Magical World: The Chosen One

4. "Again?"

As Stephen's mind was crushed under the weight of melancholic memories, he tried to recall his mother's loving smile. Her warm embrace and the first gift she gave him were sweet memories that filled the void in his heart. The joyful memories began to dispel the dark clouds in his mind, but the pain in his body felt like a sharp and persistent knife digging deep. With the intensity of the pain, his eyes grew heavy, and darkness slowly enveloped him. He began to free-fall from the dragon's back into the endless void.

Upon seeing Stephen's fall, Aina swiftly descended with powerful flaps of her wings. A golden orb of fairy dust materialized in her hand. She hurled this enchanted orb toward Stephen's falling path. As the orb touched the ground, green vines sprouted and rose, gently embracing Stephen. Aina gracefully landed among the vines and dispersed them with a touch.

With concern in her eyes, Aina gently touched his arm. Stephen's skin was burning. When she brought her fingers to his forehead, the heat was like a raging fire. A green orb enveloped in mysterious energy appeared in her hand. "Life," she whispered. As the green orb touched his skin, the intensity of the fire seemed to slightly diminish.

Agnes, running up with excitement and happiness, asked, "Aina, what have you done?" There was confusion on her face; her joy turned to concern when she noticed Stephen's unconscious state. Before Aina could answer her question, Agnes asked another one. "Is this the boy? Why is he unconscious? And we agreed not to interfere afterward. Why are you helping him?"

Aina took a deep breath and said, "Agnes, you're bombarding me with questions. I'll answer all of them, but first, we need to revive this boy." Her eyes were fixed on the unconscious Stephen. She was filled with the desire to help him as soon as possible.

Still trying to understand, Agnes asked again with a puzzled expression, "Why is this boy unconscious? And I thought we agreed not to interfere?"

Aina, focused on explaining, said, "He destroyed the dark magic inside the dragon. But he couldn't bear the pain and passed out."

"If someone without the ownership of the sword uses it, of course, this happens. Even him being able to hold the sword is a miracle."

With determination, Aina continued, "But I believe he is the rightful owner, Agnes. My gut feeling tells me so."

"The sword never harms its owner," Agnes noted, her eyes shining with contemplation.

"But he also helped us, Agnes. Why would a thief do that? Aren't thieves supposed to be bad?" Aina pleaded. Sensing her inner conflicts, Agnes gazed deeply into her eyes and solemnly explained, "I live in Flamea, you know."

"What does that have to do with our situation?"

"I hope you're aware of the tension between Rivelia and Flamea. I don't want to risk myself. If I help this boy and it's discovered, it could lead to serious consequences for both me and my country. Rivelia might even declare war on Flamea. And my country can't handle such a situation right now. Rivelia is much stronger than Flamea," Agnes explained with a worried look. The atmosphere around them felt heavy with the weight of her words.

"Alright, Agnes... Don't put yourself at risk then. I'll take care of it," Aina spoke with determination, yet concern was evident in her eyes.

Agnes must have sensed this because she asked, "But I don't want you to get into trouble. And what about our agreement?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't ignore my conscience," she said, her face displaying a mix of emotions.

"I think he's something else, but I won't interfere anymore. I know you're stubborn," Agnes said, her gaze drifting into the distance as if lost in the misty paths of the past. Aina tried to say something, but she couldn't. It was as if her lips were sealed. Realizing that staying any longer was pointless, Agnes flew off into the distance.