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Chapter 4 – Sparks in the Street
Theo and his friends were running through the village, dodging carts and laughing like idiots, all because Aunt Sera had tossed them a pouch of coins and said, "Herbs. Bread. No candy. I'm watching you."
She wasn't watching them.
And they definitely bought candy.
The market wasn't quiet today — but that wasn't unusual. Villagers yelled over one another like it was a contest. A butcher shouted about boar meat while someone else argued about the price of onions. The smells were strong: cooked fish, sweat, sweet fruit, and the sharp sting of fresh-cut herbs.
It was chaos.
But comfortable chaos.
There were stalls for vegetables, fruits, potions, cloth, wooden trinkets… even a small weapons stand with battered swords and chipped shields laid out like they were part of someone's attic sale.
Kael ran up to the herb vendor and grabbed a handful of dried leaves.
"Are these the ones?"
Theo stared at them. "They look like crunchy weeds."
"They smell like wet socks," Noah added.
"Then definitely the ones," Theo said, grabbing the packet the vendor handed over. "Mom always says 'if it stinks, it's working.'"
They were halfway to the bread stall, laughing about how bad the herbs smelled, when it happened.
A sound — sharp and sudden — cracked through the air like thunder.
BOOM.
The ground didn't shake, but the noise turned every head in the market.
Kael nearly dropped the coin pouch. "What was that?!"
"Something exploded?" Noah said.
Theo didn't answer. He was already running toward it.
They followed the sound to a wide open space near the training courtyard — a common area just off the street. A crowd had already formed around it, thick and buzzing with chatter.
The boys were too short to see anything.
"Up front!" Kael hissed, already ducking low.
They slipped between coats and legs and skirts, muttering apologies and ignoring the glares. Noah got stuck between a tall man and a basket. Theo had to pull him through.
And then — they saw it.
Two people. Teenagers, maybe thirteen or fourteen. One stood back with their arms raised, hands wet with glowing blue light. The other crouched low, fist wrapped in flame.
A sparring match.
A real one.
Theo froze.
Not from fear.
From awe.
Magic — real, live magic — was lighting up the street like something from a storybook.
The fire mage darted forward, dragging a trail of sparks through the air. The water caster sidestepped, spun, and sent a blast of pressure straight to the ground. It exploded in a rush of steam and mist.
The crowd shouted. Someone cheered. A baby cried somewhere in the back.
Theo didn't blink.
He watched every movement like it was the only thing that mattered. His whole body leaned forward, like if he could just get a few inches closer, he'd understand it. Like he'd feel it for real.
The water mage had the edge — they moved faster, cleaner. Their spells curved through the air like whips. One burst of water hit the fire mage in the chest and sent them skidding backward across the stone.
The fight stopped there.
A retired adventurer — tall, grey-haired, arms crossed — stepped in from the edge of the circle and clapped twice.
"Match done!"
The crowd let out a mix of groans and claps. A few people whistled.
Theo didn't move.
He had goosebumps.
His heart was racing in his chest.
And he didn't know why, but the place where that strange flicker had lived — in his chest, near his ribs — felt warm again.
Just a little.
Like it was watching, too.
The crowd didn't leave right away.
People were still clapping, talking too loud, and pointing like they'd just seen a dragon sneeze. The two teen fighters walked off to the side where a grown-up handed them towels and water like it was no big deal.
Theo barely noticed.
His eyes were glued to the ground.
Right where the fire spell had hit, the stone was scorched black — cracked, chipped, like someone had tried to cook it from the inside out.
He crouched down without thinking.
Didn't touch it. Just stared.
Magic left marks.
"Bro," Kael said beside him, breathless. "Did you see that flip?! The water guy spun like — WHOOSH!" He waved his arms wildly and nearly slapped Noah in the face.
"Watch it!" Noah hissed. "And that wasn't a flip. It was a dodge. With footwork."
Kael blinked. "Footwork?"
Noah adjusted his shirt like he was a professor or something. "Yeah. It's all about positioning. The fire guy rushed too much. Got sloppy."
"Still looked cool," Kael said. "I'd take fire any day. Just boom, you're crispy toast!"
"Water's better," Noah argued. "You can block, push, trap. And no risk of setting your pants on fire."
Theo didn't join the debate.
He was still looking at the cracked stone.
Still feeling the warmth that had flickered in his chest just minutes ago.
It was gone now. But not forgotten.
"I wanna awaken fire," Kael declared, standing like a tiny hero. "And then I'm gonna roast fish without a grill."
"I'm gonna awaken lightning," Noah said, crossing his arms.
"You can't pick, genius," Kael said.
"Well, maybe I'll be the first."
Kael rolled his eyes, then turned to Theo.
"What about you, birthday boy? If you could pick, what element would you want?"
Theo blinked. "Huh?"
"You know," Kael said. "When you touch the First Seed. What do you hope for? Fire? Earth? That weird leaf thing?"
"I don't know," Theo said, shrugging. "Something quiet, I guess."
Kael squinted. "What does that even mean?"
Theo just smiled.
He looked back at the scorch mark. Something about it made his chest feel weird again — not bad weird. Just… buzzing. Like his ribs remembered the fight more than his eyes did.
"You're so mysterious lately," Kael muttered. "Next thing I know, you'll start glowing."
"I hope I glow," Noah said. "Purple. Like a noble."
"Ugh," Kael groaned. "Then I'd have to bow to you."
"You already should."
Theo tuned them out for a second. He crouched and touched the edge of the burn mark with two fingers. It was cool now. Just black stone. But when his skin brushed it—
That flicker again.
Small. Deep.
Like something inside him stretched.
Just for a second.
He stood up quickly.
Didn't say anything.
Not yet.
They started walking home with their arms full — half-torn bread, a few bundles of herbs, and the kind of energy you only get after seeing something way cooler than you expected.
Kael was talking nonstop. Something about how he could probably learn fire magic just by watching it. Noah kept rolling his eyes but still argued every point like he was being paid for it.
Theo walked a little behind.
Not too far. Just a few steps. Enough to let the noise blur.
As they passed the training courtyard again, he slowed down. The crowd was gone now. The circle was empty.
But the scorch mark was still there.
The cracked stone. The place where magic had collided. Faded now, but not gone.
Theo stepped toward it.
The others didn't notice. They were still arguing about whether throwing water at someone counted as a spell if you yelled something cool while doing it.
Theo crouched down and touched the stone again. Lightly.
His fingers brushed the edge of the crack.
And it was there again.
That flicker.
That strange warmth. Right beneath his ribs. Not sharp. Not painful. Just present. Like a note being played too soft to hear, but still felt in the bones.
He stayed there for a moment.
Then stood up.
His friends were still ahead. Laughing. Loud. Normal.
Theo smiled.
Then turned to follow.
But the thought stayed with him, quiet and deep:
> This world burns and breathes.
And something inside me… is starting to breathe with it.
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