《Born From Evil》


 Prologue 1: Benefactor

    The once magnificent forest was now a wasteland of nature. Tall trees that would stand proudly looking down at the world were now nothing but ash. This was nothing but the aftermath of the fires that raged in the distance still spreading their destruction.


    Blue skies used to fill the horizons but now a layer of smoke blocked it from sight. It was like a barrier preventing the heavens from witnessing the scene of hell below.


    Bodies of gods littered the ground, their blood tainting the rivers red. And as if mocking their deaths, the setting sun painted the sky red.


    Dying gods cursed in their heart. They would turn their eyes away from their blood filled wounds only to see the sky which appeared to reflect them. A beautiful scene of red filled their eyes before an eternal world of black.


    The ash of the once magnificent trees slowly built up on their bodies. Trees represented life but their ash represented death. Black ash would be their coffin, sealing the fact that these gods would never see life again.


    A distance away hundreds of gods still walked on the plane which could now only be called a wasteland. Actually, maybe it would be more suitable to call it a battlefield as the gods still had to fight against the despair which faced them. All the gods surrounded a massive crater in the ground looking down pensively.


    Tattered armour, heavy breathing and exhausted faces. Although this was a common trait shared between the gods it wasn''t the only one. They were all calm facing this calamity. They all had their pride which wouldn''t allow them to crumble whilst they still had hope.


    "Why have the kings not come to help yet?"


    A 15ft tall god gritted his teeth, he was a burly looking man that had bulging muscles and unusual tattooes. His right arm looked to be broken as it hung there limply. The hope the God''s still contained in their hearts were these so called ''kings''.


    "One will be here shortly, we just have to hold out till then"


    Holding a 3 ft golden spear, a beautiful lady replied to the giant. She had brown hair in a ponytail and gave off a wild aura. She looked to be a strong willed lady who would give others a feeling of intimidation.


    "I''m afraid we will struggle to hold out any longer, that monster has almost broken through the formation"


    This man was very handsome, he had glowing red eyes and his similarly glowing hair flowed back and forth looking like a flame. However his voice was trembling, showing his fear towards this ''monster''.


    At that moment a massive bang was heard and numerous gods got blown away. The remaining gods looked down into the crater as fear gripped their hearts.Stolen story; please report.


    There stood a young man who looked to be about 18 years old. He was about 6ft tall, with a slender physique. Through his tattered clothes you could see blood red tattoos which covered his whole body including his face. His eyes had no whites and had the same blood red colour as his tattoos. This made his long white hair stand out in contrast.


    All the female gods felt their hearts pounding when they saw him. He had outstanding looks and all these extra features just added to it, they gave him an evil charm which gripped onto the heart of any female that laid eyes on him.


    He smiled gently at the gods however that smile quickly distorted into an evil sneer. He then dashed out towards the gods barehanded. His sword had long since been discarded by him when he entered a crazed state.


    The gods harnessed all their powers and launched their attacks at him. However, it was to no avail as his body would instantly heal no matter how much harm was done to him


    When he reached the gods a massacre started. He used his hands to rip off their limbs, tear off their heads, he''d even stick his hands into their chest and crush their heart. He fought like a beast and relied purely on instinct.


    The gods who saw this collapsed on their legs in fear, some even ended their lives on the spot. They were not afraid of dying but dying at the hands of a monster made them feel disgusted.


    At this moment a bright green aura invaded the battlefield. The sky was cleared and the fires stopped. Rivers regained their original colour and the ashes which littered the ground sunk into the soil. There were even signs that new vegetation was going to sprout.


    The dead gods were once again revealed and their corpses were preserved so they could receive a proper burial. The wounded gods were also covered in the aura and they quickly healed. It was like a miracle had decended onto the world.


    A woman landed gently on the ground in front of the crazed man. She had long brown hair and green eyes. She wore a green dress with a crown. She gave off a vibrant feeling of life. However, her otherworldly beauty was tainted by the look of sorrow on her face.


    "So you lost in the end Malum?"


    The goddess''s voice was incredibly gentle and seemed to sooth the man infront of her. Malum stopped rampaging and turned to look at her. Tears flowed down his face from his eyes, a beautiful sight ruined by the fact that they were formed from blood.


    The goddess slowly pulled out a sword and walked over to Malum. Contrary to what the other gods were expecting there was no fight. She simply walked up to him and stabbed him in the heart.


    Malum coughed out blood and lost all his strength. He would of already collapsed if it weren''t for the goddess''s sword holding him up. His tattoos faded and his eyes regained their clarity.


    "Thank you... benefactor"


    Those were the last words Malum spoke before he took his last breath. Unlike the other gods his corpse didn''t stay together, instead he faded into ash.


    An end befitting one killed by the goddess of life, just like the trees he became ash.


    "Just like ash fertilises the ground and births a new tree, you will also be reborn."


    A tear gently surfaced in the goddess''s eye, it was a golden tear which contained all her love for the man. It flew away in the sky like a baby bird that had just left its nest.


    "Benefactor... although you called me that to lessen my pain I will never deny that I am the one who raised you. Let us meet again in your next life my child"


    Leaving those words the goddess ascendedinto the sky. The silhouette of her back and the Scarlett sunset created a very picturesque scene, both beautiful and lonely. A sight never to be forgotten by any of the gods that were lucky enough to witness it.

 Prologue 2: A tragic birth

    "-Come little baby don''t be shy. Open your eyes, I want to hear you cry.


    -Hear my voice, let me hear yours too. Disturb my peace and let me hold you.


    -Your mother is strong living a life full of strife. An enemies curse which takes my child''s life??"


    Tragedy often gives birth to the most beautiful of arts. A daunting sentence justified by just one verse of a song. A melody so beautiful a tear of joy will form in your right eye. A melody so beautiful a tear of sadness will form in your left eye.


    Happiness from being able to witness such a piece of art, sadness from the message that lays within. Human''s are complicated creatures because they have emotions. They cry in sadness at the pain from losing a loved one but there would be no sadness if there was not once happiness.


    So what happens when there are no happy memories? A life lost before it began. The woman knew she was going to lose her child. Her and her child had not had the chance to create any happy memories together but the woman still felt sadness.


    Everything in the world must have balance. There was no happiness from which this woman''s sadness originated from. In that case something would have to originate from the sadness. This something was beauty.


    A song so beautiful it became one with nature. The waves flowed to the sound of the woman''s voice, the trees danced hand to hand with the wind like two lovers never to be separated.


    Life was birthed within nature at this moment. The sadness of death had led to life being born in the surroundings. The woman had given birth in a sense but she would never know.


    As the song ended the surroundings also became peaceful. Nature had fallen asleep, unable to break free from the natural laws which shackled it. However to fall asleep one has to be awake. Nature had been woken up for the first time but now it lay dormant waiting for the chance to wake up again. However this would be a story for the future.


    The woman would never know of the miracle she caused. She only had eyes for her child. Maybe it was better for her to not know, if she was conscious of it no miracle would of occurred. Only through the purest of emotions can a miracle be born. If there are any other thoughts in your heart the emotion will no longer be pure.


    A small wooden cabin surrounded by a myriad of flowers sat on a cliff. All different kinds of flowers bearing different colours were scattered around, however it was by no means messy. They gave off a natural and untainted beauty much like that of the woman who sat in the cabin.


    The woman looked to be in her mid twenties. White hair fell messily down her shoulders but it did not look bad. Much like the flowers outside it gave off a feeling of natural beauty. She had Snow White skin that was so clear you could almost see a reflection of the flickering flames in the fire next to her. She looked forward showing her deep blue eyes which seemed to reflect the endless sea at the bottom of the cliff. A woman who''s beauty seems to have been gifted ffrom the heavens. Not even the look of despair on her face could taint her, it only added a forbidden flavour.


    The woman gently got up whilst being mindful of her bump and walked to the balcony. Each step was a chore but slowly and steadily she got there. Her eyes were full of reminiscence as she looked at the sun setting on the horizon.


    "Little child did you know this is the place where I met your father? It is the fondest place in my heart. It reminds me of a time where me and your father could forget about worldly matters and just enjoy eachothers company"


    Contrary to the look of despair on the woman''s face the tone of voice she spoke with was very gentle. So gentle it felt like it would slip from your memory the second you lost focus. Every word was as precious as a gem.


    "That was a time for just the two of us. I wanted to bring you here to create more memories. I wanted you to grow up to be tall and strong. I wanted to nag you and tell you off. I wanted to watch you fall in love and marry a beautiful wife. I wanted to watch you start your own family. I wanted..."


    The sentence started off very gently before the woman spoke faster and faster, each word seemed to come out faster as each tear drop rolled down her face faster.


    "... I just wanted you to live!"


    The woman''s voice exploded towards the heavens and thunder seemed to sound out. Her sentence was almost growled out between the gaps of her teeth. Even the most graceful of women would happily turn into a beast if it''s for the sake of their child.


    The woman shouted angrily at the heavens but her hand gently rubbed her bump. Such contradictory actions could only be performed by a mother.


    "You cursed me! You cursed me! You cursed me! You cursed me! So why is my child the one who must suffer?! I wouldn''t of cared if I died, just let my child live!"


    At this moment a large hand gently pulled the woman. She fell into a large chest. A muscular and broad chest which she had leaned into so many times. A chest she''d used to rest her head on as she watched the sun set. A chest which was present in so many of her fondest memories.


    "You wish to die? I won''t let you die even if the one who wishes to kill you is yourself!"


    A voice filled with conviction entered her ears and the woman looked up. Looking down at her was a man who looked like he''d been sculpted from gods. He had long blonde hair which looked to shimmer gold when the setting sun hit it. But what stood out the most were his bright red eyes. They didn''t stand out because of the colour but because they seemed to contain stars, it looked like all the words knowledge was contained in his eyes.


    However that was not the case as much to the man''s helplessness he could not get rid of the curse which plagued his wife.


    "Ilya why did you run and why did you not tell me you were pregnant? Why do you insist on hurting yourself like this? Were the first two times not enough?"


    The man bombarded Ilya with questions. He was normally a calm man but after seeing the run down look on his wife''s face he could no longer contain himself. It is not wrong for a man to show emotion, especially when it''s for someone you care for.


    "I-I didn''t want to give up but I also didn''t want to hurt you... so I ran"


    A short sentence but the man knew his wife well enough to know she wasn''t lying. He''d known she wanted a child and was crushed by the fact she couldn''t have one. He''d known all of this but he''d underestimated his wife''s feelings. He''d expected her to be able to get over it and move on. Although it sounds insensitive, when you see someone you care about in pain you always wish for them to move on.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Luckily I thought you may have come here. I will be here to share whatever you go through, be it pain or joy. That is what a husband is for... as well as a father"


    Ilya looked up at him and saw his gentle look. It reminded her of why she chose him out of all her suitors. His unwavering conviction, his gentleness and his strength. She fell in love with it all.


    Neither of them said anymore or should I say there was nothing left to say. They''d known eachother long enough to guess what was in the other''s heart.


    "Leo... what about your responsibilities?"


    The man who was named Leo scratched his head awkwardly. Although the question Ilya asked was ambiguous he knew exactly what she meant.


    "...I''m sure it will work out"


    Ilya turned to look at him but he didn''t make eye contact. His gaze was always unwavering and he would never lose focus, that was just the type of man he was. Im sure the red glow on his cheeks was because of the sunset... I''m sure.


    "When is the baby due by the way?"


    "Two days ago"


    "I see..."


    "..."


    "Wait what?"


    Leo took a few moments to comprehend her words. Who could blame him though, it was too shocking. He looked down at his wife and thought about all the mental strain she''d endured. Her glow used to be so blinding but currently she was like a flame which would extinguish with one blow.


    Just as the sun was about to dissapear over the horizon, a splash different to the ones caused by the waves was heard. Ilya abruptly hunched over and groaned.


    Leo had experienced this situation two times with her already so he knew what to do. He carried her over to the bed which had already been prepared for this moment.


    "So you were going to try and deliver the baby by yourself? I''m your husband, share your pain with me!"


    He was a man that had experienced many hardships. He''d even been stabbed multiple times however no psysical wound could compare to what he felt right now. Thinking about the helplessness his wife must be feeling made him feel like a knife was being jammed through his heart. His guilt of not being there for her when she needed it the most made him feel disgust for himself.


    He thought to himself ''What does it matter if I''m above millions of people when I can''t even be there for my wife? What kind of man did I want to be? Was this it? No!''


    Ilya''s screams intensified as her contractions got worse and worse. She started sweating and her body was exhausted however her eyes were bright. She would not give up this easily, she was going to bring this baby into this world no matter what. Nothing could stop her.


    Leo had never delivered a baby before but he had seen it done before. Seeing it done once was enough for him to learn how to do it. However even for a man like him who was unfazed by most things, delivering his own child made his legs feel weak.


    "Ilya you''ve got to push harder! I can see the baby''s feet"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"


    Ilya shouted as loud as she could. With each shout she felt strength in her body, she felt courage to keep going. Every time she shouted a bang of thunder could be heard in the sky. It felt like even the heavens were cheering her on.


    Under Leo''s supervision and Ilya''s superhuman pushes, more and more of the baby came out. Leo felt life coming from the baby and was overjoyed.


    "The baby''s breathing! The baby''s breathing! Ilya push!"


    Ilya pushed as hard as she could and the baby was finally out. It was a baby boy. Leo carefully carried him in his arms.


    "Leo pass him to me I want to see my child"


    Leo gently passed the baby over to her and she looked down at him. She didn''t know how to describe the emotion she was feeling right now. All she knew was that the tears falling down her face unstoppablly were no longer from sadness.


    However this happiness did not last for long. The first time she tried for a baby, the baby had died in her womb. The second baby had died moments before she was able to push it out. This child had managed to come out healthy but had the curse dissapeared?


    No


    Leo watched in fear as the baby started crumbling in Ilya''s hands. It was a very slow process which started from the tips of his toes and gradually spread along his body. It was like a poison was slowly corroding the baby''s body.


    Ilya noticed aswell and her mind went blank. What kind of curse slowly gets worse and worse each time? Slowly pushing Ilya closer and closer towards the depths of despair. This time it even gave her hope, it let her hold her baby just for her to be able to see him slowly crumble before her eyes.


    "No no no no no no no no no no, my baby... my baby! Leo do something Leo please!! Save my child!"


    Leo looked at his wife''s lifeless eyes. He knew that this was the final blow to her. Even the last two times she''d always had hope but now she''s given up. His wife had fallen into despair. He would never forget the look on his wife''s face right now, not even in death.


    He felt his cheeks and noticed they were wet. He couldn''t remember the last time he cried as it was probably very early into his childhood. However the scene in front of him was too much for his heart to handle. That was his child too!! And he was crumbling away.


    "Whoever cursed my wife and made her suffer like this... I will find you and I will make you taste hell... you shall suffer for eternity"


    The tone Leo used was strangely calm as he said this. He hadn''t simply cursed in revenge. He said it like as a fact, he said it like it was inevitable.


    Soon everything was silent. Leo stood tall, unmoving and absolutely powerless. Ilya sat there staring down at her arms. Her baby which had been staring up at her innocently slowly crumbled away right under her eyes. She wasn''t able to do anything, she wasn''t able to save her baby who was now just a pile of ash on her legs.


    However at this moment a bird entered the wooden cabin. A bird which had flown thousands and thousands of miles. A bird which was attracted here by a beautiful song.


    The bird was completely golden and when it saw the pile of ashes on Ilya''s legs it froze for a second before shining with a blinding radiance.


    The bird had been roaming around endlessly under its masters orders, it''s master wanted to give her child a second chance at life. That was the birds mission. However right at this moment it''s mission was finally completed.


    Ilya and Leo both watched as the bird transformed into a drop of gold which resembled a tear. The golden tear then flew and landed in the ash. In the ash a small stem sprouted before very quickly growing into a small tree.


    Leo quickly pulled Ilya away as they watched the small tree grow larger and larger. Quickly breaking a hole out of the wooden cabin and soaring into the sky. After a few moments the tree stopped growing. It was hundreds of feet tall, standing there imposingly.


    "Take me to the top of the tree"


    "What?"


    "Quickly!"


    Under Ilya''s urgent request Leo carried her to the top of the tree. When they reached the top the saw a massive flower. It had golden petals and remained closed.


