"What a chaotic past! Even the gods seem not to pity him," murmured a man, glancing at the little boy dressed in a rugged pair of trousers and a shirt.
The little boy looked to be at the age of seven but actually, he was ten and this was due to his malnourished body. He had this thin and fragile frame that could be blown away even by a gust of the wind.
His thin dry lips and dim expression made him look like an old man with stunted growth. With half a bun which looked almost dry, he tiredly slumped on the floor while people bypassed him as though he didn't exist.
"Perhaps he was one of those beggars wanting to scam money out of people," he mimicked their thoughts. A self-deprecating smile plastered on his face.
The dry bun in his hands was the last of his meal and he wasn't sure what he'd be feasting on at night. Jude Logan glanced at the scorching sun, blazing ever so brightly in the sky.
He found a small corner along the buildings in the bustling city. None was willing to help him and the only family he had left him all alone. Why? He was an ill boy. Ever the money consumer, medicine and appointments to see the doctor.
So his parents abandoned him and just like that, at the age of five, he found himself roaming the streets, on a cold night supposed to be a happy festival. From then on, hate for humanity subconsciously grew within him.
The entire race of humans became his enemy. With a growling stomach, he closed his eyes hoping for sleep to claim him so he'd not have to face the hunger when a shadow towered above him.
Having trained himself to be alert at such an early age, his eyes suddenly opened. His pool like eyes, dark as obsidian glanced at the silhouette above him. He slowly revealed a small dagger the heavens know where it came from and pointed it towards the shadow, later on shoving it.
The shadow looked large and before the boy, one could see a clear difference between big and small.
"Tsk, young boy what do you think you're doing, with such a small stick?" snickered the silhouette, seemingly amused at the boy's subtle reactions.
The large figure wore a long black cloak that pooled down at his heels which were covered by a pair of black boots. Young Jude glanced at the shadow before him and caught sight of the green glowing eyes. Like a sparkly pool of emerald, the pair of glowing orbs seemed to be summoning him to dive into them.
A long silence ebbed between the two as none spoke. They indulged in a staring contest and seemed to be more of that. As Jude looked into the green eyes, he found himself being swallowed in, as if something pushed him towards the pool.
"Do you want to see your pool of fate?" he heard a male voice ask him.
"..." Jude felt hypnotised and could no longer talk.
"Then look into my eyes, look harder," the strange voice taunted.
Like a robot, Jude did as he was told and looked into the green. The strange voice came again, "Do you want to change your fate? see for yourself, how dark it looks. Darker than the human mind."
Jude saw himself standing in a dark space, a dim light from above, was the only source of light. It wasn't even enough to reflect a small shadow of him.
"What do you want, exactly? Tell me and I'll fulfil it. But, each wish with a price," warned the voice.
In Jude's mind, nothing mattered to him than becoming stronger. He was tired, so tired of the way his life was. He wanted revenge, to show those who abandoned him that he'd have been better. He couldn't die so easily with a heavy heart.
"I want to become stronger! Stronger, to the extent that I'm invincible," Jude stated, a determined dark glint flashing in his eyes.
"Very well, the price is your soul," said the voice, in a devilish manner.
"Will I still be alive, if you take my soul?" Jude asked, looking perplexed.
Jude heard the voice chuckle and then briefly explained, "Leave everything to me. Close your eyes and focus on your goal...getting stronger."
Jude did as told and closed his eyes when he felt a strong wave surge into him. He felt his heart thump at a high rate with sweat dripping down his forehead.
It looked as though he felt hot and it was becoming unbearable. He occasionally furrowed his brows as though in pain but thinking of his goal, he didn't dare to open his eyes.
Amidst his hustle, someone voiced in his mind, "Boy, you're surely ambitious."
Jude didn't respond and tightened his shut eyes. Inside his core, he could feel his blood boiling. He subconsciously curled his hands into fists, gritting his teeth at the pain he was experiencing within.
It felt as though someone was tearing his soul apart and then patching it up with something hot. This went on and on, meanwhile, the strange silhouette didn't stop taunting him at the same time.
In his heart, he convinced himself, "If it's a test I must pass."
No matter the situation, his goal was to be stronger. He'd been sick for such a long time without any aid and now he'd found someone to assist him with his goal, how could he give up halfway?
To his relief, after the hot sensation faded away, he felt a cold wind blow down and up his interiors to his soul. Unfortunately, to him, he didn't know that the relief was temporary.
Suddenly, he felt another force attack his back. He was caught unprepared and subconsciously his nose bled. Blood trickled down his nose to his chin. But before a drop of blood hit the floor, it was absorbed and then he heard a voice chime in his mind.
"You've paid half your price, congratulations on that boy," said the voice.
"You can now open your eyes," it added.