Chapter 3 Whispers of the Ancients

Giggling, Eryndor cruised towards the shelf in the room, carrying his nimble legs one after the other, while using the walls for support. With an unsteady gait, he approached the shelf and rested on a brick. The brick unlike others was used as a lever to open a dark secluded room inside the house.

The shelf shifted, and opened slightly, enough for Eryndor to crawl in, and as soon as he was inside, the shelf closed and locked itself.

In this room was darkness, no visible source of light to illuminate the room. Unbothered, Eryn babbled and the old spoilt bulb in the room glimmered, illuminating the room. 7 tall shelves were arranged in the room. The thick cobwebs and dust was enough to indicate that the room has not been visited in years.

Eryndor crawled amidst chattering gibberish towards a particular shelf, and tried to reach a particular book in the third row but couldn't, sitting angrily and disappointed, Eryn cried and there...

Three tiny fairies glimmered from the shelf and slowly brought down the book. One of the fairies glided down towards Eryn and sprinkles some fairy dust on his face. Eryn chuckled at the ticklish sensation of the dust and touched the book placed on his legs.

The book began opening by itself, scrolling each pages like there was an invisible reader. The pages were blank and empty until Eryn rubbed his eyes and fairy dust sprinkled on the pages, then the black ink started appearing in bold letters on the book, page by page, they manifested until all the writings were revealed.

'A Father's Hidden Journal'

'A forbidden journal hints at the family extraordinary heritage'

"If you are reading this, my son, it means I am no longer here to shield you from the truths that shaped our family. This journal is my confession, my warning, and my legacy to you. You are more than you appear to be, far more than I could ever explain face-to-face. There are forces in this world—both wondrous and terrible—that have chosen you as their harbinger."

"Your heritage begins with the Pact of the Stars. Centuries ago, our bloodline was entwined with the celestial forces that govern magic. The Tan family was granted extraordinary abilities in exchange for eternal service to the Balance—a fragile state between creation and destruction."

"Every generation, one child is marked by this pact. They bear the crest of the stars, a birthmark unique to our lineage. This child carries the weight of the family's promise to protect the Balance, but the burden is not without cost."

"Your mother and I tried to break the cycle, to ensure you would not be marked. We sought ancient rites to sever the Pact, but I'm not sure it worked. On the night you were born, the Scarlet Moon shone brighter than it had in a thousand years. It was a sign—the Balance had chosen you."

"The crest appeared on your skin before you even took your first breath. I knew then that we could not hide your destiny from you forever."

"The magic within you is both a blessing and a curse. You will find that it responds to your emotions: anger will ignite flames, sorrow will summon storms, and joy will bring life to the lifeless. But beware—the magic hungers for control. If you lose yourself to it, you may become a danger to those you love."

"I have seen glimpses of what you might become, both glorious and horrifying. It is not power that defines you, but how you wield it."

THE END.

The book closed and the fairies again carried the book back to its original position. The book was written about 4000 years ago, with crude materials and animal skin as it papers. It has been passed down from generations to generations in other to keep its history. And from that 4000 years, no one in the family had felt or received anything magic or sorcery related, making it seem like it was just an old superstitious book their ancestors had written. The book had been forgotten in the house library, wasting away in the shelf, untouched for about 200 years.

It seemed that the ancient rites his ancestors had done had worked, that was the reason why there was no traces of the sorcery in their lineage until Eryndor was born.

Morgana walked into sitting room, drying her hands with a towel. Sceptical about not hearing Eryn tantrums or giggles for a long time, she came to check if everything was alright.

"Eryn, my boy, where are you?".

"Where did you go to this time again?".

She checked under the table, under the bed, the bathroom, his room but couldn't find him.

With a grim expression, she began frantically searching for him.

'Where could you be, this boy?'

'Please don't tell me this is one of your tricks'

"Eryndor.."

Silence.

Not finding it funny anymore, Morgana paced out of the house and ran to find Kael.

"Master, Master.. I can't find Eryn in the house"

"Please, help me"

Kael, who was among some men discussing community politics instantly excused himself and ran towards the house.

"Eryn!".

"Where are you?".

Kael and Morgana began searching, every nooks and crannies of the house. They searched till they became tired.

"Are you sure he didn't step out of this house?" Kael asked with his face full of dread.

"Yes Sire, the door was locked and I was cleaning. I realised I didn't hear his playful noise that was why I got curious".

"Okay, let us check one more time before we involve the community".

Kael stood up on his weary legs then heard a click. He thought he heard a sound from his joints, 'had he had a fracture or a dislocation?'.

But no, the sound came from within the walls.

"What made that..."

The shelf acting as a door to the inner room gave way and opened slightly, Eryndor crawled out playfully minding his business. Looking up he saw his father and his caretaker looking at him dumbfounded.

Eryn smiled, squinting his eyes and revealed his toothless gum. Then he crawled hastily towards his cot, with his dusty body leaving his body prints on the floor Morgana just cleaned.

"What sort of child is this?" Kael breathed.

Morgana rushed at him and squeezed him into her chest, she carried him to wash away his dirt.

Immediately she left, another thing caught Kael's attention. Kael looked at the room that was still open and peeped inside. It was dark, so he had to get a lamp. He never believed there was a secluded room in his house and he didn't know.

Well, that house has been standing for more years than he could count. It was a legacy passed down from generations to generations. The oldest standing house in the community. Rumours had it that the house foundation was built with magic.

Scanning inside with his non-existent eyes, Kael inhaled a deep breath and dove in.

'Let me see what is here'.