
"Who is that? He looks strong!"
A few thousand steps and finally,
"I am here, I AM FINALLY HERE!!!"
The gates of to the headquarters are opened wide, lots of people are walking in. Isaac is only a few steps to enter the next step of his journey.
"Alright! Here we go!"