08-14 10y/o

Today Father summoned me and asked me to dress appropriately for a family gathering. In other words take out the ceremony robes and were that disgusting make up that makes my skin itch. At the meeting I was brought before the entire Sect, Father as usual took up the head seat. A young women around my age and as beautiful as a fairy came to stand next to me. Father declared that an arranged marriage has been negotiated between Dante and Akari, we both ate and drank as the family celebrated the news. Things are awkward between Akari and me but if we are to be married we have all the time in the world to settle our differences.

03-23 12y/o

Akari has begun to grow into a beautiful young women and the rest of the clan has noticed as-well. Druvish my cousin has taken quite the liking to my fiance. I talked to her about him and laid my worries to bare but she assured me that everything is fine and that they are just friends. I have my doubts but I let her words calm me. I hope this doesn't end up poorly in the future.

07-16 13y/o

Father has fallen ill he claims everything is fine but I know something is wrong. Just last week he was fit and strong like he always was. But now his skin looks more pale and I can notice him getting thinner by the week. Last night I noticed him cough up blood, I was told to keep it a secret but I couldn't hide this knowledge from Akari we have grown very close in the last few weeks. I'm glad to have her by my side in these times, uncle Sen has bee acting strangely and I feel like he has been keeping an eye on me. I noticed that I see his students around the Sect leaders home more often now. I fear a coup is under foot and the only one who I could reside in right now is just as weak as I.

04-11 14y/o

Father has been bed ridden for a long time now. Uncle Sen has assumed the role of Sect leader until Father can regain his strength and make a full recovery. It was as I feared, Sen was after the position of Sect leader. He always hated my father, I should have been more careful warned him but for now I have been dutifully by his side. Cleaning the sweat from his brow an...

04-12 14y/o

Yesterday Sens oldest student entered fathers room, he was looking for something but soon left. I hid behind the wall divider and I wanted to confront him but he was releasing such a strong killing intent that I feared for my safety. He left with out touching or taking anything, maybe he was looking for me? I was after all away from fathers room at the time. I've decided to be more wary of Sen and his students. I wonder how Akari is doing, it has been almost two weeks since I last saw her. I hope Druvish has left her alone the last time I saw him he was trying his best to get on uncles good side.

05-13 14 y/o

I woke up this morning surrounded by the sects elders and their disciples. A blade covered in fresh blood was in my off hand and I was hauled off as a murderer. As we passed fathers room all I saw was red, it was everywhere. It looked like someone tried painting with red ink but the can exploded. Father was in the middle of the room, his glazed eyes locked staring into the sky. Akari was kind enough to bring me my journal as I sat in my cell as the elders decided what to do with me.

Last page undated.

Dear Dante,

I am truly sorry for how things have turned out and for what it is worth I do not hate you. But neither do I love you. I am ending our engagement as off today, no hard feelings.

Akari

...

I threw my journal into the brazer just outside my cell, I watched with tear filled eyes as my last possession burned to ashes. 'Curses' I spat to myself. Slamming my fist into the wall I left a very small indent in the stone, I was a half-step to mid stage. I already had three meridians open and I was extremely close to the forth but this cell is designed to remove the spiritual power from the world around me. Making cultivation not only impossible but any Ki you used was lost until you leave the cell and cultivate again. It was better to conserve my energy but in my anger I wasted nearly half of my stored Ki.

Realizing my mistake I sat down roughly on the stone bench. The only accommodation I received in this tiny room. I heard the sound of footstep make there way down the hall and I sat up straight and wiped my eyes. I could appear weak or else I would bring shame to my name. An elder of the sect, a stringy old man with a long white beard and bald head, he wore a long fancy rob with gilded edges and swirling patterns. I couldn't remember his name but he was Druvish's teacher and based on his gilded clothing I'd say right hand man of Uncle, or should I say Sect Leader now.

"Get up boy your sentence has been decided and we don't have all day" He pulled out rusted keys and unlocked the cell door. He stepped inside and locked my hands together with iron. Even at my current cultivation levels I couldn't break through the reinforced cuffs, they covered and locked my arms together from wrist to elbow and barely gave me enough room to lace my fingers together.