    Ilya frantically ran to the flower and gently touched the petals. When she did the flower reacted. Slowly the petals unwinded as the flower blossomed. The flower was incredibly beautiful but Ilya only had eyes for what was in the middle of the flower.


    In the middle lied a baby boy with white hair. With trembling hands she picked the child up, she treated him like he was the most precious treasure in the world as she pulled him towards her bosom. The baby boy slowly opened his eyes to look at her, looking at the bright red eyes staring at her, Ilya was choked for words. She felt like she''d regained a part of her lost soul.


    "My child... my child! Leo this is our child!"


    Leo walked over and pulled her into his embrace. Gently supporting her and the child. He looked at the baby which had inherited his wife''s white hair and his red eyes. He had a golden mark shaped like a tree in the middle of his eyebrows. Even his eyes and hair seemed to glimmer in gold every now and then. Leo felt his eyes mist up as he thought to himself''I''ve cried for the first time in decades and not just once but twice''


    "What shall we name him?"


    Ilya had regained her previous glow. Having gained a new lease on life and moving past the curse which had plagued her for years, she had finally broken free from her despair. She looked down at the baby again and felt boundless love well in her heart.


    "Amare... his name is Amare"


    "Amare meaning love, a beautiful name"


    The song that was written by Ilya in her despair was also what brought her hope. A strange contradiction but also surprisingly balanced.


    Both Ilya and the goddess of life had experienced their son dying infront of them. Both their love had connected and their wish for their child to have another chance at life had resonated. This child was a boy reborn from their love. He is the child of love Amare.

 Chapter 1: A Mysterious Tree

    There was an extremely large forest with trees that reached the sky. The trees almost looked chained together, making anyone looking from above unable to see the ground. They were like a blanket covering the earth to keep it warm.


    Within the forest numerous animals roamed around. Strong existences were looking for their prey. Weak existences ran away. Some even blended into the forest, using the survival tactics their species had developed over time to survive. There were even exceptionally strong existences that ruled over their own territories.


    What was unusual however, was that these strong beasts would occasionally run away. They would fight against their instincts as a predator and flee like they were prey. Even those strong territory leaders would hide away in their dens refusing to come out.


    The cause of this was a young boy who looked to be about 10 years old. He had long white hair and bright red eyes. A small mark of a golden tree was firmly routed in the space between his eyebrows. Having a face full of baby fat made him look cute but his features were very delicate.


    He gave off a very vibrant aura of life. Every breathe he took seemed to resonate with the trees. The wind seemed to carry him forward as the forest opened up a path for him. It was like he was a spirit born from the forest with the way nature gently supported him.


    "What kind of hell will I have to experience today?"


    Amare shivered when he thought about the hardships he had to suffer day by day. Ever since he was 4 years old he had been made to train. His family were very strict when it came to their requirements for his training.


    It had started off as light training. He''d actually enjoyed it at the time, he would come and play in the forest to train his endurance and he''d practice swinging his dad''s sword. However the enjoyment soon faded as the training became more and more intense.


    When he was around 8 years old his father looked at him. He nodded his head in approval and praised him for being so talented. Amare was over the moon from being praised by his father until he heard his next words.


    "Although you are still a bit young you are ready"


    "Ready for what dad?"


    "The real training"


    Till this day he would never forget the look on his dad''s face as he said that. His usually expressionless father wore a very dark smile on his face as he looked at him. It was the look someone would have when they found an interesting toy to play with.


    Amare had always had very good instincts and at that moment his instincts told him to run. So later that night Amare packed his bags and snuck out the house. When he thought he''d escaped he let out a sigh of relief, only for that relief to be crushed in the next moment.


    "To have woken up so early... Amare are you so keen to start your new training regime?"


    Without any hesitation Amare had ran away as fast as he could but no matter which way he ran his father appeared infront of him. When he was caught, Amare''s days of hell started.


    "Run till you die, swing till you die, fight till you die"


    That was his dad''s poor excuse of a training regime. Amare would fight his father using a real sword but his dad would ruthlessly beat him up with a wooden one. He spent his days getting beaten up or running till he threw up. He''d even be made to swing his sword until his arms went numb, if he lost form he''d also get beaten up.


    One time he tried to go to his mum for help. However she just looked at him with sparkling eyes and then... beat him up.


    "My baby will be the strongest man so there''s no way you would give up from just this"


    Without any consideration about Amare''s feelings she left behind that sentace and ruthlessly threw him back into his life of training. Since Ilya had now achieved her dream of having a child she had developed a new dream. She wanted her son to be the strongest man so that he could find a beautiful wife.


    His father had a lot of responsibilities so he would often dissapear but his training would never stop. All that happened was that his regime became harder and harder over time.


    3 months ago Amare woke up ready for another day of training when his dad picked him up out of nowhere. He dragged him to the middle of this massive forest with nothing but a pouch and a sword.


    "That direction is the way back home and that pouch has all the necessities you will need in order to survive stored inside it. Your combat experience is too shallow so the beasts in this forest will be a great help for you. Try not to die"


    Leaving those words and a dazed Amare behind Leo dissapeared from the forest. Amare had always been a good child but hearing the sound of bugs and the roars of beasts in the distance made him feel like swearing to the heavens.


    The pouch he carried was no ordinary pouch but a magical item. It contained the laws of space and allowed you to store an abundance of items, as long as it wasn''t more than the space contained inside.


    Stored within the pouch Leo had given him was a lot of things Amare had never seen before. There were many different kinds of beads giving off a medicinal fragrance, aswell as different tools.


    Luckily Leo had included many books which explained what these beads and tools were. Therefore Amare spent his first few hours in the forest reading up on these items. He found out that beads were meant to be consumed, some healed the body, some replenished the mind and there were even beads which cured poison.


    The tools he had were all useful tools which would help him survive. There were ropes, a water filter, match sticks, knives and his dad was even kind enough to include a portable toilet.


    "He could have included toilet paper too..."


    Unfortubately the lack of toilet paper would often haunt Amare. Especially when he accidentally whiped his butt with a poisonous leaf leaving him in a state of agony for days. On the bright side it influenced him to read more books, especially ones on how to distinguish between plants.


    He soon found out that his dad didn''t just randomly throw in books. The skills included in them were all useful to him. Not only was he now able to distinguish between plants but he also knew which fruits were edible. Skinning animals was a skill which helped him out a lot too.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    He had to learn how to move around stealthily as to not alert his prey. This skill was especially useful to him as he would often end up in bloody battles due to being caught whilst sneaking up to different beasts.. Luckily even though Amare often came close to death, the medicinal pellets would help him recover quickly.


    Back to the present and Amare no longer had any challengers in the forest. Each fight Amare had made him feel like he was growing stronger, he no longer struggled against beasts which used to threaten his life.


    He moved around as if it was his home and rampaged around like a little overlord. His previous elegance now contained an underlying savagery.


    "So this is is your youngest son Leo? Outstanding!"


    "He has always been talented but his rate of improvement has even shocked me"


    "He looks like he may awaken soon"


    The man talking to Leo was a handsome youth who looked to be around 15 years old. Both his hair and eyes containedsuch a dark red they almost looked black. It was only from certain angles would you see the red glow. His skin was so fair that it looked like it would burn from the slightest bit of exposure to the sun.


    "Also there is something weird..."


    "Weird? What do you mean?"


    "It''s nothing... I think I was imagining it"


    For a second the youth felt his heart palpate. He felt an aura coming off the from the youth that suppressed his own. A hidden savagery that caused him to feel fear. However when he looked again it was completely gone. All he could feel was an overflowing aura of life.


    "I will watch him for the next few days. Leonard Celino it''s time for you to take full responsibility for your position again"


    "Yes I agree, my wife''s wish to watch him grow up here has been fulfilled. It''s time we all go back..."


    "I''m thankful for your understanding. I also wish for your family to attend my coming of age ceremony in a few weeks so I will try to speed up his awakening"


    Leo''s mouth twitched as he thought about how this little devil was planning to ''speed this up''. However he kept his doubts to himself as he knew that although this youth came accoss graceful, it was the furthest thing from the truth.


    "We will naturally be at your ceremony, for now I''ll leave my son to you. I will inform my wife and make preparations for our departure"


    Leo left after he finished his sentence and the youth was left alone. Now that the youth was alone his eyes glimmered and a playful smile surfaced on his face.


    Amare was casually strolling through the forest when his heart suddenly thumped violently. He ducked down as quickly as he could but a few hairs still got chopped off by whatever flew past his head.


    Amare gathered his courage to look around him, he then became slightly confused as there was no change to his surroundings. No damage was done at all making it seem like he''d imagined it. Only a few strands of white hair on the floor told him otherwise.


    Amare swiftly got up and hid behind a nearby tree. He was sweating and out of breath, when he remembered how close he was to death just then he felt lingering fear. He leaned on the tree for support but this ended up being a big mistake.


    The tree started tilting in the direction he was pushing. Amare watching in shock as this tree caused a chain reaction. All the trees hit by it started falling too as if they were dominos put in place for this moment.


    ''What was that? The trees were all cut but they didn''t even fall''


    As Amare thought this he saw an amimal running in fear in the distance. As it started running the top half of its body started sliding off the bottom before collapsing on the floor. The bottom half kept running for a short distance before collapsing too.


    ''The animal didn''t even realise it was killed? What is going on!''


    "That was impressive... your reactions are extraordinary or was that more your instincts?"


    Amare saw a youth of around 14/15 years old walking towards him. The youth had a contemplative look on his face as he pondered about something. None of this stopped his leisurely footsteps though.


    "Who are you?"


    "Shouldn''t you name yourself first?"


    "Amare Celino"


    "A good name, I am Multa Moreau... the man who will kill you"


    Two pairs of red eyes locked together. One pair looked like bright gems whilst the other pair was as dark as an abyss. Amare saw Multa''s face warp into a dark smile and instantly decided on his next action. Multa''s smile had a shocking resemblance to the smile Amare''s father had once shown him. One which showed that he''d found a fun toy.


    Therefore without hesitation Amare ran away. He''d seen the destruction this youth had caused and knew he''d be no match. Fighting him head on would mean death, even if the chances were low he still had a higher chance to live if he ran.


    ''Even though he is young his decision making skill is good. Only death would greet him if he faces me dead on, however if all he does is run his fate will be the same''


    "Hey, why are you running? Even if you run you''ll still die so come her and let''s be friends"


    Amare knew this aswell. He felt depressed in his heart but he didn''t feel hopeless. He''d lived in the forest for a few months already and had nearly died multiple times. Amare wanted to introduce his new ''friend'' to these calamities.


    ''Although I do not fear the beasts in this forest anymore there are a lot of things I do fear, what could possibly be scarier than a natural disaster?''


    Luckily Amare was close to where he wanted to go. His steps were as light as a feather as he weaved between the trees, he gave off the impression that nature was supporting him as he ran.


    Multa''s eyes showed praise as he saw this. He believed that Amare had a special physique to do with nature. Not just anyone would be able to do what he just did, at least not at his young age.


    However Multa was an exception, although he was young he could easily move through the forest. His speed didn''t decrease even as he danced through the trees, no trace of his footsteps were left in his path either.


    It only took a few moments for him to catch up with Amare. He made no sound and gave off no presence, as if he was a phantom and his corporal body didn''t exist. He reached out to grab Amare and is hand drew closer and closer. Once it reached him the last ray of hope he had would dissapear.


    However out of nowhere Amare turned around to face him. Without Multa noticing he had drawn his sword and slashed it right at Multa''s weak point, which was created by his arm being stretched out.


    Multa has a lot of confidence in his movement skill, especially when faced with a 10 year old. Never did he expect Amare to not only to sense him but to also take advantage of when he was at his weakest to attack.


    Multa was shocked but that only lasted a moment before he smirked. His reaction was incredible as he swung his sword to meet Amare''s, however against his expectations he didn''t meet any resistance. Amare had actually let go of his sword. Multa ended up doing a full swing as the momentum of his sword strike carried his arm up.


    Amare wouldn''t miss this chance and the split second when Multa''s posture was ruined he grabbed him and dragged him to a nearby tree. This tree was unusual looking, it was not particularly tall but it was incredibly thick and sturdy and if you looked closely enough you would see that the tree gave off a faint purple glow.


    A few days ago Amare had walked past this tree and noticed that the fruits hanging off the branches were unusual. They were a deep violet colour and seemed to glow. Amare had not seen these fruits in any of the books but more than that he was dragged in by the picturesque beauty of the pear shaped fruits.


    He got closer and closer to the tree and only stopped when he saw a small animal walk up to it. When the small animal was within 3 metres suddenly the earth started rumbling and tree roots shot out from the ground. The roots grabbed this small animal and dragged it to the tree trunk. The trunk then split open as the roots threw the small animal in.


    Its safe to say that after watching such an unusual scene Amare was completely freaked out, he ran for hours and found himself completely lost. It was only days later that he found himself back near the same location.


    Multa struggled in Amare''s grasp and quickly broke free. However they had already reached the 3 metre mark. Roots flooded out of the ground like a tsunami and surrounddd the two of them. Resistance was futile, no matter how much the two of them struggled they were not able to break free.


    Multa used every ability within his arsenal but it was to no avail. With the roots binding his movements he could not swing his sword either.


    ''Ive really fucked it this time, to think this kid would be so viscous as to drag me down with him''


    They both watched in horror as the tree trunk split open, they could not see anything inside. Not that they were concerned about what was inside anyway, as they were about to find out whether they liked it or not. And in the next moment... they were slollowed.

 Chapter 2: World of Fog

    Amare didn''t know how long it had been since him and Multa were swallowed by the tree. The surroundings were pitch back, you couldn''t even see your hand infront of your face. Although it was not cold Amare felt a chill run down his spine.


    Being in complete darkness with no sounds other than breathing made it impossible to keep any sense of time. It felt like they''d been sucked into an abyss, into an endless and empty world.


    Multa was the first to break the silence "Oi brat what is this place?"


    "How am I supposed to know?"


    "What do you mean you don''t know? You''re the one who dragged us here?"


    "A few days ago I saw this tree eat a small animal... I thought I could get it to eat you aswell so I dragged you here, other than that I know nothing about this tree"


    Being in complete darkness with no concept of time was enough to drive even the most composed of men crazy, let alone two youths. To keep themselves distracted Amare and Multa bickered back and forth.


    "Did you mean to get eaten by the tree aswell?"


    "Of course not! Who would want to be eaten by such a weird tree?"


    "So you only wanted me to be eaten but messed up and fell into your own trap?


    "...In my ten years of life nothing has ever gone to plan"


    "Hahahahaha you absolute loser!!!"


    The whole space rumbled from Multa''s laughter, he carried on laughing until he was out of breathe. Amare was so embarassed he wanted to dig himself a hole and hide in it, the red glow coming off his face nearly created a form of light for them.


    "Why did you randomly come to kill me anyway?"


    Amare was very curious about this. He had done absolutely nothing to provoke the youth infront of him. There was absolutely no reason for Multa to come and kill him.


    "I wasn''t going to kill you, I was just putting you under pressure so you''d awaken"


    "You nearly split me in half!!"


    "If you got split in half from just that... then you''d be better off dead anyway"


    Amare was shocked but not at Multa''s words, instead he was shocked by himself. No one had ever been able to anger him like Multa. Amare had to make a conscious effort to hold back his anger, he was like a volcano waiting to erupt.


    Amare sneered "So what does that make you? Falling into the trap of someone much weaker... I''m embarassed for you"


    "You what?!"


    "You heard!"


    Loud shouts turned the dark abyss lively as Amare and Multa argued with eachother. God knows how long it took for them to stop but by the end of it they were both gasping for breathe, as if they''d just finished fighting a fierce battle.


    The surroundings went silent again. Amare found it eerie so to keep his mind occupied he spoke to Multa again.


    "When you said you were trying to help me awaken what did you mean?"


    Multa was silent for a while. He was either contemplating about what to say or fighting the urge in his heart to reply sarcastically. Probably both. However the tone he used when he finally spoke was completely serious.


    "The human body has nine divine cores, each of these cores can purify and store magical energy. However each of these divine cores are blocked off by a gate, we have named this gate the devils gate.These gates are incredibly hard to open and each have a trial you have to pass. But once the trial is completed and the gate is open, you will have an exponential increase in power"


    Amare listened attentively. Multa was like a wise teacher and Amare his loyal student. A completely different scene than what was shown earlier.


