THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The morning sun was barely out to illuminate the skies and the chill cold of the morning could be felt intensely. An eerie quietness loomed the whole area, as the residents of the Island seemed to still be overwhelmed by tiredness and probably the soothing cold of the early morning too.

In the midst of the quiet and calmness, a lone figure sat quietly on his bed with a lost expression on his face, his blue eyes sparkled brightly despite the dull gloomy atmosphere of the morning and in them unrest and anxiety could be seen clearly.

His gaze seemed to be focused on a box on a wooden table close by and finally after a deep sigh, stood up his feet and approached the box. He carefully opened it, revealing a wood like bracelet carefully placed safely in it.

"Staring at this bracelet now, I can't help but feel nostalgic." Kairos muttered as he stared keenly at the bracelet now in his hand, his gaze looking some what distant.

After his mother's death he had grown up already traumatized and as a result his social and mental life was in jeopardy from a young age.

He would constantly have nightmares of what had happened that night and images of gloomy and shadowy figures would haunt him every now and then. Slowly his mental health was degrading as the memories and guilt kept tormenting him repeatedly and what made it worse…he couldn't tell anyone about it, off course who would believe his story and not tag him immediately as mad, mentally unstable or call it a childish imagination, so all he could do was endure…endure and most times cry…yes cry, it was the only way he could demonstrate what he felt to an extent without receiving much judgement.

But things had only gotten worse when after the age of ten he still hadn't been able to manipulate any element confirming that he was a Vulgar. Accusing fingers and curses were immediately directed towards him, many believed him to be a symbolism of bad luck and death, a liability while Others mocked and bullied him for his weakness, somehow making him feel unwanted.

Although his already mental health had began slowly secluding him from people, him being a Vulgar hastened it up. While no one said all this words to his face, probably because his father was one of the main founders and was the current chief and protector of the Island, everytime he could looked at them he could feel and see the feeling of hatred, of threat and of weariness even in their eyes and somehow he had become an outcast in an Island meant for outcasts.

Slowly he began to believe the rumors and beliefs of the Island settlers, 'what use is a liability after all… couldn't save her and wouldn't be able to save her now, or any one.'

While Miss Eleanor would most times try encouraging and helping him, he already knew it was far too late for him, as the only thoughts that ran through his mind were that of death.

On his way home one day he had found a dagger lying casually on the floor and had decided to pick it up. His mind was made up, and he knew what he was going to do, his father wouldn't be around to stop him after all, he would be busy trying to run the Island.

Unfortunately and surprisingly his plans were put to halt by a sudden intrusion that day, one he would not forget as it had shaped the new him.

While he held the dagger in his unwavering hands and pointed it towards his chest where his heart was located, a sudden knock was heard on his door and next the door was opened disclosing the person standing on the other end, his blue eyes locked on to Kairos and the dagger in his hand. This was the last person Kairos had wanted to see at the moment.

Yet what happened next still shocked Kairos…even till date, although the man on the other hand had seen the dagger in his hand and were it was pointed at, he didn't flinch or tried forcefully disarming him…no, instead he slowly walked over to the bed and sat close to him calmly.

His gaze fixated at Kairos as Kairos could see his blue eyes slowly water up, this caused Kairos to feel conflicted and confused as this was the first time he had seen this figure he always imagined as strong and without emotions cry, the man in a calm tone finally spoke:

"You know, your mother had always wanted to create or support the creation of a region that was free from the clutches of racial intolerance, a region were people were not classified according to the faction they come from but for who they truly are, a region were beliefs weren't imposed on people but freedom of distinct choices and beliefs were promoted and tolerated…but she had died before she got to recreate this dream of hers." The figure said with a slight smile, as tears continuously rolled down his eyes.

"...a wise man had once told me 'when someone close to you dies without accomplishing his dreams and aspirations it becomes your duty to fulfill those aspirations as they become yours after their death." He said again, this time his gaze looked distant.

"Is that why you named the Island Pacifica?" Kairos could remember asking as realization dawned on him.

"Hm." The figure simply nodded in affirmation before his calm voice could be heard again;

"You know many times before her death, she'd always talk about how she wished and wanted your childhood to be nothing like ours, she wanted it to be one without the restraints of the power struggle by the factions. She wanted a life for you where you made friends, could smile and make your own choices, one where you would grow up strong, kind and happy." The figure said before slowly standing up his feet.

"But I am…too weak and worthless." He could still remember muttering as he stared at the standing figure but the latter simply smiled and shook his head slightly.

"Boy…up until now, you've been nothing close to weak. One who is truly weak is one who has lost all hope, that is true weakness, and worthless? If I'm honest the only worthless one here is me, who has failed to be a good father to my son." The figure replied as his blue eyes that had always looked warm now bore sadness and regret in them.

He could still remember them both staring at each other for a while before he finally left the room and immediately he did Kairos could still remember how he felt afterwards. He had been So selfish and stupid, taking away the life his mother had sacrificed hers to keep. So foolish not to realize his life wasn't just his anymore and that moment there had shaped who he grew up to become.

Kairos gaze was still focused on the bracelet as he muttered to himself in a calm tone:

"Mother…I'm sure you'd have also wanted me to do something to stop this imminent war and not just sit around idly."

The skies had now gotten bright and the morning sun was almost out, the chill cold and eerie quietness were nowhere to be found as the repeating sounds of birds and growls of beasts could be heard.

Kairos quickly looked out his window as he whispered slowly to himself "I guess it's time." He then put on the bracelet in his hand before picking up a bloated leather bag lying casually in the room and zooming out.

