Chapter 2

I woke up in a cold sweat, with fear gripping my heart and with a feeling of inevitable dread filling my body. Before taking a deep breath and forcibly relaxing, calming my palpating pulse. 

'It seems that I can never escape these visions plaguing me.' I thought to myself. These dreams have tormented me since the day I was born, my young mind unable to comprehend the horrors I witnessed, the nightmares that constantly harassed me every night along with the knowledge imparted upon me forced me to mature at an abnormally accelerated pace. I was capable of conscious thought months after being brought into this horrid world, my will forged by pain, indomitable, yet its fragility would be apparent at the slightest inspection.

The things I experience every night seemed to be some sort of vision, a ghastly future that could potentially bring about absolute ruin. They also grant me knowledge that I shouldn't ordinarily possess, like the names of the surrounding nations, such as the Baharuth Empire, the Re-estize Kingdom, the Holy Roland Kingdom amongst many others. Terms I never learned were grafted upon my mind, ideas and concepts that should be beyond me resounded clearly in my head, all this information I had received was artificially inserted into me. Yet, despite this wealth of knowledge, there was nothing telling me where all this came, nothing about the origin of my visions.

Having confirmed certain information by inquiring with Nazaire, as well as some of the Cardinals that visit me. I have kept the fact that I have these strange dreams a secret, since revealing it would most likely be unwise. It is currently impossible to confirm whether or not these visions will come to pass, though it's highly probable that there is some truth to them because of the accuracy of the knowledge I received. 

However, deep down, I already knew that my nightmares will become reality and an Age of Darkness shall descend upon this world. And when this apocalyptic event occurs, with the fires of armageddon raining death on the helpless masses, and the Gods of old having long passed and the Heroes of today too feeble to resist, I would be the one to stop the tide. I was chosen, by whoever or whatever out there. And I would do anything to prevent these outsiders from reducing everything to dust. Anything.

Banishing these morbid thoughts from my mind, I quickly got out of bed, I looked at the clock hanging on the wall in front of me, noting the time being six o'clock, exactly when I ordinarily wake. My internal clock is highly accurate as always. 

I got dressed then looked in the mirror, finding a small child with white and black hair and eyes, with pointed elven ears hidden behind my luscious locks. Sometimes I find it hard to recognize myself, being constantly lost in the nightmares and dreams of others. My fragile self identity only held together with the strength of my will, built through hellish trials.

I cast a cursory glance around my luxurious room, to refamiliarize myself with its interior, before striding out the door.

I lived in a sectioned off area deep under the castle of Silksuntechs, the capital of the Theocracy, my existence kept a close secret, known only by the Cardinals, my mother and Nazaire. I then traveled towards my personal training room, in which I started my daily routine.

I started by stretching and doing a few laps around the room to warm me up, doing the equivalent of around 10 kilometers. Secondly, I picked up a blunt sword made of wood, and began practicing my swings, building up muscle and attempting to refine my form. I continued on for approximately two hours before hearing a voice scream out :

"Antilene, breakfast !" It was Nazaire, who was telling me to come eat. I stopped mid swing before returning the blade to the wall of similar training weapons, all of them blunted. 

Even the Slane Theocracy isn't insane enough to leave live instruments of slaughter in reaching distance of a four year old child. Though my pride would speak to the contrary.

I then departed to the dining room, this closed off zone having every essential function from the kitchen to the baths, everything you could need in your day to day life. Though, maybe seeing the sun every once in a while would be nice.

Opening the door, I see my caretaker finishing setting up the table for two.

"Hard at work as always, I see." Nazaire commented with a small smile on her face. Her visage creased with wrinkles, clearly showing her age, yet despite being in the twilight of her life, steadily approaching her demise, passion still burned in her eyes.

"Of course, it is my duty." I replied coolly, while climbing up on the all too large chair clearly meant for a full sized adult human, using my unnatural strength, unbefitting my size and age. Looking across the table that could hold more than a dozen individuals, I see Nazaire seated on the other side, she then raised her hands up together in a prayer. I imitated her, frequently forgetting this tradition, even though it is a daily occurrence.

"Let us thank the Six Great Gods for their generosity on this blessed day, and for all the gifts imparted upon us, Lords watch over us." She chanted with hands clasped, and fingers intertwined. I mirrored her with closed eyes. After she finished her prayer, we stayed in silence for a few seconds, before we picked up our utensils and started eating. A still quiet settled upon the room and as it stretched on, I delved into my thoughts, ignorant of the reality around me.

After dining, I immediately returned to training. A few grueling hours later, I had lessons with Nazaire about various subjects, such as History, Geography, Math, Religion and Language. Following that comes my… sessions with Mother, relentless combat beating me till I can't move then healed to repeat this vicious cycle. This stretched on for hours upon hours, until whenever Faine decided to stop my torturous training. 

Sometimes so mentally and physically hurt that I pass out on the spot, only to wake from my nightmares at the same time every morning, disregarding my pain, however difficult it may be, and train once again.

To add salt to the wound, in reality I'm not learning a whole lot by being forced to constantly throw myself against a vastly superior opponent who has no interest in educating me in the ways of combat. What I have gotten out of it is an instinct, one made to survive, survive just a second longer, just to push myself a bit further, to retain consciousness a moment longer. And for that, and only that do I see any benefit in being subject to such agony, day in and day out.

Before long I was submerged, immersed deep within a bottomless pit of monotony, of self perfection, of an endless pursuit of the strength perceived necessary. A colorless life. And as the days blended into weeks, then into months and eventually years, an insidious seed was planted within her heart, one that may one day consume her.