    "Humans aren''t born with the ability to use magical energy. We have to learn how to sense it and the only way to achieve this is through strict training or life and death experiences. However even then a lot of humans do not awaken, this is unfortunately due to a certain level of talent being required.


    The first devil gate is called the gate of awakening and the trial to open it is simple, you just have to sense magical energy.. Those who are able to sense this energy will be able to store it in their body and use it. Concurrently those who are not able to sense it will never be able to store magical energy in their body, thus they will never be able to use magic"


    Amare sucked on his tongue at this harsh reality. Not being able to use magical energy would put you at a massive disadvantage when faced with an opponent who could. This was evident in the fight between Amare and Multa.


    Amare was curious about something "So why did you think that I would be able to awaken from fighting you? I''ve fought against my dad many times and have yet to awaken"


    "Have you not noticed yourself suddenly become much stronger recently? Be it your strength or your senses?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Amare pondered for a moment and thought back to his experiences in the forest. He''d felt himself become stronger and stronger to the point where even the strong beasts were no match for him. His senses had also become much more acute, otherwise he would have had no chance to dodge Multa''s sword slash.


    "Now that you mention it my strength has gone up a lot recently, especially this last month"


    "This is because you have started to gather magical energy into your body subconsciously. Although you aren''t able to store it, you will still gain advantages"


    Amare felt exited "So I will be able to use magic soon?"


    "You are very close to sensing it, me attacking you was an attempt to give you that last push"


    Amare''s face was red with excitement as he shouted "I wonder what kind of magic I''ll be able to use, I want to fly, make mountains explode and I especially want to beat you up"


    Multa''s eyes rolled so far into his head that he almost saw his brain "Why are you so exited, who knows if we are even going to survive this... wait what did you say? Who are you going to beat up!?"


    Amare ignored Multa as his face suddenly became incredibly solemn. Since he was eaten he hadn''t been able to feel himself move and felt like he was just floating in this dark space. However this sensation had just changed.


    "Multa can you feel that?"


    Multa stopped grumbling and tried to feel his surroundings. Suddenly his face went so pale you could almost see it through the darkness.


    "We are being dragged in by something... and the dragging is getting faster and faster"


    The speed increased more and more until they were practically flying through the air. Amare panicked and flailed his arms in the air however Multa remained calm. Multa had experienced many life and death situations in the past and knew the importance of staying calm.


    "Amare get a hold of yourself! Panicking will do you no good, try and get closer to me so I can protect you if something happens"


    Listening to Multa''s words made Amare stopped panicking. He thought to himself ''As much as I hate to admit it, Multa''s right. Father has already drilled this into my head and yet I acted so disgracefully... pathetic!''


    Now that his mind had regained its clarity Amare focused on how to get closer to Multa. Suddenly his eyes lit up as he grabbed the pouch at his waist. He pulled out a rope and some match sticks. He lit a match stick to give Multa some visibility and threw the rope to him.


    "Grab my rope and pull me towards you"


    Multa quickly caught the rope and pulled as strongly as he could. Once they were near eachother they both proceeded to tie the rope around their waists so they wouldn''t separate.


    And it was lucky they did.


    The pull suddenly got incredibly strong and for the first time they were able to see what was dragging them in. It looked to be a ball of fog, the fog gave off a dull purple colour. There seemed to be what looked like rivers coming out of the fog. But unlike normal rivers they weren''t formed by water. Each river was formed from a different kind of evergy and all their colours differed.


    Although they could see all of this there was still some distance between them and this fog. As Amare and Multa got closer they realised just how large of a distance it was. The ball of fog was boundless and before long they could no longer see the outskirts. A ball of fog didn''t suit its description anymore, boundless world of fog was more fitting.


    At one point they even flew past one of the rivers. This river was a full grey colour and as they got closer to it they noticed something perculiar. Trapped within were countless souls trying to escape, they groaned like they were in pain and screamed for help. It was as if hell had taken the form of a river.


    "Hey Arame..."


    "Yes?"


    "I think we are going to die"


    "..."


    "..."


    Suddenly they heard an earth shattering explosion. One of the souls had escaped from the river. It was a thousand foot tall giant with horns that radiated a pitch black aura.


    "Hahahahahah I''m free I''m free I''m free I''m free after an eternity of torture I''m finally free!!"


    The giant was both laughing and crying as he incoherently mumbled to himself. Just as he was rejoicing, a part of the river branched off and soared in his direction.


    The giant screamed out in fear as he ran away. The giant man was inhumanly fast, travelling hundreds of kilometres every second but it wasn''t enough. He was soon caught by the grey energy.


    "No no no no no no no no no please let me go actually let me die... just don''t let me experience that hell again I beg!!"


    No sympathy was shown by the river as he was mercilessly absorbed back into the crowd of endless souls.


    "..."


    "..."


    "Multa is this kind of thing normal?"


    "I fucking hope not"


    "..."


    Amare was speechless as he watched the sight infront of him. His mind was completely blown as he saw things he would of never even imagined happening right before his eyes. He looked over at Multa and saw his vacant expression.


    "That expression on your face... even if I were to die right now, I feel like it would be worth it"


    "Oh no you''ve definitely jinxed it now!"


    As if validating Multa''s words the force pulling them became much stronger. They no longer had any control over their body and before they knew it they were inside the fog. The pressure was too much for them to handle, it was like a hundred mountains were falling on them from all angles. In a short while both their sights turned black and they fell unconscious.


    -


    "My lord what is your command?"


    I sat on a silver throne, a mountain of corpses under me. I looked down and saw hundreds of my subjects kneeling down before me. They didn''t dare look up for they feared me from the bottom of their hearts. However more than fear they reveared me, they worshipped me.


    I looked past my followers and saw an army numbering in the millions. Fully armoured warriors stood in formation ready to battle. The aura they radiated was enough to change the colour of the sky but it was not enough to change the expression on my face.


    With an expressionless face I moved my gaze past the army to a magnificent city, this was the city that they were fighting to protect. It had walls that were thousands of metres high, decorated with more magnificent worriors.


    One worrier stood out the most, he was 7ft tall, coated in magnificent golden armour with a crown on his head. The spear in his hand was around 10ft long and stood proudly by his side. He was their king.


    "Why do you attack my race?"


    "This is the fate of those who have chosen to rebel, you and your country have become corrupted"


    "We have done nothing wrong! All we want is freedom!"


    I was silent at those words. Freedom is easy to say but incredibly hard to achieve. We are bound by laws from which we are unable to escape. These fools were ignorant, they knew nothing about the power they would have to defeat for freedom and because of their ignorance they would have to die.


    "Loyal subjects head my call! Wipe them all out! Show no mercy!"


    "As you command"


    The king shivered in anger from my words. He looked on in helplessness as his army was wiped out. He cried as the walls he stood on crumbled. He fell into dispair as he became the last member of his species.


    I walked up to the old king. He no longer held his dignity as he kneeled on the floor, tears of blood falling from his eye sockets. I drew my sword and looked down at him.


    "Do you have any last words?"


    "Why did you kill everyone? The normal citizens had nothing to do with this, they were innocent! Why did you leave no room for my race to survive?"


    "why?"


    I swung my sword and the kinds head flew up. This decapitation marked the end of a species. They would never be seen again. An absolute extinction.


    "... Because I am Malum"

 Chapter 3: Afterlife?

    Amare woke up abruptly. His clothes were both wet and cold from sweat. You could almost see his heart pumping through his chest, it looked as if it would explode if it pumped any harder. However, even though his body was in shock, thoughts were racing through his mind with absolute clarity.


    ''What on earth was that? Hundreds of thousands of beings died under my sword. Wait... what even were they? They didn''t look like humans''


    Amare couldn''t stay calm. What he''d experienced in his dream was just too shocking for a 10 year old to handle. He had too many questions.


    ''Was that a dream? It felt too realistic. I could feel emotions... I could also feel shocking power flowing through me and it didn''t feel unfamiliar''


    Anyone who suddenly had a dream about slaughtering hundreds of thousands of living beings would be shocked. Especially when the dream just felt too real.


    When Amare finally calmed down he suddenly remembered something and shuddered. He felt all over himself and let out a sigh of relief when he noticed he was unharmed.


    For the first time Amare decided to look at his surroundings and very quickly his eyes opened so wide they were like little saucers. He was no longer in a world of darkness but he could see no life. He looked to be lying on a cloud, the cloudwas more comfortable than any bed he had ever laid on. When he touched the cloud it was like touching the softest fabric in the world.


    Wherever Amare looked all he could see was boundless amounts of clouds. He felt his eyes water up as he suddenly started crying. "Uwaaa so I''ve died and gone to heaven, I had so many things I wanted to do... Mum, Dad, I''m sorry but your son will be leaving first"


    *Flump* *Flump* *Flump*


    A weird sound could be heard in Amare''s surroundings. It felt like an attempt to bang at something but it also sounded surprisingly cute. As if a little fluffy animal was trying to punch a door.


    The cute banging sound abruptly stopped as the surface of the clouds cracked open and revealed a head of blood red hair. It was Multa, who was gasping for breathe as hard as he could.


    "Where the fuck am I? Why are these clouds so fluffy? I could barely break through them. They nearly suffocated me to death!"


    Multa had lost all previous nobility he once had. His mind had been pushed past it''s limits more than once these past couple of days. All these recent occurrences broke his common sense.


    Multa thought to himself ''I''ve fallen into a trap and been eaten by a tree, floated around in a pitch black space, been dragged in towards a massive world of fog and I even saw some kind of fucking giant get eaten by a river''


    He then saw Amare crying in the distance.


    "WHY ARE YOU CRYING? I SHOULD BE THE ONE CRYING!!"


    Amare started bawling his eyes out when he heard this "Uwaaa so not only have I died but I still have to be around this guy? Will I have to suffer for all eternity?"


    "What do you mean? I''m the one suffering here?"


    Multa felt a vein popping on his forehead as he struggled to get out ''Why do I feel so much weaker than usual?''


    For the first time since arriving here Multa spoke in a normal tone "Amare where are we"


    Amare was soothed by this voice. He''d never heard Multa speak with such a delicate voice before so he turned to look at him.


    "...Who are you?"


    "What do you mean? I''m Multa!"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Why is my voice so high pitched?"


    Multa had finally realised that his voice was different to normal, he sounded high pitched and delicate, just like a young girl. He quickly got out a mirror from his pouch and looked at himself.


    "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS???"


    Reflected in the mirror was a young child. The child looked to be around 10 years old. It was a boy that had blood red eyes and hair, with very delicate features.


    "Are you Multa?"


    "..."


    "You''re Multa aren''t you?"


    "..."


    "Hahahahahahaha you look like a little girl"


    Amare''s tears of sadness very quickly changed into tears of laughter. He rolled around on the clouds clutching his belly as he laughed until his lungs hurt. Multa wore a distraught expression on his now young face, he looked like someone had just stolen his wife and this brought Amare much happiness.


    Soon Multa couldn''t take Amare''s laughter anymore as he raged around on the cloud. "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? AND WHERE ARE WE? WHOEVER DID THIS TO ME COME HERE SO I CAN KNOCK YOU THE FUCK OUT!!"Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    However he still wasn''t finished as he shouted "AND AMARE WOULD YOU SHUT UP? WE LOOK THE SAME AGE SO WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING SO HARD?"


    Amare stopped laughing and stared at Multa as he sneered "Why can''t I laugh? You being in pain brings me so much happiness"


    "You''re asking for it"


    "We''realready dead, do you think I''m scared of you?"


    "Dead? What do you mean?"


    "Well what else could a world full of clouds be if not the afterlife?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Oh damn really?"


    Multa was stunned for a second, he looked around and nodded a few times as if confirming something. He then suddenly started crying as if mimicking Amare from earlier. Although, his reasons for crying were much more impure.


    "Uwahhhhh my dream of making a harem full of beautiful women is ruined"


    "Wow imagine crying... you''re so pathetic"


    "AS IF YOU''RE ONE TO TALK!"


    Suddenly, as if mocking Multa''s crumbling mental state the cloud under them quickly crumbled away and they both fell downwards. Amare had become numb to the changes but Multa''s cries of anguish reverberated through the skies. They both spoke at the same time.


    "I don''t even care anymore"


    "OH WHAT NOW?"


    They fell down for a short while whilst trying to stop by grasping onto whatever surface they could find. However, the clouds were not solid and their hands slipped straight through them, they were like mist which could be seen but not touched.


    As they carried on trying to find something solid to grab onto they suddenly realised there were no longer any clouds. They''d broken through the clouds and entered a vast sky.


    Fresh air filled with vitality assaulted their lungs making them feel as if they had been reborn. Amare looked downwards and saw land which stretched as far as the eye could see. The land was broken off into many sections but they were all unique, some were filled with life, some oozing with the aura of death, none were the same. However, each section had its own river full of energy flowing down and through it. The different energies and abundance of colours mixed to make a picture so beautiful that no artist would be able to mimic its true essence.


    Amare''s eyes sparked at this scene. "How beautiful"


    "Is this really the time to be admiring?"


    As the land drew closer to the land they realised that they were falling towards a ginormous tree surrounded by a boundless forest. The tree was hundreds of miles wide and thousands of miles tall. It''s roots spread out far and wide, the other trees in the forest used the roots as their base to grow. This tree looked like the centre of all nature within the forest below, as of it was the mother of all nature.


    Yes, I''m sure Amare would have been able to appreciate its beauty if he wasn''t falling towards it with enough force to become meat paste on the ground. The tree got closer and closer as they fell faster and faster.


    "Amare before I die I just wanted to tell you that I hate you"


    "Multa I''m going to enjoy watching you splat on the ground"


    Despite Amare''s wishes that future would never become a reality. As they neared the tree they felt their falling speed decreasing until it got to the point where they were gently falling.


    They gently fell between the leaves and branches of the tree as if they were being guided through. The leaves were a normal green colour but their veins were golden.


    Before they knew it they''d reached the top of the tree and surprisingly there was a village. A section of the top of the tree had been flattened and wooden houses decorated it. Purple flowers were everywhere to be seen and there was even a massive lake in the middle of the village.


    On the side of the lake there was an altar. Numerous humans were by its side praying. The altar seemed to be made out of the same wood as the tree and glowing purple plants were placed onto it.


    Amare and Multa gently landed down next to it. They stared blankly for a few moments unable to take in the sight before them. From going from falling to their deaths, to landing on an altar with humans praying to them... As you may expect, the change was very drastic.


    The humans looked up in anticipation before becoming somewhat dissapointed. All their vigor dissapeared but one elderly man walked up to them a gently smiled.


    "Welcome chosen ones, may I have your names?"


    Multa was the one who replied, he had finally regained his previous refined look "Hello Elder, I am Multa and this is Amare. May I ask where we are?"


    "This is the world of Foras, a paradise for some and a hell for others"


    Amare was shocked and blurred out "What? This isn''t the world of Lucia?"


    Amare and Multa looked at eachother and saw the shock in eachothers eyes. They had disappeared from their own world and appeared in another. If they tried explaining this to others who would believe them?


    "Yes, this is a different world to the one you originated from. We summoned you both here"


    "Summoned us? For what?"


    "I''m afraid I am not in the position to explain this to you, that is a job for the Queen"


    Amare didn''t have the energy to enquire any further but a 10 year old Multa was another matter.


    "So when can we meet this so called Queen and will she be able to explain why I look like this?"


    "The Queen will be able to answer any doubts you have, she has instructed us to give you a place to stay for tonight and she will meet you bothtomorrow"


    Amare''s stomach grumbled "Can we have food aswell?"


    Multa rolled his eyes but the Elderly man smiled at his question. Anyone who placed their eyes on Amare would have a favourable impression. People always had a tender spot for beautiful things and Amare with his white hair and proportionate features looked like a young angel.


    "Of course, is there anything in particular that you would like?"


    ""Meatballs""


    Surprisingly both Amare and Multa replied the same thing. They locked eyes before swiftly turning away with a humph.


    "I suppose a brat like you can have at least one good point"


    "Right back at you"


    "Who are you calling a brat?!"


    "Have you even seen yourself right now"


    The surrounding villagers were too nervous to approach these children at the start, but as they watched them bicker back and forth their anxiousness dissapeares. A few even became brave enough to walk up.


    "Young boy with white hair do you remember me?"


    Amare looked at this man who had approached him in confusion. Seeing the confusion within Amare''s expression the man laughed before turning into a small animal.


    "You''re that small animal from a few days ago!"


