Life's Challenges

The birds are chirping with marvelous cheer, the fickle wind making the plump trees dance gracefully to the forceful, but gentle caress of the air.

The bright morning slowly shining upon the cold fogs, of the high mountains and deep forests, heating up the lush and beautiful artistry of the world, and signaling the beginning of another day.

The people starts waking up from their dreamlands, greeting the gentle shine of the sun with varying emotions. A certain settlement have also started to wake up, going on with their day-to-day duties, building the roads of their journey in continuity

<The Eastern Grass City>

A prosperous population center in the outskirts, of the lands under the jurisdiction of the Holy Spirit Governorate, a relatively large but not unique nor influential part of this particular governorate.

It is just an average city, with it being under the tight control of the City Government, the Ice Silk Clan and the Golden Light Clan, with their balance of power continuously being in a state of push and pull, maintaining the stability and steady growth of the city, and the villages under its influence.

In one of the large plots of land at the northern side of the city is the estate or manor of the Golden Light Clan, with healthy trees lining most of their land, and with some of the most prominent view being the small waterfall that is well within the web of the Golden Light Clan.

Pockets of human settlement lay on some parts of the land, connected by a tree-like pattern of paths, with mansions as their centers, with the Clan Head Mansion Settlement as the center of the Golden Light Clan's Estate.

At least one mansion is for a single branch or part of the family, at least for the ones that are currently residing within the walls of the golden light.

Large gardens lays near where clan members habit, partially funding the expenses and natural resources demand of the clan, with the majority of the clan's funds coming from their business ventures, and influences within the city and villages.

Rough cement paths line the way to most of the mansion settlements, with the exception of the main path, where an exquisite and smooth cement path lays from the clan entrance towards the Clan's center, the Clan Head's mansion settlement.

The smooth cement of the main path lavishly intersects between the lands around the Clan Head's Manor, accentuating the artistries that lay upon every corner of the prominent clan's center of governance.

In one of the mansion settlements, and under the roof of a shabby shack that is at the corners of this specific mansion settlement, is a young adolescent, around the age of 13-14, with blond hair and a white complexion.

He seems to be lost in empty space, his thoughts plaguing his mind. After a while, he gets out of this lost state, and looks at the floor of the shack and his hands, with anger and sadness.

He is surrounded by a self-hating aura, only for it to disappear when he gets up off his bed, and leaves the shack he is in.

Outside the shack is a lively community, with some children playing with fire, water, and other things born from magic. The adults working on their duties while some is also talking among themselves, their hands busy with what things they are assigned to.

When the blond adolescent appears from the dirt path that leads to his isolated part of the mansion settlement, a few gathered adults starts talking about him.

"Hey, there is little Fleurian again"

"Yep, why is he always trying to cultivate? His current speeds is not good in any way, he is just gonna hurt himself trying"

"A pity, a child has to work so hard to become stronger, if only his mother did not abandon him"

"Bottle that pity right now, you do know that the current Clan Head does not like that little kid. The only reason he is alive right now is because the Supreme Elder is against the clan head for this matter, and the Supreme Elder is not someone to joke around with"

"But still, it is hard to believe that a vile man could be ruling the Golden Light Clan, to think he would even target his own niece"

"Such is the way of our world"

"Even still, we are the Golden Light Clan, to think that we would fall so far from our ancestor's original will"

"Again. Such is fate, it is fickle and capricious. One can only hope that the world's tides is with oneself when living in this place"

A few grown adults talks about the kid passing by, their voice barely audible to any watcher.

I watch as the sitting adults once again talk about my situation, disgusted at their indifference on the matter. Why? They are supposed to be adults, how can they be so stuck in the sidelines? I thought while my face maintains a poker expression.

The sounds of nature distract me from the sounds of people, from the elderly to the children, sometimes envying the some of the magic casted by the people I pass through.

The adult's with their superior magic, and the playful children that has a higher talent than me in cultivating. A few years ago when I was the same age as them, I didn't even enter Rank 0 yet.

People of my age is no better, always showing off their magic here, there, it is very annoying to see, an eyesore to my dead eyes.

