บท 2: 2- A Prodigy Unfolds
Chapter 2: A Prodigy Unfolds
From the moment Maximus Agares opened his eyes to the world, it became evident that he was no ordinary devil. Space and time, the very fabric of reality, seemed to respond to his presence. His first cries as a newborn had warped the air around him, sending ripples through space-time in ways that even the most seasoned devils could not comprehend. His parents, Augustus and Maria Agares, quickly realized that their child possessed a gift that far exceeded anything they had ever seen before.
As the head of the prestigious Agares clan, Augustus understood the gravity of his son's power. His family had always been associated with time manipulation, but what Maximus displayed was something far more advanced. Maria, though loving and nurturing, also saw the heavy burden that would rest on her son's shoulders. Even as an infant, Maximus radiated an aura of extraordinary potential, and it was clear that he was destined for greatness.
Maximus himself, now a year old, was becoming more aware of the world around him. Though his body was still that of a child, his mind carried the memories of his previous life as Dr. Ethan Mark. He had once been a brilliant scientist, obsessed with mastering time. That obsession, it seemed, had followed him into this new existence. His powers, the very thing he had worked so hard for in his past life, now manifested naturally, but he had yet to fully control them.
The first year of Maximus' life was marked by a series of accidents. As a baby, he was unaware of his power, and it often spiraled out of control. Small movements would cause localized distortions in space, bending objects that were far away or causing time to slow down for mere seconds. These disturbances were short-lived but noticeable. His parents had to take precautions to ensure that the house remained intact.
One of the earliest incidents occurred when Maria tried to place Maximus in his crib. The moment she lifted him, a ripple of energy radiated from his body, and the room twisted. For a few seconds, it was as if space itself had been folded in on itself, and when everything returned to normal, the walls of the room had shifted, distorting the very dimensions of the nursery. Objects appeared closer than they were, and others seemed stretched. His parents had to call upon the best architects in the Underworld to fix the damage, though they kept the true cause hidden from the rest of the devil society.
As Maximus grew older, these accidental distortions became more frequent. His parents hired experts in space magic to study the phenomenon, but even they were baffled by the raw, unrefined nature of his power. Unlike the controlled time manipulation of the Agares family, which was honed over centuries, Maximus' abilities were wild, unpredictable, and far more potent. It wasn't just time that he controlled—it was space, too, bending reality itself to his will.
In some ways, it reminded Maximus of his experiments as Dr. Ethan Mark, back when he had attempted to manipulate time with crude human technology. Except now, the power was inside him, part of his very being. He wasn't controlling it; it was controlling him, at least in the beginning.
By the time Maximus reached the age of two, he began to understand more about his abilities. His infant body had grown stronger, and while he was still a child, he could now focus on controlling the energy within him. He would spend hours each day practicing in secret, experimenting with small manipulations of space-time. He'd focus on simple tasks, like bending light to distort objects or slowing the passage of time for a single second. These experiments were rudimentary, but for a child of his age, they were nothing short of miraculous.
Despite his efforts, accidents still happened. He would sometimes lose concentration, and the room around him would warp slightly. Nothing too drastic—nothing like the earlier incidents—but enough for his parents to notice. They had come to accept that their son's power was simply part of who he was. They encouraged him to explore his abilities but also instilled a sense of caution.
Maximus didn't hide his talent from his parents. They already knew what he was capable of, and trying to conceal his power would be pointless. In truth, they were proud of him, though he could see the concern in their eyes. Augustus and Maria understood that their son's gift made him unique, but it also made him a target. The Underworld was a place where power dictated one's position, and those with extraordinary abilities were often thrust into the spotlight, whether they wanted it or not.
By the time Maximus turned two, the politics of the Underworld had already begun to circle around him. Even at such a young age, he was considered a prodigy. Augustus, ever the practical leader, had already started involving Maximus in discussions about the future. The boy was still far too young to understand the intricacies of devil politics, but his father believed that exposure at an early age would prepare him for the life he would inevitably lead.
Maximus didn't mind. In his previous life, as Dr. Ethan Mark, he had been surrounded by politics of a different kind—the cutthroat world of academia and scientific advancement. The power games played in the Underworld weren't so different, just more direct. Here, instead of recognition and funding, devils vied for influence and alliances. And Maximus, with his unparalleled abilities, was already being seen as a key figure in these power struggles.
His power gave him influence, and while he wasn't yet fully in control of it, he knew that it made him valuable. The noble families of the Underworld had taken notice of him, and while he had no personal attachment to the political games, he understood their importance. His father had hinted at the possibility of alliances, even marriage arrangements, to solidify the Agares family's position. Maximus was indifferent to the idea. He was only two, after all, and such matters were distant concerns. But still, he listened.
Not long after Maximus turned two, his family grew larger with the birth of his sister, Seekvaira Agares. Her birth was met with great celebration, and Maximus, despite his young age, felt a strange sense of responsibility toward her. Though she was just an infant, he knew that as her older brother, he would be expected to protect her and guide her.
But even as his family celebrated Seekvaira's birth, the noble circles of the Underworld were abuzz with rumors. The power Maximus possessed had not gone unnoticed, and talk of alliances between noble families began to spread. One rumor in particular piqued Maximus' interest—the idea of a potential engagement between him and Rias Gremory, the young heiress of the Gremory family, who was born around the same time as Seekvaira. The notion of uniting two powerful houses through marriage was appealing to many in the devil aristocracy.
Maximus, for his part, found the idea amusing. Marriage was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment, but he understood the strategic value of such an arrangement. Rias Gremory was the daughter of one of the most influential families in the Underworld, and an alliance between the Agares and Gremory clans would solidify their standing for generations to come.
As Maximus approached his third birthday, his control over his powers had grown significantly, though he was far from mastering them. He could now prevent accidental distortions with relative ease and could manipulate space-time in small, controlled bursts. His experiments had become more refined, and while he was still a child in body, his mind was constantly pushing the boundaries of what he could achieve.
But Maximus knew that he was only at the beginning of his journey. His abilities, while impressive, were still in their infancy. There was much he didn't understand, much he couldn't yet do. He had been given a second chance at life, and with it, the power to shape reality itself. But power was only useful if wielded properly, and Maximus intended to wield it with precision and purpose.
For now, he was content to grow, to learn, and to bide his time. He had years ahead of him, and with each passing day, his understanding of his abilities would only deepen. One day, he knew, he would become the master of space and time—the very forces that governed the universe. But for now, he was simply a boy with extraordinary potential, standing on the edge of something far greater.
Maximus Agares, at the age of three, was already a prodigy. His power had earned him the attention of the Underworld's most influential families, and the future stretched out before him, filled with possibilities. But as he gazed out over the vast Agares estate, he knew that his journey was just beginning.
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