(Helena's POV - Past Memories):
I was doing my morning chores as usual. Feeling a presence behind me, a bright smile appeared on my face. I knew what was coming because yesterday was the first time I'd used magic powers in front of my son after his memory loss. Why? Because my son is monstrously talented in aspects of magic.
Zeun von Rosewood, my only son of four, has a brain surpassing his age and is extremely curious by nature, always wanting to know and understand whatever he can't comprehend. Even when he was less than a year old, I still remember how happy he was when his father, Paul, performed a sword dance for us, the mother-son duo.
Next, it was my turn to perform a magic show for the father-son duo. I could vividly remember the cute pair with black hair and bright red irises looking at me with curiosity, expectation, affection, and joy. Since then, little Zeun constantly tried to chant spells and cast magic, copying my hand gestures until he fell asleep.
"Ya ya ya ya..... whoooouuu uuu," were the only cute words escaping from his mouth.
A week later, we discovered our son's amazing talent for magic when he instinctively began absorbing mana from his surroundings and Awakened on his own.
One must remember that even geniuses with the potential to become an 8th-circle mage before they turn 100 years old take at least seven to eight months to absorb mana before awakening.
But here, look at this boy! He awakened on his own when he wasn't even a year old. What kind of absurdity is this?!
[Note: Normal people awaken at age 10. Monsters like MC and some other people awaken differently. More details in Ch 9.]
Both Paul and I were dumbfounded by this, while our naughty child merely giggled. From that day, he always stuck to me, asking with his puppy eyes for me to show him magic.
~~
Present: Helena's Dilemma
So, if I use magic, it's highly likely that the mana in his body will react, and the seal will weaken even faster, especially combined with his innate Darkness element. That's why I've deliberately kept him away from any kind of magic. But now, his nightmares of the past have gotten frequent, implying that the memory seal is weakening. It's two years earlier than I expected, but there's nothing else I can do. As a 5th-rank mage, I'm at my limits.
I pray to God that Zeun's will is strong enough to bear the burden of his past and control his element. Negative emotions are the fuel for the darkness element. When a body is unable to control its own innate element, the brain gets overloaded with that element, and the person becomes crazy, turning into an undead mana zombie
~~
"Mom! Mom!..." My son's cute voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Looking at those big, round, adorable pair of signature red irises and that innocent round face, my heart fluttered with joy.
"Mommy! Are you okay?" Zeun asked, worried by his mom's weird behavior. Helena gently pulled her son's cheeks and replied, "Mommy is okay. Now, go to the washroom and freshen up."
However, Zeun didn't move. He looked deep into his mother's eyes and asked, "Mommy, what was that fire you made in thin air last night? Was it magic like in the stories you tell me?"
A helpless sigh escaped Helena. "Okay, I get it. I'll tell you everything about magic during breakfast. Now go!"
Like an obedient boy, I, Zeun, went to the backyard of the small house. Taking a bucket of fresh, cold water from the well, I headed inside the rustic wooden outhouse. Placing myself in a comfortable position, I began answering nature's call with a relieved expression on my face. As the symphony of plops and gurgles played, I couldn't help but imagine myself as the reigning monarch of a quirky, bathroom kingdom, crowned with toilet paper scepters and surrounded by the fragrant aura of toiletry conquests.
The serene pasture became a scene of bovine bewilderment as the grazing cattle, lost in their cud-chewing reverie, were ambushed by an unexpected olfactory assault. Their noses contorted into a collective expression of utter disbelief as a thick stench wafted through the air, catching them off-guard. In the midst of their cud-chewing symphony, the cows couldn't help but unleash a chorus of disgruntled "moo," before surrendering to an involuntary bovine siesta, cursing the unseen culprit responsible for their comically miserable fate.
Oblivious to his deed, the one responsible for the unknown fates of innocent cattle jumped out of the outhouse with a big smile plastered on his face. Sobering himself up in the fresh, cold well water, Zeun von Rosewood, also known as our MC, moved inside the house.
Sitting at the breakfast table, Zeun declared, "Mom, now start telling me everything about this world and magic!"
"I don't think there's anything more you need to know. You already know most of it," Helena replied.