    It was shockingly the small animal which Amare had seen being eaten by the mysterious tree a few days prior. He had actually also arrived at this village.


    "Haha yep that''s me, although for me it''s been over 50 years since I arrived here"


    ""50 years?!!""


    Even Multa couldn''t hide his surprise and joined in with Amare. However, who could blame him, he''d heard about the small animal that had been eaten a few days prior and shockingly a few days for them had been 50 years for this animal.


    "Does that mean we will be stuck here for 50 years aswell?"


    "Don''t worry so much, all will be explained tomorrow when you see our Queen"


    That night both Amare and Multa ate until their heart were content and mingled with the villagers whilst trying to gain more information. However, the villagers reply was the same each time. "All will be explained tomorrow by the Queen"


    After eating Amare and Multa were both shown to their own wooden huts. They went their own separate ways for the night. The wooden hut was simple and humble, containing one bedroom and a bathroom.


    Amare lay down on thebed, his heart was filled with uncertainty aswell as many questions which he hoped would be answered tomorrow. He quelled his anxiousness towards his uncertain future and closed his eyes. Whilst falling asleep only one thought crossed his mind.


    ''I hope this village has toilet paper''

 Chapter 4: Awakening

    *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*


    Amare was woken up by the sound of gentle knocking on his door. He groaned in anger as he wanted to sleep more before quickly shooting up as he remembered where he was.


    ''That''s right, todays the day I meet the Queen''


    He walked forward and opened the door, only to be greeted by the elderly man with some young women behind him.


    The elderly man smiled "Good morning, Her Majesty will meet you today so I''ve brought some girls from the village to help you get freshened up"


    "What?"


    Amare''s question was destined to be unanswered as the girls behind him started giggling as they quickly dragged him away.


    "He''s dirty but he''s got potential"


    "Such silky white hair"


    "Don''t be shy us sisters will take good care of you~"


    The girls constantly felt around him and judged his whole body. A suffocated Amare got his clothes ripped off him before being scrubbed down in the bath by the girls. He was then dried and put in new formal clothes. Even his hair was combed and put into a neat hairstyle.


    "Wow this is much more than I imagined"


    "He''s like a little angel"


    "So cute just like a girl"


    The girls were shocked as they looked at Amare. They''d only seen the him who''d been stuck in a forest for 3 months. He was covered in dirt and with messy hair and a worn down expression. However, now he was tidied up and had a good nights rest he''d shown his previous youthful looks.


    Amare had an embarassed look on his face at being touched all over and judged by these girls "Ststers can I go to meet the Queen now?"


    "Of course, village chief will take you there now"


    He walked outside and the elderly man was there, he was now accompanied by Multa who''s face seemed to be glowing for some reason.


    "Village chief, we have tidied him up and he is now ready to meet Her Majesty"


    The elderly man who was apparently also the village chief replied "Good job, you are now excused"


    The girls bowed and walked away as the village chief turned to look at Amare and Multa."Now that you both look presentable we will go to the palace to meet Her Majesty"


    The village chief then proceeded to walk away. Amare and Multa looked at eachother before swifly following behind the elderly man.


    "Multa why do you seem so full of energy today?"


    "Who wouldn''t be full of energy after being scrubbed down by multiple pretty girls"


    "Sorry... I shouldn''t of bothered asking"


    The village chief brough them to the edge of the lake, they could even see the alter that they''d been summoned on. The water in the lake gave off a feeling of purity and it was home to both fish and plants.


    "We are here"


    "What? This is just a lake though?"


    Amare and Multa were both very confused. However, their confusion was soon answered to. The water in the lake suddenly started to part, it was like the water was a curtain and someone was opening it. The split water revealed a staircase descending beneath the lake.


    "Multa, this has less impact than everything from before"


    "Agreed, I''m used to this by now, let''s go down"


    The village chief held a hint of amusement in his eye as he watched these two children decend down the staircase with no questions asked. ''Truly two exceptional children''


    At the bottom of the staircase was a large door, a picture of the large tree had been carved onto it. As the two approached, the door opened by itself revealing a magnificent hall. The hall looked to be carved of jade and there were numerous wooden decorations inside. At the end of the hall sat a large throne made of of wood and on the throne was a gentle looking woman.


    She had brown hair, golden eyes and her skin glowed in a healthy colour. Wearing a white dress with a crown made of flowers gave her a feeling of purity and her gentle gaze gave the impression that she was a mother looking lovingly at her children.


    "Welcome young children, to my home"


    "It is an honour to meet you your highness. I am Multa and this is Amare"


    Multa had more experience with formal situations like this so Amare let him do the talking. However, it appeared be be unnecessary as the gentle lady gave off a small laugh.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Fufufufu there''s no need to be so formal, the villagers call me their Queen but I am no such thing. Please just address me as Mother Earth"


    "Mother Earth?"


    Amare felt that this name was familiar but he couldn''t grasp onto the thought. It was a weird sensation but it quickly dissapeared so he didn''t take it to heart.


    "Alright we shall address you as Mother Earth then... Mother Earth could you please tell us why we have been summoned to this world?"


    "Yes we were eaten by this weird tree and ended up here for some reason. When we asked the villagers they told us that you would be able to explain"


    To Amare and Multa''s seething curiosity Mother Earth gently smiled before slowly speaking "This is the world of Foras. This world is slightly different to your own world, this difference is the fact that it has no law of time"


    "No law of time? What do you mean?"


    "It means that although time still exists here, it is not constrained by any laws. In other worlds they all follow the law of time, they all age at the same speed. For example if you went to a different world to this, one which followed the law of time, you would still find that one year there is the same as one year in your own world. However, this world I different, one year here could be one hundred years elsewhere but it could also be one day aswell"


    It was a confusing concept to get your head around. It was like saying that everyone had to breathe at the same speed but then there was one guy who could breathe whenever he wanted. He could breathe one thousand times a day or he could breathe once.


    "So this is the reason why that small animal I saw getting eaten by the tree a few days ago had been here for over 50 years?"


    To Amare''s question Mother Earth nodded her head "That''s indeed the case, that animal was summoned here by mistake but in the end he decided to live here"


    Multa suddenly thought of something "Does that mean that the night we spent here could be hundred of years in our world?"


    "You don''t have to worry about that, I have my ways to send you back to your world with no time having passed"


    Amare and Multa let out a strong sigh of relief. The worry about not being able to return to their own world was constantly plagueing their minds. Knowingthat they could get back made them feel as if a massive weight had been lifted from their shoulders.


    "So in the end what is your reason for calling us here?"


    "Your world holds some fate with me. The magical energy in your world was createdby an old friend of mine and I wish to complete their wish"


    "The magical energy in our world was created by someone!?"


    Both Amare and Multa had finally heard something which could shock them again. For a power they thought was birthed from nature having been made by someone. This revelation would send the world into an uproar.


    "All worlds have their own unique magical energy. The rivers you would of seen on your way here are all the natural energies that have been birthed from countless worlds. Some were naturally created and some were created by living beings. However, they all connect to this world."


    "What on Earth is this world?"


    "Knowing too much can be harmful, if fate allows it you will learn in the future"


    Amare felt upset at that answer but at the same time it was a massive relief finding out the intentions of their summoner.


    "The energy in your world is currently in its infant stage and it would take hundreds of years for it to evolve into an adult state. What I am going to give you will allow for it to evolve prematurely. My friend created this magical energy in hopes that those who use it will be able to use magic freely. My friend believed that magic lay in the heart of its user and everyone''s magic would be different depending on their life experiences and comprehensions. My friend named this energy ''Liber'' in hopes that those who use it will be able to achieve true freedom.


    Amare and Multa both felt their blood boiling when they listened to this. This was a magical energy which allowed infinite possibilities. This energy showed the creators desire for its users to be free.


    Amare fell into a dazed state when he thought about this word. The word freedom resonated with his entire soul. He felt boundless desire but also boundless anguish when he thought of this word. Seddenly a memory appeared in Amare''s mind.


    "Malum I think I''ve nearly found it"


    "Found what?"


    "A path to freedom"


    "Freedom doesn''t exist"


    "It does! I believe that it does!"


    Amare once again felt Malum''s emotions. Malum''s voice was full of indifference, however the other voice contained a strong faith. He felt his heart soften when he heard this voice full of faith. It was as if his indifference was slowly melting away.


    "Why do you try so hard?"


    "I want to be free and not constrained. I will create a way to get rid of our shackles... I will create a way to be with you"


    At this moment Mother Earth brought over a box. The box was transparent and inside a gem could be seen. The gem was translucent but that only added to its beauty. When the box was opened its energy poured out, the energy was beautiful but colourless, it was like a canvas waiting for the artist to fill it with colour.


    As if resonating with this gem a terrifying aura suddenly appeared in the hall. This aura was bright red and wherever it passed a chill seemed to be felt. A shocking indifference was apparent within the aura.


    Mother nature was shocked as she looked towards the source of the aura. It was Amare. Bright red tattoos formed along his body and his red eyes started to glow. Luckily at this moment the golden tree in the middle of his eyebrows started to shine. The red aura was calmed down by a gentle golden aura, the tattoos now shined with a red and golden hue.


    Tears ran down Amare''s expressionless face. A voice so cold that it seemed to have come from the depths of hell sounded out from the bottom of his throat. It contained anguish and sadness, although an underlying trace of gentleness was also apparent.


    "So this was your answer... Lux?"


    The translucent gem started to vibrate as if answering his question before releasing a clear drop of liquid. This liquid flew up into the air and under the watchful gaze of Mother Earth and Multa, it flew right into the space between Amare''s brows.


    Amare had been conscious this whole time. Although, he hadn''t been in control of his body. Nevertheless, he could still feel the powers flowing through him and emotions which weren''t his but felt too intimate to be someone else''s.


    When this drop of magical energy fell into the spot between his brows, he felt a kind of energy awaken inside of him. It was as if a gate had awoken inside of him and in a sense it had.


    This drop of energy had given him the last push he needed to awaken his magical power. His gate of awakening had finally opened and his first divine core could now store magical energy.


    The drop of energy between his brows was formed of pure and condensed magical power. It seemed to melt away as all the energy flew towards his first divine core. The divine core became a beautiful translucent colour and his magic power held no impurities. He would only find out later what benefits this would give him, but for now all that mattered was that he had awakened.


    It also wasn''t just any awakening. He was the first to awaken to Liber magical energy. He symbolised the beginning of a new era... an era of freedom.

 Chapter 5: Divine Body

    Mother Nature had an apprehensive look on her face as she stared at Amare. The auras he released had already died down. However, the impact they left was something that would never die.


    ''Those auras... that golden aura seemed familiar but what was that red aura? It was horrifying!'' Mother Earth''s mind raced nearly as quick as her heart whilst remembering the scene from moments before.


    Multa was also staring solemnly at Amare. ''This brat... his body holds a much bigger secret than I originally thought''


    Amare, topic of their thoughts was completely ignorant of their feelings. He was completely engrossed in the feeling of having magic power course through his body. It felt warm and surprisingly intimate, making his whole body feel comfortable.


    Eventually he found the will to free himself from this comfort and open his eyes. Flickering with excitement, his eyes told the story of how he was feeling right now. Who could blame him though? Awakening your magic power opened the doors to a limitless future.


    Amare soon realised that he was receiving strange stares from the people around him. He used his hands to cover his body as if protecting himself. "What''s wrong? Don''t tell me you want to strip me aswell?"


    ""No way!""


    Two loud shouts reverberated in the room towards Amare''s question. No explanation was required for Multa. However, Mother Earth had never been accused of wanting to strip a young boy before, if anyone else heard this her reputation could be ruined.


    *Cought*


    Clearing her throat she regained her composure. "I apologise for raising my voice, however please do not accuse me of wanting to do something so... illegal"


    "Illegal? Isn''t it normal to want to strip someone you find attractive?" This time it was Multa''s turn to put Mother Earth into a difficult position.


    "Well yes but-"


    "But what? Mother Earth, have you never wanted to strip someone before?"


    "Well there was this one tim- Wait! What are you making me say? Enough of this topic, we have more pressing matters to attend to!"


    ""Hahahaahaha""


    Amare and Multa burst out laughing looking at the red shade that appeared on Mother Earth''s face. A vein also popped up on her forehead as she thought. ''These two brats... just you wait''


    "Amare do you mind telling me where you got those powers from?"


    "What powers?"


    "The red and golden auras you just released"


    "I have no idea"


    Morher Earth soon realised that there was no point in questioning him as he himself didn''t know. Therefore, she changed her approach.


    "Have you ever noticed these powers before?"


    Amare pondered for a second before his eyes lit up. "My parents said that when I was born I nearly died, they were hopeless to save me. But then a miracle happened, a golden bird came along and turned into a tear, the golden tear merged with me and I was reborn. Since then I''ve had this small mark of a tree in the middle of my brows"


    Mother Earth nodded as she suddenly thought of a potential scenario. ''That golden tear, could it be hers? But why would she give something so special?''


    When Mother Earth thought to this point she shook her head and sighed. She believed that she had solved most of the puzzle regarding Amare''s golden power but she still asked "That explains the golden power but what about that red aura you let off?"


    Towards her question Amare hesitated for a moment. When you aren''t conscious about something it''s easy to brush it off. However, when you become conscious of it, you start to notice things which you never noticed before.


    "When I think about it, I have noticed it that red aura a few times"


    "When?"


    "Recently I''ve had some strange dreams. These dreams feel very realistic and in them I become someone else"


    "What happens in those dreams?"


    "I-I always seem to be on a battlefield slaughtering countless people, not all of them look human aswell and the power I use... it''s very similar to the red one"


    Multa was trying his best to keep up with the conversation, he listened intently but couldn''t quite keep up. On the other hand Mother Earth had a grave look on her face, she was even leaning forward on her throne.


    "The person who you became, do you know their name?" Mother Earth seemed to squeeze out this question. It was as if she both did and didn''t want to know the answer.


    "In one of my dreams I was addressed by what appeared to be a name"


    "What did they call you?"


    "Malum"


    "WHAT?!"


    Mother Earth abruptly stood up from her throne. All previous composure she had was gone and her gentle face had contorted into a face full of shock. Her aura shot out of her body raging around, it was akin to an earthquake that made the whole hall fiercely vibrate.


    ''How could it be him?? He died countless years ago... wait died?'' Mother Earth''s aura was a mess as she tried to understand the truth which was placed before her.


    ''Died... Goelden tear... her bloodline''


    Her eyes grew brighter and brighter as she started to piece more and more of the puzzle together. ''It''s true that they had a close relationship but to think she would go so far. For the goddess of life to do this, it looks like his death wasn''t so simple''


    "What''s wrong Mother Earth why did you suddenly lose control? Do you know who Malum is?"


    Mother Earth saw the innocent look in Amare''s eyes and sighed. "Yes, I know of him and I suspect those dreams you''ve had aren''t really dreams"


    Amare had a doubtful look in his eyes. "What are they then?"


    Morher Earth paused for a moment, she knew that telling him too much wouldn''t be acceptable but at the same time she couldn''t let him be ignorant. She took a moment to contemplate what parts to share with him.


    "They are likely memories"


    "Memories? But how would I have someone else''s memories?"


    "They aren''t someone else''s, they are yours... from a past life"


    ""WHAT""


    Not only Amare was shocked at his revelation but even Multa was. He was watching from the side trying not to get involved but this was just too shocking. Having memories from a past life was an unimaginable concept to him.


    Amare was also shocked but at the same time it cleared up his doubts. The truth can be scary but sometimes what is even scarier is being ignorant of it.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I can''t tell you everything but I can tell you about your powers"


    Amare was very curious about the powers within him. "Please do"


    "You have two bloodlines present inside of you. One was granted to you by someone else, likely through the golden tear that saved you at birth. It is a very pure bloodline which grants you the power of Life"


    Mother Earth took a breathe and proceeded to talk "This power is currently sealing your other bloodline, that golden tree you see between your eyebrows is the seal"


    "What is my other bloodline for it to be sealed?"


    Mother Earth looked like she was hesitating to speak before she clenched her teeth and spoke. "This power is yours from your past life, it has taken the form of a bloodline inside you. It is a very ancient and scary power... the power of Evil!"


    Amare thought he would be scared after hearing all this. His body was housing so many powers so he should have at least felt uncertainty. However, surprisingly he felt complete serenity.


    Seeing they calm look on his face Mother Earth''s mind went blank. "Are you not scared?"


