Chapter: 3
I stood in my training area, surrounded by lush greenery. Plants and trees that I had created from nothing now thrived around me, their vibrant leaves swaying gently in the breeze. Birds chirped from the branches above, and colorful butterflies fluttered between the flowers. It felt like a hidden paradise, a place where I could experiment and grow stronger without interruption.
"Phew, that was draining," I muttered, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow. "Who would've thought creating flora and fauna would be so hard?"
I inhaled deeply, steadying my breath. "Alright, time to step it up a notch."
Raising my right hand, I concentrated on conjuring lightning. Small orbs crackled into existence, floating in the air before they linked together, forming the shape of a staff. A curved blade grew from the top, transforming the staff into a scythe. I gripped the weapon, giving it a few twirls before swinging it in a wide arc, unleashing a bolt of lightning that shot into the sky.
As the crackling energy disappeared into the air, I smiled. "If this were a month ago, doing that would've wiped me out."
Behind me, I created five spears of lightning, each floating in place like deadly arrows ready to strike. With a snap of my fingers, they shot off into the distance, streaking through the sky until they vanished.
"Nice."
With another snap, everything I had created crumbled to ash, the lightning fizzling out of existence. I stood there for a moment, feeling the weight of my progress. My control had grown by leaps and bounds, but now it was time to move on to the real task.
"Alright, time to get started on my project."
Sitting down in the middle of my training area, I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. I focused on my breathing, visualizing the object I wanted to create. It would be an egg—pure black with intricate accents of red and gold. Within it, I would embed the essences of antimatter, distortion, death, chaos, and a touch of life to give it breath.
I felt my energy pouring into the concept, shaping the egg in my mind's eye until it became reality. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked down. There, resting in my palm, was the egg. It pulsed faintly with a dark energy, the essences swirling just beneath its surface.
"Perfect."
Just as I was admiring my creation, a wave of exhaustion hit me. My vision blurred, and I stumbled as my strength drained from me. I barely managed to catch myself, swaying on my feet.
"That… was to be expected."
Clutching the egg, I made my way home, my steps unsteady. I had pushed myself too far this time. Finally, I stumbled into my room and placed the egg on my bedside table before collapsing onto the bed. Within minutes, I was out cold.
I woke to a soft nudge. Blinking groggily, I looked up to see Lily standing beside the bed, her big eyes filled with sleep.
"Big brother, can I sleep with you tonight?"
I stared at her for a moment, still half-asleep, before lifting the covers and allowing her to crawl into bed. She snuggled up close, her small arms wrapping around me as I stroked her hair gently. With her soft breaths beside me, I soon drifted back to sleep.
Morning arrived too soon, sunlight streaming through the window and warming my face. I yawned, stretching as I glanced down at Lily, still sound asleep next to me. I couldn't help but smile, running a hand through her hair one last time before slipping out of bed.
"What to do today?" I muttered, scratching my head.
I only had eleven months left before the events of the series began. It sounded like a lot of time, but I knew better—it wasn't.
As I contemplated my next steps, the sound of a door opening caught my attention. I looked over to see a man stepping out of my mother's room. He was tall and built like a knight, though he wasn't wearing armor. He had brown hair and gray eyes, his presence radiating arrogance.
I studied him for a moment, trying to recall if I had ever seen him in the show. When I drew a blank, I shrugged and was about to head downstairs when his voice stopped me.
"Oi, brat. Go make me some breakfast."
I froze, slowly turning to face him. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to unleash my rage right then and there. Breathe, Victor. Breathe.
Without saying a word, I made my way to the kitchen. I wasn't making breakfast because he told me to—I always cooked for Lily before she woke up. It took about ten minutes to prepare the food, and by the time I finished, Lily had come downstairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Unfortunately, the douchebag knight was there too. My mother was nowhere to be seen, as usual. I sighed as I walked out with two plates, one for Lily and one for him. I set the plates down, but as I turned to leave, the man's voice grated in my ears again.
"This is disgusting. What is this? I wouldn't feed this to my dog."
I clenched my fists, biting back my anger. Before I could respond, Lily's small voice spoke up.
"No, big brother's cooking is delicious!"
I smiled, pride swelling in my chest—until I heard the slap. My head whipped around, and I saw Lily holding her cheek, her eyes wide and watery. The knight's hand was still raised in the air, a smug look on his face.
Rage. Pure, unfiltered rage.
I moved faster than I ever had before, my fist colliding with his face before he could even register what happened. His body flew across the room, slamming into the wall with a sickening crack. He slumped to the floor, barely conscious.
I stood there, fists clenched, struggling to control the overwhelming urge to end him right there. But I couldn't. Not now. Not like this.
The knight groaned, dragging himself to his feet. "This isn't over," he spat, stumbling toward the door.
I watched him leave, the red haze of anger still clouding my vision. I knew what I had done was reckless. But seeing him strike Lily… there was no way I could've controlled myself.
I sighed, glancing down at Lily. She looked up at me with wide eyes, but I gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's just get through the day, alright?"
But in the back of my mind, I knew what would come. He'd be back. And I'd be ready.
Nightfall came, having already put Lily to sleep I slipped outside, waiting. The knight had returned as expected, but this time he wasn't alone. Ten more men flanked him, each one wearing the armor of a knight.
I smiled grimly as they approached. This would be interesting.
Chapter 3: End