"NAO!!!"
The voice exploded through the house like lightning splitting the sky. I let out a long sigh, staring at the worn-out ceiling with reluctance.
"Do old people just love making noise?" I muttered to myself.
I rolled over on my thin mattress, hoping that if I stayed still, they'd forget I even existed.
But that hope was pointless.
"NAO! You think you can hide? Get out here, now!"
KRACK!
My door was suddenly kicked open, nearly ripping it off its hinges. I jolted up from my mattress.
My aunt stood at the doorway, her face red with anger.
"You want me to drag you out?! Get up, we're talking right now!"
I sighed heavily and dragged myself outside.
In the front yard, my uncle stood tall with his arms crossed. His face was blank, but I knew he wouldn't take my side in this.
My aunt wasted no time.
"Have you thought about it? Are you going to the academy or not?"
I stayed silent.
"ANSWER ME!"
I clenched my teeth. "...No."
My aunt exhaled sharply, furious.
"You think you have a choice?!" she nearly screamed.
I tried to hold my ground.
"I can stay here. I can help the village—"
"Help the village? With what? By being a useless fool with no future?"
I froze.
"If the government finds out you're still here, they'll think you're a rebel. The whole village could get arrested because of you! Is that what you want?!"
I clenched my fists.
I knew she was right. The government didn't allow people over 17 to live aimlessly. Everyone had to have a role—soldier, merchant, mage—anything, as long as they could be controlled.
I didn't want to be controlled.
I wanted to be free.
But I had no choice.
"Your things are packed," my aunt said firmly.
I didn't respond. I just stared at the ground, swallowing my anger.
"Don't even think about running." Her eyes narrowed.
I forced a bitter smile.
She didn't know I already had a plan.
---
That Evening…
The sunset burned the sky with hues of orange and red, like a painting melting at the edges. Birds chirped softly, returning to their nests. The evening breeze carried the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves.
But I had no time to enjoy any of it.
I ran with everything I had, my breath ragged.
Dry leaves crunched beneath my feet. The elongated shadows of trees, stretching under the dimming sun, seemed to reach out to me—adding pressure to my chest.
I knew this was insane. I knew I wouldn't make it.
But I still ran.
Because I hated being trapped.
Because I hated being controlled.
Because I wanted more from life.
In the silence of the forest, my breathing was the only sound that echoed—
—until I heard something else.
CRACK!
The snap of a branch shattered the quiet.
My blood froze.
My heart pounded violently.
Slowly, I turned my head.
A shadowy figure stood behind me.
He didn't move. But I knew he was watching me.
The evening breeze swept past, shifting my hair aside. The setting sun cast its light, outlining his form—a towering figure, standing firm like an unmovable stone.
I swallowed hard.
"Tch."
I turned and sprinted faster.
But it was too late.
BAM!!!
A massive hand struck my back. My world spun in an instant before I crashed onto the ground.
"A-ARGH!"
I groaned. My entire body felt like it had been crushed.
The once beautiful sky now felt distant and suffocating.
The shadow moved closer.
I tried to get up, but a rough hand shoved me back down.
The evening wind, once comforting, now felt like a chilling whisper of doom.
"Hihihi… Did you really think you could escape from me?"
My uncle's voice echoed in my ears.
I tried crawling away, but that cruel hand grabbed my shirt and lifted me effortlessly.
"Please, uncle! Just for today! Tomorrow, I have to go to the academy!" I pleaded, my voice nearly breaking.
He only smirked.
"There's no such thing as a break in training, Nao."
He tossed me back to the ground like discarded trash.
I gritted my teeth. My eyes burned—not with sadness, but with anger.
Anger at how powerless I was.
Above, the sun was nearly gone.
In just a few minutes, night would arrive…
…and so would my training from hell.