Beginning Of The Journey

“Now that I’ve got the staff and I’m getting used to it… what’s the next step?” Shu asked, glancing at the glowing ball of light floating beside him. A few weeks had passed since the hunt for the staff began, and under Lumina’s guidance, Shu had begun to unlock the staff’s secrets—especially its ability to shrink, which had already proven handy.

“We’ll need to leave the village soon,” Lumina said, its light pulsing gently. “It’s no longer safe here.”

Shu’s expression shifted from curiosity to something more solemn. Sensing it, Lumina tried to soften the mood. “We’ll return someday. But for now, if you want to master your powers, you’ll need training—and not just from me. You’ll need different mentors, each with unique things to teach you. It’s the only way to reach your destiny.”

That brought a smirk back to Shu’s face. “I can’t help but feel excited about where this path will lead.”

Elsewhere in the village, Hannah had been using the time to sharpen her skills. Her maternal instinct burned fiercely—especially now that her child was destined to face enemies of immense power. She pushed herself to the limits, refining her control over kantar until she could accomplish more while using less. In the process, some of her old celestial abilities had begun to return.

She was meditating in her room when a knock interrupted her thoughts.

“Mom, is there anything to eat?” Shu’s voice called through the door. “I skipped breakfast. Spent all morning with Lumina.”

Smiling softly, Hannah opened the door. “There should be some oatmeal left in the kitchen. You can have that while waiting for lunch.”

Without another word, Shu bolted for the kitchen and devoured the oatmeal in seconds. With his hunger satisfied, he ran off to the orphanage to spend the day with his friends—it was Saturday, after all.

He reached the building and took a deep breath. “Hey, Toby! You up?” he shouted.

“Yo, who you yelling at?” a voice said beside him.

Shu turned, startled. “When did you get here?”

“I was standing right next to you,” Toby replied, smirking. “What’s up?”

“I was thinking about where we should hang out today,” Shu said. Then, more seriously, “Truth is, I’ll be leaving soon. If I stay, it’s only a matter of time before they catch me.”

Toby’s smile faded. “Yeah... I figured this day would come.” He looked down, then added, “Well, if this is your last day here, you might as well spend it with us.”

They headed to the orphanage’s playground and spent hours playing, laughing, and making memories—aware this might be their last day together.

When the lunch bell rang, they raced to the hall and ate together like old times. Afterward, Toby said, “I wanna show you something cool.”

He held out his palm, and a blue flame flickered to life.

Shu’s eyes widened. “Whoa! Since when can you use kantar?”

“Your mom taught me,” Toby said with a proud grin. “I was always watching her train, so she decided to teach me a few tricks.”

“Well,” Shu chuckled, “I guess I won’t need to worry about you when we’re on the road.”

Toby blinked. “Wait—you want me to come with you?”

“Of course,” Shu replied. “You’re basically my only friend.”

Toby beamed. “Then I guess I better pack. When are we leaving?”

“Uhhh… not sure yet,” Shu said, rubbing the back of his head. “I haven’t told my mom.”

Toby rolled his eyes. “Dude! Go tell her!”

Back home, Shu filled Hannah in on his conversation with Lumina.

“I was thinking of leaving the orphanage anyway,” she said after a moment. “We’ll go tomorrow. Let’s get packing.”

That night, Shu returned to Toby with the plan. The next morning arrived faster than expected.

Before leaving, Hannah visited the nun who had taken her in, expressing deep gratitude. She was on her way to say goodbye when a group of soldiers stormed into the orphanage grounds.

“You all need to line up,” barked the troop leader. “We’re conducting a search.”

The nun stepped forward. “By what right?”

“Government orders. Either let us search or the orphanage gets shut down.”

Defeated, the nun nodded, and the children began lining up in a single file.

From the distance, Hannah’s eyes narrowed. She rushed to Shu and Toby, urgency in her voice. “We have to leave. Now.”

Shu looked alarmed. “How, Mom? We’re surrounded—”

“Just grab on to me.”

He obeyed, and Toby quickly latched onto Shu. Before the soldiers could blink, a flash of light engulfed them.

They reappeared at the edge of the village, surrounded by trees and open terrain.

No survival gear. No time to plan. Just the three of them, starting their journey toward an uncertain future—for the sake of their safety… and the safety of everyone they loved.