I was dragged along like a mutt, the elder pulling the chains attached to my cuffs. We passed by many sect members. Those who I thought where friends looked the other way, shame clear on their faces a few of them spat on me as I passed. Other sect members either ran from the elder or stared daggers at me, I looked for Akari but to my dismay I couldn't find her in the waves of people. Before I knew it was standing before the great door to the main hall of the sect. The room where all meeting took place and where guests came to see the Sect head. The two guards sneered at me with disdain and I frowned confused as to why the whole clan was angry with me, I never abused my position and worked for the things I have. I refused the help from father and worked side by side with the other inner sect members in their training.

The guards bowed deeply to the elder as they opened the door, the guard on the left stuck out his spear and tripped me. I landed face first into the stone steps, as the two guards snickered. "Get up boy, I don't have time for your antics. An elder such as myself shouldn't have to retrieve a mere murderer from the dungeons and every moment I have to remain in your presence is a stain on my honor." he yanked hard throwing me up in the air where I slammed back down into the step ahead of the elder "Lets go" and he continued to walk.

I just barely got to my feet before I was tugged forward again. We reached the reception room and I was placed in the center of the room. My chain attached to the floor where a bracket was placed for just such an occasion.I looked around the room and saw countless elders and their students in a half circle around me. I quickly found Akari in the crowd and I immediately started to grind my teeth in anger. She was holding on the arm of Druvish and was practically in his lap. She wore a brand new kimono white and decorated in peach blossom motifs. Druvish was smiling with a lewd grin on his face and it didn't escape me that his hand was firmly grabbing her ass. He noticed me staring with anger in my eyes and just grinned widely, he whispered in to Akari's ear and she turned to look in my direction. Hesitation appeared on her face momentarily and they she grinned at me and hugged him closer.

At this point I was livid but a burst of concentrated Ki washed over the room and taking my attention away from my ex fiance and my cousin. Looking at the source I saw Sen was sitting on the Sect Leaders chair and smiling calmly as he addressed me. I felt like an insect before this man and as much as I hated him I knew I was no match for him. "Dante how nice it is to have you here for today's important meeting. As you are aware you are on trial for the murder of your father and previous clan head of the Immortal Dragon King Sect. You have been found guilty and will now receive your punishment"

I tried to speak but a second wave of Ki spread out from Sen and I felt my voice leave me. All I managed to do was let out a quiet wheeze. "As I was saying your punishment was originally death by a thousand cuts but due to a second opinion" He glanced over and Druvish and Akari "We have decided on a less fatal punishment. You are to have your cultivation striped from your body and are thus sentenced to one hundred years of labor in the blood mines" with that I watched in horror as Sen walked down the gilded stairs towards me. I backed up with every step he took until the chain holding me to the floor pulled tight and I fell to the floor. Unable to speak I screamed in silence, a high pitch wheeze escaping my lips as Sen placed his foot on my sternum and placed the tip of his sword above my center. I tried to struggle, move and flee but I was powerless as a concentrated burst of Ki entered my center and ruptured my core, a powerful shock wave ran through my body and as the Ki released from the broken core resonated with the Ki in my body.

I could feel the Ki in my bones, muscle and skin writhe under the assault before it was forcefully ejected from my body. I coughed up blood and my head swam in pain, I felt Sen left his foot and I rolled over to empty what was left in my stomach. I felt something else take hold where my core was, something left behind by Sen. It entered my heart and I felt an ice cold feeling run through my veins. I watched in horror as the blood I was coughing up changed from red to black, the veins on mt skin becoming more obvious my the second as what ever was going through my veins took over my bloodstream. The guards from the door came in and unchained me before dragging my limp body out of the hall.

All I could do was whimper in pain and agony and the man handling from the guards only made things worse. Every step and stair we took set shivers of pain through my body. Lost in a haze I had trouble seeing where we were going and I was unable to walk myself. At one point I noticed that the sun vanished and was replaced with the light from torches that got farther and farther apart from one another. That or the guards started moving slower, but based on the pain in my legs as the smacked into every step on the way down I doubted it.

eventually I was thrown onto a stone floor and I heard the sound of a metal gate slamming shut. I was rolled over my small hands and they roamed over my body, pushing and prodding. I was unable to move and push the person away, I felt the them grab my package and I grunted in annoyance, that was uncalled for. They moved down my leg and to my feet, the person grabbed each but when my left foot was nudged I teared up in agony. The hands kept moving and prodding that foot as if they enjoyed causing me pain, I heard a loud crack and pop and pain ran up my spine from my ankle and the sudden jolt promptly knocked me out and I fell willingly into the abyss of my mind.