Chapter 1

  Trial by Blade

  My eyes opened as strange fingers tickled my belly. Above me towered a face—hairy, with intelligent eyes, yet unmistakably ape-like. The creature made sounds I couldn't understand, but something else flooded my infant mind: memories. A throne room. A crown. The weight of an elven kingdom on my shoulders. Then blood. My blood.

  I had died.

  I raised my tiny hand before my eyes, staring at the unfamiliar dark hair covering my skin. This body was not my own, and yet here I was, trapped within it.

  Time flew like fallen leaves as I grew in this strange new world. Truths became clear: this wasn't my original world. The sky told the story—my elven home had been blessed with one moon, but here, two moons cast their watchful eyes over the clouds. The creature who had tickled my infant belly was my father—chieftain of the peacock clan, now my home. My mother had paid the ultimate price bringing me into this world, dying after giving birth to me. Her sacrifice earned me whispers from the elder council.

  "The cursed child," they called me.

  The elder council served as advisers to my father. Our clan made its home near the freezing mountains beside a vast forest. The peacock became our clan emblem not for beauty, but for survival—a strong bird that could resist the cold snow and adapt easily to our harsh environment. We marked our territories with their feathers and banners.

  I also learned the clan language and sign language as I grew up. At first, their sounds and hand movements confused me, but soon their voices and gestures started making sense, like solving a puzzle piece by piece.

  This world had magic called mana, just like my old elven world. But here's the important difference: only a few special ape-folk could use this mana (kinetic ability). These rare individuals with mana abilities were called kinetic users, "chosen by the sun" by our clan.

  The elder council didn't think I had any mana. Since they believed I wasn't "chosen by the sun," they kept pushing my father to find a new wife and have another child.

  "Your bloodline needs strength," they would tell him during meetings, while glancing at me with disappointment. "The clan requires an heir touched by the sun's power."

  Every day I sat meditating in the redwood tree, lost in thought. The mana inside me overwhelmed this fragile body, which explained my skinny frame—the energy consumed my physical strength faster than I could replenish it. No wonder my mother died and the elder council believed I had no mana—too much mana in a young baby can kill both mother and child. I guess you could say I got lucky.

  During these quiet moments among the redwood trees, I looked toward the mountain forest and recalled my old master's first lessons on controlling mana. His wisdom flowed through time and my mind:

  "An untrained mana user is like an uncontrollable weapon. Dangerous to everyone, including yourself."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  He would tap my head lightly with his walking stick. "Your mana flows from here," then touch my chest, "through here, and out through your limbs. Most kinetic users can only move what they see. A rare few can sense objects beyond their vision."

  These memories kept me company as I struggled to adapt to my new existence. Each day, I worked to gain better control of my mana. Even as a young ape-child, I practiced meditation techniques from my elven past. I would arrange small stones in a circle around me, recreating the training exercises.

  My master's lessons remained crystal clear in my mind. "Close your eyes," he would command. "Now tell me how many stones surround you." Whenever I answered incorrectly, the sound of his stick cutting through air gave me only a moment's warning before pain bloomed across my shoulder.

  "Your mana isn't just contained within you," he would explain afterward, his voice softer. "It extends beyond your physical form. Reach out with it, like invisible tentacles stretching from your core."

  Following his teachings, I focused my mind. I could sense the stones around me. Without opening my eyes, I knew their number and position. The sensation began as a faint awareness but grew stronger with each day of dedicated practice.

  The sun was coming down. I steadied myself with the spear that my father had given me, ready to head back to the clan. My head felt dizzy from the training. Walking the familiar path through the forest, I tried to clear my mind and focus on my surroundings. I heard a loud noise from behind. The scent hit me first—a musky, wild odor.

  I froze, extending my senses as my old teacher had taught me. Something large was nearby, following me. The forest went quiet —a warning I couldn't ignore. I gripped my spear tighter. I heard a noise more like a grunt through the bushes, followed by a heavy stamping sound that shook the forest floor. I changed my stance, balancing on my prehensile feet instead of standing flat-footed like I used to when I was an elf.

  The bushes reveal—a giant boar twice my size, different from the tame ones our clan rides. Its tusks curved upward, steam rose from its nostrils in the cold air as it watched me. It charged without warning, tearing through the snow. I stood ready in the elven warrior stance, muscles tight. As it came close enough to strike, I stepped sideways - My spear slashed at its side, but only scraped across its thick winter fur.

  The boar scrambled to a halt, snow and dirt scattering as it turned with surprising agility. watching carefully, I looked for any weakness I could use against it. Then I noticed something—the boar was putting less weight on its right back leg. It probably had an old injury there.

  I spun my spear with one hand to catch the boar's attention. Its eyes followed the movement, distracting it for a moment. I used this chance to trick it by pretending to move right, then quickly stabbed my spear at its shoulder where the fur wasn't as thick. The spear sank deeper this time, sliding the spear between layers of muscle to scrape against bone.

  The boar let out a painful high-pitched squeal of pain that can be heard through the trees, sending birds scattering from nearby branches. the beast twisted with unexpected speed, slamming into me, before I could withdraw my weapon. throwing me against a tree. Pain shot through my back as the tree bark cracked behind me.

  I struggled to breathe, in a haze of pain. Through blurred vision, I saw the boar charging again, my spear still protruding from its shoulder. Its rage had overcome its caution now. I had seconds to decide. My body wasn't ready to move, but my mind—the mind that had commanded armies —was already calculating. The raw mana within me stirred, responding to my desperation like a slumbering beast awakening.

  I reached out with my senses, feeling the flow of energy around me. Time seemed to slow as I directed my power outward. Blood dripped from my nose, warm against my fury skin. My vision blurred and darkened at the edges as I fought to maintain control. The boar's charge slowed, as if moving through water. With a primal roar that felt more ape than elf, I extended my will further. The massive beast hung suspended in my invisible grasp before I slammed it against the nearest rock formation. The impact cracked stone, yet somehow the beast struggled back to its feet, dazed but determined.

  I charged forward on instinct, As the boar lowered its head for a final desperate attack, I grabbed both tusks in hands. The beast pushed forward, muscles straining, but I channeled what remained of my mana through my arms. The ground beneath my feet fractured with the opposing forces—the boar's raw strength against my mana-enhanced grip.

  With a final surge of strength, I twisted sharply, directing the boar's momentum to force its massive body onto its side.

  Snow and dead leaves exploded outward as the beast crashed down. I yanked my spear free from its shoulder, the blood steaming in the cold air, and drove the blade deep into the vulnerable flesh of its throat where the protective fur gave way to softer skin. The boar thrashed wildly, each movement growing weaker as its breath faded. I stood looking down at my first kill in this strange world I now call home.