    Amare froze for a second before flashing an incredibly pure smile at her "I thought I would be but I''m not. Even if it was granted by someone or originated from a past life, these powers are still a part of me so why would I fear them? That would be the same as fearing myself"


    Mother Earth replied in a panicking voice "No you don''t understand, these powers are too strong for you, they can easily control you, even the ancient-"


    "But I won''t be controlled. I have awakened to Liber magical energy, the energy of freedom. To be free means to never be controlled!"


    Mother Earth would normally be incredibly annoyed at being interrupted. However, this time was different, she couldn''t muster up the will to get annoyed after listening to his words filled with conviction.


    Looking into Amare''s pure red eyes she could tell that he was speaking his thoughts. He honestly believed in his words. ''Lux, ironically it will be he who inherits your will. What is this if not fate''


    At that moment a loud voice interrupted their conversation "Hahahahahah what a guy, that was well said even by a brat like you!"


    Multa had been listening from the side and finally understood what was happening. He hadn''t even been able to recover from shock and yet the person in question had. For the first time Multa felt genuine respect for Amare.


    "I agree completely, fearing your powers is the same as fearing yourself. Also why we are on the topic of ourselves, can you tell me why I have reverted to a 10 year old?!"


    Amare and Mother Earth felt the tense atmosphere crumbling as they made eye contact with eachother. Mother Earth quickly reverted to her previous gently smile and Amare felt slightly embarassed at being rude to her.


    "Were you a different age previously?"


    "Yes I was 14!"


    Mother Earth sighed as she thought of something."As mentioned previously this world isn''t bound by the laws of time and this can occasionally cause mishaps to occur. The transition caused by going from a world with the law of time to a world without it is the cause of your body getting younger. In other words your physical body''s time has been reversed"


    "Is there a way to go back to normal?"


    Looking at Multa''s face which was the picture of anxiety Mother Earth was about to tell him the solution. However, she suddenly remembered a few moments ago when he was teasing her and unfortunately for Multa she was a petty person.


    She put on a face of pure grief and said "I''m so sorry but there is no way to revert what has been done"


    "Hahahahah that''s so perfect"


    As Amare looked at Multa''s face which was painted in despair he couldn''t help but laughing out loud. The perfect example of schadenfreude.


    Looking at the despair on Multa''s face and Amare who was rolling on the ground laughing at him, Mother Earth couldn''t help but feel slightly guilty.


    "What bloodline do you have? As compensation I can give you something compatible with it"


    Multa sighed whilst looking downcast. "I don''t have a bloodline... I am the only one in my family without one"


    Mother Earth looked confused for a second before walking up to him to check his body. "No bloodline? But I can clearly fee- OH MY GOD A DIVINE BODY!!"


    Mid sentance Mother Earth suddenly shouted scaring both Amare and Multa. Even until now they had never seen such a big reaction from her.


    "Divine body? What''s that?"


    "Unlike bloodlines, divine bodies are not passed down, they are bodies which have been blessed by the heavens. Each divine body is unique, they have an innate gift for a type of magic and unlike bloodlines this magic is 100% pure and compatible with them"


    Although Amare was ignorant about most things due to his young age Multa was different. He had easy access to knowledge due to his family but even with all that, he had never heard anything about a divine body.


    "I have never heard about divine bodies before?"


    "It''s not surprising, your world''s magic power is currently in its infant stage and even if it wasn''t divine bodies are incredibly rare. This reversal of time is a stroke of luck for you as it''s reverted your body back to the time before you awakened. In other words your body has become pure again. There are strict requirements to awakening a divine body. If you awaken like a normal person you will never be able to use your innate gift!"


    Multa broke out into a cold sweat as he listened to this. Although it was no ones fault that he never awakened his divine body, it doesn''t change the fact that if it wasn''t for a mad coincidence he would never have known about it. He would of lost his gift.


    "So how can I awaken my divine body?"


    "Normally it would be very difficult and only those who run into something which triggers their innate gift will be able to awaken. However, with Amare here it will be much easier"


    Amare was doubtful. "With me?"


    Mother Earth flashed him a cheeky smile and said "I will give you a little hint on how to use your life bloodline"


    The next moment all three of them left the underwater hall and stood by the lake. Mother Earth made Multi sit down and meditate before turning towards Amare.


    "I will provide support to you with my magic power but you will be the one who will awaken Multa''s divine body"


    Amare was nervous as he had never used magic before. "How do I use my life bloodline?"


    "Fufufufu don''t worry so much. Feel your bloodline and try to understand it''s potential. This power belongs to you, so you should be able to control it how you wish" Morher Earth was very lighthearted about the situation.


    Amare cursed in his head when he heard this but he had to admit that her words made sense. He took a couple of deep breaths to bring his mental state to optimal condition. "I''m ready"


    "Then we shall begin"


    Mother Earth went behind him and released a small fraction of her power into Amare''s body. Well it was a small amount for her but for Amare it was like trying to fit an ocean into a swimming pool. He quickly felt her mana soar up to the middle of his brows.


    "Now imagine the power of you bloodline. Try to remember the feeling you felt when it activated earlier. It belongs to you, so you should be able to call upon it"


    Amare did what she said. He tried to imagine that golden power. A power so gentle it didn''t seem like it could hurt a fly. However, it was a power so prideful that even his tyrannical bloodline of evil was suppressed by it.


    As he imagined this he felt a gentle power slowly change the properties of Mother Earth''s mana. Her magical power was still there but it now held the power of life.


    Amare then thought to himself ''I know nothing about the power of life but I do know what it has done for me. It gave me life when I was on the verge of dying. But is it really so simple?''


    He then thought aloud "To give life, is it really limited to humans?"


    Mother Earth replied happily "Correct, why would it only be limited to humans? When it comes to magic only your breadth of mind can limit you"


    Amare looked like he''d been enlightened "Humans are alive, plants and trees are alive and magic... when we create magic does it also become alive? Do we give it life?"


    "Fufufufu correct correct correct, now go and give life" Mother Earth looked extremely happy that Amare had been able to comprehend so much with so little advice.


    Amare places his hand on Multa''s forehead and Mother Earth controlled his power to go into Multa''s body. She was in charge of guiding the mana and Amare was in charge of invoking the power of life.


    Amare''s forehead started sweating as he thought to himself. ''This is so difficult! Without Mother Earth''s help I would have already failed''


    Nevertheless, Amare only found it hard, he didn''t believe it was impossible.


    Amare had no idea how to give life to something. None at all. He couldn''t imagine what Multa''s power would be, therefore he couldn''t give the power life. But Amare didn''t give up, instead he took different approach.


    Amare decided to create life in Multa''s body by imagining something he was familiar with. He imagined a seed, aswell as fertile soil to plant the seed and water to nourish it. Then he imagined this seed slowly sprouting.


    At this moment the skies above their heads suddenly darkened as swirling clouds gathered. These clouds were different to the ones surrounding this world of fog. They were dark and gloomy, it was like they were trying to shroud the ground in darkness.


    Amare carried on imagining. A little stalk poked out of the soil and slowly became a small tree. At the same time multiple little lights started flickering within the clouds.


    The tree got bigger and bigger, a thick trunk which stood proudly. Long branches decorated with leaves accessorised the trunk. Eventually, the tree stopped growing... it was complete.


    At that moment Amare pulled his hand away from Multa and Mother Earth swiftly pulled him away. As if on cue the power held within the clouds burst forth. Lightning rained down from the heavens like a descending calamity.


    Each strike of lightning was different to the one before. Every time the lightning struck down the skies would shine with a different colour. A total of nine strikes struck Multa. The different types of lightning all held an earth shattering power but Multa was unscathed.


    Once the lightning strikes had finished the clouds quickly dissipated as if they had never existed. Amare and even Mother Earth were shocked at the scene from just now. Mother Earth had seen a lot of strong powers in her lifetime but the power of the lightning just then filled her with trepidation.


    Multa sat in a meditating position with his eyes closed. Every breathe he took was long and deep. Looking at him you would never have expected him to be the cause of the previous commotion.


    Slowly his eyes opened and Amare had to shut his eyes. His irises contained 9 different colours which blended together. Lightning snakes rippled along his body as a fierce aura gushed out.


    He felt a name pop into his head. It was a name he had never heard before. It was the name of his divine body, the magical gift that had been bestowed to him by the heavens. He opened his mouth to speak the name of the magic which had never appeared before. It was a magic that only belonged to him.


    "Multi-Lightning Divine Body"

 Chapter 6: Relief

    "HAHAHAAHA I AM THE GEEATEST!!"


    After Awakening his divine body, the power that once raged within Multa had died down. His eyes went back to normal and he reverted back into his unawakened state. The lightning from before was now buried deep inside his body, like a treasure waiting to be dug up.


    However, this didn''t change the fact that Multa now understood the potential of his power. When he realised how strong this power could make him, he got up and started rampaging around, screaming about how amazing he was.


    A divine body was just like that, like how humans knew how to breathe from when they were born, people with divine bodies instinctively knew how to use their innate powers. The only problem was that he was too weak to utilise it.


    "Your friend is quite unique isn''t he?"


    Amare heard Mother Earth''s question and turned to look at her. Mother Earth was shocked by his usual glimmering eyes showing a dead look as he replied in a deadpan voice. "Unique? I suppose he is special... special needs"


    "What the fuck did you say Amare?" Multa seemed to have some sort of radar that could detect when Amare mocked him.


    "Oh look, the guy with a mere divine body has finally finished singing his own praises"


    "Mere divine body? I''m the only with this power, I''m unique unlike you!"


    "I''ve got two bloodlines and I wouldn''t even need to use them to beat you!"


    Suddenly Mother Earth dissapeared and her figure appeared next to Amare, then in the next moment it appeared next to Multa.


    ""What are you doing?!""


    Both Amare and Multa screamed as they dangled down. Surprisingly Mother Earth was holding one of them in each hand.


    "No need to fight about who''s stronger, a real expert could kill both of you with a fart"


    "Do you fart then?" Amare''s ignorance towards a woman''s feelings was on full display.


    "No I-"


    "Wow to think the graceful Mother Earth does such a thing" Multa was apparently no better.


    ""Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh""


    The next moment two loud screams were heard as Mother Earth launched them into the sky.


    "I was going to give you guys a comfortable trip back but I''ve changed my mind"


    *Splash*


    Both of them plunged into the lake and quickly swam to the surface so they could breathe again. They then proceeded to look at Mother Earth. She had her usual gentle smile, however her eyes were narrowed and a blue vein was bulging by her temple. In other words, she looked incomparably terrifying.


    "I hope you two enjoyed your stay in Foras, I will now send you back to your own world... good luck"


    "Luck? Why would we need lu- AHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    Amare''s words were cut short as the lake suddenly propelled into the sky, taking both of them with it. It was so quick their skin was pulled back by the resistance of the wind, making them look very comical.


    "I FUCKING HATE THIS WORLD"


    Mother Earth found that the sound of Multa''s fading screams was like music to her ears. She returned back down to her underwater palace with a wide smile plastered across her face. ''Those two may be little brats but their potential... in my countless years of life I have seen very few who''s talent matches theirs''


    Mother Earth sat on her throne and looked into the distance. No one knew what she was looking at, no one other than her. ''I hope they live up to their potential... I hope they can survive''


    -


    One could only call what Amare and Multa experienced torture. They were flung into the air at such a speed they nearly passed out. The clouds that Amare once felt were so comfortable, were not comfortable when travelling into them at hundreds of kilometres per hour. At times they''d sink into the water nearly dying on multiple occasions. Even when their heads were outside of the water they''d only be greeted with pitch black surroundings. All in all it was hell.


    The only silver lining was that the trip back was much quicker than the trip there. In only a few hours they had reached their destination. Although, these few hours felt like days to them.


    The water flung them out into their world, leaving two drenched rats on the ground. Neither of them moved for a while, they were both completely exhausted after hours of torture.


    In the surroundings they could see the tree that swollowed them. They had entered through this tree and they had exited through this tree.


    "That bitch!! I swear if I ever see her aga-"


    *Bang*


    A transparent box flew out of the tree and smashed into the cursing Multa. It was the same box that Mother Earth had shown them. The translucent gem was present inside it, aswell as a note and some books.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Ow ow ow does that woman hate me or something?"


    "I wouldn''t blame her"


    "I''ve had enough of you!"


    "The feelings mutual!"


    Surprisingly, after that interaction both Amare and Multa found enough strength to roll on the ground punching eachother. Although, this did not last long as they were soon left gasping for breath.


    "Hahahahaha we survived, we actually survived!"


    Multa was stunned for a second before he joined in with Amare''s laughter. They had experienced things beyond their knowledge and felt like they were on deaths doorstep for days. However, not only did they not die, instead they received a lot of benefits. It was akin to thinking you were going to hell but arriving in heaven.


    "Sigh, this would be perfect if I wasn''t a 10 year old again"


    "But because you reverted you found out you had a divine body"


    "You''re not wrong"


    They were both lying down on their backs, just staring at the trees above. They could feel the gentle breeze flowing between the trees and see the same breeze cause the branches to gently sway. As they swayed sunlight would occasionally find its way through the gaps of the leaves and embrace them. After being on deaths doorstep they could finally relax and enjoy the sensation of living.


    "Amare... thank you"


    "Sorry what was that?" Amare couldn''t quite grasp onto Multa''s whisper.


    "Ugh... I said thank you!"


    Amare was shocked that the prideful Multa would actually thank him. He knew it was about helping him awaken his divine body. Looking at the embarassed Multa, Amare actually smiled.


    "Youre welcome"


    This time it was Multa''s turn to be shocked but it didn''t last long before he also smiled. No matter how much they snapped at eachother and took the piss out of eachother it didn''t change the fact that they had survived together. It didn''t change the fact that they were now friends.


    "Shall we open the box?" Amare had no control over his curiosity at his young age.


    "Obviously, what else is there to do but open it?" Multa had no excuses.


    Both their eyes were shining as they opened the box. Surprisingly, unlike when Mother Earth opened the box the gem didn''t burst forth with energy. Amare picked it up but it looked like nothing more than a beautiful stone.


    They were dissapointed but quickly focused elsewhere. In the box there were also some books aswell as a note. they picked up the note and read it.


    -Amare and Multa knowing your personalities you will quickly open this box. However, I recommend you put the gem back in and close the box very quickly or there will be consequences.


    Amare instantly threw the gem back in and Multa closed the box with such a force you would expect it to break. It must be known that after the trauma Mother Earth made them suffer, they were terrified of annoying her, especially when she was able to guess their actions so precisely. They couldn''t think of anything worse than finding out what these ''consequences'' were.


    -As you know that gem is the source of the purest form of Liber energy. I have placed a seal on the stone so you can transport it freely. However, I have also placed a defensive mechanism... you don''t wish to find out what it is.


    Amare and Multa looked at eachother and found that both of them had large droplets of sweat covering their foreheads. But they did feel elated at their decision to close the box quickly.


    -Take this box to the leaders of your world. I have placed books inside which explain how to unlock my seal and how to use this gem to upgrade your worlds magical energy. I have left some pointers and techniques regarding Liber energy aswell. Stay safe young children, if fate allows it, I hope to see you again.


    ""Who would!!""


    A loud sound of denial echoed throughout the forest, almost causing the ground to shake. Amare and Multa were very much against seeing this ''gentle'' lady again.


    "...Let''s go back"


    "You know the way out of this forest?"


    Amare''s eyes glimmered with excitement, he''d been stuck in this forest for the three monthsand he missed his parents. It was inevitable for a 10 year old to feel lonely after going three months without seeing their parents.


    "Of course I do. Who do you think I am?"


    "No comment"


    "..."


    Amare quickly thought of something as he looked back at the tree. "Let''s take the fruit off this tree before we leave"


    "Good idea"


    They ransacked the tree of all its fruit and stored them away in their pouches. The space in their pouches would preserve the fruit for a very long time.


    The trip back through the forest was a walk in the park for Amare. He had now awakened and felt a qualitative leap in strength. Along with a higher understanding of his Life bloodline his affinity with nature was incomparable to before. He looked like he was talking a pleasant stroll through his garden.


    On the other hand Multa was feeling frustrated. He''d reverted back to a 10 year olds body which he wasn''t used to. He''d lost all his magic power and was now in an unawakened state, so even if he knew what he wanted to do in his head, he couldn''t put it into practice. All these combined left him red faced from anger.


