A young man, fifteen years old, approached the old man's body and closed his eyes. Then, he sat down beside him and began to cry loudly.
This young man had just lost the only person he had ever known, the only person he had ever loved. He was now alone, utterly alone.
Sirius cried for an entire day. He was truly in pain. In the past, he hadn't loved his grandfather Aurelius that much; he had been a depressed old man, blinded by hatred. But now? After three whole years of training together... how could he not love him? How could he remain indifferent to his death? It was impossible.
After a day, Sirius finally stopped crying. The sorrow was still there, buried deep in his chest, but he couldn't just die from crying, could he? So, he stood up and returned to Aurelius's house. There, he picked up the ten silver pieces his grandfather had left for him.
Sirius was a rather handsome young man, with long red hair that reached the middle of his back and bright golden eyes. After three years of training, his body had become slim but muscular. He still wore his favorite outfit, a long, black-and-gold hanfu.
He carried a small bag where he dropped the ten silver coins, then closed the door to his grandfather's home for the last time.
Sirius returned to where Aurelius lay and buried him as best he could. After all, he was building the tomb of the most important person in his life. When he finished, and the earth was laid over Aurelius's body, Sirius finally spoke.
"Grandfather... I've decided what my goal is. I'll revive you. I'll climb higher and higher, reach the King Boundary, and find a way to bring you back... to spend more time with you."
For the first time in his life, Sirius prayed, not to any god, not to the heavens, but for his grandfather. He prayed that Aurelius might bloom again in death and rise when the time would come.
Then, he left Aurelius's domain. He had made a vow: he would not return until he found a way to bring his beloved grandfather back.
His first destination was the Bright Village, the place where Aurelius had always bought food. It wasn't far, only ten kilometers away. As someone at the Early Self Completion stage, Sirius could optimize his movement and run at around twenty-five kilometers per hour for a whole day without exhaustion. In less than thirty minutes, he would arrive.
While running toward Bright Village, Sirius observed the landscape. It was his first time outside of Aurelius's domain. Everything was new to him, the roads, the beasts like cows grazing peacefully, even the sight of humans other than his grandfather.
On the road, Sirius passed by a middle-aged man with black hair, a short beard, and brown eyes. He was holding the hand of what seemed to be his wife, a blonde-haired woman with a gorgeous smile and azure eyes. A child, around two or three years old, clung to her back.
Sirius smiled at the sight. After fifteen years, he had finally entered human civilization. He had finally seen someone else. They looked so happy, a perfect little family.
His heart ached with sorrow, yet... how could he not smile at such beauty? He was jealous, but at the same time, if he had been born into any other family, he would never have known Aurelius. And that thought terrified him. After all, Aurelius was everything to him.
Twenty minutes later, Sirius reached the Bright Village. True to its name, the village was glowing with life. Festivals lit the streets, a great bonfire burned in the center, and every house had lanterns filled with fireflies. The entire village shimmered with light.
Sirius stood in awe. He had come from a secluded, quiet domain to a radiant, joyful place where people laughed and lived together. They all looked so happy. The contrast with Aurelius was overwhelming. Now, Sirius truly understood how painful it must have been for that old man to lose everything.
Aurelius had taught Sirius the value of money: ten copper pieces for a night at an inn, food for two or three copper. With five silver pieces, one could buy a small house, and ten could buy a comfortable one. In fact, ten silver pieces were enough to live a hundred days at an inn.
So the first place Sirius went was an inn.
When he entered, all eyes turned to him. His red hair drew attention, red hair was rare, often seen as a symbol of war and blood. People with such traits were rarely welcomed.
Any fifteen-year-old might have been intimidated by such stares, but Sirius? He was at the Early Self Vision Realm. Why would he fear them?
He approached the counter.
"I'd like to stay for a week."
"One silver piece, please," the innkeeper said.
Sirius frowned. "I heard it's only ten copper pieces per night. Why are you asking so much?"
"Because of your red hair, child. It's a bad omen. So, the price is higher."
"What kind of nonsense is that? Just because my hair is a different color, I have to pay more?"
"I make the rules here. If you don't like it, leave."
So Sirius left. He knew there were five inns in Bright Village. Why pay extra here when another might be fairer?
He tried the second inn.
"One silver piece."
Again, because of his hair.
He tried all five inns. Every one of them demanded the same overpriced fee. He had no choice. He finally gave in and paid one silver piece at the last inn, frustrated but understanding the need for shelter. This wasn't Aurelius's safe domain anymore, it was the outside world, he had no idea how dangerous was
He went up to his room on the second floor and began to train.
Aurelius had once told him that major Realms, like Self Vision or Completion, were hard to break through, but within those realms, moving from Early to Mid, then to Late, wasn't as difficult. Once one entered a Realm, they would naturally progress to at least the Late stage in time.
And Sirius knew it was true, for in just a month and a half, he was already approaching the Mid Self Vision Realm. In less than two weeks, he will probably reach it if he train enough.
So that night, his first away from his grandfather's domain, in a ridiculously overpriced inn, Sirius trained. And he would continue training until the day he could bring his grandfather back.