Unbeknownst to him, a shadowy figure cloaked in darkness had quietly materialized behind him.
Slowly the shadowy figure reached out to grab the unsuspecting young man, but Just as its hand was about to grab hold of him..
'Swoosh'
The young man quickly whipped around, his sword flying toward the Shadow with the white flame on the blade flickering with an otherworldly glow, making the flame appear alive.
Just when the blade was mere centimeters away from the Figure from beneath them their shadow rapidly moved into the path of the katana blocking it instantly
"Young master" A calm and mature voice came from the figure
Hearing the voice, the young man retrieves his sword before addressing the figure "Aunt Mell"
The coldness in his eyes seemed to thaw away at the arrival of this person but his voice was instead filled with indifference.
The shadow, or Aunt Mell as he called it, released the wall of darkness, and the cloak that shrouded her began to dissipate.
As the last of the shadows faded, a woman emerged who, at first glance, seemed far younger than her years. Her smooth skin and poised demeanor belied the experience etched into her steady gaze.
Her long, dusky gray hair, neatly pulled back, flowed down her back like a river at twilight, its shadowy strands catching the light in soft, muted waves. She wore a custom maid outfit, tailored to perfection, with sleek lines and subtle details that reflected her distinct, understated style.
Hearing the indifference in his voice, her facial expressions remained neutral, having already been used to the indifference that he treated most with. "Young master I am sorry to disturb your training but the Master and Madam have requested your presence."
The Young man raised an eyebrow, his gaze narrowing slightly as he processed her words. He chuckled but it felt empty and hollow. "They request my presence... Huh, I'm surprised they even remember I still exist"
"Young master…" she began, her eyes filled with concern, even though she remained straight-faced.
"It's alright Aunt Mell" the Young man assured, but it was clear from his body language that it bothered him deeply.
His teeth were tightly clenched, it felt like if he applied any more force they would shatter, his fists were balled so tightly that his nails dug into his palm. His body trembled not out of fear but out of anger.
He was so angry that if he wasn't careful his inner thoughts would leek out, all he could think about was how angry he was at his parents. 'Are they finally gonna try and be parents now well too bad they're 16 years too late for me'
'Ooh, Maybe they'll tell me how to train or get along more with the rest of the family' His thoughts were dripping with sarcasm and contained nothing but scorn and contempt for his parents.
"Inform them I'll be there shortly Aunt Mell," he said as he returned his katana to the space rift and retrieved his wooden one off the ground.
With a short nod, she acknowledges his response before asking "Shall I also prepare a change of clothes for you to change into after freshening up?"
"Yes that would be great, thank you as always Aunt Mell" The Young man responded without turning back as he made his way away from his private training grounds.
Mell after bowing in his direction slowly sinks into the shadows beneath her completely disappearing from sight.
At this point, the only one who remained at the training ground was the small critter from earlier, after looking around and seeing no one the critter also left its reason for staying there was a mystery.
***
The shower's spray drummed against the tiles, a gentle patter echoing in the quiet space. The faucet groaned as it was turned, the water trickling out, halting with a faint splutter before stopping.
The shower door slid open quietly, the wheels gliding smoothly along the track. Steam billowed out in a leisurely, swirling motion, its tendrils reaching outward as if savoring the freedom of the open space.
Through the dissipating mist, a figure emerged. His medium brown skin glistened under the soft light, moisture clinging to the lean muscle beneath.
Platinum white hair, damp and glossy, framed his face, sharp gray eyes peering through the strands with a stormy calm. A single scar, stark and jagged, sliced across his chest, a hint of a hidden past filled with pain. Though somewhat handsome, his features carried a quiet intensity, etched with the weight of past experiences.
'Whatever they want it better be important the longer I waste not training the stronger those bastards get' his brows furrowed as he thought of those people.
Grabbing the clothes laid out neatly nearby he quickly got dressed before leaving the main family training room shower.
Making his way into the hall, he began to navigate the labyrinth that was the Orpheus family estate.