"What do you mean, Mom?" I tilted my head, not understanding what she wanted to say.
Seeing his son acting all cute and naughty, Helena pinched his cheeks. Zeun removed his mother's hands with an adorable pout. Helena chuckled. "All the stories about kingdoms, demons, empires, magicians, knights, Aura Masters, dwarves, elves, magical beasts... everything I told you till today is true to its core. There are many things even I, as a former Noble, don't know," she said with a calm tone and a serious look on her face.
Excitement and anticipation filled my heart, but then I complained, "Why did you hide the fact from me until today, Mother?"
Startled, Helena looked deep into her son's eyes. He had never once called her 'Mother.' Zeun always called her 'Mom,' which Helena quite liked. But this new way of addressing her felt a little distant. Helena involuntarily clenched her fist under the table. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "I never hid those from you, else why would I tell you those stories?"
"But you never said that those stories were true," Zeun argued.
"You never asked," Helena replied calmly, trying to lighten the mood.
Zeun's face twitched. Seeing her son's face, Helena burst into laughter.
Taking a deep breath, Zeun calmed himself down, not willing to entertain his mom. She was always so "happy-go-lucky," which sometimes left him confused about her past as a noble. Generally, any noble, after being stripped of their nobility, would find it hard to adjust to a commoner's life.
But seeing his mom happily living without a care in the world seemed too good to be true, as if it were an act. Zeun was unsure about his own thoughts; these doubts arose because he couldn't remember his childhood, no matter how hard he tried—which, no matter how one looked at it, wasn't normal for a four-year-old child. This made him suspicious of his family.
"What are you hiding from me, Mother? And who is my father? If those stories about princes, princesses, and families are all true, then where is my family, Mother? Where are my grandparents, uncle, and aunt? Do they truly exist? If yes, then why are we living in this desolate and lonely house at the edge of the village? Why don't you even let me go to the village? Except for you, I've only seen Aunt Melida, and that's only when you go out for work. You never even teach me about magic; all you tell me to do is run around the house, climb trees, and carry logs!" Zeun bombarded his mother with questions, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Helena's body stiffened. A heart-wrenching pain assaulted her from within. Memories she didn't want to remember kept coming, and she clenched her fists as her eyes moistened. Calming herself down, she looked into her son's eyes with sadness and deep love. She stood up, moved near her son, and hugged him tightly.
Zeun hugged his mother back, his agitated heart calming a bit. He heard his mother's beautiful voice.
"My dear baby, I have sealed a portion of your memory. Why, you ask?
There is a reason for each and everything that happens in this world regardless how insignificant it might seem but each and every action has a reason behind it. Be it good or bad ,holy or evil.
So don't ask any more; it's for your own good. This is also why I created distance between you and magic, which you so madly loved. Therefore, train harder so that you can control the influx of memories and your innate element.
Your first memory seal is going to break very soon. After that, I shall take you to the city."
My heart was in turmoil. I couldn't understand most of what Mom told me, but one thing I understood for sure was: 'I have to work harder.' I resolved to train even harder. I was excited that I would remember much new knowledge, but also worried. Whatever happened in the past was surely not a good thing; otherwise, why would Mom seal my memory?
"Yes, Mom, I promise to work even harder."
A smile appeared on Helena's face. She released me from her embrace and moved back to her chair.
After finishing our food, Mom passed me a small, egg-sized, vantablack-colored crystal. It was so dark that it seemed to absorb whatever light particles fell on it.
"What's this, Mom?" I asked curiously.
"It's a Darkness Crystal," Helena explained. "Always keep it with you. It will help you get rid of bad dreams, but it will also drastically increase the 1st memory seal's corruption. At most, it will take a week. So train harder."
"Yes, Mom. I will train the hardest this week," I replied with enthusiasm.
---
It had been a week since Mom gave me the Darkness Crystal. Nothing much happened after that; even the nightmares were gone for good. I was doing my usual training. Mom was encouraging me to run even faster.
Sometimes I thought, 'Isn't she a mage? Then how can she be so physically fit?' Suddenly, my vision darkened, and I collapsed.