The air in the small room is heavy with the sweet aroma of radiantia, which irritates my nostrils and forces me to sneeze. The guy under my arms laughs softly, and I slap him lightly on the back of the head.

"Hey, that hurt!" He gives me a funny look, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"And you stay calm," I reply immediately, scooping some healing ointment onto my fingertips and applying it to the next wound on his back.

The first time I saw the horrifying blood streaks on my friend's back, I was thirteen. That moment is still fresh in my mind, as if it happened yesterday.

Like always, we gathered near the river to throw rocks, run around, and fish. Lua and I ran after each other until I managed to grab his shirt, making him yelp and tumble down. At that moment, I experienced the initial surge of painful sensations in my body. It dawned on me that the sensation I was experiencing belonged to Lua, not me. His face was contorted in agony, and his body was drenched in sweat, a clear sign of his excruciating pain. Despite his earlier assurance that he had lost his appetite, claiming he hadn't eaten since morning. But at that moment, tears streamed down his face, a mixture of pain, humiliation, and hatred towards his father, who had left deep, bloody marks from last night's punishment. His father, Duke Isengard, owner of our lands called Vellum, had always been an austere and disagreeable elf.

He desperately longed to witness the same power of Elven magic in his youngest son, just like Lua's two older brothers and sister. Their bloodline is untainted, with generations of pureblood heritage. Their bloodline runs deep with the ancient power of our Elf Kingdom. Unfortunately, Lua was devoid of any magical powers. It had not yet awakened in him. In the other Isengard offspring, the power awakens early, accompanied by a surge of energy that can be felt by the child when they turn ten. It gradually grows stronger as one reaches twenty, and by the time they turn sixty, it has significantly built up.

The age of one hundred marks the first stage of adulthood for the elf, and it is during this time that their magic begins to flourish. Elves typically have lifespans ranging from five hundred to seven hundred years. But there are a select few who live up to two thousand years and they are royalty. Although it's not very difficult to kill them, the creatures that inhabit our world add a certain complexity to it. Similar to ordinary humans, werewolves, vampires, and fairies, elves also experience the agony of punishment inflicted by acid-soaked whips that tear their skin and impede their regenerative abilities. Depending on the creature's energy content, it can last anywhere from a day to a week. If the creature is weak, the wounds can be so deep that they leave scars lasting for centuries. And my friend, helpless and defenseless, could only endure the searing pain without being able to use his power. Lua has developed a routine since then - after enduring a whipping, which occurs at least once a week, he visits me in the darkness of night to receive my healing touch.

"That's it." I wipe my fingers on the gauze and cover my friend with a sheet. "Lie down for a while and you'll be as good as new."

Lua shifts his gaze towards me with bitterness.

"I've reached my limit, Kan. I just can't take it anymore," he whispers.

I crouch in front of my bed, which is made of straw and a former castle door. I move the blond strands away from his damp face.

"If he finds out the truth, he'll kill me. I don't want to die, Kan. It's not my fault I was born empty."

"Your father wouldn't dare kill you, Lua. He'll be punished for it. Besides, you can still have your powers. You're only ninety-five, with so many more years ahead to enjoy. When you reach one hundred, your magic will awaken during your first adulthood, filling your senses with a newfound enchantment. It happens. Perhaps, because of the negative impact of your father's actions, your ability to achieve your full potential is hindered. You're afraid."

"Come on, you know I'm empty, Kan," Lua snorts. "Don't make up things that won't happen. I won't gain magic in a hundred years or five hundred. I'm empty. I'll be an outcast. Father will strike me first from the bloodline, and then..."

"No, don't say it." I cover his mouth with the palm of my hand, whiffling my head. I know what happens to those who are disowned by their kin. They cease to be nourished by their kin and become 'ternirez'. That means eternal martyrs. They are stuck in a state where neither death nor life is possible. Their bodies become dehydrated, their energy depletes, and mobility becomes impossible. Falling to the ground, they become vessels for new trees and suffer unending pain, without the ability to die. In our world, nothing is a harsher punishment than abandoning a child. Only the family patriarch has the authority to interact with our Oracle, which safeguards the family trees of our kingdom and silently witnesses everything. Every kingdom has such Oracles. Lua's thoughts and assumptions are scary to me. I would never wish such torment on anyone, especially my best and only friend, throughout my life.

