The Beginning

Between lofty mountains and a vast sea lay Anonas, a town in the prosperous Kingdom of Theovaleo.

The air was fresh with salt. Fishing boats drifted across steady waters. Peaks of lush greenery peered over the shoreline. Amidst the sound of waves and trees, narrow streets wound around colorful houses.

Along these nestled a cozy bookshop. The bell above its door chimed. From the counter, an attractive young man with brown hair and eyes turned, only to find no one.

But a trail of water appeared on the wooden floor.

"Sneaked out to play on the beach again?”

A floorboard creaked.

“You'll be attending temple school this year. I thought you're grown enough to quit that habit.”

The water pooled.

“And don't you have somewhere to be in the evening? What is it called again? The Frying Bacon?”

“It's the Primer Beacon, Dad.”

Aya showed herself at last.

Light traced her small figure, unveiling black hair, blue eyes, and wet clothes clinging to pale skin. Magic pulsed in the air in those few mesmerizing seconds before fading in ripples.

Her stepfather, Roniel, smiled wryly. “An invisibility spell at the age of twelve… Maybe you read way too many books on magic.”

“Not as many as fiction novels! And as the daughter of a bookshop owner, I can't have anyone mixing up words like Primer Beacon and Frying Bacon. It's blasphemy!”

The man chuckled, “It’s funny how they sound alike.”

“It's a sacred ritual for the gods,” the girl deadpanned.

“There’ll be a bonfire.”

“We're not cooking anything with it.”

“You’ll be burning something.”

“Not food. Oh, now that you mentioned it!”

With excitement, Aya rummaged through her pocket.

Meanwhile, her stepfather grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around her to keep her from getting cold. She smiled up at him and took a moment to dry herself.

“Take better care of yourself. You get sick a lot these days.”

“Okay, okay. Now, look!” Aya pulled out an elaborate handicraft made of radiant seashells in pearly, cream colors. “This is my dedication in the Primer Beacon.”

In the Theovaleo Kingdom, there were rites of passage for certain milestones in life. One of them was the Primer Beacon.

Commoner children aged seven to ten studied in learning centers, and upon reaching twelve, they entered temple school. That's when they took the Primer Beacon as a moving-up ceremony. It’s a night ritual held at the temple weeks before classes began.

The students needed to prepare a dedication—an offering to the ancient fire entity that would be summoned. This could be any raw material from nature, such as flowers or fruits. It served as the physical form of one's life aspirations, though this meaning was lost on many.

At some point, the event had become a competition on who could present the most beautiful dedication that would ‘please’ the gods, turning it into an opportunity to flaunt wealth or status.

“I-I'm not flaunting! I just want to give it my best, and I enjoy making stuff like this. I prepared for days.”

“It’s very lovely, Aya.”

“Ehehe… Thank you, Dad.”

Her stepfather patted her head. “So, you didn't sneak out to play after all.”

“I looked for more shells, and maybe some inspiration too.”

“You haven't had enough of that from reading books?”

“Ermmm…”

Aya did have more than enough inspiration.

The truth was that she'd embarked on a thrilling adventure where she fought sea monsters to uncover a treasure island—at least, her illusions had. While up against the army of crabs and turtles, she tripped in the water. That was how she ended up dripping wet, but she still had the shells.

“Even though I didn't defeat the army, I still got the treasure." Aya smirked to herself, smug. “A battle lost, but a war won. The gods shall be pleased.”

“...Hm, you did sneak out and play.”

---

“What did you bring, guys? I got bacon!”

Aya almost choked.

Apparently, there would really be frying bacon in the Primer Beacon. She imagined her stepfather would laugh at this. Then again, many had brought food. She saw some children even had them in handwoven baskets.

‘So pretty! I wonder how they made those-’

“My parents hired the best craftsmen in town for this!”

‘Ah, right. The competition.’

Sighing softly, Aya continued observing.

Moonlight filtered through the forest behind the temple. The crisp air swept through the trees, from where lanterns glowed faintly. Children stood together in groups.

Aya was alone. She had no friends to hang out with. Though she wished she had, she just never belonged. Most of the time, people forgot about her or that she even existed.

It’s either that they found her weird and kept their distance, or she didn't have any memorable, distinct features, though there were also those who’d isolate her on purpose. She never learned exactly why. She only learned to put up with it.

