"Stop," said Darius, the Captain of the Guard of the Aatrox family.
Hearing his voice, Cain halted the tip of his wooden sword in front of his sparring partner's face.
"You sure are a genius. In just two years, I am no longer your match!" exclaimed Will.
Will Orias, the son of Count Orias and three years older than Cain, had been friends with him since childhood. They trained together under Captain Darius. At first, Cain was beaten every day, but within half a year, he became capable of counterattacking. By the end of a year, their bouts were evenly matched, and now, after two years, Will was no longer a challenge for Cain.
"You both can leave, but don't forget to meet me here tomorrow morning," said captain Darius.
"Yes, teacher!" replied both of them simultaneously.
It is now year 20515 of the Infernal Calendar. Ten years have passed since the talent test, and Cain has grown into a handsome young man with a lean, athletic body and short white hair. His training has progressed as planned, but today is a special day for him. Today, he will begin learning how to manipulate and use ether with his father.
After returning from training, Cain took a shower and went to the dining room where his mother and siblings were seated.
"Come sit beside me and tell me how your training is going," said his mother with a warm smile.
"My training has progressed greatly. Today, I was capable of beating Will without breaking a sweat. I think it's about time to change my sparring partner," exclaimed Cain as he took his seat, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
Cain was always cold and indifferent around people; only in the presence of his mother did he become like a child seeking praise.
"Good boy, mother is really proud of your accomplishments," praised his mother without holding anything back.
"Hahahah You really are a mommy boy"said his sister Lilith Aatrox, Lilith is the oldest of Cain sibilings and is already a rank 2 High mage reaching the same height as their mother.
Cain relationship with his family is pretty good that is except for his brother Felix who is not even trying to hide his hatred for him and taking every chance to make things difficult but over the years he learned how to deal with him.
Suddenly, the door swung open, signaling the entrance of their father, who took the main seat after exchanging greetings with everyone.
"Father, today is my 12th birthday, and you promised to teach me how to use ether when I turned twelve," said Cain, anticipation clear in his voice.
Five years ago:
After much nagging, Cain finally got the chance to leave the castle, with Captain Darius accompanying him. It was Cain's first visit to the city of Dis, the largest city in their territory.
This trip greatly expanded his worldview as he observed the hustle and bustle of the city. Suddenly, a voice from behind them shouted, "Margoth, accept your death!" A fireball, four meters in diameter, hurtled towards them. However, when it was just ten meters away, Darius waved his hand and it vanished. If not for the melted road it left behind, bystanders would have thought it was an illusion.
When the attacker saw this, his face turned pale as a sheet of paper. Without a second thought, he started running in the opposite direction, but Captain Darius was faster. With another wave of his hand, a chain suddenly appeared, swiftly capturing him.
Suddenly, someone who had been walking in front of them turned around and spoke with a grateful look on his face. "Thank you for saving my life, my Lord," he said.
"What do you think, young master?" asked Captain Darius without even looking at him.
Cain took a moment to survey the situation. The attacker lay on the ground, subdued, while the bystander who had expressed gratitude stood nearby.
"Dispose of them both," Cain finally commanded after a bit of contemplative silence.
"Please, my lord, spare me," pleaded Margoth, visibly resigned to his fate. Darius ignored him, calmly asking, "And why would I do that?"
"He's taking us for fools. I've never left the castle before, so he must know who you are, Captain Darius. I noticed earlier that he had been walking beside us for quite some time, but I didn't think much of it. It seems he was trying to use us as shields," Cain remarked, a wry smile crossing his face.
Captain Darius listened intently, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, flames manifested beside them and attacked Margoth and his attacker, turning them to dust.
"Your decisions were mostly correct, but neither of us is omnipotent. You should have attacked when you first noticed him following us. Remember, it's foolish to let the enemy complete his plan before reacting," lectured Captain Darius.
"I understand," replied Cain. He appeared calm on the surface, but inside, waves surged through him. It was his first encounter with an attempted attack, and he knew that if Captain Darius hadn't been there, he might have been the one lying dead, without knowing who had killed him or why.
From that day on, Cain began pestering his father to start teaching him cultivation. Due to his young age, his father had insisted that he could begin at twelve, which was considered a concession since most devils typically started between thirteen and fifteen years old.
The present:
"What a headache. Okay, I won't break my promise. Meet me in the training field in one hour" exclaimed Lord Mephisto with a troubled look.