Affinity

Nero didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but he felt immense relief when he woke up.

He had survived.

He was certain that Kiel would have killed him the moment he lost consciousness. After the relief came the pain. His whole body was burning. Every muscle ached, but the worst was his head, left shoulder, and of course, his right wrist, which was broken. He looked at it and saw that it was wrapped in a dirty bandage.

Next, Nero glanced around the room he was in. He didn't recognize it. It was spacious and well-furnished. Nero guessed it must be one of Koal's guest rooms.

He reflected on the fight he had had some time ago. It was a huge risk to play with Kiel's mind since Kiel had lost his caution in the process and tried to kill Nero with all his might. But Nero knew that without doing so, he would have never escaped so easily. Kiel was a highly skilled warrior. If Nero had not driven him into an absolute frenzy, in which it was impossible for Kiel to think clearly, he wouldn't have come out nearly unscathed. But his survival was also due to his careful preparation and sword training with Shire.

At the end of the room, a massive wooden door opened, interrupting Nero's thoughts. Christina entered.

Nero sat up in his bed. Christina paused as she looked into those cold black eyes once again. It seemed as if Nero had never experienced a fight to the death. If it weren't for his injuries, Christina would almost believe it was a dream.

"How are you?" she asked while opening a large wardrobe and taking out some clothes.

Nero briefly closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"Alright, I'd say. It seems I've broken my wrist and a few ribs. But apart from the concussion, there don't seem to be any more serious injuries, as far as I know."

Christina nodded. "You were lucky. It could have ended much worse. He could have killed you." Christina briefly told Nero what had happened after his blackout and how he had survived by a hair's breadth.

After a short while Nero sank back into bed, his eyes closed, "You're right. I was lucky that the mages acted so quickly."

Christina looked up from her task and gazed directly at Nero again. "But you fought well. Where did you learn to wield a sword?" she asked, interested.

Nero simply shrugged remaining silent. He stood up and walked to the door.

Christina rolled her eyes in annoyance. "There's something off about you. I don't know what it is, but you're abnormal."

Nero walked past her. "What am I lucky that you think that highly of me," he said coldly and stepped outside.

He immediately recognized where he was. He was on the second floor of Koal's estate. He had only been here once when he had gone with Koal to his study because Koal wanted to show him a book.

"Wait for me!" Christina said from behind.

Impatiently, Nero turned around. "What are you even doing?"

She glared at him angrily. "I'm getting my clothes. Coincidentally, this is my dressing room."

"Why did I sleep in your dressing room?"

"We didn't have any other available rooms," she said. "We had other visitors."

Now it was Nero's turn to ask with interest, "Who?"

"Well, the esteemed Mr. Gerald. You remember; My father's magician friend."

Nero had to suppress his surge of joy. That's exactly what he had hoped to hear.

"Where is he?"

"Don't be so impatient. He's downstairs, having a conversation with Koal. But you'll have to wait for me for a moment."

"Why?"

"Because you slept in my room. Besides, you can't just barge in there alone."

Nero sighed impatiently, but he knew she was right. He wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. But he could wait a little longer.

"I'll change quickly. Wait for me outside!"

Lost in thought, Nero left the room. He had to adapt his story to make it sound believable. He didn't know what kind of magic this magician possessed, or how powerful he was.

Nero couldn't even be sure if this person could or would help him. But at the moment, it was Nero's best hope of starting anew and finally ceasing to be a lowly slave.

Although the magicians claimed that the Ascension Camp was an opportunity to attain magic, the longer Nero stayed here, the more he lost faith in those promises. Not only the contract and the labor but also the treatment between the magicians and mortals. They were not treated as future equals, but merely as cattle.

Christina interrupted his train of thought once again as she stepped out of the room.

"Can we go now?" Nero asked.

Christina sighed. "You're quite rude."

Nero remained silent. His mind was already focused on his conversation with the magician, and he only half-listened to Christina.

"Forget it," she said exasperatedly, moving ahead without another word.

Nero followed her down the stairs into the living room.

As usual, Koal sat on the chair, smiling warmly at both of them. He wore a long, clean cloak and had freshened up. His nails were trimmed, and his beard was shaved.

Christina, too, was clean and washed, dressed in a long white robe with her hair braided. Only Nero was covered in dirt, with crusted blood sticking to him and his hair disheveled.

His clothes were in no better condition, but Nero didn't care. The only thing that caught Nero's attention was the elderly gentleman sitting on the couch.

He looked much older than everyone else in the room, with long white hair and numerous wrinkles. He wore a loose white shirt, also covered in dirt, but his eyes emanated wisdom and experience.

"Good morning," Koal greeted Nero and Christina.

"Nero, this is Lord Gerald," he then introduced, gesturing towards the older man. "He's a longtime friend of our family. Lord Gerald, this is Nero, whom I've already told you about. He's my daughter's tutor."

The magician stood up and extended his hand to Nero.

Koal raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Christina was shocked by this greeting. Gerald usually didn't behave this way with strangers.

Nero simply smiled and shook his hand, despite the pain in his broken wrist. "Nice to meet you, great Lord Magician."

Gerald smiled back. "No need for formalities. I heard both your parents were magicians as well?"

The question caught Nero off guard. He hadn't expected the magician to ask him about it right away. Nero scolded himself internally for not anticipating it. Of course, that would be the first thing he would inquire about.

Nero didn't show any sign of surprise and replied with a somber voice,

"Yes, that's correct. Unfortunately, I hardly remember them..."

Gerald waved it off. "I've seen cases like this before. The human mind does everything it can to suppress and forget traumas. But don't worry, most memories resurface eventually."

Nero's eyes widened. "Really?"

The magician nodded.

Nero's eyes lit up with excitement. "I was afraid I would never know who my parents were..."

"Please," the magician said, moving towards the large dining table in another part of the room. "Have a seat with me. I'd like to have a little chat with you. Koal, could you offer us something to drink?" he asked the community leader.

Koal nodded immediately and went to inform his wife. Meanwhile, Gerald and Nero sat at the dining table. Out of politeness, Christina also left the room.

"Nero," the magician began, looking him in the eyes. "How much do you know about magic?"

Nero thought for a moment. "Not much," he replied. "It's a mystical force bestowed upon us by the gods, through which we can influence our surroundings. Is that correct?"

Gerald nodded. "In essence, yes. Do you remember if you've ever taken an affinity test?"

Nero had hoped for this question. "No, I can't recall it, no matter how hard I try. I also don't remember how I ended up here."

"I suspected as much. You need to know something. Magic is in our blood. It flows through every being in this world. However, it's stronger in some and much weaker in others. That's what we call affinity. And if you have a strong enough affinity, you are lucky enough to use magic. With each birth, anyone might be blessed with the gift of magic, but there are exceptions.

Magic is not solely a matter of luck; it's also hereditary. Of course, it's not a hundred percent certain, but the probability of a child born of two magicians inheriting their abilities is very high."

Nero's eyes widened. "Does that mean... I might already have magic within me?"

The magician nodded.

"But I don't feel anything. I can't control the wind or manipulate water."

Gerald shook his head. "Just because you have magic within you doesn't mean you can immediately use it. Think of it like a torch. Having one doesn't automatically produce light. You need to ignite it first. And that's what we need to do with your magic. We have to awaken it within your blood."

Nero's eyes began to shine. These were not feigned emotions but his genuine feelings. It was going smoothly. He didn't have to flatter anyone or come up with a new elaborate story.

However, amidst his joy, a nagging feeling slowly started to creep inside Nero. It was a pain he couldn't identify, a sensation he didn't understand. Something that would haunt him for a long time.