The Orpheus family estate wasn't just large for no reason, the Orpheus family was known as an Ancient Aristocrat family.
Ancient Aristocrat Families were known to have existed since the first gods appeared on the planet or even before. There were only four such families, they were; the Orpheus family, the Astros family, the Heartfall family, and the Eliodoro Family.
These Families ruled over Yonus to prevent the past from repeating while protecting the most important locations on the planet.
The Orpheus family in particular was known as the strongest of the four and protected the largest and most dangerous region, The ShadowFell Domain.
The young man continued to navigate through the pathways known only to Orpheus's family. Just before he turned into the next hallway leading to the main hall, he caught a glimpse of someone's hair fluttering past the corner.
'Hmm, who could that be' He wondered.
As he turned the corner, he quickly identified who the owner of the hair was. Not far from him a young woman walked down the hall
"Lilith," he called out, his shallow voice barely leaving his mouth.
Lilith as he called her halted before turning around, her long charcoal hair, tied in a ponytail whipped behind her.
"Jaylen" she called out, her silky voice filling the quiet hallway. Walking towards him, her tall lithe frame moved with a dancer's grace, each step purposeful, each gesture deliberate reflecting the refined demeanor she adopted in public settings
"Are you alright?" she asked her violet eyes staring tenderly into his dull gray ones.
Jaylen stared at her pensively, lost in his own thoughts. 'Those violet eyes are as beautiful as ever'
Whenever he looked into her eyes, he always ended up like this. It was those violet eyes. Everyone in the main family had them, but him. Even Lilith, who was adopted, had them. But that only made him appreciate her violet eyes instead of hating her for having what he didn't.
This only deepened their bond, she was one of the few people in the estate who really knew him beyond the indifference he normally shows.
But maybe there was more to it than that, something he couldn't yet understand, something he would only discover when it was much too late.
"Jaylen!"
"Huh, Oh, I'm fine" he stammered out
"Are you sure you're okay? Really?" She eyed him narrowly, doubt clouding her expression.
"Yeah, I'm fine" He responded waving off nonchalantly before adding, "I just noticed we're twining"
"Pft" Struggling to control her laughter she looked at him cheekily, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"I didn't realize I was wearing dark blue jeans instead of blue shorts, but hey at least our shirts match" She threw him a wink and a knowing glance, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Jaylen, upon realizing his mistake, took a step back to fully take in Lilith's outfit. He had previously been lost in her eyes and hadn't bothered to look down, but now that he did, he indeed felt a little silly, noticing the Blue shorts that barely covered her pale legs.
"Yeah, Um, my bad I noticed the black shirt but I didn't even bother to look down" Acknowledging his mistake Jaylen swiftly apologized.
"Don't worry, I know the only legs you notice belong to your little sweetheart." She glanced at him with a teasing smile her gaze light and full of fun.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever" He glanced at her bemusedly, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes.
Lilith beamed a bright smile, she always enjoyed these moments when she didn't have to act like the well-mannered and poised young woman, she enjoyed the freedom that came with being away from the public eye.
But even moments like these couldn't last forever. "Hey but don't you think we should get moving we'll be late otherwise"
"You're headed to the Main hall as well" he tilted his head, eyes filled with confusion
'What could they want to discuss to even call Lilith' he pondered.
Lilith's role in the family was a bit special until now the family had 7 branch families each one around for a long time, but with Lilith's arrival the family decided to create an 8th one and Lilith would lead it.
But until Lilith was ready in most cases she would not have to join any meeting and would mostly never visit the main hall unless it was important to the future of the family.
"Yep so come on let's go we can talk as we walk" Turning on her heel, Lilith immediately began to walk away her feet lightly bouncing off the ground with each step.
Seeing that she was already leaving Jaylen quickly followed behind his thoughts still lingering on the reason they were called to the main hall. 'Let's hope it's nothing too serious'
Unbeknownst to Jaylen, each step brought him closer to a destiny inescapable, as the wheels of fate turned, setting events into motion that no one could halt.