A loud bamming noise woke Coen up from his dreams. He looked around.
'Where am I? '
Ceiling filled with cracks. Brownish paint that may have faded long ago. Small room that smells like medicine and old books. Piles of sacks filled with wheat.
'I'm in a stack room?'
He slammed his head back at his pillow. He seems to be lost. Thinking about something that he has forgotten makes his head hurt. He tried to bam his head on the wall just to make himself remember what has happened. He knew he dreamed about something but every time he wakes up it will be gone. This has been happening frequently these past few days and he always found himself waking up in weird places
Bam. Bam. Bam...
The bamming noise that has woke him up earlier came again. His head stopped mid-air.
'What was that?'
The noise seems to go louder each second that passes. He stood up slowly and tip-towed to the door. Peeking on a small hole, he saw a stout woman wearing a maid uniform standing on the other side of the door.
'Huh? Who's that?'
"Young Lord, are you in there?", he heard the stout woman say.
"Young Lord? Who? He?" he thinks it is absurd. This woman must be joking. Wait. He seems to remember something.
'Oh. Shit. Gods. How could I forget?'
Swinging the door open he suddenly dashed outside. Looking back at their family storage house, he laughed at his foolishness.
'Did I just slept in the stack house?'
"Good morning Mrs. Patty. Thanks for waking me up," he yelled smilingly at the shocked stout woman while running very fast to a very large mansion up ahead.
Mrs Patty was left standing outside the storage house. She just shook her head while smiling.
"That child sure is weird," she thought then continued on her work.
**********
Hansworth Manor
A handsome man, maybe in his 20s and dressed in a golden silk robe with his long and straight auburn hair hiding his pointed ears, was walking back and forth in a very luxurious room. A beautiful woman,wearing red gown complimenting her snow-white and jade-like skin, can be seen sitting on a bed weeping silently. Her beautiful blue eyes twinkled like starlight from tears. The man saw her tears so he walked up to her and smiled at her bitterly.
He embraced her and wiped her tears. The woman is filled with different kinds of emotions.
"Shhhh. Stop crying my wife. Little Coen might just have been playing somewhere with other kids," he said trying to comfort his beloved.
"No... no... no... You know him... He may be intelligent but he is not used to the outside world. He grew up here inside the manor. He is so innocent and that innocence may bring harm to him," the woman said hugging him more tightly.
"And you said he is playing? What type of kid will be playing for two days straight without going back home? " she added.
The man just smiled and continued to say soothing words to her to calm her.
A strange cry startled the hugging couple. The huge door leading to their room opened forcefully and a servant with disheveled hair and clothes can be seen with a nervous look but the happiness in his eyes is very obvious.
"Lindon, what facade is this? Don't you know how to knock? And why did you storm your way here discarding any respect to me? You better have a legitimate reason for doing this or else...," the man's booming voice echoed in the whole manor. Tremors are felt by every living thing inside. A blue lightning can be seen flickering on the man's eyes.
The servant, Lindon's, lip is trembling from deep fright. Any second his legs may stop working making him trample on the cold marble floor but he persevered and said his reason despite stuttering.
"My L-lord... I c-came here without k-knocking be-because..." Lindon said slowly and fearfully.
"BECAUSE WHAT?" the man in golden robe shouted at the servant losing his temper. The woman at his side patted his back calming him. She looked at the terrified servant then smiled kindly while asking politely,"What is it, Lindon?"
The smiling face of the woman somewhat eased the fear inside of the servant.
"The Young Lord Coen is back!!!" he reported hurriedly. Gladness is evident on his smiling face.
When the words of Lindon reached the couple, mixed emotions filled them. The woman's once worried face suddenly lit up with unimaginable happiness while the man's initial angry eyes faded in an instant replaced with a stern look but happy nonetheless.
After apologizing to the servant, they stormed their way to where their son is as to where the servant told them the place is. Running to the front door of the mansion, they saw a six-year old kid standing by the door with his smile filled with bashfulness. Jade-like skin that can only be seen on nobility combined with his blue eyes with an auburn hair mixed with that handsome features, that kid seemed to be perfect despite the weird mixture of the colors of his eyes and hair. He got his eyes from his mom while his hair from his dad and of course the pointy ears he got from his dad.
"Hi mom... Hi dad..." he squeaked shyly.
His parents don't know whether to laugh or cry. Tears of joy filled the woman's eyes and she ran towards her son hugging him lovingly. The man on the other hand did not know how to react. In the beginning he wanted to reprimand his son but seeing his wife's reaction he sighed and in the end he joined them... hugging his family protectively. The servants around them looked at them with happiness in their eyes.
After a while, they broke from their hugging session and with a stern look the man looked at his son. Coen saw his father's face and cowered inwardly but he did not show any reaction outside and maintained his smiling face.
