A cold air of decay and hatred penetrates my skin and seeps deep into my bones.

Cast into an eternal hell of fire and pain, to one of warmth and comfort, it seems my mind was not left unscathed. As I look into the depraved depths of the darkest corners of my mind, that I have banished myself into, I see the cancer that has settled into the marrow of my core.

Shackled and bound I struggle against the prison of my own design just to find warmth in the pain it leaves me. The cold and icy landscape that stretches before me is a dazzling sight to behold. A barren wasteland full of bones, frozen bodies, buried horrors and victims long forgotten and yet there he stands.

As even the land itself seems to waste and decay, he flourishes all the more. A parasite feeding upon the depravity and destruction he was supposed to prevent, like a hungry wolf his presence alone seemed to quench the life of even the cold itself, leaving behind a void, a hollow feeling too unbearable for any sane creature to endure.

“You… why am I not surprised? I knew I would never forget you, even in death!”

“Indeed, my son, but it is not you who gets to choose what to forget and what to remember. You are my creation; I am the one who designed you for the play to come. We are, in a sense, eternally bound. We share a destiny, you and I.”

“Oh please. You condemned me to this hell! Was it not you who ordered my death? My eternal damnation!? What? Did you want to condemn yourself then, as we are, oh so, eternally bound?”

“The time you spend in the astral plane has changed you it seems, as it has changed us…

Enough of this, though. It is not I who has condemned you to this particular hell and so, I will help you.”

With a wave of his hand a sudden searing light seemed to reflect off of every corner of this frozen wasteland, blinding me and leaving me stunned for several minutes or more. Who really knows time when you are bound to an illusionary prison in your own mind, a mind that did not seem too keen to listen to you anymore, antagonizing you at every step.

In place of the deformity that stood in my mind a minute ago, was now a dazzling window.

A connection to the outside, or so it seemed. I do not know what the vessel is doing, but I know it should have been influenced by me enough, so that it shouldn’t have made any serious mistakes …

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A year flew by as if it were nothing! My mother even gave birth to my sister, although she doesn’t seem to like me very much. Any time I’m trying to hold her she suddenly starts crying. No matter, though! Something like that won’t hinder me anyway, I’ll become the strongest under the sun.

I bugged dad to teach me how to use my qi or any of the techniques he spoke of, so feverishly, but it seems that he doesn’t know any. Since we are peasants and he isn’t very strong, he didn’t have access to any! Truly a shame, but there is always training your body and I’m finally old enough to train with the others.

“Alright son, go ahead and train with the others, I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“Sure! See you, dad! Bye, mom. Bye, sis!”

I ran as fast as I could towards the clearing and made it just in time, as a cold sneer awaited me from the trainer. I took my place amongst the students and he promptly began the lessons.

At first we did endurance training with the grumpy one. I thought it was pretty boring, honestly. After an hour of standing with both arms tightly clenched to the sides and the arms at a 90° angle as well as both feet firmly planted, I thought I had to sleep standing up! We did others for various muscles and after we were done dad said to never miss a day, which I thought to be a given, anyway.

"The next few weeks weeks are going to be sooo slow!"

"What was that!?"

"uuhh... nothing, Sir!"

They were very, vey slow, though....

The strength training was a different matter, that was really, really fun! We had been given swords that grew heavier and heavier, whilst swinging them around or doing light sparring with them.

He also trained our form and gave us certain warrior test. He was very thorough on how to deal with mages, as mages were very hard to deal with when they were at range. He said two simple words: be quick!

"They are finally here! Aren't you excited Owen? The magical aptitude tests! Maybe we can even become magicians!"

"Yeah, but dad said, that the chance to become a magician is very slight! He said that not even once did we have someone with enough magical affinity for certain elements or even mental energy!"

"Oh... don't be such a downer! I'm sure YOU will be able to become on, aren't you always ranting about becoming the strongest? Haha!"

"Shut up! At least I can beat you, Derek!"

"hm... true, but last time fast pretty close. I'll have you next time, Owen!"

"Besides, we con't have enough money to make the trip to Meridian city. It's too far and too dangerous."

"Oh... that's a shame. Just focus on training, then. I'm sure I'll be coming back with my head in my hands, anyway!"

"Thanks, Derek. Come on, let's go!"

………

I am now 9 years old now and a few more people came to our village, Derek left, though. It seems he actually did it. He is the first magician to come out of our little village!

Apparently some powerful combatants laid waste to a neighbouring village during their fight, oh how I would have loved to see it! It’s sad that the people from there are now without home though. The elder gave them some land and materials to build anew, so I hope everything'll work itself out. I even got a few new sparring partners because of it!

Our village isn’t very big. We have around 3 dozen cottages and a dozen or so stone houses. There is one really big mansion that seems run down. Dad said that once upon a time a noble family lived there that protected our village and helped it prosper, before it ran itself to the ground . We are under protection of a lager noble house that has it’s seat in the capital now.

I made my mind up! I would visit that capital to see that so called noble family one day!

Training is fun! Of course I am the best out of the best! The others just have an unfair advantage, that’s all. When we had to stand in a sitting position with our arms outstretched, it’s not my fault I lost balance once! Or when we had mock fights. I was always pitted against the biggest of the big!

They all felt so weak, I could see what they did wrong at any time. It was like everything slowed down… but what does that make me, when I lose to them!? I wanted to react, but my body just doesn’t listen!

That’s why I’m pushing harder than ever! I’m going to become faster than anyone. I even made it my routine to run around the village 5 times, which is normally something only those who come too late to training have to do!

I look motivated and hold my fist tightly into the sky, before running off.

The sun’s shining down on me as if it wanted to light me on fire. Scorching heat’s reflecting in the distance and after so much as three laps I’m already starting to hallucinate. The dark sphere in the distance, carrying these shredded, red dolls couldn’t possibly be real. What are they, even?

Gasping for air I make it to the well and draw a bucket full of water. The fresh water hitting my dry throat giving me much needed respite, when screams suddenly bring me back to reality. The blots suddenly made sense. Magical beasts! These were magical beasts! What are they doing out here so far from the dark forest? It cannot be!

Before I even knew it, I was running home, shouting desperately, when suddenly a black hound as big as my house appeared, growling at me. Then he moved again, so fast as to appear as blurred dots, even though I could see anything in slow motion when I was sparring, now this thing appears, moving faster than anything I have ever seen before, even though I’m concentrating on it!

Father always encouraged me to try harder, but how hard can I try? Why do I have to push myself so hard!? What’s even the point!? How could I fight against this! I don’t want to become strong in the first place, so why…. Huh?

A tingling snapped me out of my thoughts, as if ants had crawled up my spine, nibbling at the base of my head. Suddenly shocked I perk up and immediately regret my decision. An ear-splitting headache blotted everything out, black spots everywhere in my vision. I try to hold my head but my arms seemingly are left without any strength and in the distance I can hear a humming, a dark, deep humming. It sounds nostalgic, but I it feels so out of place.

I listen to it intently to see where it comes from and as I close my eyes it almost dawned on me, wanting to resist it, but the peaceful hands of sleep caught me at last.