I was in the library of the family, Reading a book heavier than my head.
" What is the Principle of Water?"
"Flow, Formlessness?" I whisper to my mother, her eyes getting a bit softer "Well Done, What is Flow?"
"Movement and rhythm? Like dancing, writing, painting...all this has 'Water'?" My lips got a bit dry, I couldn't give absolute certainty in my answer. I munch a cookie and drink a bit of tea.
"Well done, that's enough for today." She smiled, something that she did only to me.
"Mother, thank you for your teachings." I smiled at my mother, there was a soft sunlight coming from the window, it was drizzling very lightly, and the smell of rain, tea and cookies filled the air.
I touched the wood table, I always loved the feeling of wood in my hands. It was cold, every wood had a different innate pattern, made even prettier by the best woodworkers. "Time to sleep my Boi" My mother said softly with a subtle, but very heavy dignity. It was a Command, even though one given with love
"Yes, My mother." I bow towards her, arrange my books in the table, taking my favorite 'Light and darkness' with me and going towards my bedrooms
"Careful with the book Boi." She giggles as I suffer to lift and carry it, but even being 15 years old, I was as strong as a Young adult, so it wasn't a heavy burden to me
"Hugh. Why do castles have such long halls?!" I complain as I walk in the soft carpet, rows of maids and servants bowing towards me.
" Your Highness." light whispers everywhere I went, I make a 'dignity face', even though I wanted to smile and talk as I walked by
'A Prince needs Dignity, even if he doesn't want to, or need to.' I remember my mother teachings as I walk
"UUff'' I get inside my bedroom. A gigantic bed with the smell of lavender was there to comfort me, Black and Red silk-like blankets and extremely soft, to the point I felt like flying.
"This....is Light!" I smile, my life until now was pretty much just studying, training and being with my mother. but I was happy.
I was happy…
'BOOM' 'BOOM' I wake up by the noise of explosion, the window of my bedroom shatters and fire starts to spread in my room
"Ah!" I scream and get out of bed, looking outside the burning window, hundreds of burning arrows falling from the sky, the whole kingdom , burning.
"bzzzzz" My clothes start to shine, fine runes flowing on it, making me a bit calmer and stops the heat from hurting me.
"Son!" The door opens and my mother comes in, she holds me tightly. Fear and desperation in her eyes slowly disappearing.She pants a bit and relaxes.
"Son...Look at me" She grabs me by the shoulders and stares deep into my eyes
Her whole body started to shine, but her hair became gray, her eyes dull, and skin cracked, I could feel her Mana become more and more violent, almost suffocating me
The whole Sky was in flames... the cries of horror and slaughter getting stronger and stronger. Soldiers giving orders and laughs echoing in the sky. A black river of beasts flowing into the streets, devouring and aniquilating everything that moved
"Mother..." I looked into my mother's eyes.
"Son, Your Father Died protecting the Kingdom, fighting to protect it, and now is the day that I will follow his steps." She lifted herself with my father's sword, with a stance of a warrior that didn't fit her kind self, she looked down upon me. "I can't save us both son, neither can I can't give you the life and education you deserve...I'm sorry that it has to be like this...I'm sorry.." She smiled, tears flowing on her tired face, a face that was once filled with vitality and youth, now like a dry rose, sad and dying.
"I love you Son." She cracked a shining sphere in her hands. And with a flash of light, The world flashed before me.
Before disappearing, ''I saw her shine like the brightest star, her light erasing the fire and turning beasts into dust.'
"Mother..." I couldn't Say anything else, I didn't know what to say to begin with, I was fearful, unwilling, sad, confused, what happened? What happened?
I couldn't remember well...oh, Now I remember.
We got invaded by a bunch of evil, demonic cultists from the florest, and our kingdom got raided. "They came from the north, suddenly appearing...teleportation I believe."
Mother couldn't protect me and protect the kingdom, either She escaped with me and let the kingdom die, or forced me to escape, to fight to the death for the kingdom
Why so suddenly? I couldn't understand? why?
'Flash!'
The world flashed before me, tears falling from my eyes, I was in the middle of a snowy forest, nothing like warm, by-the-sea florest's, it was cold.
'Why? Why this!?' I sitted in the snow, my skin burning from the coldness, but I didn't care "why?" I only looked into the empty, star filled sky above me.
[There's no Why] A voice whispered in my mind
[There's only Because. Cause and Consequence.] It whispered again, coming like a freezing breeze.
[Pitiful Child, you pay the price for another's sins...] The aged voice said, and then, there was silence
I stayed freezing in the florest, slowly starting to feel sleepy
[I can grant you power, but you lose everything else.] He said rashly, stopping me from falling down into sleep.
"I have nothing," I said, the stars shined with golden color, more gold than the purest gold.
[Very Well...] A grand, powerful voice echoed in the whole forest. The stars started to share, vibrate, and slowly...fall.
Like water drops from the rain, they started to hit the ground, painting the whole forest in golden color. The trees shook lightly...My tears flowing into the golden snow, my whole body burning from the cold, I fell to my knees. I was sleepy but the voice didn't stop me from closing my eyes again.
I slowly fell asleep on my knees. dried tears shining gold in my eyes..
[System Starting...]
[Qualification: ********]
[Sacrificing Attributes, Skills and Talent to support qualification]
[All attributes reduced by 100 / Mana reduced by additional 500]
[Skills devoured: Imperial Body lv , Imperial mind Lv 8, Magic Mastery lvl 1, Light and Darkness Magic lv 0, Primordial Magic lv 0, Imperial Martial Arts lv 2….]
[Skill Acquired: Strong Will lv 0]
[Imperial Mind lv 8 + Strong Will lv 0 = Strong Will lv 1]
[Consuming Runes From Equipment: Element Rune, Imperial Mind Rune,Vitality Rune, Escape Rune(broken).]
I felt extremely light and weak, my mind feeling empty and exhausted...
[System Rebooting in 24 hours...]
That night I dreamed, My mother and I were swimming on the beach. A soft summer rain falling from the sky. Painting the horizon with the colors of the rainbow...