This hatred and envy seems to toy with my already feeble mind, manipulating me to ingrain this negativity into my soul, but was quickly thwarted when common sense returned to me

At the end of the day, I am just venting a bit of my grievances through my thoughts, grievances born from external and internal issues.

I should stop thinking about negativity and maintain calmness , it is said that a peaceful statement of mind can help in magical cultivation. I tell to myself while not stopping in my peaceful walk towards the Clan Head Manor Settlement.

"Good morning, uncle Ale"

"Good morning too, little Fleur"

"Can you stop adding little to my name? I am already big you know"

"Hahahahahaha, you will always be little to me. So, you must be here for your allocated magic stones right?"

"Of course, uncle Ale"

I hand him a small brown pouch and he opened a relatively large wooden box, and took 3 low-grade magic stones from the box filled to the brim with it, putting it inside the pouch and handing it over to me.

"Thank you, uncle Ale"

"Always glad I could help"

I took the pouch and started to return back to my little shack, but before leaving, I stared for a bit to where the Clan Head's Manor is, once again a bit disappointed that he didn't come.

Quietly, I return, with no trouble on the way, just a tranquil walk, enjoying the morning cold with the warm light of the sun. My lone figure looking out of place from the cheerfulness of the adults and children.

I enter my shack, eager to use the low-grade magic stones that I got, my eyes shining with a bit more hope again, essential hope that somehow continues to propel me forward into the future I wish to grasp

<The Clan Head's Manor>

A young adolescent is standing in a balcony, the early breeze brushing his face, his eyes filled with melancholy.

His body is giving off a noble and refined aura, contrasting beautifully with the expression he bears and the natural art that he is laying his eyes on.

The young man seems to be enthralled in a net of memories, memories that brings upon him this feeling, a feeling that has been distracting him for quite some time.

<A month ago>

The young adolescent knocked on the door of the Clan head's office, a bit nervous as to why his father would call for him. A voice rang to give permission.

"You may come in"

The young adolescent slowly opened the wooden door and immediately closed it after entering the room lit with candles, its design emanating a presence that would come from an ancient library.

A man is sitting on his desk chair, with no intention of making eye contact with his own son. He seems to be reading documents on his hand, while occasionally writing something on another paper, his writing elegant and delicate in style.

The young adolescent took the initiative, and did a slight bow. And made his move to talk.

"Why did you call me for me, Father?"

"I want you to stop mingling with that kid"

"Who do you mean, Father?"

"I mean that Fleurian brat"

"But Father, he is my friend"

Suddenly, the room went cold ,and the candles is snuffed out like a man blew on them with a forceful breath, tinges of fear starts showing up on the eyes of the young adolescent.

The man on the desk slowly raises his occupied attention away from the papers he is holding, his eyes cold like the rives in winter.

"That was not a request"

"Y-y-yes, Father. I will no longer interact with him"

Fear. Fear came crashing on the young adolescent's mind, feeling as if a giant snake is gazing at him with the intent to kill.

After that stuttering mess, he bowed again and left the room with more hurried steps, beads of sweat already starting to form on his forehead.

After he left, the man on the desk continued what he was doing, once again returning the silence to the room.

<Present>

After several minutes of enjoying the view from the balcony, and the natural treatment of the environment, a knock suddenly came from the door and someone said something from the other side.

"Young lord, I am here to ready you for the day" Spoken in a formal and stern manner by a woman's voice.

"You may come in"

A woman dressed in a maid outfit opened the doors, and approached the young adolescent and started preparing the clothes for the day.

"I'd prefer the blue ones"

"Noted, young lord"

After a while, the young adolescent finished setting up his clothes made the maid leave the room.

"And oh, I almost forgot"

"Yes, young lord?"

"Just bring me my breakfast here, I don't want to eat at the dining hall again"

"Yes, young lord"

The young adolescent returns back to the balcony, and just enjoyed the wind but was definitely not free from thinking about his friendship.

His lips start to move, as if saying something quietly, with only the word that can be barely recognized from the low volume of the voice is "cultivation".