    Just to add the cherry on top Amare would often stop, look at him with a smug face and go "Multa, do you need to take a rest?"


    Although Multa definitely needed to rest, being asked this by Amare hurt his pride so he refused each time. As a consequence Multa was way past his limits and Amare was relishing in his pain.


    Luckily it didn''t take long to exit the forest and when they did Multa collapsed flat on his face. Amare looked around at this familiar scenery and couldn''t help boiling with excitement.


    "Hahahahaha I''m out! I''m finally out of that forest!"


    "Shut up and let me rest!"


    "Oh so you did need a rest?"


    "SHUT UP!!"


    At this moment two figures appeared next to them. One was a tall and muscular man with flowing blonde hair and red eyes. He had a square jawline and sharp eyebrows which gave him a masculine appeal.


    Next to him was a woman so beautiful even the same gender would be mesmerised. With white hair, blue eyes and features that looked like they were from a painting, she complimented the man perfectly. They were a stunning couple.


    "Mum! Dad!"


    It was Leo and Ilya who appeared next to them and Amare ran straight into their arms. Even though he hadn''t shown it he''d been scared out of his mind these last few days. He immidiately lost control of his emotions when he felt his parents warmth, tears started gushing out like a fountain.


    "Ama what''s wrong?" Ilya had a worried look in her eyes as she stroked his head softly.


    "Sniff I thought I''d never see you guys again"


    "What do you mean?" Leo''s face was as expressionless as always but the fierce aura bursting out from his body showed his mood. He''d rarely seen Amare cry even when going through hellish training and he''d make whoever was the cause of his tears pay.


    Suddenly shock appeared in Leo''s eyes as he looked at Amare. "You''ve awoken? Wait what is wrong with your magic?"


    Ilya also lost control of her voice as she shouted "How is your magic power so pure?"


    "This-"


    "It will take a while to explain"


    Multa interrupted Amare as he joined the conversation. The one thing Multa hated was feeling left out.


    "Who are you?"


    "..."


    "Are you... Multa?"


    "..."


    "Pfft how did you get so young?"


    During this interaction Multa found out that there was one thing he hated more than being left out. He also hated being so fucking young.


    Amare spoke up again this time. He had already regained his composure after his previous outburst.


    "All of this can be explained but it will be a long story"


    The story Amare and Multa was about to tell was indeed long. However, it was only the start of their story, a story that would later become a legend.

 Chapter 7: Capital

    "... and then we got sent back into this world through the same tree that ate us, and now we are back to the present"


    Amare told the story about what they had experienced since they were eaten by the tree. They were his parents and he completely trusted them, so he didn''t leave anything out other than Multa''s divine body. Unless Multa gave him permission he wouldn''t mention it.


    Amare had never seen his parents have such strange expressions. They were a mixture of shock and complication. Leo and Ilya didn''t believe everything they heard, although it wasn''t from a lack of trust but more from the fact it broke their common sense.


    "So you''re the reincarnation of this person called Malum?" Amare couldn''t understand why but both his parents held complicated expressions in their eyes as they asked this.


    Feeling a little bit flustered he quickly said "B-But I don''t really have any memories of it, I thought they were dreams before Mother Earth told me otherwise"


    "It''s fine. Anyway I better take this box to his majesty, he has to decide our next steps" Brushing off the topic Leo took the box and disappeared.


    "I will go with him, Multa could you please take Amare back with you?"


    "...Yes"


    "Thank you"


    Leaving behind those two words Ilya also vanished. Amare was confused as to why his parent''s mood suddenly changed. Multa''s eyebrows creased before he sighed and patted Amare on the shoulder.


    "Let''s go, you''ve never been to the capital before have you?"


    Amare''s mood recovered when he heard this. "Are we really going to the capital? I''ve always wanted to go there!"


    Multa sighed whilst looking at the exited Amare, however he quickly flashed a smile. "A brat like you would never be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the capital"


    "If you can appreciate then I''d definitely not have a problem"


    "Shut up! Let''s go"


    Amare followed Multa as he enjoyed his surroundings. He didn''t know when he would next be able to see it, this beautiful scenery that had blessed his eyes since they day he was born.


    The crystal clear water that stretched far into the horizon, the sparkle caused by the sun rays combining with the flowing water. The sound of the waves crashing against the cliff, it was a pleasant sound caused by a violent action.


    When he looked in another direction he would see an ever stretching forest enveloping the land. The trees would sway in the wind causing the leaves to rustle, the sound created was like listening to a musical instrument. The birds must have agreed as they sang along with it.


    The path they walked along was covered in flowers. Some big and some small. Some ugly and some beautiful. The contradiction of beauty created a balance that calmed the nerves.


    "Multa how do you like my home?"


    "It''s lovely, I feel like all my pores are opening"


    "Hahaha that''s right!"


    Amare laughed happily at the fact his home was praised but quickly changed the subject. "Can you tell me about the capital?"


    Multa pondered for a moment. "We are a part of the Eternal Blood Empire. Our Emperor started off as a king. He was the king of a country called Halda. Halda was surrounded by six smaller countries and was constantly at war with these countries. This was at least until our Emperor rose to power. He increased his own power and the power of his army by so much, the other countries stood no chance. After many humiliating wars they surrendered one by one and got absorbed into the Eternal Blood Empire. The Eternal Blood capital is the same capital as the country of Halda, albeit much bigger now. It is located right in the centre of the empire"


    Amare took a while to process all of this information. His horizons had been forced to expand at a rapid pace these last few days. Although he didn''t think much could surprise him anymore, finding out he was part of a massive empire definitely succeeded in doing so.


    "It''s hard to explain what the capital is like without visiting there and seeing for yourself. For some people it''s everything they could have dreamed of. For others it is the opposite"


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Multa didn''t answer Amare''s question nor did he carry on speaking about the capital. Amare was confused but didn''t ask further.


    -


    After a pleasant walk they arrived at a circular shaped pond. It looked to be man made as the surroundings weren''t that of vegetation but instead of marble. The marble was black and contained golden engravings.


    "This is called a reflector, it''s a newly invented magical tool used for transportation"


    Amare looked at the reflector from all angles to study it but he still couldn''t figure out what made it magical.


    "There''s no point in looking. Only once the engravings are activated will this reflector show its use"


    "How do we activate it then?"


    "Well you go like this and use your magic power to... you''ve got to do it, I forgot I can''t use magic right now"


    Amare places his hand on the marble and willed his magic power into it. Although he didn''t have much experience using magic, he could remember the sensation he felt when Mother Earth controlled his mana.


    The golden engravings started to glow and the water became completely silver. It looked like a stainless mirror.


    "It is an extraordinary tool. The theory behind the reflector is that it takes your image and reflects you to another location. There is a reflector in the capital which this one connects to and that is our destination"


    Multa explained the mannerisms of the tool to a shocked Amare. The way this tool worked didn''t even make sense to him. But the evidence that it would work was right infront of his eyes.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Amare''s eyes followed Multa as he stepped onto the surface of the reflector. Seeing that Multa didn''t sink down he quickly did the same. Amare looked down and in the mirror he saw buildings and people.


    "Is it showing us what is on the other side?"


    "Yes, the mirror there is on the wall so we can see a normal reflection. But if they were to activate the reflector there, it would show a reflection of us from below"


    Amare nodded his head as his understanding of this device went up. "So how do we make it reflect us?"


    "First you have to get on all fours"


    Amare got on his knees and put his hands on the floor. "Like this?"


    "Then you have to gyrate, this helps increase the flow of your magical power"


    Amare started gyrating, looking very... suspicious. "I think it''s working, I can feel magic flowing through me"


    Multa had turned away by this point, he would occasionally twitch for some reason. "It''s a trick beginners use to increase the flow of their magic power. Now all you need to do is scream ''START'' as loud as you can. Make sure to carry on the scream until we get there"


    A grinding Amare with a face flushed from excitement poured his magic into the device and shouted "STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA..."


    -


    Lucio was a man with short brown hair, an average looking face and glasses. He was not particularly good or bad looking, however his demeanour would make him stand out within a crowd.


    He was a genius enchanter. Born from a normal household he didn''t have much which could make him stand out but he found out he had a talent for enchanting.


    This talent quickly bloomed and he was named a genius by many. It helped that he held a massive passion for enchanting objects.


    Most enchanters create tools with applications that originate from their magic, but Lucio could create all kinds of magic tools no matter what effects they had. This made him stand out from the masses.


    Although, this did not change the fact that he also had a speciality. He had created the reflector based off his magic. He''d come up with the idea recently and it had become a big hit within the Eternal Blood Empire''s capital.


    Currently there was one main reflector within the capital and this connected to many different locations, each location had its own reflector. These reflectors could only connect to the capital but the reflector in the capital could connect with any one of them.


    The plan for the future was to have each reflector be able to connect to eachother. This would allow you to travel to any location as long as there was a reflector there. However, it was currently in its testing stages and needed support from those who could make a large scale project like that happen.


    Today was the day Lucio had the opportunity to get the support he required and he was incomparably exited. He was going to showcase the reflector to some powerful nobles.


    Many tests had been performed and no problems were found with the performance of the reflector, so he believed there would be no issues.


    "It is a pleasure to be graced with your presence ambassadors"


    In front of Lucio stood two men. Both men looked well educated with neat appearances. One had brown hair, and one had blonde hair, both slicked back in a neat hairstyle.


    The six counties that were absorbed into the Eternal Blood Empire were now called the six directions. There was; West Blood, North Blood, South Blood, East Blood, High Blood and Low Blood.


    In front of Lucio were the ambassadors for High and Low Blood. Both were located the furthest from the capital so they needed a better form of transportation.


    "We have heard much about your expertise Lucio and look forward to experiencing it"


    "Thank you for your praise ambassadors, I shall now guide you to the location of the reflector"


    The two ambassadors proceeded to follow Lucio. The reflector was located in a crowded part of the capital, a location easy to access by both nobility and the citizens.


    The ambassador with blonde hair looked around and cringed. "Why did you not choose a less crowded location?"


    Lucio replied as if it was a matter of fact. "I wish for my invention to eventually be beneficial to both the nobles and the common people"


    The brown haired ambassador sneered. "Why would the common people need such a tool? Nobility are the only ones you need to worry about"


    Lucio just sighed helplessly and didn''t reply. He thought to himself ''The nobles always look down upon the commoners. They don''t even respect the intentions of me the inventor!''


    They soon reached the reflector. It was located in a busy plaza, looking like a common mirror on one of the walls. The only aspect that made the mirror stand out was the golden engravings on the black frame. Although, that could easily be overlooked as part of the design.


    "This is my invention, it is named the ''reflector'' and it is my masterpiece. It allows quick transportation for both people and objects" Lucio puffed out his chest in pride as he introduced the device that could be said to be a culmination of his life''s effort.


    "Magnificent, not only does it look beautiful but it doesn''t take up much space"


    To the ambassadors praise Lucio further explained "Not only that, this device only requires your magical power to activate it. Meaning that no outside resources are needed"


    "Both efficient and cost effective... an outstanding invention"


    Both the blonde and brown haired ambassadors held nothing but praise towards the reflector. They did not like the idea of using it for the common person''s benefit but that did not change their admiration towards the beautiful craftsmanship.


    At this moment the reflector shone with a bright light. It was a blinding light that forced those who were looking in its direction to close their eyes.


    "...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTT"


    A massive scream enveloped the whole plaza as two figures appeared in front of the mirror. They both looked to be around 10 years old. One had blood red hair and eyes to match, whereas the other had pure white hair with bright red eyes.


    This would have been a completely acceptable scene, if the white haired boy was not gyrating on the floor whilst screaming.


    Lucio rubbed his temples "What are you two children doing, how did you get access to this device"


    Multa spoke up "Children? I am Multa Moreau... you''d dare call me a child?"


    Amare thought what he said was cool so he decided to join in. "I am Amare Celino, watch your words!"


    Multa looked towards him and couldn''t help rolling his eyes when he saw a red faced Amare puffing his chest out with a smug expression.


    ""We apologise for being so disrespectful!""


    Lucio and both ambassadors quickly apologised to the two children. Their faces were all pale as they shivered uncontrollable. All three of them seemed to recognise these names from somewhere.


    "It''s fine, this is Amare''s first visit to the capital and there was a reflector near his home. We used that to come here" Multa''s voice was stone cold as he said this, making Amare jump in surprise.


    The three men nodded their heads, neither of them would interrogate the two children infront of them unless they had a death wish. The blonde haired ambassador was the next to speak up.


    "Young Master Amare, why were you performing such obscene movements on your moment of arrival"


    Amare had a confused expression on his face as he looked towards Multa. "Obscene? This is the way to activate the device, right Multa?"


    With all four people gazing at him, Multa felt his back being covered in cold sweat. ''No way I''m coming clean, let''s take this lie all the way''


    "Yes this is the only way to activate this device, did you not know?"


    The three men were started for a moment. The two ambassadors thought of Amare''s appearance as he arrived. He was on all fours, gyrating with a bright red face. They thought about themselves doing the same and in the next moment they raged at Lucio.


    "Why did you fail to mention this? Do you wish for all nobles to look like fools!?"


    "No I-"


    "The nobles of High Blood would never be able to accept such a device!"


    "Please listen to m-"


    "We have seen enough! You will be getting no support from us!"


    The two ambassadors swiftly left the scene, leaving behind a stunned Lucio in their wake. He fell down to his knees as large droplets of tears rolled down his face.


    "My work... my whole life''s work gone just like that"


    Amare couldn''t follow what was happening but Multa could. Being the cause he felt extremely guilty. He walked up to Lucio and squatted down infront of him.


    Lucio looked up and saw the gentle face Multa was showing him. He looked like an angel showing up to guide him out of despair. He could already feel hope welling in his heart.


    "I can''t believe you''d try to make me gyrate like that... you have some nerve"


    Unfortunately for Lucio, it was a devil not an angel. A devil that would never admit his mistakes if it meant saving face.


    The devil got back up and turned towards Amare with a bright smile on his face. "Welcome to the capital"


    Amare matched the bright smile on his face as he looked around the plaza. This was the start of a new chapter in his life and he was looking forward to it. With those thoughts he stepped forward, taking his first stepwithin the capital.


    "I''ve finally arrived"

 Chapter 8: Killing Intent

    The second Amare took that step forward he felt himself frozen in place. His surroundings seemed to blur as time also slowed down dramatically.


    ''What is this? I can''t move''. Amare found himself panicking for a moment before calming himself down. Maybe if he had never experienced this kind sensation he would have carried on panicking. However, he knew what it was.


    ''Someone is aiming their killing intent at me and it''s a very powerful one at that''. In Amare''s memories of his past life he had experienced an uncountable amount of living beings aim their killing intent at him. These living beings were the powerhouses of their species aswell.


    However, in his memories Malum stayed unfazed even when faced with such a shocking power. He wouldn''t freeze, he wouldn''t panic, he wouldn''t even look in their direction.


    There was a very simple reason for this. Malum was the being in which killing intent originated from. The desire to kill is deemed evil so how could it effect him? How could it affect Malum who was the personification of evil?


    If he had even bothered to look in their direction their killing intent would have crumbled under his gaze, along with their will to fight. No rip off could ever outdo the original.


    Amare was very used to being the focus of killing intent from these memories. But this was the first time he''d experienced it in this life and it triggered something within him.


    He looked towards the source of this killing intent and found himself looking at a middle aged man. The middle aged man was tall and slender, he had pitch black hair and red eyes with rigid eyebrows making him look imposing. He was a handsome man who''s features would make him stand out within a crowd but surprisingly no one seemed to notice him. It was as if he had no presence.


    Two pairs of red eyes locked as the middle aged man''s face flickered with surprise. He who should be suppressing this child found himself gazing into a pair of eyes that displayed a boundless indifference. It was a pair of eyes which gave off the impression that they could not be affected by anything. Even if the world was destroyed, they would remain unfazed.


    Amare found his mind become completely clear. Time was no longer slow because of this mans killing intent, it was slow because he was able to perceive every single motion. All the information in his surroundings enetered his mind with utmost clarity.


    "You wish to use my power against myself? Know your place!"


    The cold voice that exited Amare''s throat was not ancient, it was his own this time. Part of Malum''s power had become his, or should I say Amare and Malum were slowly starting to merge into one.


