As he strolled down the opulent hallway, adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of grandeur and golden sconces that glimmered with warmth, a maid greeted Nigh with a gentle smile and a "Good morning young master." He returned the greeting politely, his footsteps echoing on the polished marble floor as he made his way toward the end of the seemingly endless corridor.
The scent of fresh flowers wafted through the air, mingling with the faint hint of citrus from polished wood furniture. Nigh couldn't help but admire the beauty and luxury of the main mansion, each step bringing him closer to his destination.
He was grateful for having memorized the layout of the vast estate, for without it, navigating through such a grand structure would be like wandering through a maze. After all, the main house could easily be mistaken for a small town, with hundreds of servants and workers bustling about their daily tasks.
"It's no wonder this place is so expansive," thought Nigh to himself. "Not only does the main family reside here, but also the talented members of branch families who train and live within these walls. And let's not forget about the outsiders our family has recruited as soldiers and guards."
After what felt like an endless walk, Nigh finally arrived in front of two towering wooden doors. He pushed them open with a loud creak, revealing a vast expanse of bookshelves that seemed to stretch into infinity. Each shelf was filled to the brim with books of all shapes and sizes, their spines displaying titles in various fonts and languages.
"I could barely close my eyes last night in anticipation of entering this magnificent library," exclaimed Night with unbridled enthusiasm. As he stepped inside, a pleasant and calming scent enveloped him, filling his lungs with a sense of tranquility.
It was likely some kind of enchantment placed on the library to enhance the concentration and focus of its visitors. The shelves seemed to beckon him closer, begging for him to read and appreciate the books they carried.
Nigh couldn't contain his excitement as he began to peruse through the vast collection of books that surrounded him. The shelves seemed to bend and curve in an endless pattern, each one holding a new world of knowledge.
With a flick of his wrist, Nigh channeled his magic into the atmosphere, and the books around him started floating. It was a spell he had crafted specifically for reading, allowing him to absorb multiple books simultaneously in just a matter of seconds. In just five seconds, he consumed the information from fourteen different books, his mind effortlessly absorbing every word and concept.
As he continued to move through the library at an impressive pace, Nigh couldn't help but marvel at the immense wealth of knowledge within these walls. He found himself drawn to certain sections, such as ancient history and powerful spells from long-forgotten civilizations.
But it wasn't just magical knowledge that captivated Nigh. The library also held books on various subjects like science, philosophy, and even cooking. It was clear that the family valued learning and understanding all aspects of life. He ran his fingers over the spines of the books, feeling a sense of awe and wonder at the vast array of knowledge before him.
The hush of the library was shattered by a sudden sound, jolting Nigh out of his trance. Panic coursed through his veins as he realized someone had entered the library. He had been lost in his reading for what felt like an eternity, leaving thousands of books scattered across the floor.
But Nigh was not defenseless. He channeled the energy of magic, causing a surge that sent hundreds of books flying into the air. This was no ordinary feat - only the most gifted individuals could cast spells without verbal incantations, and even then, they were rare.
Nigh moved with astonishing speed through the rows of bookshelves, returning each tome to its rightful place in record time. But suddenly, a figure appeared before him.
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood, an angry expression on his face. His youthful face was etched with deep lines, giving him an air of maturity beyond his years.
To the boy's surprise, standing before him was a kid, or so it seemed. For Nigh possessed powers far beyond his apparent age, and he was not to be underestimated.
But the boy mistook Nigh for a demon, known for their destructive tendencies. "You think you can invade the Celestrius family's main residence disguised as a child?!" he exclaimed in alarm, his body pulsing with magic as he prepared to attack.
Nigh maintained a grave expression as he hovered in mid-air, hands clasped behind his back. "Oh well," he sighed resignedly. "He's already seen me."
And then, without warning, the boy's voice disappeared, replaced by a gushing stream of blood from his mouth. He looked up at Nigh and saw something horrifying - his own vocal cords clenched in Nigh's hand.
With a sixth sense possessed only by a select few, the boy felt death looming menacingly. He scrambled towards the door, desperate to escape the danger that hung thick in the air.
