Chapter 1

I look up, raising the wooden bamboo sword to my opponent standing in front of me.

"You look worried, Ace," the man mocks, dropping his sword staring me down, hoping I lunge in, but of course, I'm not smart enough to realize he's baiting me again. I lunge in, thrusting the sword forward, aiming for the center of his chest, but he slaps away the sword, followed by a spin kick to my face knocking me down to the floor.

"That's 6-0 Ace. I usually don't beat you this bad," he helps me up, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm just worried and stressed about tomorrow" I stare at the ground, rubbing my cheek.

"Why are you worried, you are more than prepared for the pre-test, and I know for a fact you can pass the actual test. You'll be able to defeat that demon like the many Kings before you. Plus, it's always good to explore your whole kingdom, not just what's around the Kingdom wall." he steps away from me, raising his sword.

"If you beat me to 10 dinners is on me, and I'll give you a few pointers to help you" I raise my sword.

"It better now be some way to give me your lame 'how to pick up a girl' advice again" I chuckle, this time paying more attention to his footing and his shoulders. He charges with a slash to my chest, but I raise the sword braising it with my left arm, then push against and dash forward, slamming my body in him, knocking him off his balance, then slashing down, slamming the wooden sword into him hitting him onto his back.

"That's what I'm talking about now. Use that big brain play on the demon, as well as your instincts, and you'll be fine. Plus, we could always do a power training round. Or are you still scared to use your powers" Balthazar sits up, smiling with his legs crossed? I look at my hands then my should where the dragon marking is.

"Still worried that the curse might activate if I can't keep myself in check" I look up at the sky. "But there's no time like the present" I chamber my wrists and lower my body and inhale.

"Whoa, now I think we should control the level rising, not explode," he says, quickly standing up getting ready to run away.

"Balthazar, I always take it slow, and I haven't been able to let my power explode in forever, so brace yourself!" I grin, raising my hands above my head, feeling the warmth around me, the wind, Balthazar's aura, his element, and I can feel my body start to heat slowly rising to where it's to feel too much. I smile, showing my teeth, taking a deep breathe and force my arms down, my body up, and Roar 'AAAAAAHHHHHHHH'. Light resembling fire shoots up to the sky and explodes outward, causing a massive gust of wind to push everything away.

"Leo, stop. You're going too far; I can barely stand" Balthazar drops to his knees. I feel my power growing and skyrocketing even higher. 'I want to know how high I can go, how far can I push the limit' I start raising it at an exceedingly higher rate. A gold aura starts to surround me, beginning from my feet, but it quickly starts to darken to a red then black. The feeling goes from being warm and exciting to numb and violent, blood lust and fear. I drop to the ground, and the energy disperses, causing a blast of wind crushing the ground below me and sending Balthazar flying a few feet back, but I start to see the black aura begin to surround me.

"I have to breathe, calm down, just breathe Ace, Ace breathe" I dig my thumb into the send of my hand, rubbing the pressure point breathing slowly calming down, the aura starts to fade into the ground.

"That was quite the light show freak" I look up to see Serpens. He's a bodyguard for the 13th kingdom prince Orpheus; as you can tell, he's a pretty lousy bodyguard, and he's an asshole.

I look around, looking for dumb and dumber, but to my surprise, I don't see them or Balthazar, and I don't believe they are dumb enough to go against the leader of the Knights and Mages.

"So where are your lackeys' to carry you away. I'm sure you are here for a fight" I climb out of the crater, dusting myself off.

"You'll be fighting him," he smirks, staring behind me; I spin around to see someone trying to drop kick my face. I lean and jump back, starting a chain of back handsprings. But he doesn't let off; he charges with a barrage of punches. I manage to avoid some, but a few manage to make contact. 'he's not giving me a second to breathe; I need room, but I don't know if I should use my power, I can't.'

"LEO, DON'T HOLD BACK, THEY ARE TRYING TO-" I hear Balthazar scream before someone punches him in the face and dropping his unconscious body.

'They hurt him, KILL, they hurt Balthazar, KILL THEM, He hurt them, DESTROY,'

"DESTROY THEM; MY KING MAKE THEM KNEEL LIKE THE TRASH THEY ARE!!" a familiar voice roars, causing a loud pounding in my ears; my heart starts to race, the heat begins to explode. I grab his fist before he can land another blow. My eyes start to glow blood red; the black aura starts to leave marks on my face. 'KILL' is the only thing I hear in my head and around me 'KILL.'

I pick him up, then slamming my free hand into his stomach again and again till he coughs blood, then I hit him into the ground, followed by a barrage of punches.

"Finally, a challenge," the guy laughs, knocking me into the air. "AUHHHHHHHHHH," I roar, chambering my fist then pushing them forward, firing a large beam forward, launching me farther into higher than the trees. I see people start in the distance running towards where I was following. 'MORE' I swipe my hand in front of me, a wall fire erupts in front of them, reaching the sky. I look back to the two below me; the guy in the crater starts to get up again, looking at me with blood dripping down his face.

"Is that all you got, freak" he yells, spreading out his arms.

"Dude, should you be egging him on like that" the Serpens, his voice shaking, but his friend smiles.

"If you want to run, run. You'll only get in my way anyway" Serpens takes the chance and starts running as fast as he can, but he's met with a wall of fire surrounding him and his friend.

"ORPHEUS, WE'RE STUCK, ORPHEUS!!" Serpens screams, dropping to his knees as the two princes stare each other down, one tattered and blood, the other being absorbed by what seems to be darkness itself.

'KILL' "AAAAAUUUUHHHHHHH" I grab the head, feeling myself slipping, losing my grabs; I start falling, but I'm not scared, I actually at peace, I can feel my eyes begin to close, but I force them open to see emerald eyes staring back at me.

"Relax, Kalcifer Lionheart, let yourself give into the darkness, after all, you were born with my power why not let it explode, let me kill that peasant, let me show him the power of the future King Of Stars" his voice booms with a calm that forces out any thoughts that I have. "Just sleep, my fallen king" his eyes turn red then he disappears.

A black wing sprouts from my back, and a mask begin to form; I backflip a few yards above the ground, then I explode forward, charging Orpheus. Orpheus raises his guard smiling, but before he could get his hands full up, I grab his face slamming his head into the ground dragging him before throwing him into the air.

Before I can reach him again, I feel a force slam into the side of my pushing me to the ground. "I got him, go take care of that damn prince" he looks at Serpens. "You boy, you will be punished after this is over, and pray that this doesn't start a war because I promise you, I'll kill you first" he looks down at me, struggling, then puts a crystal against my forehead.

The darkness disperses, killing the grass around me. I open my eyes. "What, what happened? Why are you here Gadriel, Where's Balthazar?" I look around everything in a daze. "it's okay, sire, just breathe and take your time" he picks me up,

"My head feels heavy" my head drops as I fall unconscious.