The magical journey of a countryside boy

The next morning, as William walks through the village lanes, he sees a stark contrast to the Ashbrook he has known his entire life. The usual morning energy is completely gone. Nobody seems to have woken up early today, and the few people he does pass lack the energy or the will to work. From a quick chat with his uncle before leaving the house, William already knows the worst of it: they have only two weeks to pack their entire lives and move. Today, the village just looks strangely quiet.

‘I don’t know how John reacts to this,’ William thinks, his boots crunching softly on the dirt path. ‘Does he have a plan, or is he still trying to figure out his future?’

​As he steps inside the forge, he notices John standing next to the cold anvil, staring blankly into the unlit hearth.

​”There’s no work today, kid,” John says, turning his head to look at William.

​William steps closer. ”I know... Are you okay?”

​John lets out a faint smile. ”You’re a little too young to worry about me, kid. I should be the one asking you.” He sighs, sitting down heavily on a wooden crate. ”So, how are you holding up?”

​”I don’t know,” William replies, looking the blacksmith dead in the eye.

​John slides a small stool over to him. ”Well, I can’t say I’m entirely unprepared. I decided years ago that I wanted to move to Arindale eventually.” He looks calmly at William, his voice leveling out. ”It should have taken me at least another two years to save up for the move. But with this buyout, I can do it right now and still have money to spare.”

​William adjusts his stool, leaning forward. ”Don’t you think it’s strange? Why would they pay us that much?”

​”Everything is strange when nobles are involved.” A serious, guarded expression wafts over John’s face, his tone dropping an octave. ”People like us shouldn’t question them.”

Once again, William realizes the staggering gulf between people like them and the nobility. Destroying their entire way of life doesn’t even require an afterthought from the Baron.

​”I’m going to Arindale three days later to sort out the paperwork for opening a new forge in the city,” John says, his eyes softening with concern. ”I know things are depressing right now, but you should come with me. It’ll do you some good to get out of Ashbrook for a couple of days.”

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

​William nods vaguely and leaves the forge. As he walks back toward his house, his boots drag heavily on the dirt path. His mind spins with a restless spiral of questions. ’Is there really nothing we can do? Where will my family go? Will I have to look for magic all over again from scratch? Are we going to relocate near a real city, or are we going to get dumped in the middle of nowhere?’

​He reaches the front door without finding a single answer. Stepping inside, he immediately notices the quiet absence of his uncle and aunt. The house feels empty. Only Craig is there, sitting quietly on the dirt floor, aimlessly drawing shapes in the dust with a pile of sticks and stones.

As William enters the house, he finds Emma fast asleep, her small body curled up as if her mind simply refuses to process the chaos.

​He waits in the main room. The first one to return is Matt, whose anger clearly hasn’t faded. He storms straight past, entering his bedroom without looking at anyone or saying a single word. William decides against trying to talk to him; he still hasn’t even figured out his own feelings yet, let alone anyone else’s.

​An hour drags by before Uncle Rob and Aunt Gretchen finally walk through the door, looking even more drained than they did yesterday. Aunt Gretchen goes directly to check on Emma, while Rob calls Matt, Craig, and William over to the wooden table.

​”We just finished a meeting with the rest of the villagers to figure out what comes next,” Rob says, his voice flat with exhaustion. ”Some have decided to travel to the nearest village. It requires ten hours of continuous travel on unpaved roads, but they have relatives there. Most of the villagers are heading for the cities. A few are moving to Arindale, but the rest are heading even further east.”

​Rob lets out a long, defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping completely. ”The village of Ashbrook doesn’t exist anymore.”

Late into the night, sleep shuns most of the villagers in Ashbrook. Two of those people are William and Rob. William stands in the open doorway, staring directly up at the sky, his mind churning over the chaotic events of the past two days. He senses a presence beside him and turns to see Uncle Rob stepping up to the threshold.

​“Can’t sleep?” Rob asks, trying to offer a smile despite the profound exhaustion etched into his face.

​William nods quietly.

​“Me too,” Rob says, his voice a low murmur.

​William hesitates, looking out into the dark yard. “John is visiting Arindale three days later. He’s opening a shop there and wants to check the regulations at the City Hall... He asked if I would come with him to the city.”

​Uncle Rob keeps his eyes fixed on the glowing silver crescent of the half-moon. “I know. He told me as much during the village meeting. But before you ask for my permission, let me ask you a question first.” Rob turns his head, looking straight into William’s eyes.

​William swallows hard, nodding seriously to show he is listening.

​“Do you want to live with John in the city?” Rob asks bluntly.

​William thinks hard about the question, measuring the weight of his answer. “No,” he says finally. “I don’t want to be a burden to him.”

​A genuine, proud smile breaks through Rob’s tired expression. “It’s good that you understand that, kid. Go ahead and pack your things. I’ll talk to your aunt about the trip in the morning.” Rob turns back to watch the moon. “Now get some rest, kiddo.”