"Smith, how is the infiltration going?" James the 2nd asked.
"Your highness, so far so good with the assistance of Albert, she has successfully entered the hall. Now all she needs to do is stay there till the end of the exam. Albert said he would stay inside the venue to prevent any mishap from happening." Smith replied as he opened the door for James to walk out.
"Do you think he might have foreseen her arrival?" James asked as he rubbed his forehead as he walked towards the meeting room to hold the daily meetings of the court.
"Most likely. But I think it's futile since she has had 13 years to develop her award from her awakening stage. None of them will expect the new form of her award." Smith smirked.
"No Smith, as much as I hate to compare him to my wife, I know for sure they are much alike in their way of thinking and planning. If my predictions are correct I think he might have already guessed and planned all countermeasures against all form of her award." James halted before the door to the meeting hall. The shouting and arguments from the other side clearly audible through the thick doors.
"Your highness, even if he could plan a countermeasure to all forms of her award, there will still be a loophole for her to get through. I suggest you don't worry about it much, let her take care of the problems, for now, Albert is there in case she needs any help." Smith reassured as he opened the door for the emperor.
Welcoming his sights were a bunch of people arguing with each other about numerous developments.
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"Sir, Alpha has successfully entered the target area." A woman dressed in a black tight skirt, blacktop and a black service cap reported to her commander.
The commander whose back was facing her, looked at a screen, filled with drawings and markings of all kinds on a map, in confusion.
"Is the live feed on Alpha still coming through?" The commander deep voice resonated through the room.
"Successfully sir!" The women replied, with head raised high and hands behind her.
"What is Alpha doing right now?" The commander turned away from the screen and walked towards the table picking up his black service cap, which matched his black shirt and pants. The top left-hand side of his shirt decorated with medals and stars.
The woman was silent for a while not knowing how to report. Seeing the stare of her commander she replied, "It seems Alpha is doing some kind of exam sir."
The commanders' eyebrows twitched for a few seconds at the ridiculous report.
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"Archbishop Robert, are you sure it was the right decision to sent the children of the almighty to that empire?" A very old woman asked the youngest archbishop of the church, kneeling in front of her, in anger.
"Your Holiness, I know this may sound like heresy, but I think and fear that we have been looking in the wrong place for the chosen one for a long time." Archbishop Robert replied reverently to the pope of the church.
"Robert, if you weren't an Archbishop and not in a private meeting with me this would be your trial of judgement now for what you just said." The women replied as she looked at Robert in growing anger.
"I know your holiness. That's why I wanted to confess this sin to you personally before someone else did and you got the wrong idea. But please listen to what I have to say." The archbishop requested while perspiration slowly gathered on his head and back.
"Speak, I am listening." The women calmed down in order to hear what Robert's reason was.
"What if it is through the chosen ones that we can finally spread the faith of the almighty to that forsaken empire finally?" Robert asked.
Seeing the pope was silent he carried on "Once the prophecy come to pass and it goes in our favour, that empire will finally see that we were right all along about the almighty, and we will have the chosen one and the prophecy to speak as evidence.
Then even if the rulers of that land goes against our faith, the people will finally see the truth. Then it's just a matter of time before they accept the almighty one." Robert explained.
The pope was silent for a while thinking about his words before sighing in reluctance "Robert you have convinced me, but it won't be the same for the other cardinals. So, I suggest this stays between us. We can only reveal this to others once the chosen one has been found."
Both could feel the headache that would arrive if the other members of the church found out what Robert had done.
"Tell me, Robert, how are they coping with temptation?" The women enquired in worry.
"So far they are doing well. I hold counselling session with them once every 3 days, and none of them seems to have fallen to the allure of magi even though they are practising it." Robert replied proudly.
"Are they children you personally know of?" The women asked knowingly seeing Roberts proud smile.
"Yes, your holiness. They are my children." Robert replied with his smile.
The women smiled seeing his joy.
"What are they doing now?" The old women asked.
Suddenly Tom's smile started fading as he went silent not knowing what to say. The pope waited patiently for an answer from Tom.
"They are taking an exam to be officially announced as a magi user." Tom said as his face darkened.
"Why?" The old woman's smile faded as anger crept through her voice.
"We might have a lead for the chosen one." He hurriedly replied before any sort of misunderstanding could occur.
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Linda was always weak and sick, since the day she was born.
Her father died 1 year after she was born when he went out to hunt for food.
Her mother always blamed her for her father's death. Saying something she was cursed.
She didn't understand the meaning of that word until years later.
Since then her older brother provided for her and mother.
Everyone made fun of her or talked behind her when she was out.
Children her age avoided her and picked on her.
She always cried, but there was always someone there.
That persons smile made her worries fade to emptiness.
When she was 5 years old she found out about magi.
She knew she could be strong if she was magi.
So, she along with most of the children in the village was taken to be tested for magi talent.
However, her hopes and dreams were crushed when she was told she had no talent and regular capacity for magi.
As she got older she started to get weaker. Her brother found it hard to make food for the table during the winter.
She knew she was slowly becoming a burden to her family. She could see it in her mother's eyes the loathing she carried for Linda.
Unnoticed by her brother, she received less portion during the winter and her condition always got worse.
Her brother never noticed how he always received the same portion as he would during spring and summer.
Her mother told her to keep quiet about it if she wanted her brother to be well and not sick like her.
By the time winter was over it takes her at least 3 months to become well again.
Her brother worked hard to bring in money to treat her during the spring.
Her brother was the only one who she found was kind to her.
Her mother always blamed her saying she was the cause of unhappiness to her brother.
When the plague came everyone in the village blamed it on her including her mother.
Her brother tried to defend her, but no one listened.
Everyone wanted to throw her out of the village, including mother.
As the plague in the village got worse people wanted to kill her.
Luckily everyone got too ill before they could do anything to her. Her condition got worse as she to finally got ill from the plague.
She felt tiredness like never before. She struggled to open even her eyes.
However, when she opened her eyes she saw her starving and hungry brother.
Days went by like this.
She loathed herself, for bringing the plague on everyone.
She could slowly feel a voice telling her to let go.
As she decided to finally let go, she tasted something warm and beautiful like she has never tasted before. She would never forget that taste.
She slowly went into sleep.
When she opened her eye, she could see her brother shouting at his mom and a few of our neighbours.
It turned out everyone in the empire had the plague and she wasn't the cause of it.
Strangely she felt relief knowing she wasn't finally the cause of burden or suffering of everyone, and she liked that feeling.
Her brother was angry at everyone for nearly killing her and throwing her out of the village.
From that day on brother never spoke to mother. Mother hated her even more.
Even though she was cured of the plague her sickness never went away, she was always weak, unable to do anything.
Her condition also got worse as she slowly started coughing and vomiting blood.
Her brown hair started falling of overtime leaving her bold.
She rarely saw her brother as he always worked really hard trying to bring in extra money to get her to a healer.
Her brother finally managed to save enough to take her to the healer, even though her mother was against it, saying she was cursed, and it was a waste of money.
The healer said there was nothing he could do, and she didn't have much time left.
She slowly started losing awareness of her surroundings.
However, her comfort during these times was the touch of her brother on her hands.
Finally, one day she could hear or feel nothing.
She wanted to let go.
She didn't want to be a burden to her brother.
She could hear the same voice telling her to let go.
But something kept her back.
It was her brother. She wanted to see her brothers smile one more time.
But she remembered what her mother told her, that 'she was the cause of unhappiness to her brother.'.
So, for her brother she let go.
And then it was darkness.