Recollection 4

This is a story of a certain boy.

It was the kind of story you could find anywhere. The boy in question was young, rambunctious kid, only ten years of age. And befitting such a kid, one day, he did something kids should never do, and yet all do regardless... The boy ignored his parents' warnings.

Together with a group of boys and girls his age, the boy ventured into a certain forest. Problematic, yes, but usually, not a big deal. Except for the fact that they went far too deep. And as a result, they got lost.

A couple of hours had passed, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't find a way out. Younger children started crying, and the older ones naturally put up a strong front and calmed them down, fighting as best as they could against their own tears. And this boy was no exception.

And then, came perhaps the worst part. Or, if you asked the boy, it was maybe the best part.

A monster appeared. Disturbed by the kids' cries, a massive bear-like creature stood in front of the kids. And just as the children descended into tears—this time all without exception—a mysterious person entered the fray.

That person defeated the monster so quickly that the kids didn't even have the time to blink. What came after that was, perhaps, the strangest part of the story. You see, this mysterious person, was a child himself. A boy only eleven years of age.

The newcomer turned to the kids and said: "My name is Zephyrus Meyer! And I am the savior of this world!"

The person's introduction, childishness of which fit his apparent age, made the situation even more baffling. If he only looked young, but was actually an ancient elf, or an eternally young magician, the situation would at least make a lick of sense. But as he was clearly a kid (or at least someone equally immature to one), one just had to accept the ridiculousness of the situation. That this eleven-year-old brat could kill a powerful monster in the blink of an eye.

But honestly, none of that mattered.

The strangeness of the newcomer, his childish mannerisms, his ridiculous strength—all of that was only secondary to our story. The most important thing was the boy. Or rather, what the boy thought.

Exhausted from getting lost at the forest and scared senseless by the sudden appearance of a monster, the boy experienced a great shock. But even greater was the feeling of amazement when all of his struggles were erased in the blink of an eye by this Zephyrus.

In that moment, the boy thought.

So this is what it means to be a Hero.

It was perhaps the most childish and pure answer one could give. No doubt that the hero in question would not have agreed with such simplistic assessment. But maybe because of that, there was something irrefutable about this answer.

The boy never got an opportunity to talk with this Zephyrus; the mysterious powerful stranger escorted them home and then immediately left. Despite that, the boy's mind was fully preoccupied with Zephyrus.

Day and night he thought about the young hero who was so close to him in age. And eventually, the boy obtained a dream. He aspired to be just like his Hero.

In a way, his dreams came true very soon. The boy received his Blessing when he was only twelve. And then, he trained very, very hard—all so that he could catch up to his hero.

Little did the boy know that he would outpace even his idol.

Six years after receiving his Blessing, that boy will become a Hero. That title will not be official, and nobody but a single person will remember him as such.

But the boy's hero alone will. And whenever he will remember the boy, he will think to himself.

So this is what it means to be a Hero.

And to the boy, that alone meant the whole world.