109 - Before the Flames Die

  The night was silent, the dark ocean moving gently around the sleeping village. Tiny bubbles escaped from the submerged structures, rising to the surface like lost stars in the water. But among the shadows, a small figure swam with determination.

  Jasper, with his tiny form, moved with effort, his eyes shining with both excitement and hesitation. The darkness around him felt denser than usual, even with the lucky crab shells glowing along the path. Every shifting shadow created eerie shapes that made him pause for a moment. The deep silence of the night was only interrupted by the distant sound of the ocean breathing, and he felt his heart pounding against his chest.

  But he wouldn’t give up—his desire to see the forge made his heart burn with a slowly growing courage.

  Long before he even understood the concept of fire, Jasper had been fascinated by the forge on the surface. The warm glow dancing on the metal, the sound of the hammer shaping something new… It called to him in a way he couldn’t explain, as if there was something there he needed to understand. Every night, he tried to sneak a peek, hiding like a little thief of secrets, just to catch a glimpse of that forge.

  Many times, he couldn’t help but bite the new villagers who caught him and took him back home against his will.

  This time, he had gone further.

  He carefully emerged onto the stone platform that supported the forge. The cold wind blew against his damp skin, making him shiver, but he didn’t back away. Every creak of the wooden floor beneath his feet seemed deafening, and he looked around with wide eyes, fearing something would emerge from the darkness to stop him. But nothing came.

  It was just him and the furnace. He daydreamed about the flames.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Even unlit, its blackened structure still seemed to pulse with an invisible heat. Jasper stepped closer, reaching out a trembling hand, as if touching it would help him understand its essence. The scent of soot still lingered, mixed with the salt of the sea, and he held his breath as he approached even more.

  That was when he felt something behind him.

  Before he could react, a warm and immense body enveloped him. There was no violence, only a firm, gentle, but inescapable embrace.

  — You really like this place, don’t you? — Nalu’s voice was low and serene, tinged with both amusement and affection.

  Jasper shrank slightly. He knew he shouldn’t have run away again, knew everyone was tired of having to look for him… but he couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t stop.

  He felt Nalu’s strong chin rest gently on his head, an instinctive gesture she did with her eggs, and it made his chest tighten.

  He wasn’t one of her eggs, and he knew that.

  Nalu held him with the same tenderness, but those eggs… they were truly hers.

  Soon, they would hatch.

  Soon, Nalu would have real children to care for.

  And where would he be then?

  He didn’t like the other villagers as much as he liked her. She was his mother... or at least, what he imagined a mother to be.

  Jasper didn’t want to find out. He didn’t want to give it time to happen. If he could learn to forge quickly enough, if he became useful before those eggs hatched, then maybe...

  Maybe Nalu wouldn’t leave him behind.

  — You worry too much, little one — Nalu murmured, as if she could feel the invisible storm inside him.

  — You’re frowning too much—be careful, or you’ll look grumpier than you actually are.

  She chuckled, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. Jasper avoided her gaze, but she smiled.

  — Come on. I’ll take you back. Jasper, if you want to come here, I can bring you. You just have to tell me, okay?

  Jasper avoided speaking in front of strangers as much as possible—he could only manage a few words when his family was around. Even then, he found it incredibly difficult to say even the simplest things.

  — O... o-okay...

  — Okay, mother, Jasper...

  He frowned, took a deep breath, and tried again, his voice breaking but determined.

  — O-okay... m-mother.

  She pulled him closer and swam gently away from the surface. Jasper allowed himself to rest in her arms for a moment, but inside him, the fire of the forge still burned.

  He needed to learn how to shape metal, and he knew the only one who could teach him.

  Before it was too late, he would make Nexha teach him how to forge.