Sitting on my cot, Lua receives an herbal infusion from me to aid in his complete recovery.

"I'm being sent to the Lands of Knowledge the day after tomorrow. Father has decided that this way my power will reveal itself better and I won't dishonor our clan at my centennial," Lua informs me quietly, and I swallow down an unpleasant premonition.

"And I will dishonor him, as I won't even be allowed in there. I won't get past the protection dome, I won't open the portal, and then the truth will come out, Kan. This is my death."

"We could try to transfer my power to you again, so you could at least get through the protection dome. Or I could make you an amulet to let you in. Or..."

"Kan," Lua shakes her head and intertwines our fingers. "Do you recall the incident when we attempted to transfer your magic into me?"

The memory still sends shivers down my spine. It was scary. After the first time and my help with Lua, his wounds miraculously healed, leaving behind no trace or reminder of the once torn-up skin. It was then that his father came to the conclusion that Lua was a healer, as his special ability had finally shown itself. I got my friend in trouble because the duke started torturing Lua, forcing him to show his magic. But Lua couldn't and again he was beaten. I took care of him. He was famished, so I quietly snuck in and nourished him. He was imprisoned in the dungeons beneath the castle, but I went to him and provided him with care once more. Lua's father thought that physical torture would force Lua to show his gift to his friends. Ambition and narcissism are common traits among elves. Showing off their treasures is something they love to do. Our children are our most valuable treasures. To celebrate the next generation and their abilities, they host month-long balls and festivities. All of Lua's siblings experienced this in their twenties, but poor Lua didn't.

"You got really hurt, and you were in a coma for a year," I mutter quietly.

"Yes. Do you think it'll work this time? It'll kill me, and you... father should never find out you have magic, Kan. He'll sell you after he's drained your powers, used you. You're young, full of energy. Imagine the consequences if he discovers who's been healing and protecting me all along. It's dangerous. I won't allow you to get hurt because Mother didn't pick me as her child."

"But what about you? Are you really willing to suffer forever?" I'm horrified.

"No, but I'll figure something out."

"We could run away, Lua," I gaze hopefully into his eyes. "And then... then we could get married. That way we can start writing the history of the new family, and your father can't do anything to you. It could save us."

Lua's thin lips curve into a smile. He brings my hand to his lips and leaves a kiss on the knuckles.

"We have no true feelings for each other, Kan."

"So what? Lots of couples get married with no real feelings. It doesn't matter anymore. We're friends... Lua, you're more than a friend, you're like a brother to me. I'm only here for you. We can survive together, go to the Abandoned Lands to the humans, and we'll be accepted there. No one will humiliate you or insult you. They're people who don't have magic. We'll find work there. I can do a lot of things. I can earn gold for the two of us. We can," I assure him quickly.

"And you will sacrifice your entire life for such a fate beside me? To be an outcast? To bury your power?"

"It's not a sacrifice, Lua. It's my sincere desire to help you. I can't even imagine this world without you. I mean, we've supported each other for so many years. We grew up around each other. Do you really think I'm going to let you give up so easily? No, we're gonna fight, Lua. We have to."

Lua touches my cheek with the tips of his fingers and smiles softly at me.

"You know what I regret a lot?" He tilts his head to the side and runs his finger along my chin. His touch feels good, which makes me smile back at him.

"What is it?"

"That I can't have true feelings for you. I've been trying since I was fifteen to find it in your eyes, in your laughter, in your caring for me. It's so damn unfair," Lua grimaces, pulling his hand away from my face and standing up, causing the sheet to fall to the floor.

"But at least we're friends. Sometimes it's better to have a friend like you than to dream unrealistic fantasies. True feelings have long been legendary. Am I wrong?" With a grin, I raise the sheet while Lua dons his shirt and buttons it up.

"I guess, but I believe true feelings do exist."

