Wisdom

Returning to the study room, Lucas sat down with eagerness to go outside.

"List the ten major sects from least to greatest," the maid ordered. "Along with each of their patriarch's names, and then I'll consider letting you out…"

Lucas's heart sank. He knew of the ten major sects, yes, but he didn't bother to remember the names of their patriarchs aside from his own. For a seven-year-old to know what he had already shared was impressive enough as is. After all, he had spent most of his youth reading.

"Umm… Amsterdam Sect, Singapore Sect, Toronto Sect, Rome Sect, Dubai Sect, London Sect, Berlin Sect, Barcelona Sect, Sydney Sect, and New York City Sect."

There was an awkward silence when he didn't list their patriarch. The maid, therefore, smacked her ruler on the table, startling Lucas. It was quite evident that she knew a little boy wasn't going to be able to name all the patriarchs. Even if he did, she would have asked him for their last names.

Each member who joined a new sect was required to change their surname to that of the patriarchs. That was the rule in all sects. Since Lucas couldn't name those patriarchs, he was left in the Barcelona Sect's library to study until dinner.

'I don't get why she hates me so much,' he thought to himself. 'All I want to do is practice my spirit. I thought that's what every sect...'

Before Lucas could finish his thoughts, he heard laughter coming from outside. Nearing the window from the third floor, he opened it slightly to watch children his age playing in the courtyard. A lot of these children were given up by their families to join the Barcelona Sect and nurture their spirits. They weren't like Lucas, who was the grandson of the patriarch.

Those children had parents they could visit during the holidays. Lucas, however, was constantly stuck in the Barcelona Sect's mansion. He had never experienced the joy of playing with others. Let alone be able to call someone a friend. The last time he tried sneaking out to have a bit of leisure time, the maid gave him an hour's worth of paddling with a metal crowbar.

Grade ones had bodies that were a lot more durable than the average man's. Kids were no exception.

Since grade levels couldn't be reevaluated until one passed the age of twelve, Lucas still had five more years to nurture himself. These years were crucial for Newborns, as they would determine how the rest of their lives would be in the new world.

Did that discourage Lucas? Not in the slightest. He liked reading. It was one of the lowest forms of nurturing the spirit, but with each new text read, there was always a kindling fire burning inside him.

At times, when he was locked in his room, he would often try to mould his spirit outside his body to produce something. This usually ends in failure due to his lack of guidance. Most people had an affinity for certain powers, like those from the London Sect who were adept at shooting electricity out of swords.

Lucas had once tried to burn his clothes out of anger after being punished by the maid. The result caused him to switch to an even smaller room. With no one to help him truly learn, he was left to fend for himself.

"These times are tough for ya, huh, Lucas-boy?"

When Lucas looked up, he saw none other than his older half-brother. In a not-so-pleasant tone, he said, "Benjamin, I didn't hear you come in."

Benjamin Chang is the only other male born to Lucas's mother. Not only was he older than Lucas by five years, but he was recently given the grade level of an Eparchy.

"Not my fault you're not fast enough to see me coming," Benjamin mocked. "Yo, what's with your tone anyway?"

In the blink of an eye, Benjamin blurred out of Lucas's vision. He then reappeared right behind where Lucas was sitting to press his forehead against the desk.

"Half brother or not, ya were born of a servant…" he jeered. "So show me some respect."

To be a grade four at the age of twelve was an almost unbelievable achievement. To a Chang, however, it was an expectation. Lucas had no chance to fight back against him. So he kept his head lowered to apologize despite not having done anything wrong.

Benjamin laughed, claiming he only came here to pick on Lucas. He, like the rest of Lucas's half siblings, always belittled him for being born a servant. They also blamed him for the death of their mother. Considering his aunts and uncles didn't like him either, the other three grandchildren of the patriarch felt disconnected.

Lucas severely disliked being bullied. Aside from the punishment he got from the maids, even his own sibling found pleasure in oppressing him. Rather than talk back or scowl at his disapproval, he averted his eyes and kept his mouth shut. Years of persecution taught him better.

"You're no fun," Benjamin said, letting go of his grip. "I'd stay a bit longer, but now that I'm a grade four, I might mistakenly kill you."

Lucas's eyes widened when he said that word. Benjamin turned to see the expression on his face before laughing. He might have been joking, but Lucas couldn't tell. It was a joke that went too far for a child.