Seeing his son's face, the man sighed again with helplessness in his eyes. He composed himself and with a serious face he said,"Coen, go to your room and study. The Central Magic Union's recruitment is tomorrow. You must be accepted by the Central Magic Royal Academy. I, myself, and your mother graduated there so you must do your best. Go now."
Coen saw his mother's encouraging smile so his confidence soared.
"Yes, Royal Father," he bowed respectfully then walked towards his room with elegant air. He can't help it. He grew up as a prince of the biggest kingdom among the seven kingdoms in the Stronghold Continent. The Hansworth family is the royal family bloodline of the Stronghold Kingdom. The six other kingdoms are the Aeterna Kingdom lead by the Landell Royal family bloodline, Boxellum Kingdom lead by the Lux Royal family bloodline, Copcell Kingdom lead by the Lucium Royal family bloodline, Dendragon Kingdom lead by the Draco Royal family bloodline, Easterheart Kingdom lead by the Herza Royal family bloodline, and lastly the Fargon Kingdom lead by the Gaar Royal family bloodline.
Each kingdom is located far from each other. Only the kings and queens of each kingdom knew who are the other leaders of the other kingdoms. The princes and the princesses didn't know each other except those who are from the same kingdoms.
Every kingdom has many sub-kingdoms that helped the each main kingdom to manage the entire kingdom populace.
Prince Coen Hansworth is the only son of the King Griston Hansworth and Queen Easlaine Draco-Hansworth. She's the youngest princess of the Dendragon Kingdom and the youngest sister of their present King.
The Central Magic Union is located in the center of the Stronghold Continent and is surrounded by all seven kingdoms. This is the only place where all kingdoms work together for the greater good of the continent. In this place, magic is taught to every citizen who wished to learn it. Although the price is high, there are some schools who accept scholars that came from commoners who can't afford to pay.
Countless schools are erected inside the Central Magic Union but the most popular and elite school is the Central Magic Royal Academy. This school only accepts geniuses. They conduct strict tests every year and the ratio of the possibility that you may be accepted is one genius among one hundred geniuses.
His family is widely known inside the Central Magic Royal Academy. Every time a family member is sent to the academy they always get the first place among all the students. The Hansworth family is a bloodline of elves and all people living in the Stronghold Kingdom are all elves. It is also known as the Elven Kingdom. Elves are known from being very excellent in magic especially the royal family so they really expected much from their prince.
Inside his room, Coen sat silently while contemplating something.
He had decided long ago that when he will enter the academy he will not let anyone know about his status. This will ensure that he will find some sincere and true friends inside the academy. He has read all the books available in the kingdoms library even the ancient ones and has memorized it all. This feat is not impossible to him because as a prince this is all what he did since birth... to learn. Every magical books, history books, books for ruling, war books, etc. He learned it all. He spent all his time in the kingdom's library so despite his six-year old self, he already knew so much. What he lacked is experience and he wanted the academy to be the place where he wanted to mold himself.
He stood up. Scanning his memories from all the spells he learned until he found what he was looking for.
Casting it without with just a thought he successfully casted it in a blink of an eye. Spell casting is divided into two different types. Mind casting is what he had done. Mouth casting is the most common method and is the easiest way. What he casted is a teleportation spell and in an instant he found himself standing in an alley facing a store which read Wissy Dowey's Cakery.
Elves are walking and chatting everywhere. He walked inside the store and took a cake he liked and brought it to a fat elf standing in the counter.
"How much is this, miss?" He asked politely.
The fat lady liked the way he addressed as a miss so she smiled at Coen then replied cutely as if talking to a little child which is what he really is in the first place."50 gold magic stones, little one."
She is amused by this little adorable elfling and waited if he really has the money to pay it.
Coen is trying his best to get the pouch inside his pocket so it took time. The fat lady chuckled as if thinking that the child don't really have the money to pay the cake so she packed the cake and gave it to the child in front of her.
"Don't bother, little one. Take this as a gift," she looked at him kindly.
Hearing this, Coen's face glowed and accepted the cake. His face is very happy and thankful.
"Thank you very much, miss" he said while bowing respectfully holding the cake as if thinking it may disappear.
"Call me Miss Wissy," she said again while laughing. "Go now. Maybe your parents are already worried about you."
"Thank you again," he smiled cheekily then ran outside the store.
He was walking downstreet and started to open the package containing the cake. A delicious chocolate flavored cake with some red toppings can be seen inside. He took it by his hand and was about to eat it when he heard something.
Sitting on the side of the street is an old man. When you really look at him you'll find that his ears are round and not pointed.
"A human?" he thought shocked. Humans are rarely seen inside the elven territory. Aside from his mother who is not even considered as human because the blood flowing on her veins is dragon blood, she still looked like a human with her round-shaped ears. He had never seen one before.
