The sun rose from the horizon, marking a brand-new day. And before it was a small village hidden in the trees named Sanctum. A place known for beings, whether they be human or other, lived peacefully amongst all. The residents remained asleep in their homes as the sun had yet to waken them. Not even the morning crows of a rooster could pull the villagers from their slumber.

“Finally, it’s morning!”

Well… except for one, of course.

“Better get ready before I’m late.”

The young man was Leo Cayden. An energetic teen easily awakened by the coming sun’s presence. He immediately got ready for the day as he changed into his morning attire. Then, he fixed the untamed locks of his shoulder-length blond hair. And finally, Leo stood in long black pants, beige shirt, and worn-out brown boots. He headed out the room, then suddenly stopped after exiting the door.

“Damn! I forgot,” Leo muttered to himself, “Mom and Dad will catch me if I pass by their room.”

Leo’s parents’ room was closest to the stairs at the end of the hall. Difficult to get by because of the squeaky floorboards outside their door. The young teen could still recall other failed attempts he made in leaving the house. They had him do all his daily chores before he was allowed to be with his friends. Fortunately, though Leo recently learned of a new way to sneak pass them.

“I guess I have no choice,” he suggested.

He retreated to his room, closing the door as quietly as he could. There, Leo sat on the floor with both his legs crossed and hands on his knees.

“Okay,” the young teen assured, “I just need to be perfectly still.”

With that said, the teen closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths. Leo focused his mind as he felt a sensation spread throughout his body. It became visible in the form of luminous light radiating from arms to head. The more he stayed still, the more vibrant the light around him grew. And when he felt it was enough, the young teen’s eyes shot open and said…

“Now!”

The light that shrouded Leo caused him to disappear instantly. And at the next second, he appeared again, but someplace entirely different. The young teen observed his surroundings and found himself where he wanted to be. Outside of his house sitting in the green grass.

“I love being a sorcerer,” cockily laughed Leo.

The young teen couldn’t help but praise himself over his success. Since he was a young child, Leo’s had a gift in performing magic. His parents say it’s because he came from a long line of powerful sorcerers. His father was from the kingdom of Aviner, and his mother originating from Thanatos. Yet, neither family held joy for their relationship due to their realms undying hatred. So, to avoid any more conflict, they fled and began a new life in Sanctum. And though it was for the best, it left Leo to wonder about his heritage.

“I wish I knew more about my family,” sighed the young teen.

He fell back on the grass and stared up at the morning sky. Clouds floated by over the village, while the sun rose from the horizon. Leo kept watching until his attention turned to the houses in the distance. The young teen couldn’t help but feel envious toward those still sleeping away. But that ended when he noticed two people riding horseback through the main road.

“Oh, no!” Panicked Leo, jumping to his feet. “I need to get going before I’m late!”

He wasted no time running to the stable by his house. Inside were two horses that stood by one another, grazing on a bale of hay. The horse on the left was Copper. A strong, chestnut-brown stock seat with a black mane that belonged to his father. He’s been with the family since before the young teen learned to walk. And he’s pulled several carts full of resources to and from towns near the village. But rather than of taking Copper, Leo went over to the horse on the right.

“Good morning, Ariel!” He greeted his steed.

The horse galloped to his rider, earning a soft stroke on the nose. Ariel was a beautiful white stallion that entered Leo’s life when he was twelve. They first encountered when a herd of wild horses were grazing the open fields. A white pony wandered off to the house like he was coming for someone. Leo and his father went to find out, then the most unexpected thing happened. That pony galloped toward them and nudged its long nose on the young boy. Afterwards, the two had become inseparable, riding everywhere they could in Sanctum.

“Are you ready have some fun?” Leo asked Ariel.

The horse gave a nay and moved his head up and down. Leo took it as a “yes” and raced off to collect Ariel’s saddle and reins. He wasted no time strapping them on before his parents could wake up. Once finished, he guided his horse out the stable, then locked it to keep Copper inside. Finally, Leo climbed himself a top of his horse and said…

“All right, let’s ride!”

With a kick to the side, Ariel charged to the village at full speed. Leo immediately felt the wind hit his face as he rode through the fields. It didn’t take long to catch up with the other riders trotting the road. They dressed similarly to the young sorcerer, which meant exactly what he assumed.

“Hey, Celine! Kazu!” Leo called out.

