One step away from

The moment he changed his direction towards the chair. The frown formed in Evgenia, and soon a smirk replaced it.

She extended her hand through the veil she wears, a soft pearl-like colour, you can tell that she never train or do harsh work. That is what only a fool would believe. Seers are manipulators so they deceive people with their appearance.

" Come." Instead of a soft voice, what comes from her mouth was a harsh authoritative voice.

Aaron's body tensed up like an unknown force was controlling him. He kneels.

Evgenia smiled at Aaron's helpless, she patted his head like a dog.

" Stay calm, child. You are not animals."

Aaron nodded. He doesn't complain anymore.

Evgenia chuckled, " Well, I will give you a test. May the hero of light bless you." She took out a black box.

The exterior design is covered by black string. There is a hole in the middle of the box. The hole is small enough to fit a hand, even though there is a candle beside it. Aaron never saw inside. As if the box is stopping light from entering.

Aaron's curiosity was raised. Evgenia noticed Aaron's gaze and nodded. She clears her mouth.

" Put your right hand into the box." She said in a clear tone with no emotion attached to it.

Aaron slowly put his right hand into the small hole.

As Aaron's hand entered the hole, Evgenia's left hand quickly moved toward his neck. Surprised by a sudden movement, Aaron flinched.

" I hold at your neck. Poison needle capable of killing a full-grown man in a second. The test is simple."

Aaron stared at Evgenia with a resent. But he knows what that means so he calms his heart.

" Remove your hand from the box and you die."

" What is in the box?"

" Pain."

Aaron chuckled.

" No need to call the guard. Your mother stands behind that door no one will get past her." Evgenia explained.

" Why are you doing it," Aaron questioned Evgenia's motive.

" An animal caught in a trap will tore its leg to escape. What will you do?"

A tingling echo formed in his head as the words struck. The pain slowly builds up. He feel that his hand were melting.

Heat. Cold. He feels various pain in his hand.

" Ugh," Aaron murmured.

He tilted his head, he wished to wash off the pain like this. But the damn needle is about to touch his neck.

In the silent hall, Jess, the mother of Aaron trembled. She knows what Aaron is facing. Her hands were shaken. Unable to hold, she's about to break down.

Jess once face this test. She knew what is going there. She might lose her child. No mother can face this kind of fate.

She tumbled. Oh! Fate is cruel. She just wants her loved one to live.

The echoing in his brain grows strong. Aaron tried to hold back his pain, the veins in his forehead were the evidence of his struggle.

" Ahh." He exclaimed.

" Silent." Evgenia shut him.

Aaron's body shook. His instinct was telling him to let go. The needle touched his skin, remaining him of its threat. With willpower, he told himself to calm down.

" Ahh."

His pain echoed through the hall. Jess who is about to open the door, murmured some words.

" May light bring to this pain.

Thou shall punish for the sin of unknown."

She murmured.

" Eat the dark to reveal the light.

Thou shall walk for the sin of known."

Her feeling slowly disappeared. No, she controlled it.

" Hmm." Aaron gasped. His vision was getting watery.

He murmured the teaching of Light which Jess taught him. His saliva dropped onto the floor.

He slowly lifts his head. The intense gaze of his eyes can make normal people sweat.

Right now he is facing Evgenia. The pain increased again. But he fights back.

Evgenia stared into his eyes, unyielding will.

They both stared for a few minutes. Each time the pain increased, he walked past it.

" Enough." Evgenia pulled her needle away. Aaron looked down at her for a second, he pull his hand from the hole.

There are no injuries on his hand. He looked at Evgenia this time with a calm. He immediately get up and backed away.

" If you have been unable to control your impulse like an animal we could not let you live. You inherit too much power."

" Not because I'm a Duke son because you are Jess's son. You have more than one birthright boy."

***

In the mist, they don't stay in one place as the wind carried through. There is a large airship resting.

Four dark veils men and women followed one factual Evgenia.

