The Great

We were overwhelmed as crowds of students surrounded us with frantic shouts of excitement and pieces of paper and writing tools. The crowd of people pressed around us as Geon, Lila, Aurora and I were being squished by the newfound fame. We were ranked as one of the best teams in the world going into this Championship. I guess we’re also famous warriors internationally now too….Geon sighed and he looked at me. I nodded and he gently grabbed Lila and flew upwards. I concentrated and Gold’s Veil enveloped my body as I felt a newfound power in my body. The crowd gasped and backed away slightly as excited murmurs rang out throughout the onlookers. I looked towards Aurora and I smiled nervously. She looked a little confused and I put out my hand towards her, “By the way, I can fly. Or I think I can….uh….well we’ll see.” She laughed slightly and took my hand in hers. The last time I did this was with Mr.Vylen but now that I had Gold’s Veil, all my abilities seemed to come to me easier. And there was no better time than now when I truly needed the help of flight.

Come on….help me out…

I felt myself lift up in the air and I held Aurora tightly in my arms. She looked on with an almost child-like excitement as we began to lift up into the air. I felt my heart melt a little and I flew higher up. The buildings began to get smaller and smaller until I stopped at a reasonable height. I saw Geon in the air a good ways away and I accelerated after him. I felt the roar and rush of the wind in my face, and it just felt good to fly again after so long. Finally I began to see the lecture hall where we were supposed to walk to, and I saw Geon on the roof of the large building. I started to descend and I gently came to a halt as I let Aurora onto the building’s roof. I let my feet gently touch the ground and I relaxed as Gold’s Veil disappeared. “Slight detour,” Geon snickered a little and we all jumped onto the ground. “We’re supposed to be honored or something right?” Lila nodded and she began to speak.

“Yeah, they do this every year. The group of students who qualify to go to the Championship are honored and commended by the school board. We also get access to the nearby warrior training facilities and time away from classes in order to train.”

Geon smiled deviously, “Skipping classes? Be my guest.” I laughed and Lila—as well as Aurora—rolled their eyes.

“The tournament is two months away. We’re exempt from the combat exams. We can still watch our friends though.”

Aurora looked up, “Oh yeah. How are they doing by the way? We haven’t had time but you’ve seen them around, right Lila?”

Lila nodded, “Oh they’ve been good. I heard Deven’s improved a lot.”

“That’s good to hear. I always thought he was a good guy.” I kept a neutral expression but I began to panic. Aurora thought he was a good guy? I never really thought about Deven….I never really had a problem with him. Until now maybe…..I shook my head and kept my mind forward. Aurora looked at me with concern. “Are you ok?” I looked at her and gave her a nervous smile, “What! Oh yeah, sorry….um yeah I’m fine.” I lied but she seemed to buy it. I followed Geon, Lila, and Aurora down the street to the training facility. I looked up at the sun, the beautiful campus, the bustle of students and fellow warriors walking around the town square…It all felt so peaceful, so beautiful–it all felt so….right.I smiled as I caught up to the rest of my team.

I wonder what mom would think about this.

Ren Novak: It couldn’t have been worse.

The palace walls looked as beautiful as ever and the pearly white bricks decorated with jade flowers and rivers all shone in the light. The garden’s bright green grass stretched out as far as the eye could see, and the multitude of flowers added life and color to my eyes. The black tiled roof tops had curved overhangs on them and had detailed pillars with filigree of gold and diamonds on their base and topmost section. The marble and dark marble walls had a shine to them that seemed to last forever, and the huge marble palaces with flat roofs and giant pillars never ceased to lose their appearance–as well as my hatred for them. I felt a deep anger come up into my heart and face as I marched towards the giant all-marble palace. I was greeted by two servants, male and female, at the door. “Let me in.” They looked at each other with worry and spoke in a hesitant and nervous voice.

“Sir….uh…we have been advised that we are not to let anyone in during this time.”

“I don’t care. Let me in.”

