Seshwan awoke in a large bed, heavy blankets and sheets of silk and wool covered his body. He sat up, unsure of his surroundings. The room? looked familiar to him, though he was unsure of where he had seen it. The chamber was expansive, more than a hundred square meters of space. The walls were clad with papers, all decoratively trimmed with silver.
Across the room, a woman sat in one of two chairs positioned before a large fireplace. The fire crackled and popped as the birch wood within burned bright.
This room felt all too real. But it couldn’t possibly be, this room should be the bedroom to the emperor and his first wife.
Scanning the room, Seshwan noticed an enormous portrait hanging on the wall, the man depicted was none other than his father; Jade emperor Tiberius II. Fear spread across his body. ''What the hell''s happened? Why am I here?'' he frantically thought.
A comforting voice quickly broke his train of thought.
"Oh, Sesh, you''re awake." The voice belonged to the woman by the fireplace.
The voice was sweet and soothing, as if it had never once been tainted by malice or anger. Seshwan immediately recognized the woman. "Mother?"
The woman stood from her chair and walked over to the foot of the large bed. This woman was Helena, the first wife to the emperor of the Jade Empire, and Seshwan''s mother.
She was tall and slender, with a clear complexion and fair, long brown hair. She was looked on as being the gentlest and kindest of all women by the emperor’s side. Along with her angelic beauty and kindheartedness, one of her defining aspects was the fact that she, at one time in her life, had beaten her husband Tiberius in a duel. She was one of three to ever beat the Jade Emperor; to this day, that fact is still seen as no small feat.
Seshwan looked up at his mother’s loving smile as tears flowed down his face. It had been years since he had seen his mother’s warm smile.
"What''s wrong, my child?" Helena asked as she approached Seshwan.
Taking a seat on the bed next to Seshwan, she wrapped him in her warm embrace to calm him down.
This feeling of warmth and comfort soothed Seshwan as he sniffled and tried to stop crying.
Now, he came to realize his body was not that of a sixteen-year-old boy but a child. ''What the hell’s going on!?'' Seshwan''s mind screamed out.
"Seshwan, you look as if you''ve seen a ghost?" Helena asked.
"It''s nothing, mother, don’t worry," Seshwan said.
"Okay, well, you’ve overslept. Titus was already to take you for lessons, I told him you would be late today." Helena explained, and a gentle smile spread across her face. "You better get going before Julius and Augustus get cross."
"Yes, mother, thank you," Seshwan said as he threw back the covers.
As he was getting out of bed, he was stopped. Helena leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. "Do your best. I love you, Sesh."
"Thanks, mother, I will do my best, and I love you too," Seshwan said, pausing for a moment.
"Silly boy, don’t stop now! Get dressed and get to the training hall." Helena laughed.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Seshwan dressed himself in his old training clothes, white robes and light cloth armor.
After going on his way, he ran down the hallways of the Jade Palace to the courtyards where the Martial hall was housed. This hall of the empire was the soul of the army; they trained all fighters and knights for the military. All soldiers originate from the Legion hall before they transfer to roles and specialty halls like; Wardens, Specters, the Cloaked or Guardians.
The master of the Martial hall at the time was elder brother to the Emperor, Seshwan''s uncle; Augustus Jade, the strong-arm of the empire, a master of many body strengthening techniques of cultivation. This man was also rumored to be the strongest striker to ever serve the empire throughout history; his fire essence was second to none.
Seshwan approached the hall entrance. Above the doors to the hall was featured a mosaic of a humanoid being meditating, his body ignited in golden flames. The training hall’s mosaic was unique compared to the other halls, it possessed a motto encompassing the depicted being, that read; "Body and mind, strength and victory. Above all else we strive for greatness."
The words always inspired Seshwan throughout his whole childhood in the palace.
Within the hall, rows of noble students sat spectating a duel between two children on a center stage. The fights were standard for all lessons. Two students would spar, then master Augustus would lecture on the essence of methods and which technique was more useful or which had flaws.
Above all else, the students of master Augustus were to become strong.
"Tiberius junior. You’ve decided to join us?" Master Augustus laughed as Seshwan walked through the door.
Augustus was a slender, small man, unlike Seshwan''s father or even his uncle Julius. He was trim and lean; his muscles were clearly defined, and his veins could be viewed and counted. Master Augustus rarely wore a shirt, even in battle. His skin was covered in scar tissue, from his waist to his cleanly shaved head, he had almost one scar per square decimeter.