" Do you have to go that far?" Jess asked. She seems to question whether Evgenia was the right choice.

" You chose to train him in the way in defiance of our rule. He wields our power. He had to be tested to the limits. So much potential wasted."

Evgenia walked.

" You were told to bear only daughter but you and your pride thought you could produce The Light."

Jess question. " Was I wrong?"

Evgenia turned around, and Jess stopped.

" You lucky he didn't die in that room. If he is the one he has a long way to go. His mind is bearly awaken and now he goes into the fire."

" But our plans are measured in centuries. We have other prospects. If he fails his promise." Evgenia paused. She walked again.

Jess raised her voice. " Do you see so little hope?"

The rain started, and the mist around them add the atmosphere depression. Four Seers opened the door for Evgenia.

Before she stepped into the ship, " On the desert, we have done all we can for you. A path has been laid. Let's hope he doesn't squander."

Jess bit her lips and bowed down. She wanted to smile, ' All is good. ' she thought.

The airship flies away, removing the rain cover.

Soon a heavy rain descends.

Jess turned around, heading toward her house in the mist. As she walked, she sense someone.

Aaron.

He is standing in the rain. His wet hair covered his eyes but Jess can tell his empty gaze.

" What do you mean that I could be the one?" Aaron asked.

" You heard?"

" Seer serves influential Great houses but there is more to it," Jess explained.

" You steer the politic of the empire from the shadow. I know." Aaron said.

" You don't know everything for thousands of years. We have been carefully crossing bloodlines to bring forth."

" The one." Aaron interpreted.

" A mind. Powerful enough to see through space and time. Past and future. Who can help us in a better future? We think he is very close now."

" Somebody he is here."

Aaron sighed. " It is all part of a plan."

Jess remained silent. Aaron extended his hand, " Come Mother. Or we both will catch a cold."

Jess nodded. Morning is the day The Emepror will declare Order.

***

Seer thinks the ability to act consciously and choose to think long-term not just at the moment is what separates humans from animals.

Aaron is human so he withstands the pain and lives.

They breed certain people with other people often by marriage to Seer like Jess. Even the Emperor has a Seer wife controlling his reproduction.

They select and combine certain genes, trying to produce The Light which they refer to.

Their ancient plan is now uncertain because Jess chose to provided birth to Aaron. Seer wanted the girl since they can use the girl to breed with House Hawk to create The Only Light.

So Aaron might be the chosen one.

***

Aaron feels weird and gross that he is the product of the Seer's human breeding program. Their manipulative plan.

He feels offended by those words. They talk as if he was their thing, his instinct for rightness was fighting against these words. He questioned Evgenia. ' she is an old witch ' full of meaningless '.

He felt that he has been infected with terrible purposes. He doesn't understand. So what is his destiny and it is a good thing?

Right now, he is walking toward the training room. The room where his father chose for him to study swordsmanship.

He grabbed the door handle and pushed it.

He met Lysimachos, his teacher.

One of his.

Lysimachos is a legendary fighter one of the best on the continent. He is also a poet. " an ugly lump of a man" is what others called him.

He has a burning red big scar across his face. A hatred for Hawk was like Ocean.

Because he was once a slave of Ozius, Duke Hawk Atlas's younger brother. He killed the Lysimachos family and gave him his scar.

So he wanted revenge.

" You are late."

" Sorry about that. I have no excuse." Aaron said. He grabbed a dagger which is placed on the wall.

He aimed at Lysimachos. He activated his necklace. An invisible shield covered his whole body like warm clothes.

This is their technology, by bending space around them they can stop any fast-moving object.

But not all thing is perfect. A slow balde can get through.

They called these shields, guardian shields but in simple terms Force shields.

Force shields were a complete defense against projectiles and explosives, the basic reason why hand-to-hand combat is necessary.

The trick to shield fight is to outsmart and distract your opponent so you can kill with a sneaky slow attack.