- Time Skip of The Century

"Seth! Seth! It's time for lunch! Come on!" My eyes opened slowly, revealing the luscious beautiful green grass the swayed with the afternoon wind. The multi-colored flowers joined the grass in the dance of beauty.

Ever since I was two years old, I've been doing nothing but meditating on the low outside. Attempting to form a core of mana and cursed energy mixed together. It's a lot harder than it sounds, but thanks to that, my control over my cursed energy is leagues higher than it was when I was born.

I'm confident that I can utilize the two basic cleave and dismantle techniques with near perfectness... Might be a little overdramatic, but It's how I feel.

However, now being five, the core is taking longer than expected.

Getting to my feet I turned towards my mother who was standing at the entrance to the Palace through the back door. I sighed and forced a wide grin.

"Okay~ Coming!" Ever since I turned one and Kathyln was born I've been finding myself forced to act with different emotions that, in all honesty, I couldn't care less about. Though, for the sake of my little sister I didn't mind. But Curtis?

He can die.

Just kidding, just kidding!

But it's truly been a difficult ride these five years... Being five AND the middle child. You'd think I'd get some freedom, but no! The day of my birth came with some danger and now all of a sudden, I'm a national treasure.

Sigh.

...

After eating a rather ostentatious lunch, Priscilla and I made our way to the training grounds that were usually for the Royal Guards, and normally, I wouldn't be allowed anywhere near there due to the fact that a stray magic spell might erupt.

Once we were there, I was greeted by the sight of dear old Curtis's training with one of the heads of the Royal Guards, I think his name was... Pannival? I don't know, I just remember it being something ridiculous.

Alongside that sight, was my baby sister and Blaine. Both standing on the side lines watching Curtis get absolutely played with. It was a sight to see, but I had no right to laugh. I was just as bad... I have no prior experience with any type of weapon except a knife, or dagger if you would.

Swords aren't my forte.

"Buba!" Noticing our presence, Kathyln immediately called out to me with a rather cute nickname she gave me due to not knowing my name. Either that, or she didn't like it. We twins for real.

She's four though... I guess it's just a permanent thing for her now.

The girl hugged me tightly before dragging me away from our mother, taking me closer to the side lines. There, I could hear the conversation that was exchanged between Curtis, and Pannival.

"You must be able to see what's happening before it happens! Surely, you've been studying the other guards when they spar, correct? This type of thing won't be so easy to attain, but if it's you, Prince, I'm confident that you will grasp it easily!" Pannival instructed as he easily deflected an attack from the young Prince.

The latter grunting in frustration.

"You keep saying that, but you haven't explained what that means once! Watching something and picking up on it isn't as easy as you think!" He complained before he suddenly dropped to a crouched stance, his stationed foot being used as a means to spin, his other leg kicked out hoping to throw off the captain's footing.

However, Pannival saw right through it.

Over-stepping it by raising his pivoting foot, Pannival kicked Curtis in the chest, sending him flying backwards as well as dispersing the very air in his lungs.

"Guh!" Shooting back with great force, Curtis grunted in pain, only stopping the momentum after a couple rolls.

"Ouch." I chimed, Kathyln agreeing with a serious head nod.

"Curtis! Are you alright?" Priscilla immediately went to the young prince's aid, helping him up and even conjuring him a nice block of ice to put on his forehead. How lucky... It's hot as fuck out here!

"Pannival, don't you think you could've gone easier? He's still a mere child." Blaine was a worried parent no matter how prestige and uncaring he tried to be to the public. Witnessing his son get absolutely demolished like that surely struck one of those nerves that all- Well, all GOOD parents have.

Pannival rubbed the back of his head, his lengthy, rough brown hair dancing in response.

"I held back sir... Considerably." Blaine only sighed and patted the Guards shoulder before going to check up on Curtis. Kathyln went as well eventually; Leaving me and Pannival by ourselves.

I eyed Pannival considerably. He was a good swordsman, but not so much a mage. I don't really mind that part because I still don't know if cursed energy is a thing in this world. Well, let me rephrase.

I don't know if there's another human being that has access to it. If sorcerers exist, then that would be my goal. I'd need to find one of them and get them to teach me how to better control and manipulate my cursed energy.

Plus, I'd need to make the reveal. As of now, no one in my family knows I have cursed energy. I'm still trying to figure out how to make that reveal work.

"Hey, Pannival?" I called out, walking up closer to the man so that others didn't hear of our impending conversation. He's the head guard, surely, he'd know something like this.

Looking over his shoulder with a hum of acknowledgment, he smiled lightly when he saw me.

"What is it, Seth?" While he called Curtis Prince, he called me by my name because I'm not used to royalty yet. It's still kind of awkward and uncomfortable to go from a lesser existence that's counted as nothing more than a fly, to an all-important person to a whole Kingdom.

"Nothing much, just a few questions... But first, that little match was amazing. I always enjoy seeing Curtis get humbled." I joked with a smile, Pannival doing the same though it was awkward.

"I wouldn't put it like that, but the prince does have a long way to go before he could be considered exceptional. Anyway, what is it that you'd like to ask?" He folded his arms and raised his eyebrows in what I could only count as curiosity.

I paused for a moment, taking this chance to sit on the stone table that sat just behind Pannival. The thing he used to set his equipment on.

"You remember the day I was born?" To my words, his interest peaked.

"Mm, yeah. There was a huge commotion... How do you remember that?"

"Haha, I never said I remembered it. I just asked you if you did. Though, my mother told me all about it multiple times. Saying that it was, "the most precious, but heart breaking" day of her life. Kinda demeaning, but whatever." Pannival snorted.

"I'm sure she didn't have any other meaning behind it. It's just that there was a complication after the birth, your life was threatened by an unknown entity and we failed to find them. Your mother has every right to be scarred by it.

She almost lost a son just as fast as she had him." It's not like I didn't understand where he's coming from. In fact, I didn't mean anything by what I said. Just saying that it could be taken either way.

"Anyway, enough of that..." I dragged, my eyes turning serious as the atmosphere around us shifted. Pannival visibly tensed, his hand subconsciously reaching for his sword that laid lifeless next to me on the table.

Utilizing cursed energy, I'm able to affect the atmosphere kind of like Killing Intent. I don't know why it always has the effect of killing intent though... Might be the same reason why my cursed energy is red.

But that's for another time.

"What if I told you I know who- Well, WHAT, attacked me? And why, there was such a commotion in that room."

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A/N!

PANNIVAL APPEARANCE!