"You're such a romantic," I smirk, rolling my eyes and moving closer to the wooden wall. I stretch out one leg and bend the other, watching the sparks of amusement in my friend's eyes.

"And that's my charm."

I'd love to keep things easy with Lua right now, but I'm growing increasingly depressed about his future.

"Kan," he calls to me, and I look up at him. "I'll figure something out. Don't worry. I'll find a solution."

"If you run away, your father will still bring you back," I remind him.

"I know. That's why I'll be thinking. Will you meet me tomorrow, as usual?"

"Yes, by the river."

"Good night, Kan. Thanks for healing me again."

"Night, Lua, I'm always ready to help you."

As my friend leaves, I remain seated on my cot, fixating on the flickering flame of the burning candle resting atop the wooden stump that I've repurposed into a makeshift table. Focusing on the candle, I compel it to regenerate and reclaim its complete form using the surrounding wax. The candle's glow becomes brighter. With a smile, I shake my head and begin tidying up before bedtime.

My sleep was incredibly poor all night. Until dawn, a foreboding sense of impending disaster presses down on me, casting a shadow over the awakening forest surrounding our family gatehouse, where my parents live, as the golden rays of sunlight paint everything in a warm hue. The first thing I do is leave the house to chop wood and stack it for the servants from the lord's house to take away. Then I feed the pigs, look into the stable for a little petting of the two beautiful stallions I have come to love with all my soul. I love animals very much. Sometimes I even think I can hear their thoughts, but I have quite an imagination. During my childhood, as a lowly being, not even deemed worthy of being a servant, I was frequently abandoned. Unlike the others, I can't recall the moment of my birth. Despite my father being an elf and my mother having been a mage, her powers have diminished over time. On the contrary, despite the fact that all of my other siblings bear a striking resemblance to elves, I, on the other hand, do not share the same appearance. For some unknown reason, I was afraid to showcase any of my power, and as a result, my parents gave up on me. To everyone, I became the human that Lua really was, the youngest son of the Duke of Isengard. Nevertheless, I continue to have no concern whatsoever about that, even up until now. Since a young age, I have been assisting my parents and the other servants in managing the castle, however; I'm strictly prohibited from making an appearance in front of the duke and his family because of the concern that my presence might disrupt their mood. I'm used to everyone turning their nose up at my appearance.

"Kan!"

The resounding echo of my mother's enraged cry fills the stables, causing me to instinctively shrink back, but in that moment, an outpouring of magical energy emanates from my hands and seamlessly courses through the majestic black horse, eliciting a snort from the creature and causing its once straight mane to luxuriously coil into enchanting curls.

"Sorry," I laugh quietly, returning the horse to its form. "Coming!"

In a rush, I dash out of the stables and make my way towards the castle, where I can already see my furious mother anxiously waiting for me. As she forcefully grabs onto my ear, a sharp hiss of pain escapes my lips while she continues to drag me along behind her.

"I asked you to help me in the kitchen this morning. We're short-handed on the eve of the celebration dinner! Where the hell have you been?" She pushes me into a room where other servants are already at work.

"Chopping wood," I lie.

"Get back to work. You're useless!" She gives me a scornful look and heads for the kitchen, and I sit down with the others, snickering.

The guys smile at me, and I wink at them. I've always had a fine bond with the servants. I've known them for a long time, some less, some more. But I find it easy to get along with them all. Everyone except my parents.

Since the Duke has made it known that his youngest son will be attending the prestigious House of Knowledge tomorrow morning, a small celebratory dinner will be held tonight to commemorate this occasion.

By lunchtime, I'm out of the kitchen while my mother is busy reprimanding the servants for the horribly peeled potatoes. I sprint to the river, where a friend eagerly awaits me in a cheerful mood.

"I know what we should do," Lua blurts out as soon as I reach him.

"We?" I raise my eyebrows in puzzlement.

"Yes. You're going to the House of Knowledge instead of me," he solemnly announces with a wide grin.

"Are you out of your mind?" Perplexed, I touch his forehead with the palm of my hand to see if he's sick. Lua shakes his head, dropping my hand.