They began to get even more nervous, “These are orders from your father sir, he has strictly told us not to even greet anyone at this door, but since it is you sir—“

“Save me the shit and let me in. I know you know who I am, let me in.” The servants bowed their heads and spoke in a terrified whisper.

“Please sir, I beg you. Your father is a very serious man and he will have our heads if we disobey….please sir.”

“Good, now just open the doors.” I grabbed the servant's hair and smiled sweetly while he struggled in vain. The servants still said nothing. My eyes narrowed and I clenched my fists, “I admire your undying loyalty to my father. You truly are honorable.” The servant looked up at me with a look of unexpected relief and gratitude.

“Thank you sir! I am forever grateful to your—“ I flicked my fingers and one of his hands went flying. He writhed and screamed with pain as the second servant looked on with repressed horror. I smiled and looked at her.

“Hey, you. Kill him.” She shook her head vehemently and bowed her face to the ground. I titled my head. “No? Huh….I guess I should do it for you then?” She bowed her head even lower.

“Sir—sir…Pl—please spare my husband…please.” I felt my smile grow wider.

“You have a daughter, correct? Take this.” I tossed her a jade knife.

“Kill him, or the first thing I’ll do is bring your daughter here and make your life even more miserable,” I smiled into her eyes and they were filled with a manic craze. “You’re so desperate. You don’t know what to do, you’re so weak you can’t even think of living. Just kill him, I’ll spare your daughter.” I whispered into her ears.

“You don’t want me to get a hold of her, would you.” Her eyes filled with tears and were overcome by an animal-like ferocity. She picked up the knife and slit the male servant's throat. I smiled. “Now stab him more,” tears came out of her eyes as she kept on stabbing, and stabbing, and stabbing until her eyes were filled with red tears. She looked at me with fearful eyes and held the knife to her throat. She stabbed it into her own neck, and fell. I sighed. “You’re so…weak. It was fun playing though, bleed less next time you disgusting fuck.”

It was always fun—playing with someone weaker than you.

I held out my hand and the ground began to shake. The doors blasted open as I walked inside the meeting room. I snickered and watched as my father stood up from his long black marble table. There were several minor nobles and distant uncles and cousins I had never met. All part of the royal family and all equally filled to the brim with unbearable amounts of arrogance. I felt absolute hate in my heart and anger in my eyes as I looked upon their slightly irritated faces.

My father who sat at the head of the table began to speak in his signature cold hearted, piercing voice. “Did I not tell you nobody was to enter?” My father looked on with his usual cold stare. He was a fairly young man for a father—38 years of age. He had a full head of black hair that was always combed back and he had constant emotionless gray eyes that pierced into one’s soul. His robes were made of red silk and his collars as well as the ends of his sleeves were silver, embroidered with the patterns of our house—a tulip flower with a diamond on its stem. He had golden rings fit with lapis gems and the several men of royalty along the table were all dressed in different colored robes and fashioned with jewelry—all with the same high born faces.

“I was informed I would be notified of meetings such as these from now on, no?” He laughed and the other nobles gave off a slight chuckle. I felt a shot of hot anger pierce through my chest but it quickly died down as I began to think. Father never laughed in situations which called for laughter. He never laughed with emotion in his voice—it was always a filler for some other emotion he was feeling. One that I never could figure out on the spot.

One of my distant cousins spoke up from the right side of the table, “Say Ren, are you not a first year student at Eden now?” I didn’t look at him but kept my gaze on my father. I still responded.

“Yes.”

He smiled and stretched his fingers. “Interesting. Well you must have at least graduated school to attend at this table, and I hear school has been…..what’s the word….hard for you.” He smiled and the other nobles at the table gave off a little snort. I clenched my fists. I felt my heart pump and practically blow away as murderous feelings came into my heart.

I spoke. “And who are you to talk to the royal family like that?” The nobles all fell quiet. Yien, the cousin that had spoken to me didn’t seem taken aback by what I said. He smiled and gave off a chuckle.