What's more strange about this human is he is a beggar. This is the first time he saw a human and unfortunately, that human is a beggar. He chuckled at his luck.
He curiously walked towards the man. And he saw that every passerby seemed to be disgusted by this man. This made his young heart angry at those people. He looked closely at the man.
"Boy do you have anything to eat. Can you give this old man even just a little pinch of your food?" the old beggar asked him with a pained look. This old man looked like he hasn't eaten for months. He is already very thin. All that is left on him is just skin and bones.
Coen is but a child and seeing this, he, without any hesitation, gave the whole cake to the old man.
"This is all I have, mister. If you want, I'll go home and get more food for you." He sat next to the old man disregarding the foul smell that the old man emitted.
"Thank you child. This is enough. You're a good kid so I'll give something to you in return. This will help you in your life's journey," the old man took something from his bag of straw. It was wrapped in a dirty cloth and was tightly tied.
"No.no.no... mister... I helped because I want to and not because I wanted something in return. You said it can help me on my life's journey. You can have it, maybe it can help you in your journey too. You needed it re than me," Coen said hurriedly refusing such precious gift. He saw that the old man is so poor so he did not really believe that the old man has something that can help him. He is a prince. What thing that an old beggar has that he did not have? He did not mean to think that way but he can't help it so he refused.
"I insist. Child, if you don't accept my gift then I will be mad at you," the old man's eyes looked at him seriously. He did not want to see a mad beggar and by simply imagining what might happen his insides cowers.
"Okay fine. I'll accept. Thank you mister," he stood up and bowed in front of the old man. Anyone seeing this looked at them weirdly. A noble looking child bowing at an old beggar? This is a rare sight.
"Okay. You may go now. Hehehe," the old man looks very excited and started eating the cake.
Seeing this made Coen look at the old man helplessly. He did not continue his sightseeing when he saw that the sun is already at its peak.
'Oh it's already noon. May as well go home.'
He teleported to his room and went downstairs to eat lunch.
Time passed by quickly with him sleeping on his bed till night came. He woke up and saw something shining. It is the wrapped up dirty clothe that the old man gave him. It's shining.
With curious eyes he untie the clothes and looked at what is inside. What he saw shocked him.
'What is this?'
It looked like a vial filled with shining blue liquid. It looked incredible.
'The old man said it can help me on my life's journey. Might as well try it. There's no harm in trying, right?'
Coen is very curious. He knew that he really can't trust strangers but his curiosity is killing him. He took a deep, long breathe.
'Okay. This is it. No more going back.'
Coen Hansworth is hesitant. His grip on the glowing vial is faltering. Its bluish gleam illuminates his dark room. Beads of sweat tickle down the side of his head. His auburn hair is drenched from uncontrollable perspiration.
He is nervous.
Slowly, he lifts his tottering hands. The sky colored liquid seems to stir inside the vial. A hypnotic and calming yet destructive hurricane.
Coen brought the shining phial to his lips. The liquid feels warm, far from what he anticipated its temperature should be. In a quaff, the vial is emptied. He felt the warm fluid spread in his system but nothing else happened.
'What now?', he thought.
He loosened his clutch on the now blank phial. It fell loudly on the tiled floor of his room. He's waiting for something to occur. Minutes passed but still nothing. A chuckle came out from his mouth. He's grinning like a mad man now.
'I'm an idiot. Of course nothing would really happen. It's just some silly glowing liquid. That old man must have pranked me. I'm such a fool.'
He face-palmed and started to stand up. A tingling sensation struck him stopping him from doing so.
It came bearable at first but as seconds passed it transformed into pain. It felt as though billions of ants are feasting on him from head to toe. His whole body is convulsing. His vision began to waver. The pain is too much.
He felt another sensation. It's more unendurable than the first one. He clamped his hands tightly on his chest where the foreign feeling starts to manifest. This feels like his blood becomes fire. Like molten metal is flowing in his veins. It is excruciating.
He heard an unearthly bawl. Full of agony and pain. He soon realized that this came from him. Clenching his teeth, he suppressed any sounds from his mouth.
His body could not take the suffering any longer. He closed his eyes surrendering to the pain and to the certain death that will come afterwards.
'Is this my end? Does death always been this painful? I hate this kind of ending. I hate everything. Dammit. Please, I beg to any gods out there. Please give me another chance.'
His conciousness begins to fade. He did not feel the pain anymore. Maybe it stopped or it's just his body had already gone numb for good. He did not care either way. He felt peace lying there limply. His breathing rugged. The darkness of the night is suffocating him. When he could not hold it anymore, he gave in to the darkness. Welcoming it with open arms.
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A/N: hope you understand the story LOL