The sun was at its zenith and it lit up a white room where young children around 8 years old were huddled together. The atmosphere was noisy, the children were talking loudly to each other. Others seemed panicked almost on the verge of having a panic attack.
- you think we're going to make it.
- I'm so scared. I feel like I've been waiting for days.
- I haven't even been able to sleep for two days.
- My brother has a friend who got in.
At the center of this messy crowd was Prometheus as a child before his second life. He was standing with his back a little hunched over because of the handling work he had to do daily to buy food for himself and his mother. His arms were skeletal, his hands were trembling with fear, and the rest of his body was paralysed. He was looking in all directions like a beaten dog looking for an escape route. The other kids next door looked at him in disgust:
- He stinks.
- He must be a bum.
- What the hell is he doing here, if I was an examiner I'd kick him out of here, he should have at least washed his filthy fat pig.
Everybody seemed to take a safe distance of at least two meters away from Prometheus. The young people made fun of him gesturing in front of their noses as if to get rid of his stench.
Prometheus felt lonely, what would become of him if he failed, what would happen to his sick mother. He was afraid, but at the same time his eyes were filled with hope. The hope of changing his life, of becoming a great mage. He had heard so many stories from his mother telling him how his father had been a great mage, how his family had lived a great life, but also how they had fallen. Prometheus wanted to succeed, he was the most determined child of the dirty.
All the young people stopped staring at Prometheus, and everyone turned to the white drinking platform standing at the end of the room. A man had just climbed the long stairs leading up to the center of the stage, he was dressed in a long white robe, he was a magus. All the children looked at him with respect but also with envy, this man was what they wanted to become.
The man cleared his throat, "Hello, I'm the examiner for this year's exam. I'm going to see your magical skills and determination of who is fit to become a magus. The first one who tries to bribe me with the agent or his family name will be banished from the world of magic", the atmosphere became tense and all the children looked at each other with their eyes filled with fear. Prometheus eyes were filled with hope, he was confident that he would be able to pass the test with his magic skills. As for his only fear, his lack of social status had just been erased.
Time passed and the children lined up, one after the other, in front of the examiner, where they demonstrated the spells they knew and the examiner looked at their magic skills through a mana core observation spell. After an hour of waiting it was Prometheus turn. He walked fearfully up the steps leading to the examiner. He even stumbled on the last one, everyone laughed, Prometheus was embarrassed. The Examiner passed his right hand through a long brown beard, "Come my child, what spells are you going to show me?
Prometheus looked at the man with fear, then he said with difficulty, "I will make the bow... the rainbow of the elements. The man opened his eyes wide in surprise, he seemed intrigued by this skeletal child dressed in rags.
Prometheus calmed down, he took a deep breath, then he began to make signs with his right hand, at the same time he whispered strange words away from his native tongue. The man seemed surprised, for the moment the execution of the spell was perfect. Prometheus did not pay attention to the examiner, he was fully concentrated on the execution of his spell.
He had finished his chant, his right hand fell back to his body, then Prometheus looked around him. He saw flames, jets of water, stone bridges, gusts of wind all next to each other. It was a beautiful scene. All the other young people seemed to marvel at the spectacle. Even the examiner stayed a few seconds to observe the spell that Prometheus had just executed.
The man got up, walked towards Prometheus, when he got within a meter of him he looked up and down at him and then put his hand on Prometheus chest. Prometheus felt an intense wave of heat running through his body, passing through his veins, then through his organs and finally through his bones. After a few seconds the man withdrew his hand and the sensation of heat disappeared.
He looked at Prometheus with surprise, "You don't have a mana nucleus, it's...". ». Prometheus didn't let the man finish his sentence "That's because I've had a mana brain since birth". The man looked at Prometheus with even more surprise. "What is your name?" Prometheus clenched his fists." Fotia... My last name is Fotia."
The man had just understood who Prometheus was - his surname was known throughout the kingdom. What magician did not know the Fotia, the family of magicians that had been exterminated eight years ago. But what surprised the magician was that Prometheus was a member of this family, hardly anyone knew that there were still survivors of the massacre.
The magician turned to two royal guards whose job it was to make sure the examination went smoothly. "Take him away at once". The two guys looked at each other surprised and said in unison "WHERE". The magician looked at them with a dark hint of "You know where".
The two guards quickly advanced towards Prometheus, they climbed the steps and grabbed his arms, the child who was petrified, he didn't know what was going on, was it a good thing.
***
Prometheus was alone in a small square room with a stone wall. The floor was dirty, there was dried blood excrement and all kinds of bodily fluids. Prometheus looked through the metal bars in front of him. He had been locked in that prison for hours. He was crying.
Why him. Why he had to suffer so much. Being locked up in prison, living on the streets, watching his sick mother die a slow death. Prometheus was mad with rage. No matter what he did, it was never enough, there were always people to put sticks in his wheels.
He thought he could become a great mage with effort and perseverance. But it was no use, no matter what he did his family name would follow him. He heard noises of pats, heavy, powerful and imposing. Prometheus turned to the area where the sound came from, perhaps it was someone who had come to save him.
But badly fortunately it was not, a man came out of the shadows and stopped in front of Prometheus' dungeon. He had a broad smile which revealed his black teeth in bad condition. He stared at Prometheus for a few seconds, then he began to laugh.
"Hahhah, He had a son, Fotia the bloodthirsty one had a child. Ahahahahahaha. " The man stopped laughing, his smile became distorted, he was seized with rage, "You son of a bitch, do you know what your father did?" Prometheus remained silent for a few seconds with his eyes downcast, then he looked at the man in front of him. "He... He fought in the family war."
The man looked at Prometheus with disgust, "You shit, your father didn't fight. He wiped out defenseless noblemen, my brother, my sisters, and so many good people. "The man spat on the ground" This is the punishment for your blood, you will never become a magician, you will never become anything, you will live a life of misery and I can assure you that we noble houses will make sure of it. "The man turned around, but before he left he made one last comment. "Your mother is so beautiful... I think I know what kind of job she'd be suited for."
Prometheus was alone for hours waiting, he was mad with rage, but so sad. Why does life have to be so hard. All his childhood he had believed that work pays, but work only pays for those who are well born.
The next day Prometheus was chased away, but before that he received a beating from the guards. When he came home to see his mother, with a mouth full of blood and eyes of black butter, he vowed to take revenge, to become someone and to give his mother the life she deserved to live.
***
Prometheus reopened his eyes, his dream was over, his rage took hold of his stomach, his desire for revenge had never been stronger, he swore that the Landcasters would pay.
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