NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Valor
The frail-looking boy, Jonan lay lethargically in his bed, being tended by his mother and the rest of the maids taking care of him, and tending to all his needs with the utmost care, whether it be helping him with feeding him or other mundane tasks.
While all of this was going on, Jonan's mind was elsewhere, as he was still thinking of his father and the lady shaman Emilia's weird gaze on him, considering their high standing, he was still puzzled by their visit to him, he knows that even if he were to die, there would be no reaction from either of them, yet here they were.
After all, among all his siblings he was quite famous for not having any affinity towards any weapon, while it doesn't mean that he can be regarded as trash after all, he did awaken two nature elements, one was the signature elemental ability of a flame generation of the great Starfall family and rarest of the rare crystal generation, but unfortunately his talent had a great flaw of not having any affinity towards weapons.
One's affinity for elements and weapons can be tested at birth, and in the case of their Starfall family, and being the great hero's son, huge expectations were always etched on everyone's faces, when his elements were revealed, it sparked out great joy among the family.
Unfortunately, when it came to testing the weapon's affinity, he had none, which was surprising since every living human living in Dreavows always awakens a weapon talent, even the beggars living on the street or those with the poorest of talents at least awaken some basic weak tool like ladle, spoon or fork and much more, while they have their own use in the society.
Yet why is it that the child in front of them was not just anyone but the great hero's son, who is the admiration of all, and the peak which is impossible to touch for any living human in Dreavows gave birth to such a peculiar son.
Their contemplation of the child's peculiarity was well-founded; after all, only those born into the Abomination Family or among the Winged Ones awaken elemental talents, not those of weapon class, of course both are superior to the human race in spite of only awakening elemental talents because they are technologically superior, superior in physical prowess, combat ability and most of all they have great techniques for cultivating their core, which is the basis for their vast strength.
No one of course knows how the heroes of humanity were not only superior to them but also on par with the heroes of those two great races.
While those two races have their advantage in cultivating their core, only some of the talented humans who were pure monsters in terms of human standards had a chance of fighting face-to-face with those of the two races.
Unfortunately, humans don't have a core, nor do they have any way of cultivating it, not even the heroes, while they have their own special traits, but core is not something they are fated with, after all the biggest drawback of human's cultivation technique is that it requires the external weapon to store energy and use it for their own use, and for that, they must have a talent for a weapon.
All the enthusiasm for the talent test died down with the revelation of the absence of any weapon talent in Jonan, while it was a pity that Jonan didn't awaken the weapon talent, it's not really as bad as one might think, after all those with great talents are sent to face hordes of a monstrous beast and innumerable tribulations and trial, being the son of a great hero, who dares to cause trouble for him, nonetheless Jonan knew that while many thought such, the reality is different.
Power is the greatest wealth one can own in this chaotic world, where survival is a luxury in itself, If he had a decent weapon talent, it would be far far better, after all, who likes to be just a useless human, even those of poor talents help the society in their own creative ways, that's the reason no one ever diminished one's talent in Dreavows.
Jonan even had this thought that maybe he had judged his father wrong, Could it be that his father's love and concern were not shown through grand gestures, but through quiet moments like this, where his presence alone spoke volumes?
The biggest mystery of all was the fact that he didn't even know the reason for feeling weak, how or when he had been attacked, or what had attacked him. He thought to himself that when he met his friends next time, he would ask them what had happened. After all, he noticed no signs of injury on his body, yet he could feel the current weakness in his bones.
This was a weakness, he never felt in his life, and he could slowly feel it after being conscious for so long, it was hard at first, but now he could feel something different, something changing in him, especially the area where his heart was, it felt hollow and full at the same time.
"What the hell is going on, when will I get better, my mother is also worried, and the worst part is, I don't even have the strength to open my mouth", thought Jonan.
But for now, all he could do was wait, and hope that the mysteries unraveling within him would soon yield to clarity and healing.
As time passed, he surprisingly started to get better, even far better than before, after a week or so, he was able to speak for the first time after being bedridden for so long and muted.
Finally, he was able to console his mother, "Mom, please take care of yourself too, I am getting better, and will soon be completely healed too, yet you haven't properly slept in weeks!, please listen to my suggestion, and rest".
Listening to her son's voice finally made her sigh with relief. The weight that had settled on her shoulders, constantly worrying for her son, had kept her awake night after night.
For weeks, she had watched over Jonan, her heart aching with every ardous breath he took, every moment of weakness he endured. Exhaustion was etched deep in her face, lethargy present in the shadows beneath her eyes.
But now, as she looked into Jonan's eyes, what she saw was the spark of perseverance and hope flickering there, she also felt a glimmer of peace. His words, completely resonated in her weary soul. He had always been her source of strength and resilience, and now, even while he is completely vulnerable, he was reaching out to comfort her.
She took a deep breath, willing herself to trust in Jonan's reassurance. "I will, sweetheart," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I promise I will take care of myself too."
As Jonan settled back on his pillow, a sense of calm settled over his room, The silence was not suffocating yet comforting, a proof to the unspoken bond between a mother and her son.
The world outside continued it's relentless pace, but in this small sanctuary, time seemed to slow, allowing them a moment of relief.
Days turned to weeks, and Jonan's strength gradually returned, his vigor improving, and his face turning a shade of red.
On an evening, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, Jonan found himself sitting by the window, watching the wonders of nature at their best.
"Thank you, Mom", Jonan said softly, breaking the silence that had settled between them, "For everything".
His mother smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You don't have to thank me, sweetheart", she replied, her voice steady despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm her, "You've always been my strength".
And in that moment, as they sat together in quiet companionship, Jonan knew that weakness was a sin, a sin that eats those with low strength, at any time, and that peace was never an option in this world fraught with dangers.
Just one hunting expedition with his friends turned so deadly for him, then what must it be like for his siblings and other members of the family who go to the front lines to battle with those of other races, it gave him shivers, he knew that there was no way for him to learn the art of combat, after all, he had no potential to grow in the realm of fight and war.
He had decided that instead of living in a wasteful manner day to day, he would work on improving himself somehow, and find something in which he could help improve the state of humanity as a whole or at least be of help to his family.
As night fell gently around him, Jonan closed his eyes, a sense of peace settling deep within his soul, the echoes of his resilience, and the unwavering belief that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope, and so, with gratitude in his heart and his mother's hand in his own, Jonan embraced the future, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead with courage and determination.