The Key of Destiny
Dusty

Returning from the borders of , Ace, Lizzarde, and Gladiolus were immediately greeted by Queen Cordellia to immediately fill their bellies with a sumptuous dinner. "Take this as a reward for your hard work" the Queen said.

They saw a lot of fancy food neatly arranged on the table. Without thinking, because it was starving Lizzarde and Gladiol immediately sat on the dining chair. While Ace was even pensive to think of people who could not eat this fancy food out there.

Ace languidly occupied his chair while continuing to lower his head thinking about it.

"What's Ace? You sick?" ask Anne Drime gently.

Ace shook his head and replied, "I'm fine, I just think of those out there who can't eat as much food as we can," .

Ace's reply left Queen Cordellia shocked. Then the Queen grabbed Ace's hand and said, "We understand son, but have you ever thought of anything?" .

"Something what?" Ace looked at his mother.

"The difference or not of the food depends on the moment they have when eating the dish, if they are happy and grateful for their sustenance, then whatever they eat will feel more delicious," the Queen replied with a sweet smile.

"Eat Ace, so you can hand out a fancy meal to them one day" continued Gladiol, who managed to make Ace's smile again.

Ace smiled and nodded, then he picked up a pair of spoons and forks and then ate his meal.

"It's so delicious!!" shouted Ace while chewing his food.

"Eat slowly!"

"Guye!!" Ace choked on his food, and everyone at the dining table laughed. Let alone Lizzarde, he laughed the loudest and most loosely.

"I wish I could stay here" Lizzarde murmured inwardly.

A few minutes later, the dining table which was originally full of fancy food, now only empty plates and glasses but there are also still contents.

After dinner, Ace then cleaned himself up and lay down on his bed. Ace tries to close his eyes but drowsiness does not approach him.

He was riveted with a box of white wolf cubs that he brought home. Unable to sleep, Ace decides to go out with the wolf cub.

But it was so cold outside that Ace did not come out and change his intentions towards the palace library.

The place is dark, only illuminated with a few candles and looks creepy. But Ace did not think about it, he carried the box containing the wolf cubs and sat on one of the library benches. Ace kept staring at the sleeping white wolf boy since last afternoon.

"Why do you sleep anyway, when you do nothing," said Ace annoyed while touching the wolf's body.

A few times Ace continued to disturb the sleeping wolf cub, but he did not open his eyes. Ace was bored and placed the box containing the wolf cub beside him.

"Read a book a little ah, let it sleep,"

Ace picked up a book on one of the shelves near the library warehouse. The conditions are very dusty and very minimal lighting. As Ace touched one of the books on the shelf, the other books were thrown off the shelf. Ace was surprised not to play, even Ace could not pull his right hand from the book he touched.

His hand was like it was being pulled by something, "Goodness, what is this!! Aarr!!!" Ace tried to pull his hand as hard as he could. "Th-mother!!" Ace panicked. Suddenly the book that Ace touched flew into the air and opened itself, while Ace's right hand was still drawn by the book.

"Aces.. My son." a small whisper was heard by the voice of the man in Ace's ear. "Don't be afraid." continued the mysterious voice.

The panicked Ace, instantly pulled his right hand firmly. "Spirit Ac..ee..!!!" Ace tried to calm himself down. With a white light from the book opening, Ace was unable to hold his hand and quickly disappeared from the library.

The book that was originally in the air had now fallen to the floor, and Ace disappeared without a trace.

"Whoaah!!" Ace woke up on a haystack.

Ace who just woke up like a shocker was then confused about his existence, Ace saw the situation around. Stacks of straw everywhere, the smell of grass, and very make the chest tight because of the dust flying.

"Cage???" ace asked in confusion, then walked out of the alleged enclosure. Outside, Ace saw many farmers hoeing and planting.

"What is this..." Ace was wide-eyed to see the beauty of nature there, and he occasionally observed the faces of the farmers there, but everything looked foreign. Except for a long white-haired young man wearing a shabby peasant's clothes and carrying a hoe.

The young man rubbed his sweat, then unintentionally the young man saw the figure of Ace standing behind the cage door.

"Hey boy! What are you doing there?" the young man who did not look foreign.

Ace was surprised, "A-I just looked at it, ma-nothing.." Ace replied nervously.

Ace walked up to the young man, "L-see! I didn't do anything." he said, hiding his hands behind his back.

The white-haired youth laughed, "Cute child, are you hungry?".

"La-hungry? Why ask like that all of a sudden." Ace replied confusedly.

"Usually a child is always hungry, proof that the child in my wife's womb likes to make my wife hungry because she keeps stealing every nutrient my wife eats, haha!"

Although the story of the young man sounds not funny to Ace, but Ace tried to make himself look laughing. "H-haha." Yeah that's how it is.

"Perhaps, your a-child will grow up to be a fat kid, she'll end up eating" Ace said and made the young man stop laughing.

"Well, maybe yes, but it's okay, it's important we live happily" the young man replied to Ace with a sweet smile and then continued his work.

"This guy, he has the same hair color as me. Is this just my feeling, or is this guy really my dad..?" ace murmured in his heart and made himself restless.

"I also don't feel scared when I'm around him.."