A Tough Choice

Nox's head seared with pain.

His memories had come rushing back all at once and threatened to burst his skull open. He had a hard time processing everything that had happened. It was difficult to come to terms with everything that had happened across his two lives.

His new life had been rather good with family that loved and cared for him. He was well-fed and accompanied every day and never wanting for anything. This was starkly different from his last life. While he had also been born to loving parents on Earth, after their death, Nox's life was embroiled in hardship and misery day after day.

Nox was deeply conflicted.

He had grown up here and come to grow attached to his new family. They loved him unconditionally and would do anything in their power to make him happy. And yet, Nox's memories of his last life swirled in his head.

These weren't his real parents; his real parents were dead. He shouldn't care about these people. And yet he did, deeply so.

While he may not want to admit it, the sturdy barriers that he had gradually built around his heart over years of suffering and being treated as dirt had cracked somewhat, letting a couple of people slip through.

This made Nox feel somewhat frustrated. He had vowed to himself to not let others betray his trust again. People were selfish creatures and would turn on you given the first opportunity. Despite this, his 'parents' had been nothing but be loyal. In the end, Nox could only reluctantly accept things as they were.

Like it or not, he loved his parents, and he wouldn't leave them. He could only rely on them for now.

When Nox realised this, it brought up an issue that he feared greatly. His power.

Nox had never had the time to do much in-depth experimentation on Earth as he was too busy trying to survive. However, he had come to understand a little about its effects over the years.

To summarise, he had the power to influence people's deaths. By channelling his anger towards a person, he could artificially create an incident that would lead to that person's death. These scenarios always appeared natural, if not extremely unlucky.

Car accidents and heart attacks were among the more mundane of them whilst some, like the one that had happened to his childhood bully, were rather extreme, being crushed by a falling girder.

The power was extremely useful in some scenarios. You could kill anyone you didn't like without any direct consequences. Naturally, the pattern that people interacting with him died mysteriously had formed but, without any substantial evidence of his involvement, he could get away scot-free.

Despite this, the power had some significant issues. Firstly, say you accidently got into a heated argument with someone you didn't wish to kill. Things might be fine at first but after they wind up dead, it becomes apparent that you have to keep your emotions under extremely tight wraps.

Nox's cold persona was useful in this regard. By appearing unapproachable, not only did he manage to avoid having to deal with anyone, but he could also limit his power's ability to kill random people.

This was not the only problem, however. When his parents had died, he had been but an infant. He had no real means to direct his power to anyone, let alone his parents who had done nothing but cared for him.

This implied that his power was not entirely within his control. Perhaps at some point, someone may drop dead, simply from spending time with Nox. His existence was toxic to others and could spell their death at any second.

This led to Nox's current dilemma.

What if one of his new parents was affected by his power? What would he do if the pattern began to repeat?

Nox worried greatly that his previous life was destined to repeat here.

Optimistically, however, in his five years of being in this place nothing untoward had happened. Nox did worry if that was simply because he hadn't truly awakened or not though.

Unfortunately, there was little he could do to prevent his power from killing anyone. At most he could try and keep his anger in check and avoid people where possible. Ultimately, the ability seemed to possess a mind of its own. Coming to a temporary resolution, Nox finally had time to process the state of things.

Back on Earth, that bastard sent by the directors had managed to end his life. He had fought valiantly, but in the end, he was but an untrained kid trying to defend against a trained killer. He stood no chance.

After his death, his memories were hazy but he seemed to remember vague fragments, like dreams that seemed to be just out of reach. There was a vast emptiness that threatened to swallow him whole. And in its midst, there was someone. Someone had protected him. He had felt warm in that moment although he couldn't remember exactly.

Following that, Nox had arrived here, in this world.

The theories on Earth had always been pessimistic; once you die, that's it, no more chances. Religion existed of course that explained possible avenues of afterlife or reincarnation, but Nox had always personally found their argument unconvincing. There was little evidence to convince him that anything other than a cold inexistence awaited him after death.

And yet, here Nox was, not only brought back to life, but in an entirely different world no less. He didn't understand much about the universe as a concept and wasn't really sure whether this place was a different planet in the same universe or something else. The concept of the multiverse was a bit far removed from a homeless ten-year-old.

Regardless, Nox was sure this world was not his old one.

He had even suspected it when his memories were gone, but now he was certain. This world contained strange secrets. The things his father could do were impossible on Earth, the work of fairy tales. He couldn't be sure, but he suspected that his father was far from the only one with such abilities. Perhaps he could find someone here who could explain his own abilities?

Unfortunately, his short life here had been confined to the walls of the castle with little chance to get a grasp of this world's situation.

Moreover, his learning curriculum so far had been extremely drab. Naturally, this new world utilised a different language to the English he was used to on Earth. Despite that, the concepts of language existed in his head already and made learning another far easier. After all, he had an unfair advantage in intelligence having lived a previous life.

Not to mention that his mother would spend as much time as possible talking with him and trying her best to teach him little things as he grew up.

