4 Mark

From that day we would fight each other every day. We would be trained in sword combat and physical training. Those that refused wouldn't get food and would therefore starve, so no one resisted.

Some of us were too weak to fight, but not me I was always willing to fight for my life. Not just my own I made a promise with Anna we would both survive.

Ever since that day we've got much closer. I want to at the very least protect her that much strength is enough for me. After the fight, those who lost are sent back to the slave market to rot.

At least that's what they told us happened. But when Remmie told us, I could see a sneer suffuse his face. After having so many group fights, Tiberius decided it was time to see our individual abilities. We would do one on one matches.

I was paired up with a big kid at least 3 inches taller than me. He was ruthless and had taken down a bunch of other kids before this.

If I had to say what kid has the highest individual power it would be him. But his combat sense was too rudimentary and that's where I'll get him.

I lowered my stance as I stared him down and he held his sword. He swung at my head I pivoted around him planning on hitting his head.

Before I could strike he tried to back kick me. I moved in before the kick could gain force. I took the kick to my shoulder and took the pain.

With the force from my shoulder, I pushed him and struck at his standing leg. He lost balance and fell over with that I brought the sword to his neck.

"Time," Tiberius said.

"Well done kid next time you shouldn't do hit trading. You should just tire him out by dodging then use his strength against him."

"I understand Teacher," I said respectfully.

"Take away the big one," Tiberius said to some of the other knights in the camp.

It was naturally not great to send people off to whatever hell they have in store for failures. But after all, why should I just wait around for that to happen to me.

That's what I would say to myself every time someone was hauled off because of me. We started out as 30 specimens by the end of the basic training. There were only 5 of us left and that was just basic training.

At the end of our Basic training I had grown quite a lot, I didn't know the date or anything. But I could tell it should have been 2 years since I was imprisoned.

We were brought to a classroom where the white-haired old man and an imposing man with a knightly atmosphere waited. When we got seated the knightly man spoke to us.

"Alright then assemble at the front, we will be testing your talent in magic first."

We all lined up with our small bodies the test was just placing our hands on a crystal ball. It would create a color and either fill the ball or be extremely minuscule. In front of me was Aaron, he was adequate but not exemplary in basic training.

But when it came to it, he got 80% of the ball of red. Surprisingly Anna got 100% red and even the white haired man praised her. Overall almost everyone who passed the basic training was able to get 50% or more of a color.

When it was my turn I came up and looked at the clear crystal ball with apprehension. What would happen if I wasn't good enough? This was far too much of gamble for me.

I took a big gulp of air and put my apprehensions aside. I placed my hand on the crystal ball and felt my consciousness fade. A feeling of floating serenity took me away.

As my mind became engulfed strange images appeared in my mind. I saw a handsome black-robed man standing on a massive black dragon soaring in the sky.

His features were oddly familiar, but I my mind was far too groggy to recognize him. He turned and stared at me before he started to laugh. The black dragon roared as it flew at my consciousness, and as it collided with me I snapped out of the vision.

I felt as though as something had changed and I was unsure about what. The old man looked at me in surprise before he smiled. He whispered something to the knight.

I looked over at the crystal ball, it had become completely dark. There was not a single speak of whiteness left in it.

"The mark of shadow magic," Remmie said with shock and delight

"Then isn't he useless to us." Tiberius scolded

"Indeed he is useless to you but to me, he's a perfect specimen for my shadow magic experiments."

I froze in shock at that statement they had moved to the corner and whispered in a low voice. The other kids heard nothing but I have a very sensitive ear from years of being a thief. The seed of hatred and distrust in my heart grew then.

'So this is it, regardless of what I do I will be nothing but a specimen....'

I wanted to run and fight but my limbs wouldn't move, all I felt was fear and so I stayed. I felt hopeless I looked over at Anna only to see her turn away.

She seemed afraid that if we made eye contact she would be implicated. I felt deep pain from her actions like my heart was breaking. But I didn't blame her, I understood that she was just protecting herself.

Instead, I felt disappointed at myself, for believing that truly kind people existed and my purpose was to protect them. My life is over, and I would even become an experiment for some old mage. I looked over at Aaron although we weren't on great terms when we met.

We had been a team for quite a while I saved him from being booted a few times. But just like Anna he never looked me in the eye I looked around at the other 2 kids. Whose mouths curved into smiles filled with schadenfreude.

As I thought the knight seemed to be deliberating about his choice. Until he just shook his head yes and turned around at that moment the old man grabbed me with a magical hand and I lost consciousness once again.

When I woke again I was in a castle dungeon. Reminiscent of the prison I spent so much time in, it was like a home away from home. If the home was supposed to be hell.

I would try to sleep but I was stuck on what the mage had said. Cenir the God of Shadows marked me, what does it mean to be marked by a god.

Yet this god disappeared eons ago and I never learned about this god. Why would I be marked by this god and what was that vision?

I remembered that young man in the robes, why was he riding that dragon? What did he do to me then?

Other times I would think about Anna. Yet I could not muster up any feeling being a hollow sort of apathy. I've never had anyone anyway, I've always just been completely alone.

'Why do I feel like I am cursed to suffer? It's as though anything that could go wrong will go wrong for me.' I felt a million thoughts coursing through my mind, my heart was breaking. I felt as though I choking on my sadness, unable to mutter a single world.

'Maybe I was just misunderstanding the situation maybe everything will turn out fine.' I thought to calm myself

I knew what I thought was just a lie to comfort myself. I had always prayed to Goddess Edith to grant me light and hope. But now I wish to be obscured by the darkness for all of eternity. That way I won't hurt anymore.

A short distance from where I slept I could hear screams and strange sounds. But like clockwork right before dawn, the screams would stop. Then a new voice would appear the next day until that disappears.

I stopped keeping track of the days but then he came and unlike what I wished he saw me hiding in the corner.