Eldridge was bathed in a golden glow as the sun dipped low in the sky. It was a place where wealth and power divided lives like an invisible wall, separating the privileged from the impoverished. Max was acutely aware of his divide as he stood in the sprawling yard of the noble Harrington estate, where he worked as a personal assistant to Hannah Harrington, the daughter of the family.
His role was simple yet perilous: fetch water, run errands, and assist with whatever tasks she required. "like an extra slave because they saw all us as slaves. As the proud man that i am, don't bring myself down and prefer to go my way but here i am actually working for the Harringtons well Hannah anyways.
I'm actually a catch to the ladies with my jet black hair, pretty eyes like a twinkling star that look like they are staring into your soul, got that from my mother. A slim athletic build from my dad. I like to keep to just myself, i don't have any friends except my family and the few we got along . Others are just so so, i don't care about them.
Even with the level my family is, if not that there is no middle class there is only the noble or poor class, we would have been easily of the high middle class( class of the rich). My Father was the royal's and noble's tailor, you should know how much he earned from all those beautiful fits he created for them.
Alas no matter what type of money you have if you are not a noble you are not it, you are still poor.
My mother, the most beautiful goddess i know right now came from the third empire, her beauty caused troubles , men fought, men got beaten, men died for her hands.
But my dad being his confident, handsome and smart self swooped in to take the woman of his dream. As he had his eyes on her since they were little when he travelled there on his journey to greatness. They fell for each other back then and he promised to come back for her but he was ready.
He swooped in to woo her, after wooing her succeeding only after a while of wooing, begging and being ignored.
A buffoon then came to fight him for her hand on his third day after wooing her when he was getting ready to marry her.
As my father wasn't a fighter and as his right, he has the right to choose his champion. A challenge is normally for your honor but here this buffoon wanted to take his woman from him and he couldn't fight because he doesn't know how to. If the fool succeeded it would mean something more than death, something more than honor being taking from him, both ways he had to treat the idiot's fuckup. As he didn't like his face, the way he talked, the way he smirks and his cocky attitude. So he bought his champion to fight for him which he carefully chose who beat the buffoon to stupor. The idiot was stupid enough to overhype himself and lose focus and coordination when he was fighting.
Life working under Hannah happened because she is the woman of my dream and i would be a fool if i didn't do nothing plus i would hate myself.
My mother was first surprised when i decided to work at the Harrington. As she knew i love my peace, but something was disturbing my peace at that time . I smiled and told her that i would rather stay beside Hannah than have my heart suffer apart . The heart is a tricky thing, when it loves someone you cant stop loving. It is like there is no on or off switch,no keys to turn the darn thing off. You would feel really hurt when you're not with them.
I would rather make her like me, make her fall in love with me even though it might be risky no matter, though i have other plans but what are those to be without having the woman of my dream at my side. I want to hear her talk and watch her sleep even if that's the only thing i can, a man have to get whatever he wants so far he's not lazy." Max said
He told her as they have their normal conversations as they always do two days before he started working at the harringtons.
She replied " I understand more than what you said. But just be careful you know how the nobles are. You know how the rules they made are".
Though max is not a mama's boy, he values elders advice to add to his life as a smart boy. Because the elders have already been there but he values her advice especially because he knows she loves him and wont lead him wrong.