They turned to see the young sorcerer riding toward them. Kazuya Nishimura, Leo’s best friend and unrelated cousin, due to their parents’ friendship. Like Leo, Kazuya came from a from magic wielding family, known as Kagemusha. Meaning, they’re a clan of stealthy warriors known for their combat skills in magic. The girl beside him was Celine Roy, a witch in training and Sanctum chief’s youngest daughter. Her skills magic became known when she found a spell book left in the woods. It was a rough for her, but thanks to Leo and Kazu, she tremendously improved.

“Leo!” Kazu called back. “It’s about time you showed up.”

“Yeah, we thought your parents caught you sneaking out again!” Celine chimed in.

Leo pulled at the reins, having Ariel stop in front of them. Like any group of friends, the three would regularly get a rise out of each other. But the sorcerer was in a good mood and decided to go along with the day.

“I see you guys made it out too,” he pointed out.

“It wasn’t hard,” bragged Kazu. “Especially for a Kagemusha like me!”

“Didn’t you say it took you like ten tries to get it right?” Celine quipped.

Her statement caused the proud Kagemusha to turn red with anger. Leo laughed and gave Ariel a slight kick and pressed on down the road. Kazu and Celine followed along, trotting through the still lifeless village. However, a few people had already awoken to prepare themselves for the day. Some waved to the trio, whereas children ran beside them, stopping just outside the village. Leo could still hear their joyful cries as he, Kazu, and Celine pressed through the woods. Soon enough, the only noise made was the sound of hooves galloping over dirt.

“How was the teleportation spell I showed you yesterday?” Celine asked Leo.

“Oh, it was incredible!” he answered. “But the problem is I can’t make myself go further than where I was before.”

“Might be because you just started using it,” she explained. “We can work on distance when we’re training.”

Leo nodded before having Ariel gallop faster down the path. Kazu and Celine hurried as well, knowing fully what that could mean.

“There he goes again!” Yelled Celine.

“Well, you know Leo!” Kazu jokingly pointed out. “When magic’s involved, there’s just no stopping him.”

The trio continued through the woods till they saw what was ahead. Leo pulled at his reins and halted at a large, grassy field off the village. It was constructed for all who practiced magic without injuring innocent people. And it provided a great amount of space for the trio’s combat practice. As Celine and Kazu caught up, Leo got off his horse, taking in the whole scenery.

“Gods, I love coming here in the morning!” The sorcerer chimed.

“We know!” Flatly stated Kazu, climbing off his horse. “You say that every time we come here.”

Leo ignored Kazu’s remark and guided Ariel to a nearby tree. Then, he grabbed two fully grown apples from the ground and started eating them. Celine noticed him stuff his face, as if they were the only food in sight.

“Did you skip breakfast?” Questioned the witch.

“I had to!” Leo answered defensively with his mouth full, “I couldn’t risk having my parents catch me again.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I packed these!”

The two looked to the Kagemusha, who held out three rectangular boxes. Leo excitedly grabbed one from Kazu, opening it to find various foods within. The sight of grilled meat and seaweed-wrapped fish made his mouth water. And it didn’t take long for him to stuff his face like a savage. After Leo finished eating, he found Celine and Kazu stare at him in bafflement.

“What?” He questioned them. “Like Celine said, I skipped breakfast this morning.”

“Yes, but we never expected you to ‘inhale’ your food,” joked Kazu.

The three laughed and sat down together against the tree. Celine and Kazu were eating their meals, while Leo fed Ariel his other apple. They passed the time discussing other topics that seemed interest them. But while his friends indulged in their conversation, the sorcerer’s attention drifted elsewhere.

“So, what should we work on first?” Eagerly asked Celine.

“Well, like you and Leo said earlier,” Kazu reminded, “We’ll start with distance, then afterwards, we’ll move onto timing.”

“Maybe we could try it in combat later,” the witch suggested before asking, “What do you think, Leo?”

Unfortunately, Leo wasn’t paying attention to give an answer. He felt more drawn toward the field near him, taking in the blissful scenery. Celine gave up and turned to Kazu, knowing her other friend was lost in thought. Absolutely nothing could tear him away from his moment of peace.

“Leo…”

But then, the young sorcerer heard a voice call out his name. It was unfamiliar, though it made him curious where it could’ve originated from. Leo wasted no time getting up and walked to the center of the training grounds. His eyes darted left and right, searching for the source of the mysterious voice. But there was no one else in the area besides himself and his friends.