Language, writing and mathematics had thus come naturally with little effort. Despite that, Nox was yet to learn any history or geography that would prove vital in this world. He couldn't help but wonder why that was? Perhaps his father had something to do with that.

All in all, Nox could accept his circumstances.

He had reincarnated into another world. He had parents that he loved and that loved him. His powers might come back, they might not. And most importantly, there were people with incredible powers in this world who might be able to explain his own ability.

His eyes, previously clamped shut, sprang open. While they still retained much of their cold exterior, there was a small spark of hope burning within.

This world held great opportunities for Nox, and to seize them, the first step was to stop cowering in his room.

Shooting to his feet, he walked apprehensively to the door. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the metal doorknob and twisted the door open.

Behind the door, his concerned parents looked in his direction. His mother, Maria, examined his entire body for any issues with a deep worry on her face. She appeared ready to spring on him at any second and shower him with love but managed to hold off.

Meanwhile, his father had a warm expression that contained a barely perceptible hint of fear. Nox was no stranger to fear, having seen his fair share being an outcast on Earth. Such a look did not escape his attention.

Before his parents had the chance, Nox spoke,

"I'm so sorry for worrying both of you. I stayed up late and didn't sleep a wink that night. At dinner I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. After I woke up, my heart wouldn't stop racing. I think I was too embarrassed having made a fool of myself like that, so I decided to hide in my room until I calmed down. I'm really sorry" his head slumping and downtrodden.

His words soothed Maria as an exhausted sigh left her mouth,

"There's no need to be embarrassed, you silly boy. You really had me worried there."

A bright smile replaced her weary expression as she embraced Nox in her arms. Before leaving though, she made sure to pinch his ears tightly, much to his disgruntlement.

"That'll teach you for not going to bed" she giggled, slowly pacing down the hallways for a much-needed rest.

That left Nox and Winston alone.

As he craned his neck upwards to meet his father's gaze, he couldn't help but be sucked into their dark abyss. Unlike usual, his eyes held an domineering property that made Nox's body shiver. Eventually, he could only avert his eyes to the floor in fear as his back was drenched with sweat. A minute was spent as the two stood in silence before Winston spoke,

"Follow me."

Those words gave away little information on how his father was feeling. Nox could only accept and follow the man's measured pace.

They walked through the sprawling corridors of the castle under the fearful gaze of the servants. Eventually, Nox realised where they were headed. After all, he had spent many days looking out from his balcony at this place.

The courtyard.

His father was the only one who used this place. Some days he would find him carrying boulders on his back or cleaving them in two with his sword. Other days he would be embroiled in a heated battle with the strange puppet.

Knowing this, an ominous premonition appeared in Nox's mind. He could only swallow his fear, however, as he had arrived at his destination.

Passing through a locked wooden gate, Nox was blinded by a flash of light. The sun shone bright in the sky and illuminated the small training area.

His father stood ramrod straight like a javelin in the ground in the middle of the courtyard. The mysterious puppet had disappeared, leaving only the duo and a rickety rack of wooden weapons.

Standing across from his father, Nox remained silent, only staring the man in the eye. His father reciprocated and the two resumed their heated staring contest. This time though, Nox was determined not to back down.

His eyes burned with the flames of defiance, and finally, Winston's expression changed, a small smirk appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"From today onwards, you will be training in the art of a knight" he let those words resound in the space before continuing,

"You will come to know your weapon as you know yourself. It will not be a tool but a part of your body, meant to enact your will and strike down your enemies."

These words caused Nox's frosty expression to light up. He wasn't sure why his father had undergone the sudden change, but he was excited. People in this world could do incredible things, and he had a chance to do them himself.

"Every day, you will come here as the sun rises where we will train. Your body, your swordsmanship, your mind. You will be tempered until every bone in your body yearns for sleep. Do not underestimate the burdens of obtaining strength, for your will shall be tested every day. In this world, only those with an indomitable will can succeed."

As those words left his mouth, a formless pressure spread out into the air. It carried with it an incredible weight, causing even the air to buckle and ripple. Nox felt as if he was not facing a man, but a dragon; he couldn't help but gulp down some saliva.

"When your body can take no more punishment, you will hone your mind. Scholar Leonard will be teaching you new subjects as he has told me how you have excelled previously" the man's stern face lightened slightly at those words.

"Geography, history, beast theory and studies of the Gift will occupy the afternoon before dinner. After which, you will return here to me. I will teach you battle studies, dungeoneering and survival skills. By the time you are ready to receive the Gift, you will be like a sharp blade in both body and mind."

Nox felt his blood boil at these words. Dungeoneering? The Gift? What was he rambling about? Regardless, he understood that his life would be undergoing a dramatic shift, one that would change his fate forever.

"Now tell me boy, are you ready?" his father shouted, his faint aura emerging again.

Nox's body shivered with anticipation,

"I'm ready!" he bellowed with conviction.

Winston's expression lit up in pride at the sight. The shift from Nox's icy exterior to its current impassioned flames brought him some relief.

Thinking back on those lifeless eyes and that malicious energy that flared wildly, he couldn't help but think back on Cain's warning.

"I hope this is the right choice, Gods help me."