Master Augustus clapped his hands, "That’s enough sparring, Tiberius come to the stage, your opponent will be… hmmm…. Kronos. No essence will be used in this fight, Seshwan I want you to use your own method with fighting an opponent that’s much bigger than you. Kronos is nearly eight years older than you. Do your best." Augustus laughed.
Seshwan gulped hard as he realized what was happening. Almost everything that had happened so far this morning was completely the same as last time. He was reliving a memory. Or he had died and reincarnated. If it was the latter then he could change the outcome of this fight, if not and it was truly the former; then he knew how this fight was about to go.
Kronos hopped onto the stage. He was nearly thirteen years old and already possessed a genius level of cultivation for his age. He had successfully manifested his essence, though he was not apprentice stage yet, he was still beginning to train his body with the essence energy. He would be an extremely tough opponent.
"Little brother Tiberius, come and face me." Kronos mocked from up on the stage.
Seshwan walked to the stage and climbed up to ready himself to face his elder brother.
"Kick his ass K!" a few of the older boys yelled.
"Sesh, you can win! Just do as you’ve been taught, go for weak points when you can!" a voice from the group yelled.
The owner of that voice was Titus, Seshwan''s brother, who was closest to him in age. Next to him, their cousins, Marcus and Quintus, both stood with arms crossed, looking on, unsure of what Titus had said.
Whispers circulated as the fighters took their places.
"Tiberius is frail and weak, he spends too much time studying books rather than training his body."
"Kronos will crush him, just watch."
"An easy fight to win, damn why can’t I fight Kronos?"
Seshwan gritted his teeth as he thought, ''fuck you all I’ll show you. I''ll beat Kronos now and show you all I''m not just a bookworm.''
Kronos was over a full head taller than his little brother. "Tiberius, you could still forfeit." Kronos smiled.
"Master won’t let me, so not this time," Seshwan said quietly.
"Fight!" Master Augustus announced.
The two boys bowed and both charged forward. Kronos was faster than Seshwan and arrived to strike first.
Seshwan rolled his body around the punch Kronos threw toward him, getting in closer. Seshwan retaliated with a palm strike to Kronos'' ribs.
"That tickled kid." Kronos laughed as he brought his knee up into Seshwan''s stomach.
The wind had been knocked out of Seshwan from the blow to the abdomen. He fell to the floor holding his stomach.
"Damn it!" Seshwan cried out.
Master Augustus sighed. "Fight’s over. Seshwan, come see me when you can. The rest of you, go out to the courtyard and meditate; keep trying to awaken your essences," Augustus instructed.
"Yes, master!" all the students shouted in unison.
As they all filed out of the hall, Titus approached Seshwan and helped him to sit up.
"Sesh, you landed a hit on Kronos, that’s better than not being able to do anything and losing to the first punch." Titus comforted.
"Titus, leave him. Do as I''ve instructed." Maser Augustus commanded.
Seshwan breathed heavily as he sat on the stage, ''This is my memory, without a doubt, but why?''
Master Augustus walked over and sat next to Seshwan.
"Listen, kid, I''m sorry. I know Kronos is a lot tougher than you, but I put him on the stage to show you that your lazy, lay-about attitude won’t make you strong. This is the lesson for today: your enemies will always be stronger or faster than you. You must be ready to fight for yourself. I don’t mean to be mean to you; as my nephew, I just want you to do well." Master Augustus explained as he rubbed his hand on top of Seshwan''s head.
Julius entered the training hall, he was wearing the same training garbs he would wear in the future. "Tiberius, the elders have determined that you will take the Test of Hades. Your father has also agreed. Come with me."
"Test of Hades? This boy still has time to develop; we can’t submit him to Hades! He could die!" Augustus shouted.
"The Emperor has ordered it; I shall oversee the rite. Come with me, Tiberius." Julius said coldly. He glared at his elder brother, who dared to question him.
"August, keep your mouth shut about this. The kids don’t need to know."
"Juls, what happens if Helena finds out what you’re doing to her only son?"
"We don’t need to worry, she won’t," Julius replied.
Seshwan''s mind raced, ''What is the Test of Hades?'' He had no memory after this fight that he could call up to reference. Something was about to happen.