    The middle aged man heard this voice and shivered uncontrollably. He felt his killing intent slowly crumble before fading away. A powerlessness he had never felt before filled his heart leaving him in a daze. Although, this daze did not last long before excitement filled his eyes.


    Amare had already fallen to the floor by this point. Making the killing intent fade away was just too much for the current him to handle. As a consequence of using a power beyond him, his surroundings went black as he fainted.


    Multa was incredibly confused when he saw Amare faint. They''d just been happily talking to eachother before Amare said something unusual and fainted.


    Multa ran up to him and checked his pulse to see if he was still alive. After feeling his heartbeat he breathed out a sigh of relief.


    "Dont worry he''s just fainted from overexerting himself"


    Multa abruptly looked up when he heard this calm voice sound out from beside him. His heart was beating rapidly as he thought ''I didn''t notice this person at all, he was even standing next to me!''


    He saw the same middle aged man Amare had seen. Bright red eyes were looking down at him making him feel an unseen pressure. Nevertheless, his beating heart quickly reduced to its normal rate.


    "Multa Moreau greets senior"


    Multa had never moved so fast as he stood up and bowed to the man beside him. His face was solemn and filled with respect as he did so.


    "Multa? You look so much younger"


    "Yes senior the truth is-"


    "You entered a world outside the law of time?"


    "Yes exactly that senio- Wait how did you know?"


    Multa couldn''t understand how this man infront of him was able to guess his circumstances so easily. According to what Mother Earth had said, this world''s magical energy was still in its infant stage, so it made no sense how this man could have known.


    "Dont worry about that for now. I shall take this child to his home" The middle aged man brushed off the topic before picking up Amare and placing him on his shoulders.


    Multa made no effort to stop him from doing so as he bowed again to send the middle aged man off. "As you wish senior, goodbye"


    "I also recommend you do not share anything about Amare''s circumstances or there will be consequences"


    Leavingn those words the middle aged man dissapeared in a flash the next moment, leaving a dazed Multa in the plaza.


    Multa''s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he thought to himself ''Things don''t appear to be as simple as I originally thought''Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    -


    Amare woke up and found himself on a comfortable bed. He looked around and saw a plain room, there were no decorations but there were necessities needed for living and a bathroom.


    "You''re awake?"


    Amare shot up from the bed but soon found himself crouching down whilst covering his forehead as a splitting headache assaulted him.


    "You should relax for now, you have overexerted your magic power and as a result suffered a backlash"


    Amare looked towards the source of the voice and found the middle aged man that attacked him previously. He was leisurely sitting besides the bed, Amare didn''t even notice him until he spoke.


    "Who are you?"


    The middle aged man let off a small chuckle as he saw Amare acting all vigilant. He proceeded to stand up and slowly walk towards Amare.


    "That hurts, how could you not recognise your own family?"


    Amare''s eyes widened "Family?"


    The middle aged man''s hard countenance faded away as a smile surfaced on his face. "I am Arthur Celino, your father''s father or in other words your grandfather"


    "Eh really? It''s true that Father did mentio-"


    Before Amare was able to finish his sentance Arthur had pulled him into a tight hug. "Ahhhhh my Grandson, Grandpa had always wanted to meet you but that shitty king always gave me things to do, I wanted to kill him so many times"


    Amare felt smothered as he thought to himself ''Father did say he was overbearing and it seems to be true. "He loves his family too much and will kill anyone who hurts them" is what Father also said''


    Amare had been told about his grandfather many times by his father. Apparently, he had a son other than Leo but this son was killed in battle. In revenge for his son, his grandfather annihilated all those involved in the murder, aswell as all their loved ones.


    To enemies Arthur would be the devil but to family he was an angel. That was how Leo described Amare''s grandfather and from what he could see so far, this seemed to be true.


    "Grandfather... why did you attack me earlier then?" Amare was curious as to why someone who loved his family so much would attack one of them.


    "As a test. Those of our bloodline have a very strong reaction when first hit with killing intent. Some with exceptional talent will awaken their bloodline right then and there, whereas others may not" Arthur stopped smothering Amare as he explained his intentions.


    "Do I have any talent then?"


    "Your case is an anomaly, I knew you were arriving today because your father dropped by earlier and explained your circumstances"


    Amare remembered the reaction of his parents and became worried. "So you know about-"


    "I had already known about the two special bloodlines in your body but learning that you were a reincarnation was fresh news" Arthur laughed heartily after he said this, seemingly unaffected by the severity of the news.


    "I have very few memories regarding my past life" Amare felt awkward when he spoke about his past life.


    "Reincarnators aren''t as uncommon as you may think but unfortunately a lot of them share the same traits" Arthur had completely lost his playfulness as he said this.


    "The same traits?"


    "Most reincarnators have their memory from the moment they were born but there are others that regain it during their life. What is certain though, is they always regain their memories in full. Those who are able to reincarnate tend to have been incredibly strong beings in their past life. This unfortunately means that when they awaken, their egos tend to overwhelm their current life''s ego. They lose the attachments they''ve formed in their current life and even if they don''t, those around them will grow distant. Just imagine your mother was no longer the same mother that you knew. Would you still be able to treat her the same?"


    Amare felt like he''d been struck with lightning "So will I become Malum? Will I no longer be me?"


    "That is normally the case but you seem to be an anomaly. I have never heard of someone slowly regaining their memories and I believe you will be able to retain your ego if you slowly awaken to your past life''s memory"


    Arthur was full of gratification as he said this. No one would like their grandchild to become someone else. Even if you manage to accept it, would you still be able to love them like before?


    "So that''s the reason my parents showed a weird reaction? Because they think I am going to change into someone else?"


    "I believe so, even I nearly couldn''t accept it. That''s why you should give your parents time to accept it too. Also make sure not to be consumed by your past life" Arthur emphasised the last part of this sentance. He wanted to make Amare hyper aware about not being taken over by his past life.


    Clenching his fists Amare struggled to keep calm. Knowing that his parents thought he was someone else hurt him, but he couldn''t change their thoughts. He just had to prove that he was still their son.


    "I will not allow myself to be taken over! I will remain myself no matter what!"


    Listening to Amare''s declaration that was oozing conviction, Arthur let out a gratified smile as he picked up Amare and started spinning.


    "That''s my cute little grandson for you, grandpa believes you can do it"


    A short while later Arthur finally put a squirming Amare down. Amare had to crouch down as he felt like the room was spinning. "Ugh I feel sick"


    "Anyway the reason I still tested you even though I knew this was because one of your bloodlines should have an affinity with the Celino families bloodline"


    Amare felt that this didn''t make sense. "What do you mean?"


    "Reincarnators don''t just randomly get born into a family. The families bloodline must have some kind of affinity with their bloodline in their past life. We know that your Life bloodline came from elsewhere so it would have to be your Evil bloodline"


    Arthur took a breathe before continuing "To prove my point your Evil bloodline was stimulated when I attacked you with my killing intent. Although it did not awaken, your Evil bloodline was still able to stop my killing intent. This is unprecedented and shows that it is an incomparably strong bloodline. I can also tell that your Evil bloodline has a very similar if not the same origin as the Celino families bloodline"


    Amare found himself being filled with respect for this grandfather of his. He not only had an abundance of knowledge but he was also open minded enough to look past this knowledge and infer his own conclusions regarding Amare.


    First he had noticed that Amare''s situation as a reincarnator was unusual and he didn''t allow himself to be blinded by the knowledge he already knew. Instead he believed what he saw with his eyes. He saw that Amare still had the opportunity to not be consumed.


    Next he noticed that one of Amare''s bloodlines held an affinity with the Celino families bloodline. Not only did he not exclude Amare for being different, he even tried to use his knowledge regarding his own bloodline to help him.


    Amare found that his eyes were watering and before he knew it he was hugging his grandfather. Arthur didn''t know how to react at suddenly being hugged but he quickly reciprocated it.


    "Thank you Grandpa"


    Amare truly was thankful. His understanding of his situation had increased and he found a path forward. Even his parents had acted weirdly around him but his grandfather had not only supported him but even guided him. If Amare''s mind was like a storm before this, then right now the clouds had parted revealing a bright blue sky. A clear sky.


    Arthur realised that his grandchild had been struggling with himself even more than the others around him. He felt relief wash over him and pride in his decision to accept Amare. Gently stroking the white hair of his 10 year old grandson he had now fully accepted him in his heart.


    "I Arthur Celino welcome you to the Celino family... welcome home"


    Through his tear filled eyes Amare looked up at his grandfather. He felt warmth full his heart as he choked up his next words.


    "I''m home Grandpa"

 Chapter 9: Executioner

    After the conversation with his Grandfather Amare went back to sleep. He was just too mentally exhausted from what transpired the days previously. And to top it off he''d suffered a magical backlash.


    After sleeping for god knows how long Amare found himself blankly staring at the ceiling of his new room. He was used to waking up and seeing a wooden ceiling, however from now on that would change.


    His mother no longer woke him up with a smile on her face as he curled in bed begging for more sleep. His father no longer waited at the edge of his bedroom with a wooden sword, ready to train him till he cried.


    Amare didn''t particularly care for the wooden cabin, he also didn''t like being woken up early and he especially hated going through hellish training. So why was he finding himself missing these things?


    Well he didn''t. Amare missed the feelings behind them. The comfort he received from waking up inside the wooden cabin he was raised in. The motherly love behind being woken up early, plus the tough love and expectations his father forced on him.


    Humans often don''t realise how important something is to them until it''s gone. Amare found himself learning this lesson right now. The things he hated had become the things he missed the most when they were gone.


    Amare clenched his fists and felt unwilling. He was unwilling to accept that those days were now over. Amare thought to himself ''I will make sure to get those days back and when I do I will never take them for granted again!''


    Filled with new found motivation, Amare got out of bed and went to train. Even if he wasn''t woken up and even if he wasn''t guided anymore, he would still work hard. Amare felt a strong desire to not only keep his tough training up but to also improve himself further.


    He left his room and found himself within a hall. The hall was bright from sunlight, numerous maids and butlers were running around doing miscellaneous tasks. It was a hall full of human life, different to what Amare was used to.


    "Will I even be able to train here?"


    As Amare was blankly staring forward, a young man walked over. This man was wearing a butlers uniform, however he still stood out from the other butlers. The man looked to be around 20 years old, he had short chestnut hair and green eyes. With big eyes and a gentle smile across his face, he was the type of man to give you a favourable impression.


    When Amare saw him he gave a slight bow and smiled at him before running away as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Even when he was being chased by Multa he didn''t show as much urgency as he did now.


    "Where are you going young master? It''s been so long since we last met"


    A gentle voice reached Amare''s ears as he found himself being picked up. No amount of struggle allowed him to break free.


    "John! what are you doing here?" The colour had long since drained from Amare''s face as he shivered. This man called John seemed to frighten him more than his experiences in Foras.


    "Well thanks to the little shit returning home, I have to actually do my job" Contrary to the gentle smile hanging on John''s face, his speech was foul.


    John was Amare''s exclusive butler. Amare had been living in the wooden cabin since he was born, therefore John didn''t have much work to do. The only time he would go to the wooden cabin was when Leo needed to leave for a while.


    When Leo would leave, John would take over Amare''s training and this was where Amare felt fear for the first time. John was a petty person so he took his anger about having to work, out on Amare.


    "I hope you never find love"


    "What kind of weird curse is that you little shit? Just for that let''s play some catch like the good old days"


    "Catch? Oh god n- AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    Catch was something John first played with Amare when he was 5 years old. It didn''t involve throwing a ball to eachother. It involved John throwing a ball to himself... with Amare being the ball.


    John ran and threw Amare through a nearby window. Being launched high into the sky would be fun if not for the sure death that would occur if you weren''t caught.


    On the bright side when Amare was in the sky he got a clear look of the household. It was a large fancy looking mansion that gave off the feeling of wealth. There were well choreographed gardens surrounding the mansion, aswell as what looked to be training sites. Amare could also tell there was something in the distance but he couldn''t quite make it out as he started falling rapidly.


    "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH I HATE YOU MORE THAN MULTA!!!!!"


    -


    "You fucking what?"


    "What is it young master? I''m sorry if I''ve offended you in any way!!"


    "Oh never mind, slip of the tongue"


    In another part of the capital Multa was scaring the shit out of a maid. He thought to himself ''Why did I feel so angry just then? I haven''t felt such anger since Ama- ugh forget it, I don''t even want to remember''


    -


    Amare saw himself falling towards one of the training fields. Numerous people were littered around doing all kinds of training. Some were swinging swords, some were endurance training and others were fighting with eachother.


    All these people stopped their actions as they heard Amares screams. They were all started to see a little white haired comet falling towards them. But their eyes showed an understanding when they saw John catch the comet and place it down.


    "Now wasn''t that fun young master but please show restraint from involving me in your games in the future"


    A vein popped out on Amare''s forehead at this butler feigning ignorance towards his actions. "This is why your girlfriend left you"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    *Bang*


    Still keeping the same gentle smile on his face John smacked Amare on the back of the head.


    "You''re destined to marry some fat hag"


    *Bang*


    "Actually a fat hag is too good for you"


    *Bang*


    "WOULD YOU TWO STOP IT?"


    A strong killing intent engulfed the two of them. Shockingly when it hit John it was immediately cut apart and dispersed.


    The killing intent was many times weaker than his grandfather''s so it didn''t even effect Amare.


    Shock emerged on John''s face as he looked at Amare. The person who sent over the killing intent was shocked too. It was a handsome youth of around 15 years old with blonde hair and red eyes. With manly features and sharp eyebrows he looked to be a mini version of Leo.


    John spoke up "Young Master Richard, I have brought shit- Young Master Amare over"


    Amare had his eyes wide open before he quickly ran over in happiness. "You''re my big brother? Father told me so much about you!"


    "Stop! Can''t you see we are training? This is no place to be acting disgracefully!" Young Master Richard looked coldly at Amare before turning away.


    However, this didn''t stop Amare as he quickly tackled him into a hug from behind. "Father already told me that you like acting all strict, do you do it to look cool?"


    ""HAHAHAHAHAHA""


    The surroundings rumbled with laughter as all the people training held their bellies and laughed. Richard''s was face down on the floor but you could see the red spreading along his ears.


    "N-No it''s not to be cool... well maybe a little bit" Richard mumbled under his breathe causing a second wave of laughter to resound in the surroundings.


    "Can I call you Big Bro?"


    "...alright"


    Amare''s face was flushed with excitement. The people in the surroundings couldn''t help but smile when they saw such a pure smile on a child''s face.


    "So Big Bro, what is this place?" Now that Amare had achieved what he wanted, he let Richard go and stood back up.


    Whilst brushing off his clothes Richard said "This the one of the Celino families training grounds. The people you see around us are our families elite soldiers"


    Amare''s eyes immidiately started sparking. "Our family has elite soldiers? That''s so cool! Do you they a cool name too?"


    Numerous throats were heard clearing in the surroundings. The men and women slyly puffed out their chests and smug looks appeared on their faces.


    "They''re called the Celino Chimp Warriors" Richard averted his eyes as he said this.


    "What a terrible name, who the hell thought of that?"


    The puffed out chests and smug faces quickly dissapeared as a gloomy aura covered the whole training ground. Amare looked around and knew he''d spoken out of line, clearing his throat he shouted "Do you guys want a cool name?"


    ""We do!!"" His shout was met with approval from his surroundings.


    Feeling his blood rush from making hundreds of soldiers shout, Amare quickly got ahead of himself. "I Amare Celino give my permission for you to change your name"


    ""Long live Amare!!""


    John roled his eyes as he watched this and Richard looked distraught.


    "Whats wrong Big Bro?"


    "They''ve never given me such a big reaction" Richard had a downcast look as he mumbled in response.


    "Oh damn reall-"


    "Forget about Young master Richard for a second, do you even have authority to change their name?" John brushed off Richards dispair and asked Amare a question that had been playing on his mind.


    Amare''s face went blank before he stuck his thumb up and put on an innocent face. "I''m sure it will all work out"


    Leaving behind behind a speechless John and Richard, Amare turned to face the soldiers. All the soldiers were red faced with excitement. Who wouldn''t want to be part of a unit with a cool name?


    Amare shouted towards them "I don''t know much about what you guys do, however I believe you must have a speciality. What is your speciality?"


    One man stepped forward, he was a tall and bulky man. He spoke in a rough voice "We aren''t the strongest worriors, we aren''t the most berserk worriors nor are we the smartest"


    Amare didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "So what are you good at?"