Beneath the surface of daily interactions with Hannah lay a tension that made every moment feel like a delicate dance on the edge of a blade. Max watched Hannah as she twirled in the yard, her laughter ringing out like music in the still evening air. She was a vision of grace and beauty, her long hair shimmering in the fading light. For a moment, he allowed himself to forget the chasm that lay between them, the weight of their social positions pressing down on him like a heavy shroud. She was the daughter of nobles, and he was just a worker—an expendable cog in the machine of her family's wealth. "Hey, Max!" Hannah called, her voice bright and carefree. He turned to her, forcing a smile despite the knot of anxiety in his stomach."Yeah?" he replied, trying to keep his tone casual."Can you help me find some pretty stones? I want to decorate my room!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement."Sure," he answered, his heart racing. The simple request was both a blessing and a curse. Every moment spent with her was a reminder of what he could never have. He followed her as she skipped across the yard, his pulse quickening with each step.As they searched for stones, Max couldn't help but steal glances at her. She picked up a small rock and held it up to the light, her face glowing with delight. "Look at this one! It's perfect!""Yeah, it is," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. But inside, he felt a storm brewing. The more time he spent with her, the more he felt the pull of his emotions, a longing that threatened to consume him. He knew he had to keep his distance, to remain just a worker in her eyes. Any hint of deeper feelings could lead to disaster—not just for him, but for his family, who would be affected mostly.Suddenly, he heard the distant sound of laughter, and his heart sank. The nobles were gathering for dinner, their voices carrying through the air. He glanced toward the house, anxiety creeping in. If anyone caught wind of his feelings for Hannah, it could spell trouble. The nobles were ruthless, and he was well aware of the consequences of crossing them."Hannah, maybe we should—" he began, but the words caught in his throat. The thought of telling her to be careful, to distance herself from him, felt like a betrayal. Instead, he forced a smile and picked up a smooth stone, tossing it lightly in her direction. "Catch!"She laughed, her laughter ringing out like a bell, momentarily drowning out his worries. She reached for the stone but missed, and it landed at her feet. "Nice throw!" she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief."Thanks," he replied, his heart aching at the sound of her joy. If only they could remain in this moment forever, free from the constraints of their reality. But he knew better. The world they lived in was unforgiving, and he had to tread carefully.As the shadows lengthened, Max felt the weight of the evening pressing down on him. He glanced around, half-expecting to see a pair of watchful eyes lurking in the distance. The nobles were always nearby, their power a constant reminder of the precariousness of his situation. He wrestled with the duality of his desires and responsibilities, torn between the warmth he felt in Hannah's presence and the cold reality of their social divide. The risk of letting his emotions show was immense, yet suppressing them felt like denying a part of himself. Each moment with her was a bittersweet reminder of the world they could never share, and the tension between hope and fear gnawed at his heart. With every shared glance and fleeting moment, he risked everything."Max" , Hannah said, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. "Do you think there are really treasures hidden in the woods?"He looked at her, his heart pounding. "Maybe," he replied, keeping his voice steady. "But you have to be careful. The woods can be dangerous."She nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I guess you're right. But sometimes, I wish I could just explore without worrying about anything."Her words struck a chord deep within him, and he felt a surge of longing. He wanted to tell her that he understood, that he too wished for freedom. But the truth hung heavy in the air, a barrier he could never cross."Maybe one day," he said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.As the last rays of sunlight faded, Max knew he had to return to his duties. The evening was closing in, and with it, the reality of his obligations. He felt trapped between his yearning for a life unrestricted by the rigid class structures and his sense of duty to his family and their expectations. The more time he spent with Hannah, the more he realized how much he longed for a world where their love could flourish without fear. Yet, each step toward that dream felt like a betrayal of everything he'd been taught to uphold. The societal pressures weighed heavily on Max's shoulders, reminding him that his every move was scrutinized by those in power. The rigid class structures enforced a strict separation, dictating who he could associate with and how he should behave. Defying these expectations meant risking not only his own future but also bringing shame upon his family, a burden he could scarcely bear. He wondered how many others felt the same, trapped in roles they never chose but were expected to fulfill. The constraints of society seemed to stifle the very essence of what it meant to live freely and authentically. As he grappled with his own desires, Max questioned whether true freedom was ever attainable in a world so tightly bound by tradition and expectation. Max often pondered how life had reached such a state, reflecting on the saying that history is written by the victors. He mused that if the rightful ruler had become the planet's ruler instead of the man who foolishly let his wife orchestrate his downfall as he could have seen it if he had looked, things might be different now. As he recalled the hidden truths he had discovered in the ancient books from the little cafe, it was forone of the most powerful ascender to ever been born of this planet, the ascender called his cave his fortress of soltitude where he came t train, cultivate,meditaton, research and more, there is also his journal that guild his jorney to this stage of is life how he now so much, how he trained and know the things he know about cultivation till the the third stage and an inkling of the forth, jus inkling he still needed as much information as he get since in the ascender's journal talked extensively of being stage one for long to build the perfect base potential of strength. HMMM He breathed deeply in again as couldn't help but think of the betrayals that had shaped their world.