But his legs would no longer move. As he turned his head, all he saw were his own legs floating in mid-air, twisting and spinning uncontrollably.
Terror gripped the boy's heart as tears streamed down his face. He knew with certainty that his life was about to end. Slowly, Nigh approached him, casting an ominous shadow over the trembling teenager.
Nigh's childlike features had transformed into something cold and calculating, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "I'm sorry it had to come to this," he said in a chillingly calm voice. "But I can't have anyone knowing about my abilities just yet. It's not time."
The boy tried to scream, but without vocal cords, only a pitiful gurgle escaped his throat. His eyes pleaded for mercy as Nigh raised his hand, summoning a shimmering, ethereal blade.
"May your soul find peace in the next life," Nigh whispered.
And with one swift, precise movement, he brought the blade down upon the boy. In an instant, consciousness faded from his eyes as life left his body.
…
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood, an angry expression on his face. His youthful face was etched with deep lines, giving him an air of maturity beyond his years.
To the boy's surprise, standing before him was a kid… Seeing the kid, terror struck the boy's heart. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards the door, not daring to look back.
But his efforts were in vain as he lost balance and fell, catching a glimpse of his own limbs flailing about in mid-air. The confusion overwhelmed the boy, but before he could make sense of it all, his head exploded.
…
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood… Terror and despair were etched onto his face. "What's going on?! What's happening?!"
Before the boy could even try to move, he collapsed once more, his limbs and even his ears floating in the air. Just when he was about to cry out from the excruciating pain, his heart burst.
…
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood… Terror and despair were etched onto his face. "Ahh, I know what this is! This is hell!!! Yes! That's what it is!"
Tears crossed down his face as an ugly smile formed. "Kill me already! Come on!" The boy screamed before losing his vision and falling to the ground.
This time he couldn't see anything, but he felt his limbs, ears and eyes missing. As soon as he was about to scream from the pain, his brain melted.
…
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood… An ugly smile with tears streaming down was formed on his face… His blood evaporated.
…
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood… His facial muscles deformed, making him look like an abomination… His bones turned into spikes.
…
A tall and lanky teenage boy with fiery red hair stood… An emotionless expression on his face, his eyes dead. He stood… And stood… And stood and stood and stood… But nothing happened.
The boy felt a hand on his shoulder, it was something he had felt before, something that was etched onto his mind. The grip of his father's hand on his shoulder.
Hope filled the boy's heart as his eyes brightened. The boy knew that no matter who his father was up against, he wouldn't ever lose since he was one of the strongest people in the continent.
"Finally! I can finally escape this hell!" The boy was already convinced that he had escaped and was safe, that's how much he trusted his father.
He quickly turned his head around to see his father's stern expression which he didn't think he would ever miss… He turned around to see his father's…? His father's…?
"Father…?" The boy said as all his hope was lost.
"Yes?" Nigh said with an evil smile on his face.
The boy exploded.
…
In a grand library filled with hundreds of thousands of books, a childlike figure could be seen floating in the air, blitzing through dozens of books at the same time.
"That was really troublesome," Nigh thought to himself.
"I should be more careful when spending time in the library, I can't cast any type of powerful magic because it would be instantly detected by our family's powerhouses."
"I should probably teleport the kid to his room. But I don't know where that is so it's whatever." Nigh put the books back to where they were and levitated towards a person lying on the ground.
It was the red-haired boy. Nigh levitated the boy in the air with his magic and teleported him into the training facility's backyard.
"That was kind of fun, it was pretty tiring deploying so many illusions at the same time though." Nigh didn't actually kill the boy, he cast many low-tier illusions, giving the boy trauma bad enough to forget everything that happened.
"It would be easier to cast memory manipulation magic however due to my low level there is a very high chance that it would leave magic traces and be discovered by the family's powerhouses sooner or later."
Deep down Nigh knew that if he wanted to, he could've removed the traces with some effort, but he just wanted to do a little experiment on how humans react to certain things.
"By the way, was that my 5th brother?"