1 RISE

"Harder" yelled the boy.

A vicious glint could be seen from his eyes that burned like flames. Well, at least it looked like it. But in fact, his eyes were red since the day he was born.

"Come on you bastards, hit me harder" yelled him even louder.

In front of him, three boys a head taller looked into his eyes and the mocking gazes that had taken place moments ago stopped. Something was different this time. They had beat him various times but now something was different.

"Brian, this is enough, come on, let's go back. We're going to be late for class" One of the boys said getting his friends and walking away.

The boy that seconds ago was had a vicious gaze now was kneeled on the ground crying nonstop. "Why?" he asked, "what did i do?" "why'd you leave me here?". Felling the heaviness of his body that lacked strength, Ariel fell to the ground head first losing consciousness.

It had been a long time he had slept like this and even dreamed. He was covered by flames and his skin was burning, he could see the skin falling off, but he didn't feel any pain, it felt like water washing over his body bringing a refreshing sensation, the flames burnet every weakness and fatigue, the feeling was so great that he was getting lost by it, he felt so strong like never before, he wanted to run, to break, to fight. Fight? He never liked fighting, he wouldn't low his head when he encounters one fight but he didn't like the feeling. "No" he said to himself "I don't want to fight", the more he tried to suppress the feeling more strong it became, and it was transforming it felt like a thirsty for blood, "what is happening", this feeling he wanted to kill, "no no I don't want to" he said in his mind, he fought against the desire, the flames started to consume all the oxygen and he started to suffocate, he was already on the ground. His mind wasn't clear anymore, and then from above, a golden light came and for where it passed the flames dispersed, and then it spread embracing his body and taking him away as he lost consciousness again.

Ariel waked up in a bed, the white ceiling had been recently painted and you could feel the smell of the fresh paint, "What happened? Was that a dream? why it felt so real?". Getting up from the bed he absorbed his surroundings. That was not his room. By the side of the bed, in a little table, there were roses that had recently received water, an in the other side of the bed there was a table and a leather chair that looked really comfortable, on the table various books were opened. "Looks like the owner of the room likes to read" he thought. Walking over he could clearly see the content of the books."Volume 3: A look at the origins of demons and angels" ."Humm" he had read it before, the author was a little eccentric but the content was quite good, and something that rarely happened it had no bias. All the books that he read before pictured the demons like monstrous and vicious creatures, that lived only to kill and slave people and angels like saints that helped the needed and fought against the villious creatures that threaten the peace of the empire. But Ariel knew better reality sometimes isn't what the elders or professors teach the young. In fact, the demons and angels didn't have any difference in appearance from the mortals, it was just a title, two different types of people that followed uniques paths in life, who was to say who was right. Someone really needs to live their entire lives looking over to the ones that needed, without great ambitions, and never desiring to have more? He himself wanted that, he wanted to be someone great, he wanted to have the liberty to do what he wants. If he felt like helping people he would if wanted to only make money he would, there was no right or wrong, and because of that, he looked down on people that saw life like only tree paths. The path of mortals, the "right" path, or the "wrong" path. Why should he walk with the same mentality for his entire life? "Humph" Angels, mortal and demons, he knew better than that, no one had only one side, they hid deep within only showing to people around them what they want.

By the side of the table, there was a map stitched to the wall. It showed the entire "Glory Continent" "What a pretentious name! Ariel thought. it was clearly divided into three parts. To the north was the demon's territory, it was not that it had only demos but the majority of them resided there, to the south the majority was angels and in the center was the place of the mortals, where Ariel was.

"They said that in the north you can do what you want without restrictions," said a voice behind him.

Surprised he looked behind and saw a little girl about thirteen years old. She had browns eyes and black hair that was in a bun at the back of her head

"Do you really believe that ?" asked Ariel with a slight smile.

"Well, it was I heard," said the girl not expecting that question.

"Even in hell there has to have rules, even if it's imposed by the strong" he said.

"So what the old men told me was all lies, so you are not really free over there?" asked her, a little disappointed.

" I didn't say that" stated Ariel taking his hair off his eyes.

The girl waited but he didn't continue speaking.

"Care to explain?" A little angry she crossed the arms over her chest that was straight like a table. She clearly hadn't matured yet.

" Everyone is free to do what they want, even if it's against the rules of the place, but you need to receive the consequences of your actions"

"I don't follow," said the girl with doubt in her voice.

"Sigh. She really is a kid" thought Ariel "full of questions".

" Well let's suppose I kill you, what will happen to me?"

"Humph you will be taken to the church in the south and executed," said the girl.

" Now let's say that a priest of the high nobles kill you, what will happen to him"

"He will be taken to the church and executed too, what are you trying to get what, " said the girl with a little impatience.

" Well in the north things are different, there, in this scenario only I die," said Ariel with a smile

" Hhhhh what? how so?" asked the girl.

" There strength reins, if you have enough power you can do what you want and get away free of charges, but if you are weak, there is no different from here or there, you will die trapped the same way"

" I think I understood a little," said the girl putting her fingers on her chin with a pensive face and said " So to really be free I need to get strong and move to the north," said her getting into a conclusion.

Ariel laughed out loud finding funny a little girl talking about freedom. Looking her clothes he could clearly see she was not poor, well different from him, she had a golden bracelet on her left hand that marked her status as a noble " Do you even know what it means to be trapped" said him pointing to her arm thinking how naive she was.

Realizing what he meant the girl got angry " Humph just because I have money doesn't mean I can do whatever what I want, and besides that, I am a girl, you don't know what you are talking about"

"Humm Maybe you are right," said Ariel realizing he had been a little rude.