Benjamin slammed the door behind him to help spread anxiety in Lucas's heart. As cruel as it was, Lucas was only happy that he left. Compared to other times when he was tossed around like a ragdoll, today he got off easy. Lucas placed his head on the table to think about why his life was full of oppression.

'It's not like I'm gonna grow up to be a grade four like them anyway…. They won't even give me any of the good stuff.'

Before Lucas started falling asleep, he prayed in his heart, in Jesus Christ our Lord's name, why he was given such harsh treatment. By the time he had fallen asleep, he had a dream. His body was floating high above the earth. Though people with high spirit levels could leap enormous heights, that didn't mean they could fly.

As such, he felt a sense of nervousness about being up so high. When he noticed he wasn't falling, he slowly calmed down and looked around. Above him was neither the sun nor the moon, but an even brighter light that he couldn't perceive. From it, he heard a voice say, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

He had read what the voice said somewhere but couldn't remember that it was from the Holy Bible, James, chapter one verse five. The moment the voice uttered that verse, he was shot into the sky. What looked like stars and planets all raced past his vision. He was quite frightened by what he was seeing.

It almost felt like his head and heart were about to burst. Before he knew it, he had landed somewhere on earth. Lucas panted heavily, recounting what he had just experienced. Ideas, thoughts, and all manner of reasoning began to fill his head.

It was as if he knew everything there was to know about his spirit and the world. Looking around, he noticed that he was at one of the mansions of the Barcelona Sect. Sitting in a dimly lit room was his aunt, Victoria. Next to her was her sister, Lucas's second aunt, Laudomia. He tried to hide himself behind a wall, but found his limb phasing through it.

Entering closer to hear what they were discussing, Lucas became appalled. They were planning his father's death. No one ever told him exactly how his father passed away. All that was known was that it was a freakish "accident".

When he heard his aunts plotting to make his death seem like a mere accident, it still wasn't enough to make him accept the truth. As such, the scene vaporized like thin air until Lucas found himself standing outside a small hut. The area didn't look remotely familiar to him.

Sounds of anguish were heard coming from the hut, so he quickly phased right in to see what was happening. What he saw horrified him. A man was being beaten before he was slain right in front of his eyes by robed figures.

"What do we do with the kid?" one asked in a deep voice.

"Our orders were to kill the father. That's it…"

"If a Newborn dies, it won't look good for our sect."

The robed men eventually decided to take the whaling boy out of the house before causing it to collapse. They then placed the boy underneath his father. Lucas could tell they had high spirit levels based on their movements. They also said "our sect", almost as if the people they hurt were linked.

Approaching the two bodies lying underneath rubble, Lucas could distinctively make out their facial features. Tears flowed down his cheeks when he noticed that both the boy and his father bore a similar resemblance to him. By the time Lucas could see anymore, he was wide awake and back in his seat. His heart was in agonizing pain at the dream he had.

Suddenly, the doors to the library opened. It was the maid. She saw that Lucas's face was filled with tears, so she said, "Why are you crying? Don't you know it's unfit for a Chang to shed tears for no reason?"

Lucas didn't even hear her. His spirit was filled with too much rage. All he knew was that his mind was taking in information at an alarming rate.

'What was that?' he thought to himself. 'An epiphany? No, a vision from our Father in heaven.'

No one could explain what had happened. It was as if someone flooded his head with vast knowledge that a child wasn't meant to carry. Lucas understood the following: his age, hierarchies, and spiritual apprehensions. More importantly, he understood that children his age didn't deserve such treatment.

'These people. They say they follow Christ's virtues; they call themselves Christians; they're fooling themselves.'

After that dream, it was like Lucas was given a new mindset. He not only understood his predicament; he understood people's hearts and how evil they were by nature. Calming himself, a thought raced across his mind: 'Is this not the same maid who was hired by the same people who killed my father?'

"Morgan, may I ask you something?"

The maid sighed, saying, "Make it fast. Your dinner's ready."

"How did my father die?"

Morgan was a little hesitant to answer. This was the first time Lucas had ever asked anyone about his father. For years, he was ridiculed because his father was a servant. Yet no one ever told him what sort of occurrence caused his death.

Considering this was the first time Lucas had ever caught Morgan temporizing a reply, he knew something was off. He therefore pretended not to notice.

"Alright. I'll tell you," she said. "The house he bought himself after your mother passed was so poorly constructed that the roof caved in on him one day."

After that day, Lucas never showed a true smile again.