Decision

My mother's brother?

"Uncle?" I asked hesitantly, trying to process what my mother had just told me. As I looked at the man, I realized that he had the same black hair and emerald-green eyes as my mother. He must have known who I was all along, and I felt foolish for not realizing it sooner.

'I wasn't expecting that,' Rye, my familiar, said in my mind with a light chuckle.

"Me neither," I replied.

Zeph, my newly discovered uncle, extended his hand for a handshake. "It's nice to finally meet you, Falyn. Your parents and sister told me a lot about you while you were asleep. Awakened at the age of four? Very impressive. I also heard we have the same elemental attributes: wind and darkness, right?"

I shook his hand, playing along with his act. "Likewise, and yes, wind and darkness are my elements."

I was surprised to learn that Zeph also had the wind and dark elements, and it made me wonder about the spell he used to nullify my wind bullets. It must have been some kind of dark magic spell. Interesting.

"Now that you're awake and you and Zeph are acquainted, we need to discuss matters about the future," my father said, handing me some food.

As I took the bread my father offered and dipped it in the soup, I asked, "What's happening in the future?" Despite my curiosity, I was more focused on my hunger.

"Well, specifically, it's about your and Myla's future," my mother said as she sat down across from me. My father sat next to her, and Myla sat next to me.

I began to worry at her words. "What's going on?"

"Well, your father and I have been talking, and we have come to a decision. Myla is almost ten and is close to being ready to attend school. We planned to send her off to the academy in the capital once the time comes. We told her all this while you were asleep, and she has already agreed," my mother explained.

Myla's face beamed with pride as she said, "All I have to do to get in is pass the entrance exams, and it's smooth sailing from there!"

Although I was not surprised by Myla's talent, I was unsure of how I fit into their plans. "That's great and all, but where do I play into this? I'm not old enough to attend the academy," I paused, trying to piece it together. "Do you want me to go with them anyway? But what could I possibly do?"

Zeph laughed, "This kid catches on fast. He's nothing like you, Melvin."

My father just smiled and spoke calmly to me. "Like your mother was saying, yes, Myla is going to attend school, but not you, Falyn, at least not yet. It's all up to you, but your mother and I think you should train under Zeph, given your similar elements and talents."

I glanced at Zeph, wondering if this was what he meant when he said, "I can tell you, but only if you accept" before knocking me out. Had he known that my parents would suggest this?

"Why can't you just train me here, dad?" I asked, curious as to why my father couldn't train me himself and anxious about what going to the capital would mean for me.

"I feel as if I'm holding you back," my father sighed. "I see so much potential in you, so much more that if you keep training with me, you will never be able to release your shackles." As he spoke, his expression turned glum, not because he was disappointed in me, but because he genuinely believed what he was saying.

I had been hiding my progress from him and the whole family, fearing they would treat me differently. But seeing him now, and how he cared about my future and progress, I couldn't help but realize how foolish it all was. I had been with them for four years, and they didn't care about me being a mage, nor did they treat me as their little "genius." They only cared for me as a son and brother, wanting the best for me.

"Don't get me wrong, though," my father continued, "I can still give you pointers here and there. And when you get stronger, we can actually spar, instead of you fighting just my golems."

I smiled, "I see. But don't get mad if I end up beating you."

He playfully scoffed, "Yeah, right. Like that'll ever happen."

At this, my father's expression seemed to brighten up a bit.

Thinking about what he said, I pondered over the events that happened last night. I knew Zeph was strong from our fight, probably stronger than I'd guessed. If I could train under him, and in the capital no less, I would learn a lot about magic and this world. It was an offer I shouldn't pass up.

I couldn't help but think he had planned all of this. He showed me his strength knowing I would want to know more. Now he was giving me a choice.

Damn, sly bastard…

I turned back to my father, "Even if I do decide to train under Zeph, is there any way I could see you guys, or could you come to visit?"

My mother interrupted before my father could speak. "Of course, dear. I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said. "Your father and I will be at Tri Beach. There's a warp gate there, so we won't be that far away. Zeph also brought us some communication amulets so you can contact us whenever."

Zeph pulled three stone circular tablets from a bag and placed them on the table. He slid them over to me, Myla, and my father, saying, "Just implant your mana signature into these, then have the person you want to contact later, or in the future, implant their mana signature as well. This will allow you to contact that person from anywhere, no matter the distance."

I inspected the tablet more closely, noticing a sky-blue gem embedded in the center. I assumed this was where I should implant my mana signature.

I placed my index finger on the gem and pushed my mana into it. The gem glowed and pulsed for a couple of seconds, then stopped. I looked around at my father and Myla, and saw that their amulets had done the same. My mother pulled out her own amulet, and we all exchanged mana signatures so we could contact each other.

After we were all finished, my parents and I continued discussing my future. Although I was only four years old, they saw me as old enough to decide my own path, which I found kind of strange, but I quickly got used to it.

Now that I had the amulet, allowing me to contact them at any time, I didn't see any problem with going to train under Zeph. Despite his self-importance and snide remarks, he sounded like an actual good person.

To pass the time my mother and father entertained us with stories of his past antics. Furthermore, they shared how Zeph would casually join their party when he was bored, always causing a scene. One story in particular stood out, in which Zeph fell asleep in a dungeon and got swallowed by a mana beast. Fortunately, he managed to kill it from the inside and survive, but reportedly smelled for a whole week afterwards.

They shared many other similar stories, and Zeph just sat there embarrassed, making excuses for himself.

These stories gave me a new understanding of Zeph's character, and I started to see him in a different light. I could tell that my parents trusted him completely, given their rapport and friendly teasing. It was clear that my father and Zeph had known each other for a long time.

'He doesn't seem that bad,' my familiar Rye thought to me. 'I think we should go.'

Rye, you just want to explore the capital, I thought back.

But Rye had a point - Zeph didn't seem that bad. The more we talked, the more I accepted his personality.

Eventually, I made a decision.

I turned to Zeph and said, "I'll train under you, but you have to promise to keep my abilities hidden from people as much as possible. I don't want to be seen as some kind of freak."

Zeph let out a hearty laugh in response. "Deal! But I don't understand why - if I were awakened at your age, I would definitely show off and flirt with the young noblewomen."

"Well, I'm not as flamboyant as you, Zeph," I replied.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Fal. Zeph is a good mentor, but please try to avoid his bad habits," my mother chuckled. "Regardless, I'm glad you've made your decision. We'll pack our things tonight and leave at dawn tomorrow."

With that, we all went to our rooms to pack. I gathered books I thought would be useful in the capital and then moved on to my clothes, which all looked practically identical. I made a mental note to buy new clothes once we arrived in the city.

'Don't worry, I'll remind you,' Rye said.

Really? That would be helpful, I replied.

Rye chuckled. 'Yeah, if I remember.'

After calling Rye a useless familiar, I finished packing my things and helped my family pack theirs.

Once we finished, we all had a talkative dinner, made even livelier by Zeph's presence. It was our last dinner in that house, so my father went all out on the cooking. The aroma of the food filled my nose, making my mouth water, and I made sure to save some for Rye.

We all laughed and talked as we ate the feast. Time seemed to fly by, and being surrounded by family and loved ones made everything feel right.

When dinner was over, we all went to sleep. Since we didn't have a spare room, Zeph had to sleep on a makeshift pallet he made in the living room.

I was tempted to have Myla splash some water on his face while he was sleeping, but I decided against it.

I went to my room and crawled into bed, feeling eager and excited for the future, letting my eyes shut on their own.