In one of the rooms of the Blackthorne family mansion, a scrawny boy could be seen sitting on a bed, lost in his thoughts.
There were few things a blind 5-year-old could do, and considering the treatment he received, that number was reduced even further.
Due to his malnutrition, he had little energy throughout the day, or perhaps it was his curse… Adam didn't know. He had been practically alone for as long as he could remember, and only the temporary company of the maids kept him sane.
The lack of vision limited him greatly, forcing him to spend most of the day reflecting in complete darkness, which made him much more mature for his age.
Around his room, a commotion could be heard—something unusual in that part of the mansion, as people generally stayed away from his room.
'Today is the day' Adam sighed in his mind.
For as long as he could remember, Adam knew what his "father" expected of him: he knew that if he failed to demonstrate superior talent, he would be expelled from the family—or perhaps face something worse, considering the reputation his father had lost after his birth.
While he was reflecting, someone knocked on his door.
"Young master, we're coming in to help you dress for the ceremony," came the voice of one of the maids.
Without waiting for his response, two maids entered and saw Adam sitting on the bed in a lotus position, his eyes closed. Adam had short white hair and stood just over 4 feet and 5 inches tall, a height above average for his age. However, due to his thin frame caused by malnutrition, the difference wasn't as noticeable.
Adam didn't respond; he didn't like talking—at least not to the maids. He could feel the disdain they had for him and how they treated him as if he had a contagious disease. He only spoke to them when he was curious about something, as his only way of learning anything was through what the maids told him.
As they prepared him for the ceremony, Adam spoke: "Where will the ceremony take place?" The talent ceremony was held in different locations each year, spread throughout the empire.
"In the royal palace," said one of the maids.
Adam hadn't expected that response, and as if she knew what he was thinking, the other maid added, "This is a special occasion; the second princess is also turning 5 and must attend the ceremony."
Adam remained silent, reflecting: 'Great, once I fail the ceremony, my father will exile me in front of the entire empire,' he thought sarcastically.
Once Adam was ready to leave, the maids helped him to his feet and handed him a cane to assist him with walking. They didn't want to help him directly, fearful of the curse.
Adam couldn't help but feel nervous as he stepped out of his room. He rarely ventured outside, only going on short walks to prevent muscle atrophy—an activity he didn't enjoy, given how his family members often treated him with disdain and even subjected him to physical and psychological abuse.
This time, he wasn't heading out for a simple walk; he was traveling to the royal palace. He had heard from the maids that for long-distance travel, teleportation matrices powered by the energy of spirit stones were used.
As Adam made his way to the teleportation matrix, using his cane for guidance, he was stopped by one of his cousins, Alex Blackthorne, who was accompanied by his subordinates.
"Well, who do we have here? Isn't it my favorite cousin?" said Alex with a disdainful smile.
Adam couldn't help but shrink back, recalling the many times he had been mistreated by Alex.
" what do you want...?"
Thud! Alex struck him in the abdomen before he could finish speaking, causing Adam to lose his balance, unable to anticipate the blow.
"Argh!" he groaned in pain, wiping away a trickle of blood that dripped from his lip.
The maids accompanying Adam reacted after snapping out of their initial shock.
"You'd better not hit him too hard. It wouldn't be good if he shows up to the ceremony visibly injured," one of them warned cautiously.
"Tsk. Next time you speak to me, bow, you bastard," spat Alex, receiving no response.
Without saying anything else, Alex and his group took the lead toward the matrix, laughing among themselves about the situation.
Adam continued on his way shortly after. Although there was nothing he wanted more than to take revenge for all the abuse, his condition as a disabled person and the little support he had made it impossible. However, that did not extinguish Adam's hopes, as he swore that sooner or later he would take revenge on all of them.
After several minutes, they arrived at the inner courtyard of the mansion, where the teleportation matrix was located, along with the rest of the Blackthorne family members who would be attending the talent ceremony.
His father was also there. He gave Adam a brief glance before completely ignoring him, as if he didn't exist.
Adam's arrival sparked a round of whispers about him, which irritated Williams, who swiftly interrupted them with severity.
"The matrix is ready, but before we travel, I will remind you that you cannot cause any trouble in the royal palace. If I receive any complaint from the royal family about any member of our family, they will be executed on the spot. Is that clear?"
"Yes!" the group responded in unison.
Once everyone was ready, the matrix was activated. After a blue flash, all the guests attending the ceremony disappeared.
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Adam couldn't help but feel fatigued for a few seconds, a side effect of the matrix.
"Have we arrived already?" he asked, unable to make out the place where they were.
The response came a few seconds later from one of the maids.
"Yes, we've arrived, young master."
Adam hadn't realized it, but he had recovered from the matrix's effects a few moments before the maids, who, despite being full-fledged cultivators, took a bit longer.
Once everyone had recovered, they were greeted by royal soldiers, who guided them to the location where the ceremony would take place.
The royal palace was as vast as a city and adorned with the most ostentatious ornaments, with gold tones dominating the decor, proclaiming wealth and power. However, Adam couldn't appreciate these details due to his blindness.
The ceremony was to be held in an immense hall, at the center of which stood a evaluation orb, an artifact designed to determine the cultivation talent of all 5-year-old children. The rest of the hall was filled with tables intended for the younger generations to form bonds with one another. Additionally, there was a larger table where the heads of the empire's most important families sat, along with the emperor and empress, seated on their respective thrones.
Once they arrived at the hall, the guests were allowed to move freely until the ceremony officially began. Adam was left alone by the maids, so he sat on the floor, leaning his back against the wall to meditate and calm his thoughts.
'This is the first time I've left the family mansion. I'd like to talk to someone from outside, but I don't know anyone, and they'll probably avoid me because of the rumors,' Adam thought with a hint of discouragement.
As he continued reflecting in silence, an unfamiliar voice interrupted him.
"Hey, you, are you that cursed bastard who killed his mother?" asked a disdainful voice.
Adam couldn't help but frown.
"And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" he asked reluctantly.
"I am the young master of the Ironshade family, Rilen Ironshade, so you'd better treat me with respect," he replied in a threatening tone.
Adam ignored Rilen and stood up, trying to move to another spot to avoid being bothered. However, this only angered Rilen further, and he grabbed Adam by the shoulder.
"I'm talking to you. Where do you think you're going?" Rilen asked, visibly furious.
Tired of being bullied by others and taking advantage of Rilen's proximity, Adam took his cane and, with precision, stomped on Rilen's foot, which he had located using his own.
"Argh, YOU BASTARD!" Rilen shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall, who began to watch the commotion.
Rilen advanced toward Adam and raised his hand to slap him, while the rest of the onlookers watched passively, showing no interest in stopping the fight.
"Enough!" a beautiful feminine voice resounded just before Adam could be struck.