“We’re missing one person,” someone said.

“Um, maybe that's me-”

“It’s starting soon! Let's go, everyone.”

“Ah, d-don’t leave me!”

Several temple priests stood in line, clad in robes that gave them a dignified presence. In the middle was a handsome man with blond hair, emerald-green eyes, and a refined bearing. All the priests deferred to him, even the high priest. 

A golden pendant with an embellished crest hung around his neck.

‘That crest… Isn't that the royal family’s?!’ Aya saw it only once in a book but never forgot, having always recalled most things clearly. ‘Shouldn’t we bow or greet or throw a welcome banquet? I only ever read about nobles and the likes in stories, but-’

“Ahahahaha! You'd seriously give that?”

A kid was making fun of another nearby, catching her attention. She recognized the lanky boy as Irvin, a bully. With him were children from well-off families. They liked to pick on the shy, quiet Eunice and her friends.

Irvin was now mocking Eunice and her group, who only had rocks, dried leaves, and twigs as dedications.

“Who'd be happy receiving those scraps?”

Irvin guffawed, “Maybe their parents would! ‘Oh, did you see what our baby gave us? How sweet~!’ You might as well give trash!”

“They’re allowed, but seriously? So lame.”

Eunice started crying. Her friends also looked humiliated while everyone else just watched, and it was unbearable. Aya stepped forward.

“Hey!”

Irvin raised a brow. “Well, if it isn't… Who are you again?”

“I’m not talking to you.” She faced the sobbing girl. “Hey, I… I don't think that's bad at all.”

“H-Huh?”

“Your dedication, I mean. Compared to mine…”

“...Huh?”

Lifting her hand, she showed her a mustard seed—as tiny as a grain.

Eunice blinked. Irvin laughed out loud. The others snickered, amused.

“The heck is that?! Are you gonna plant a tree? There's plenty here already! What are you thinking?”

“That you're rude,” she spat, making the boy pause. “I’m thinking that you're rude…and petty.”

“Why, you brat! I’ll get ‘ya!”

“Oh, yeah? Bring it on, punk!”

Irvin was ready to throw hands, and so was Aya.

Suddenly, it's as if they're at the climax of an action novel. Fire burst to life. Sparks and smoke flew. The bright flames illuminated their figures dramatically.

It took a moment too late for Aya to realize there was a real fire.

“No violence on these sacred grounds.” A hand held her raised fist, and she looked up to come face-to-face with a temple attendant. “You go first.”

“Wha?!”

Without her noticing, the priests had formed a circle at the center of a clearing, where a bonfire magically lit up. Their chants filled the air along with streams of crimson-red light that flowed from their fingertips. The magic crackled and swelled in glowing lines that appeared to be characters or symbols.

Aya stared in awe and wonder. “Woah…”

The temple attendant soon pulled her forward, breaking her reverie. Her breath caught as she stood before the fire. It felt alive, and though warm, it made her shiver.

“You may now offer your dedication to the Sageflame.”

‘It has a name? The books only said it's an ancient fire entity.’ Aya hesitantly tossed her dedication, over which she’d cast an illusion to make it appear as a mustard seed instead of the shell ornament she’d originally prepared. ‘Sorry, Sir Sageflame. I can't turn it back with everyone looking, else they'll think I'm a liar, which I guess I am, but… I just want to make friends.’

In her mind, standing up to Irvin could get her close to Eunice and the others. It's a cliche in stories. Friendships developed under such circumstances. That's one reason she helped.

But then, Eunice remained with her group for the rest of the night, and Irvin with his.

Nobody talked to her. Nobody even approached her. Nobody remembered her at all.

Still alone, Aya stood silently at the side until the last dedication was offered. ‘I should've just brought a book…’

“May the gods’ blessings be upon you all.” With the high priest's words, the fire flared brightly one last time before vanishing in a flash.

“Hey, look!”

To everyone's surprise, something remained perfectly intact in the ashes left behind by the Sageflame—an accessory made of seashells. All the dedications should have burned. Even the priests and attendants were shocked.

The man with the royal crest quickly spoke, “To the child who offered this dedication, please step forward.”

‘Ayayaya?!’