The Hero's Puppet Master

Morning sun lit the training grounds of the orphanage with a soft warm light. Ronan stood nearby a line of old, rusty training dummies leaning against his sleek black katana.

"Come on, Aurelia," Ronan called in a cheeky tone. "You won't get stronger by just standing there."

Aurelia sighed and looked at him. "I thought you brought me out here to train, not to lecture."

Ronan grinned as he opened his space bag and rummaged through it. "You'll get both today. Trust me."

He tossed her a heavy sword. Aurelia fumbled to catch it, the weight pulling her arms down. "What is this? This is way too heavy!

"Good," Ronan said, crossing his arms. "Strength comes from struggle. If you want to get stronger, start here."

She sighed and gripped the sword tightly. "I don't see why I can't have a cool sword like yours."

He glanced at his katana, his expression briefly turning serious. "This isn't just a weapon. It's bonded to my mana—like a part of me. You'll get one like it someday, but not today. First, learn the basics."

Reluctantly, Aurelia nodded. "Fine. Let's get started."

"Good," Ronan said, stepping back. "First, channel your mana. Close your eyes and feel it—a second heartbeat inside you. Pull it into the blade."

She closed her eyes, focusing. Warmth spread across her chest and arms. Slowly, her sword began to glow, casting a golden light across the field.

Ronan's eyes went wide. "Stop!"

She was shocked, and she let the magic fade. The glow disappeared. "What? What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Ronan said. "But that kind of power isn't safe—not here, not now. That's divine magic, Aurelia. You're messing with something dangerous.

She blinked in surprise. "Divine magic? You've mentioned that before. What does it mean?"

He leaned on his sword, smirking slightly. "Mana comes in different types. The basic form is pure mana, which you can use for physical enhancement, like body strengthening or techniques like flash steps and also one can learn to heal others with pure mann."

He raised a finger. "Then there are the four elemental magics: fire, water, earth and wind. They're the most common.

"And divine magic?"

He smirk wavered. "Divine magic, alongside dark magic, is rare. But divine magic is on another level entirely. It's the kind of power nations would kill for."

Aurelia's eyes widened. "And I have divine magic? Along with all four elements?"

"Yes," Ronan said with a nod. "You're a prodigy. But that's exactly why you need to keep it a secret."

"Why?

Ronan's voice grew cold. "If the Temple finds out, they'll take you. Not even the royal family can stop them. They'll control you, turn you into their weapon. Your life will never be your own again."

The weight of his words sank in, and her grip tightening on the sword. "I don't want that.

Ronan's tone softened. "That's why we have to hide it. Use only elemental magic. Never show your full power. Not yet."

She clenched her fists but nodded. "Alright. What do I do now?"

"Focus on wind magic," Ronan said. "Picture the blade glowing faint green. Keep it steady and calm."

She shut her eyes again. This time, her sword flickered with a soft green light—weak, but controlled.

"Not bad," he said with a smirk. "Now, let's see if you can hit something."

They trained for the next hour. Aurelia stumbled a lot, her strikes awkward, but Ronan was patient. He corrected her form and threw in snarky comments that earned him plenty of glares.

When they finally stopped for a break, Aurelia was sweaty but grinning. "I think I'm getting better."

"You are," Ronan admitted. "But don't get cocky. Real fights aren't clean. Your enemy won't wait for you to find your balance."

Aurelia burst out laughing, completely surprising him.

"What's funny?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I just remembered how you went from being a 'ruthless warrior' to crying like a baby that day." She laughed harder, clutching her sides.

Ronan scowled. "Erase that memory."

Her laughter trailed into a gentle smile. "I was scared, you know. When he was beating you, I thought I'd lose you."

His face softened, but he said nothing.

"But then my mana awakened," she continued. "We won. And I saw how happy everyone was—even though we had to get our hands dirty to make it happen."

Her eyes grew serious. "I have wanted to ask you, for so long—why are you training me this hard? Why do you fight like that? Why did you slaughter those bandits like it was a matter of personal revenge?"

Ronan went rigid.

She shook her head before he could respond. "No," she said softly. "I won't ask. Something's holding me back from knowing the truth. I'll just follow you, as long as you remain the right way."

After a moment, she smiled faintly, her resolve clear. "I've decided. I'll help everyone-even if it means getting my hands dirty.

Ronan's lips curled into a faint smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good. Dirty hands are a small price to pay for protecting what matters."

As she returned to her training, Ronan watched her, his sharp blue eyes following her every move. His mind spun with thoughts, ones he'd kept buried deep.

She's getting stronger, he thought, watching her swing her blade with newfound precision.

Strong enough to survive. To endure. To fight when I can't.

But beneath that hopeful thought, a darker truth festered in his heart:

I let Valture hit me. I could have ended him, but I didn't. I needed her to wake up. I needed her mana to manifest. She's everything I need now—for my revenge. For my pain.

Every time I died, I woke up as a powerless seven-year-old. Every single time, my powers reset to zero. I trained. I fought. I tried to stop it all, only to watch it happen again. The bandits. The bloodshed. Aurelia being taken away to the temple. Every attempt was meaningless.

This time I don't have hold anything back. This time, I'll train Aurelia to such an extreme that no one will touch her-not the priests, not the bandits, not the gods themselves. She'll be untouchable.

And when the time comes, I'll kill them all. The rebels. The traitors. And above all, the demon king Zorak.

This time, it's my win.

She is my tool. My partner. My puppet in the making.

Far away past forests and hills stood a colossal fortress.

Inside, a masked man strode along a long hall and he came across the big double doors.

Standing to either side were guards attired in white robes and with their hands resting upon the hilts of their swords.

Wordlessly the guards pushed the heavy doors open.

The room inside was enormous, like a king's throne room. In the center of the room was a raised platform with a grand throne.

A man sat on it, his face hidden in shadows. He wore a simple white robe, leaning back lazily, his head resting on one hand as if he didn't care about the world.

The masked man dropped to one knee. "My lord," he said carefully, "the supplies from Vryndoir region have been cut off."

The lord on the throne tilted his head slightly, his tone calm and curious. "Why?"

The man hesitated a little before speaking. "Vulture has been captured, my lord. His entire band was wiped out."

There was a pause. Then, in the same relaxed tone, he asked, "By who?"

The guy shifted uncomfortably. "Just Two kids, my lord."

At this, the man on the throne straightened a bit. The shadows shifted to reveal a faint smirk. "Two kids? Now that's interesting."

The guy nodded. "Yes, my lord. Their skills… they're unlike anything we've seen before and their names is Ronan and Aurelia."

The man on the throne stood up slowly, stretching as if he'd just woken up from a nap. His white robe flowed loosely around him as he walked down the steps of the platform.

"It seems," he said, almost casually, "they've come back."

The masked guy looked up, confused. "My lord?"

He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "My family," he said, grinning.

He rubbed his long white hair with his fingers, still smiling. "Looks like family reunion would be fun after centuries."