Immediately he got outside his room, he spotted his father who seemed to just be waking from his sleep as his blue eyes still looked dull and his movements were sluggish and tired. It didn't take long too for Leander to also notice him and immediately he did he paused and stared at him weirdly.

"Tell me boy…did you even sleep?" Leander asked in curiosity as he kept his tired looking eyes locked onto his son.

"How can I?" With a smile, Kairos replied to him casually, causing Leander to shake his head slightly.

"I guess it's time eh?" Leander asked in a low tone causing Kairos to nod his head in affirmation.

"Well…at least a meal before we go to the harbor shouldn't hurt right?" Leander asked as he rubbed his belly with a smile, but Kairos quietly stared intensely at him causing him to sigh deeply.

"I guess no food then, well better go change up then." Leander replied in a disappointed tone as he slowly walked into a room and in no time was out again, this time cladded in leather armor and by his side a sheathed sword.

With a nod, both parties immediately left the house and began their journey.

Although the Island was pretty broad, the area currently inhabited by the settlers wasn't even up to half of the Island's landmass and because of the small region occupied by the residents, most of the settlement's structures, buildings and landmarks were very close to each other making transportation by foot easier.

As the duo walked to the harbor, Kairos had noticed the settlement unusually quiet and scanty but finally concluded that the residents might have just been too tired so most weren't up yet.

After a while of walking they had finally arrived at the harbor but what Kairos saw next totally confused him. He could see a large group of most of the residents all crowded at the harbor and literally making it impossible to see the boats as they all looked like they were waiting for something.

Immediately they had sighted Kairos and his father, the crowd began cheering, some supportively chanting Kairos's name and few even crying.

Kairos at this moment had been thrown into a whole new level of confusion as he was currently looking dumbfounded, he immediately stared at his father in search for an explanation but the latter simply shrugged as he said in indifference:

"It's a small town boy…news like this are supposed to make rounds."

Kairos simply shook in head tiredly after he heard his father's explanation as his gaze refocused on the cheering crowd, he slowly walked into the crowd with his father walking behind him and trying to calm the crowd a bit.

Many asked for hugs and encouraged him while others simply just cried as they didn't seem to have the capability to say words at the moment. In as much as Kairos was appreciative, all of this just felt weird.

Actually in normal sense the best way to describe his relationship with most of the residents of the Island was weird. He was at first despised by them to the extent he even began despising himself but as time went on and Kairos stopped paying attention to their criticism and despise, the residents had also began looking past him being a Vulgar and his former disassociating character and at who he had become, well although some still despised him it had become a minority now compared to before.

As he kept diving through his supportive crowd in an attempt to get to the spot where he was to board the shop he had bumped into three people he hadn't expected to, it was his friends; Aiden, Nadia and Vanora.

Immediately they spotted him, they quickly approached him with Vanora lightly nudging him on the shoulder.

"You really planned on leaving the Island without even informing ueh...Vulgar." She said jokingly causing Kairos to smile slightly.

Aiden suddenly placed his hands on Kairos shoulders as he tried masking the sadness in his tone with a calm expression: "Although it's definitely a crazy plan…still wishing you success brother."

Kairos simply nodded as he pulled in to give Aiden a long hug, at that moment Aiden couldn't hold in his sadness anymore as he burst into tears.

As they shared an emotional moment, Nadia suddenly broke in as she equally nudged him with her shoulder causing him to stagger slightly

"And remember…if you die out there, we would kill you." She said in a sadistic but yet seeming happy tone.

Kairos simply shook his head slightly as his blue eyes began watering up but he didn't seem to be the only one as the others too had their shares of watery eyes.

Without saying anything, they all pulled in for a long hug before Kairos muttered in a tone audible to the three of his friends.

"I definitely would not want that."

While the group of friends seemed to still be engrossed in the emotional moment they were sharing, Kairos's father, Leander suddenly broke in as he said in a comical tone:

"Alright…alright, that's enough good bye and farewell for one day…you make it seem like his about to die and never come back and if we stay any longer you might have to swim to the Verdant's region." This immediately caused the group of friends to detach from each other with a shy smile.

Kairos was about boarding the boat when he heard a very familiar voice that caused him to immediately pause and stare back.

"Claudius?" he muttered as he immediately sighted him few steps away panting heavily.

"You…you didn't think I would miss your farewell ceremony eh." Claudius said in-between breaths as he stared at the boy standing few steps away with a dumbfounded expression. He then walked towards the boy with a smile as he stretched his hands to him, in them was a chain with a fragile and transparent looking circle shaped pendant that seemed to have a blue liquid in it.

"You should have this young Kairos."

Kairos stared at him and the object in his hand, looking even more confused but had heard his voice again.

"Its a good luck ornament…you didn't think I went on all those adventures of mine without some sort of augmentation at least did you?"

Kairos simply smiled at his question as he took the ornament offered to him.

"Well while I would usually use this for my adventures, I think I've had my fair share of adventuring for now, but you…yours is just beginning so you would need this more than I would." Claudius said with a smile as this had caused Kairos to even tear up the more as he muttered the words "Thank you so much." But the latter simply waved his hands as he replied in indifference "Don't thank me boy…it's just a enthusiast doing his fellow enthusiast a favor."

The sailor could be heard making a last call to all those who wanted to board the ship and Kairos knew it was time for him to go, time for him to begin his journey but staring at the faces of his friends, family and supporters he couldn't help but have some feeling of reluctance to leave.

This were people he had grown up with and gotten accustomed to. Who knew what would happen immediately he boarded that ship, who knew if this would be the last time he saw Pacifica Island or if this would be the last time he would see the faces of the ones he loved.

'But…I think at times, it's impossible to avoid those dangerous but important journeys we make…because most times those journeys hold the fate of many…many people.'