    The man carried on with an awe inspiring voice "We are the best at killing! Who can show their strength if they''re dead? Who can fight crazily if they''re dead? Who can use their brain if they''re dead?"


    Listening to the man''s speech Amare felt another memory surfacing in his brain.


    -


    "Malum, what do you have to say for yourself?"


    Malum looked around and saw numerous thrones. On these thrones sat almighty beings. From these beings came an incomparable aura which threatened to crush Malum.


    Malum was unable to tell how strong these beings were. Their power seemed to have no depths. Without even unleashing their power, Malum was on the verge of kneeling. Their presence demanded respect from all life forms below them.


    "What do you mean?"


    "WHY DID YOU KILL ALL OF THEM?"


    One of the beings on the throne unleashed his power onto Malum as he questioned him. He felt his bones creak as the weight of the aura nearly put him on his knees.


    A crater was formed below Malum''s feet as the pressure crushed him but he still stood tall. Most of his bones were crushed, he bled from every orifice and even his instincts screamed at him to kneel but he still stood tall!


    "Did you want more slaves? Did you want more pets? Did you want more toys?"


    "Watch your mouth!"


    More auras rained down from above to crush Malum. They commanded respect, no life form below them could question them. But Malum would never fulfil their wishes.


    "To those beings I was the worst being they ever encountered. I was pure evil, so evil they could never imagine anything worse. However, I was the lesser of two evils. But in their ignorance they will never know that there is a worse fate than the extermination of a race"


    Malum''s voice had changed from his usual indifference as he laughed crazily at the beings above him.


    "I shall kill all those who go against you. Not for you, but for them. If caught by you they will experience eternal suffering. They will never be able to escape so their only release is death!"


    The auras stopped crushing him and the surroundings went eerily silent. Malum could feel eyes piercing him from all directions.


    One of the beings eventually spoke up. "Do you wish to go against us?"


    "I am not going against you, I am just handling the dirty work in a way that doesn''t hurt my conscience"


    Most of the beings roared with laughter at this statement. Some just stared at Malum silently.


    A mocking voice sounded out next. "You are evil... are you trying to break free from your fate? Are you trying to become something you''re not?"


    Malum took a deep breathe at this statement as a mocking smile appeared on his face. However, this smile was directed at himself, not at the beings above.


    "I can''t escape my fate. To these beings I will be the pinnacle of evil. Wherever I walk no life shall remain. Each swing of my sword will end in death. I will descend upon them to punish them for their crimes. I will become their Executioner!"


    -


    Amare stood silently as he processed this memory. It was the first time he''d remembered a moment from his past life without being asleep. The memory was so clear that it felt more like he was currently experiencing it, rather than just remembering it.


    A red aura flowed gently out of his body. It wasn''t like before when an incomparably evil aura had poured out of him in Mother Earth''s hall. This aura was small, befitting him who was at the one core stage.


    However, all of the soldiers found themselves standing straight. Even John and Richard were standing silently at the side watching Amare.


    His previous playfulness had dissapeared and what replaced it was indifference. He looked at the soldiers and they felt an invisible pressure crushing them. It was different to being overpowered by magical power, instead it was mental pressure. The kind one would develop by standing above others. Amare was letting off the aura of a leader.


    "I like that... I like that a lot. Being the best at killing, how suitable"


    There was something about seeing a 10 year old nonchalantly talking about killing that sent a shiver down the spine. Be it John, Richard or the soldiers infront of them, they all felt cold sweat trickling down their back. They felt like they were in the prescience of a king. A king of death.


    Before they knew it, coulds had formed in the sky and as a consequence the surroundings became dark. The red aura radiating from Amare seemed to have stained the surroundings as the darkened land gave off a dull red glow. It was like hell had descended on earth.


    "I Amare Celino declare this now, from today forth you will be known as..."


    Everyone waited in suspense. Little did they know this declaration would mark the birth of an army so feared, even the gods would tremble at the mention of their name.


    "...Executioners!!!"

 Chapter 10: Choice

    Now their name had been decided, the Executioers decided to get back to practice. Amare also decided the training ground was a good place to practice. He started exercising the training Leo taught him, but now he was at the one core stage he no longer found it suitable.


    Leo''s training had its good points and it helped build Amare''s foundations. However, it was made to suit Amare when he had no magical power. As he could use magic now, he needed a new training method.


    Amare stopped his training and started a observing the Executioners train. Unfortunately he soon ran into a problem. He simply wasn''t at a level where he was qualified to watch them.


    Their speed was so quick he could barely follow it with his eyes and their actions were unnatural. Amare assumed they were using magic but he didn''t understand how they performed these actions.


    This was the first time in Amare''s life where he truly felt ignorant. He had no idea what was occurring infront of his eyes. A feeling of frustration welled inside him, threatening to erupt if he didn''t calm his nerves.


    Amare knew that more than training, what he required was knowledge. His knowledge regarding magic was too shallow. If he wanted to improve further he would have to find a way to fix this shortcoming.


    Amare decided to brainstorm for a while and he quickly picked out the few options he had. Firstly, he could ask someone in his family to teach him. Secondly, he could read books regarding magic to see if he could teach himself. However, in the end Amare decided he needed something different.


    Although he didn''t doubt his family''s skill in magic, he understood very well that his circumstances were special. His Evil bloodline was similar to the Celino family''s but that didn''t change the fact it was still different. On top of this he also had his Life bloodline.


    Amare also thought about the implications that would arise from self studying. It might be more suitable for finding his own path but there were many drawbacks. For example, it would be very time consuming. Potentially he would have to browse through numerous books just to find the answer he was searching for.


    After contemplating this, Amare came to a different conclusion. He needed something that combined the benefits of these two scenarios and also got rid of the drawbacks. What he needed was a teacher.


    Not just any teacher aswell, but one that will be able to teach him regardless of what magic he possesses. Someone who can guide him to find his own path without teaching him theirs.


    Now that Amare had set his mind on finding himself a teacher, he realised he''d ran into another problem. Where would he find someone so suitable? He had no connections, which wasn''t surprising as he was only 10 years old.


    John the butler was observing Amare from the side. He''d known Amare was talented as he''d trained him before. However, what he couldn''t put his finger on was the presence Amare gave off when he was deciding on the Executioner''s name.


    It was not something a 10 year old child could possess. It was different from the auras created through magic. What John felt was a presence created by someone who had gone through numerous life experiences. It was the presence of someone who was above others, it was the aura of a king.


    John knew this as he''d been in the presence of the Emperor before and felt a shockingly similar presence. But this made him feel even more perplexed. How could Amare possibly possess something like that?


    "Richard, what do you know about this younger brother of yours?"


    Richard was confused by John''s question but he still answered. "I''ve only heard about him from my mother. She had visited him before when he was younger and said that his body contained a shocking secret... she also said that I shouldn''t get close to him"


    This made John go even deeper into thought. If even Richard''smother was shocked, then Amare''s body must contain something special. He thought about what could possibly shock Richard''s mother and shivered. ''How could something possibly scare that horrible woman?''


    Richard''s mother was the second wife of Leo. As Amare''s mother originally couldn''t give birth, Leo married her so that he could produce a descendant. However, due to circumstances she did not stay within the Celino household.


    "Hmmm John, why are you trying to think so hard? It doesn''t suit you"


    Before he realised it Amare had appeared infront of him, he had a face full of disdain. John could feel a vein popping on his forehead as he looked at this little shi- I mean young master.


    "What about you Young Master? What have you been thinking about so deeply?"


    At this question Amare developed an embarassed look on his face. He thought he''d been secretive but John instantly noticed that he''d been contemplating something.


    "I want a teacher?"


    "If it''s just a teacher then someone within the household-"


    "No! I want a teacher who can guide me to create my own path"


    John didn''t understand what he meant but looking at the resolute look in Amare''s eyes he believed he had his own reasons. Thinking about the secret within Amare''s body, John nodded his head.


    "You may be within luck then, have you ever heard of a school?"


    "A school? What''s that?"


    "Firstly, you know what a sect is don''t you?"


    Amare nodded his head at this question as it was commons sense. "A sect is an organisation dedicated to practicing magic"


    John followed on "Sects teach the magic they specialise in. For example, the Executioners all derive from the Celino family''s sect. In the sect they learn the magical arts of the Celino family. However, schools are different."


    "Different in what way?"


    "Schools don''t focus on teaching a speciality, they focus on teaching their students a diverse range of theory."


    Amare looked dissapointed. "Theory?"


    "Yes, schools have a wide range of different classes. Each class teaches a different subject and each subject will let you learn about a different path within magic. It''s a way to broaden your horizons so you don''t limit your future. After learning about all different kinds of magic, you will be able to choose a path which is suitable for you"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Amare''s eyes lit up "Why didn''t I know about schools?"


    John sighed "They aren''t popular with the nobles. The Emperor supports them so many are being made, but it doesn''t change the fact that a lot of powerful people are against them"


    -


    Amare thought back to his conversation with John earlier and looked depressed. When he asked him why people were against schools, John refused to answer and left the training ground.


    Amare didn''t understand why and asked Richard. Apparently schools were open to the commoners and the nobles didn''t like this. Nobles didn''t think commoners were worthy of learning magic, they belived they were the chosen ones because they possessed strong bloodlines.


    Amare couldn''t understand this thought process, he wasn''t raised to think like this. Even the creator of this world''s magic power believed in using magic freely. So why would some be entitled and others not?


    He decided not to dwell on this topic. Currently he didn''t understand but he was sure he would in the future. Amare''s mindset was very laid back, if he couldn''t find an answer to something he''d just forget about it until the opportunity arised to do so.


    At present Amare was on his way to find his grandfather. A school was a perfect fit for Amare so he wanted to ask his grandfather for advice. Partly he wanted validation that his choice was correct but he also had no idea what school to join.


    According to Richard, his grandfather was normally teaching within their family''s sect so Amare was on his way there. Although, he''d left the training ground by himself and quickly ran into an obstacle... he had no idea where the sect was located.


    Amare asked a maid where the sect was located and went in the direction she pointed. It had to be said that the land the Celino family owned was massive. He walked through the garden which seemed to have no end before seeing a group youths swinging their swords whilst sweating.


    Exited by the prospect he''d found the sect, Amare ran over to these youths. They all stopped swinging and turned to look at him. When the girls saw him their faces went red and their swings became flustered. When the boys saw him their eyes flowed with hostility and arrogance.


    "Excuse me! Do you guys know where Arthur Celino is?"


    A young boy of around 13 years of age stepped out of the group and walked towards Amare. Judging from the respect these youths showed him, he looked to be their leader.


    The boy had black hair and brown eyes. He was very tall and bulky for his age. He also had an arrogant look on his face which gave off a bad impression.


    "How dare you address the Master so disrespectfully... who do you think you are?"


    Amare''s smile froze as he stopped in his track. He couldn''t understand what he''d done to anger this youth but his attitude pissed him off.


    "Why does it matter to you who I am? Are you someone special?"


    "I am Andrew Hancock!"


    Amare''s eyes shone with shock as his face distorted into fear "What no way! I didn''t mean to offend you. I''m so sorry!!"


    The youth called Andrew stuck out his chest as he enmitted an aura of superiority.


    "As long as you know not to- UGHHH!"


    Andrew was flung backwards as a fist struck his jaw. He went flying for a few metres before rolling on the ground. He tried to get back up but stumbled each time. The punch had nearly knocked him out cold.


    Amare took back his fist as he looked at Andrew with cold eyes. "Sorry never heard of you"


    Even though Andrew''s head was spinning he still managed to glare at Amare. "That was dirty"


    Amare casually walked up to him and stood on him, with a pouting face he mumbled "I don''t care, why do I to deal with your attitude when asking for my Grandpa?"


    The blood quickly drained from Arthur''s face, he looked even more beaten up than when he was punched. The surrounding youths looked at eachother in shock before shouting out loud.


    ""GRANDPA?""


    Amare didn''t understand why their reaction was so big "Yeah Grandpa, the names Amare Celino... nice to meet you"


    Amare''s surroundings turned completely silent but it didn''t last long as the youths quickly bowed at a ninety degree angle.


    ""We greet Young Master!""


    Amare swiftly returned the bow, shocking the youths around him. "As much as I enjoy this feeling there''s no need to act so formal, I arrived here yesterday and will be in your care in the future"


    Before the youths were able to reply a deep voice sounded. "Amare, what are you doing here?"


    The youths quickly stood straight as their whole body radiated respect. "Greetings Sect Master!"


    "Wow Grandpa you''re so cool"


    Looking at Amare''s sparking eyes Arthur rolled his own. In a flash he quickly appeared next to Amare. Smacking him round the head he said "Call me Sect Master when we are in the sect"


    "But Grandpa aren''t we still in the hous-"


    *Smack*


    "Grandpa don''t hit m-"


    *Smack*


    "Alright I''ll call you Sect Maste-*


    *Smack*


    "Ow why did you hit me just then?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "It felt good"


    Ignoring Amare''s shocked face, Arthur turned towards the youths and shouted. "Why have you stopped swinging!"


    Amare saw how hard these youths were practicing when he''d arrived. However, in comparison to before the vigour they were currently showing made him suspect if they were slacking.


    "Get off Andrew and follow me Amare"


    "Okayyyy"


    Andrew lay on the ground wanting to cry but no tears would come out. He thought to himself ''How could Sect Master just brush my matter off like that?''


    -


    Amare followed his grandfather for a long time through the gardens. He didn''t know where he was but he didn''t feel uneasy. Being with Arthur made him feel safe.


    "Amare, why were you looking for me?" Finally Arthur decided to break the silence and talk to Amare.


    "I''ve decided that I would like to join a school and wanted to ask your opinion"


    "A school? That''s unexpected, I thought you would join the sect"


    Amare couldn''t see what kind of expression Arthur had right now which made him feel uneasy. "I think a school is more suitable for me due to my circumstances"


    "Are you sure you won''t regret your decision?"


    Amare stopped and took a deep breathe "I wish to find my path and I believe going to school will help me achieve this"


    Arthur turned around for the first time. Amare thought he was going to have a bad reaction and felt scared. But surprisingly, Arthur had a slight smile on his face.


    "Do you who the main supporter behind the idea to create schools is?"


    "No?"


    "It''s me!"


    Amare stared at his grandfather with his eyes wide open as Arthur carried on talking.


    "I do not believe in equality but I do believe in equality of opportunity and right now the commoners don''t have that. Commoners should have as much of a chance as the rest of us to learn magic. Schools will give them this opportunity"


    Amare felt newfound respect for his grandfather as he listened to him. He felt what his grandfather said made sense. No one can be completely equal but everyone should have similar opportunities.


    "I like this idea Grandpa... I like it a lot"


    "It is not a benevolent idea. Schools will weed out those with no talent, be they commoners or nobles. It will be hard on nobles but even harder on commoners. It also won''t change the fact that commoners, on average, have much less talent for magic than nobles"


    Amare nodded his head. It was the harsh reality of life. The talent you had when you were born followed you through life and you were stuck with it. However, whilst Amare agreed with with this, he also didn''t believe it was 100% certain.


    Amare spoke up in reply "Magic is free, who says someone with no talent can''t become strong? I believe magic is the chance for people to surpass their limits. Magic isn''t limited... it''s limitless!"


    Arthur fell into deep thought when he heard this statement. Magic is limitless. It was an easy concept to understand but people often found themselves limited by the shackles they placed on themselves.


    Arthur could feel a gate inside him breaking as he entered this line of thought. He knew he was going to breakthrough to the next stage soon. Looking at his 10 year old grandson who enlightened him, Arthur felt blessed.


    "Amare, never forget that mindset and you will go far. In a few days numerous schools and sects from across the country will be coming to the capital to recruit. Go there and choose one which is suitable for you"


    Amare became flustered when he heard this. The reason he came here to begin with was to ask his grandfather for help in choosing. "Grandpa I came here to ask you to help me choose-"


    "You wish to find your own path right?" Arthur didn''t let Amare finish his sentance as he interrupted him.


    "I do"


    "Then choose your own future yourself!"


    Leaving this sentance behind Arthur walked away, leaving Amare behind. As Amare watched his back he couldn''t find the words to refute.


    "Choose my own future..."


    Amare found himself feeling disdain when he remembered how indecisive he was a moment ago. Why would he ask his grandfather to choose for him? This was his life!


    "From now on, I will make my own decisions myself!"