"No, I'm not out of my mind. I'm sane. I have the perfect plan. You'll go to study in my place, Kan, using my name."

"We're not twins," I point at him, then at myself. With his fair complexion, blond hair, and silver eyes that sparkle like moonlight, he embodies the ethereal beauty of an elf. His long, russet hair is often seen carefully arranged in an elegant updo or a flowing braid. On the contrary, my hair is short and has a mix of brown and reddish tones, while my eyes are a striking shade of blue. He, with his pointed ear tips, looks like an elegant elf while I appear to be a regular human. And the shimmer of his skin. The obvious thing about me being a rootless and him being from the elite is the length of our hair. Long hair is a luxury reserved for the affluent, making it a clear indicator of social status. Conversely, short hair signifies servitude and insignificance.

"I've noticed it," Lua hums. "But you can take my appearance temporarily. You've done it twice already, remember? The first time, when my father threatened to strangle me if I didn't show him my powers as a healer. And the second time, when I had to pass my daddy's tests."

"But it wasn't for long, Lua. A few hours at most, and then I didn't have the energy for it."

"I know. That's why you just need to take my appearance tomorrow at sunrise. You'll sleep in my room tonight while I pretend to be you, cut off my hair, have it dyed. You'll put a spell on me to change the color of my eyes. While you're in my house, I'll have a chance to escape from here, and no one will know until morning. And in the morning, everyone will be busy with you in my appearance. You'll say goodbye to my father, enter the portal with my appearance, and come out looking like yourself. No one's seen me. No one knows exactly what I look like. I've been hidden all the time, you know that. So you can easily pretend to be me, but using your own appearance."

I arch an eyebrow skeptically and fold my arms across my chest.

"What's going to happen to you? Have you thought? When your father arrives at the House of Knowledge and sees that I'm you, he'll punish us both."

"I've already taken care of that too," Lua smiles even wider. "I gave him a condition that I would train my powers so I wouldn't embarrass him, and he won't come there once in my four years of training. Not once, or else I'll just stifle the powers within me and I won't care about the consequences."

"And he agreed?"

"What choice did he have? He's already facing ridicule because I haven't pursued an education. It pisses him off. And you're aware of his extreme narcissism. To show to his friends that his fertility remained intact, and that I don't differ from his other offspring, he resolved to send me for schooling. But I can't get through the magical protection of the House of Knowledge, Kan. I simply can't enter these lands because I lack the enchanting abilities that would grant me access. You'll get through easily. Magic is flowing through you. Kan, just think about it," Lua wraps his arms around my face, gazing into my eyes. "We'll both get what we want. You'll learn more about yourself, learn how to control your power. I hope to find people who will adopt me so that my father no longer scares me. I'll pass to another clan and live free."

"What happens when these four years are over?" I pull his hands away and look away.

"It doesn't matter, because you'll gain allies, show yourself and no one will care that you're penniless, that you're poor, Kan. What matters in the House of Knowledge is how much magic you have. After all, it's believed that only noble offspring and lineages can be the strongest beings in our world. And you're rootless, but you're strong. Even when all the lies are revealed, you'll already have a huge number of offers to work with the royal families. They won't be able to let you go, and this is how you'll gain protection from my father. Kan, please."

Lua walks over to me and wraps his arms around my waist. Anxiety and confusion rise in my soul.

Lua rests his head on my shoulder, gently swaying me back and forth, bringing a smile to my face. He never paid attention to my appearance, whether I smelled bad or if I looked dirty, or even that I came from a less privileged background. Throughout my childhood, he consistently showed me more kindness and care than my own parents.

I take his hands off me and turn around.

"I'm sorry, Lua, but I have a bad feeling about this. I can't." I shake my head and walk away, leaving my sad friend behind me.

I need to find a solution. I must. While I can't deny that Lua's offer is tempting, I hesitate to accept. My only dream is to immerse myself in knowledge, to fully comprehend the extent of my magical abilities, and break free from this place. He's my sole motivation to stay, but I'm fully committed to supporting him and joining him if he chooses to flee. And we'll definitely figure something out there, for sure.