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Chapter 12 – Foundations
The scent of fresh bread and simmering broth lingered in the kitchen air as Kaelion stepped in beside his mother. The gentle clink of clay mugs and the warmth of the hearth grounded the room in peace.
"Morning, my little light," she greeted, her voice motherly, though laced with subtle curiosity. "Up all night again, weren't you?"
Kaelion kissed her cheek. "Well, a lot is happening today. Had to prepare."
She smiled, brushing a stray braid from his face. "And where, pray tell, do you plan to hold your grand classes today? In an alley? On a rooftop?"
He grinned and responded cryptically, "Don't worry, Mother. Provisions will be made when the time comes."
The words made her raise a brow, missing the deeper meaning behind the quote. But Raphael didn't. Though she said nothing, Kaelion felt her presence stir slightly within his mindscape—like a whisper brushing against a veil.
"I know what you're thinking," he thought playfully.
Her presence shimmered with dry amusement.
He inwardly smiled. In the five years they had spent together, they had grown so accustomed to one another that words were often unnecessary—though, admittedly, she was better at reading him than he was at reading her.
Soft footsteps approached the doorway. Kaelion remained unfazed—he had sensed the presence well in advance using the magical technique he dubbed "En," blatantly ripped from a source he shamelessly admired. By reading the flow of life and mana around him, he'd sensed her heartbeat long before the others stirred.
His mother, however, looked toward the door in surprise.
There stood Maera, proud and determined as always, her hair neatly tucked behind her ears. Behind her trailed Jon and Saera, both clearly still half-asleep but eager.
"Good morning... teacher," Maera greeted, hesitant over the title—after all, Kaelion was five years younger than her. Then she bowed politely to his mother. "And to you, Lady Sienna."
"You're early," Kaelion noted with a smirk. He hadn't woken them earlier—not out of spite, but as a test to see how seriously they took the path ahead.
Before he could say more, Maera stepped up.
"Saera, wake the others. Jon and I will help Lady Sienna until they arrive."
Kaelion smiled at the initiative. She really was born to lead.
His mother chuckled softly, clearly approving. With a final kiss to her forehead, Kaelion stepped out into the morning haze.
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A hush fell over the children as Kaelion led all twelve of them down the road.
Just yesterday, the building before them had been a crumbling ruin—barely upright, eaten by time and rot. But now, it stood proud: a clean, well-built structure framed by a neat wooden fence and a modest front gate.
Above the doorway hung a carved wooden sign.
The children squinted up at it.
"What's it say?" Jace asked.
"You can't read it?" Kaelion teased, raising a brow.
Blank stares all around.
He chuckled and pushed the gate open. "It says Hearthstone. That's the name of this place. Our new home... and your school."
Inside, he led them through the rooms—each one modest but clean, warm, and filled with the scent of cedar and pine.
"These will be your living quarters. Two to a room. The boys' rooms are down the left hall."
The children scattered with excitement, some wide-eyed, others holding back smiles. Even the usually guarded Jace was visibly moved. Kaelion had to quiet them down, but inside, he was pleased. They liked it.
Next came the large common room, a classroom with long desks and charcoal slates, a washroom with wooden basins and chamber pots, and finally the kitchen, with a working hearth and a dry cellar.
Saera looked around in awe. "But... this place was a wreck yesterday. How did you…?"
Kaelion wiggled his fingers playfully. "Magic."
In truth, it had taken a combination of clever enchantments, raw hard work, and Raphael's aid. He'd gathered materials from the forest, bought others from local vendors—many of whom were annoyed at being woken in the dead of night. But gold was an excellent silencer.
Using Separation and Synthesis, along with his growing knowledge of carpentry and design, Kaelion had worked tirelessly to reshape the ruin into a home. To the children—it might as well have been magic.
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In the side courtyard, Kaelion had cleared a training space for what he called Morning Exercises, though the real purpose was more subtle—Pre-Magic Conditioning, meant to ease the awakening of their aura nodes.
"This is where we'll begin each day," Kaelion explained, stretching casually. "We move, we sweat, then we eat."
"But not today," Jon muttered with a half-smile.
"Correct," Kaelion nodded. "Today is the exception. Tomorrow, we start properly. After exercise comes homeroom. Memorize your schedule."
The exercises were deceptively simple—deep breathing, posture alignment, stance work, and muscle control. To the kids, it felt like a fun routine. But beneath it, Kaelion was carefully guiding their spiritual cores, setting the groundwork for future magical growth.
He was planting seeds that would one day shake the very foundations of Planetos.
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After a quick wash, they gathered inside the classroom.
Kaelion stood before them in navy-blue robes, chalk in hand, looking faintly ridiculous—a five-year-old playing teacher. And yet, there was confidence in his posture, an ease that made them listen.
"We begin here," he said, drawing letters across the slate board.
And so he began.
Using a hundred years' worth of accumulated knowledge, accelerated thought, and parallel processing, Kaelion taught them phonetics and reading. He had them write their names, then moved on to arithmetic using stones for addition and subtraction.
But this wasn't peasant math.
He introduced the concept of zero. Patterns in numbers. Simple geometry. Why a triangle never collapses. He wove stories into his lessons: three dragons counting gold in a tavern, a kingdom tricking tax collectors with clever counting.
By lunch, the children were laughing. Even Jace cracked a smile when Kaelion fumbled the pronunciation of cauliflower on purpose. He even acted out a silly version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
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The week that followed brought growth.
Each day had new drills. New stories. New discoveries.
Kaelion encouraged them to ask questions.
He taught them how to observe: why bread rose, why metal was cold in the morning, why breath fogged in winter.
They didn't realize it yet, but he was instilling the foundations of logic—early science and reasoning.
And day by day, they changed.
Maera, still the eldest, became the group's natural leader.
Saera, sharp and curious, began sketching in secret, discovering a love for drawing.
Jon, once shy, started writing short stories.
Jace, rough around the edges, helped the younger ones read.
The twins, Ella and Lara, started building strange wooden contraptions in their free time.
A boy named Torren questioned everything Kaelion said—and Kaelion welcomed it, delighted by his inquisitive mind.
Twelve kids, once orphans surviving day by day, now shared stories, bread, and dreams—under a roof built from magic, patience, and hope.
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Thank you for reading!
These are the first steps in Kaelion's long journey. Drop a comment below—let me know your thoughts, theories, or ideas!
And hey—what do you think Kaelion's magical specialization is? Let's hear your guesses!
And for those that have been supporting my work thanks a lot and see ya next time 😉😉