“Wow. I didn’t know I wouldn’t be seen as family in the eyes of my dear cousin!” His voice was full of sarcasm and fake joy.

Fuck off.

I snorted, “Some distant relative from some distant land that I never get to see can’t be my family. Nor can they be considered a part of the royal lineage to me.”

“Oh, so Mr.Novak the younger decides who is a part of the royal family now. I see.” He kept smiling and the rest of the nobles also laughed.

“You fucking peasant—“

“That’s enough.” My father’s voice pierced and silenced all of the noise—as if an arrow had just slain the once living sounds of laughter. ”Tell me boy, what makes you think that you deserve a chair at this table?”

It’s father…you can’t lose yourself.

“I am a member of this house. I believe that I should be considered.”

“Ah yes, because you’ve done quite a few things for this household, boy.”

I stared at his cold face while he spoke, “You’ve caused trouble and shame amongst our house by always being caught up in your troubles. You never cover up your tracks, you never think before you do, and you can’t seem to see the fact that your royal ass is only being protected by me because you are useful.” I glared with all the hate that my heart could muster as I grit my teeth without opening my lips. “You are not a noble, boy—you are not someone that has a say in this world. Because you are foolish, troublesome, and ignorant but you are something that I can not stand.”

I clenched my fists and responded in a voice strained with anger, “What is that, if I may ask.”

“You are weak.”

My heart stopped for a moment, then it practically exploded with rage. The tiles of the floor spun around me, and the walls started to pull themselves in. My rage and hate unleashed into the palace as the building started to crumble down. The nobles didn’t change their expressions at all. All of them just wore a face of half hearted annoyance. I felt my rage spread out across the palace as the walls took the brunt of my power. I’ll show you weak, you half hearted bastard. I saw my father lift up a finger and motion towards Yien who rolled his eyes and looked towards me. He waved his hand half heartedly and I immediately felt a strong death grip come over my ribs. It felt like an invisible hand had just grabbed me whole and I felt myself getting lifted into the air as the nobles all just watched. I began to grasp for air and the palace had stopped crumbling. My eyes and ears were beginning to close as I felt my lungs scream for air. My heart still burned with raging fires of disdain for the nobles but even I knew it.

I had lost.

Yien flicked his fingers downward and I felt myself get hammered towards the ground. I pulled my body upwards at the last second and I cushioned the impact. I landed on my back as I coughed and spouted for air. My back felt like a boulder had just landed on it and I turned to see cuts on my arms and hands. I looked up in rage and saw the nobles stare back at me. My father’s expression hadn’t changed at all. “Weak….far too weak to sit at this table as you see. You’ve lost in a street duel to some no name from a family we do not know, and you’ve failed to do what I’ve asked you in that school of yours. You’re a malfunctioning tool is what you are. Bring some use to me, and then I’ll see if you can be considered a royal child.” I coughed and spurted and tried my best but words couldn’t come out. I just clenched my fists and stared in anger at the cold old man upon his seat. “What a shame, your repel and attract ability seemed to have so much potential….maybe you could’ve been more than a scout to me if you weren’t so incapable.” With those words I stormed out of the palace and went through the transporter portal—made with the magic of liquor. I felt my body and sense of location shift and change until I appeared inside my palace in the royal family village. My bedroom had been cleaned and my bed had been prepared in advance. I looked in the mirror on my mahogany table and I saw a pathetic boy with scars and cuts, angrily looking into his own soul. I sat down and watched the leaves outside my window rustle in the wind. Royal family….

Family was hardly a word to describe it.

It didn’t matter to me. I could do whatever I wanted as long as I was affiliated with them. I needed to make progress and I needed to do it fast. I needed to seize the family head and make father step down. After that everything would go smoothly.

Smoothly…

More than that I wanted to erase it all. I wanted them all gone, all dead. It would’ve been better if House Novak didn’t exist at all. I wanted to see them die–I wanted to see them all suffer.