Everything was a blur. White clouds that made out to be nothing around his vision. All he could recognize was the sound of his brothers laughing hysterically. The delicate voice of his sister conversing with his mother. He tried to look around but saw nothing. His head was seemingly fixed in place. In entire body felt numb; every sensation, every feeling was distant, non-existent as the voices of his family drifted further. He struggled, "Guys! Take me with you!" He screamed, but his mouth was glued shut.
He tugged at his shoulder, his arms, his hands, his fingers, his limbs anything but nothing.
A pair of arms reached out from the abyss, grabbing the sides of his neck, choking him as they pulled him through the universe. His surroundings zoomed past him, the galaxies, the stars, the planets all blurring into blobs of colors splattering in his wake. Finally, he stopped dead in front of a giant monstrosity in the middle of space. A creepy smile stretched across its face, and its six eyes were enough to tell the tale.
Lucius's heart raced. It was fear. Instinctive fear was welling up inside him as he tried to run, scramble, squirm. "Maya! Baruta! Parkel! Mom! Dad!" But nothing. No one for a million light years could save him or even feel his plight.
Then he woke up.
"Ugh… For fucks sake… not again…" He muttered.
The bedsheets were soaked in his cold sweat. He quickly unfurled the bedsheets and tossed them outside his room with the several other moldy ones.
He quickly stepped into the bathroom for a warm shower. Washing away the stickiness and momentarily, the nightmares. He quickly brushed his teeth, and finally putting the make up back on.
Before leaving the mansion, he strolled down the hallway, picking up 2 of the least moldy sheets, dropping them into a large bucket of water by the door followed by soap, which he hoped would miraculously get rid of everything wrong with the sheets.
He walked through the same streets, through the bustling streets once more. Constantly reminded that the world moves on regardless of the griefs he hides within himself, an awfully painful reminder.
Children running through the streets without a care in the world, dragged the nostalgic memories from the dredges of his heart. Baruta, Parkel, Maya and himself, running through the streets playing element ball. He could even see the outlines of the chalk on the floor.
Alas, he had reached school.
"Hi, Lucius!"
"Oh, Sophie. How can I help you?" Lucius smiled.
"Oh no, I just want to apologize for yesterday. Perhaps I was intruding or something. I know it is hard for you at a time like this." She pulled her bag up onto her shoulders.
Lucius smiled, waving away her worries. "It's alright, Sophie. Thanks for stepping in."
Her expression grew ever more radiant, almost annoying even. Her smile expressed a positivity he could never comprehend, "I just wanted to avoid any fights! Anyway, is everything going better?"
Lucius shrugged his shoulders with a large exhale, trying to find the right words, "It's been a while. A few months? Hard not to feel better after all this time."
"Great!" Sophie smiled, patting his shoulders. "Sometimes, all we need to do is just surround ourselves with positive energy! Great to know you're doing better!"
"Uh-huh. Thanks for caring." He said flatly
Sophie turned, looking around the campus for a moment before skipping over to them. "See you in class!"
Lucius sighed and stood still for a moment. Every single person oblivious to how he truly felt. He could try to reveal his pain… But all he could hear was the laughter of his peers, the loss of respect for not only him but the Thornes family.
"Oh, didn't know the descendants of Thornes were this weak." He could practically hear it… It is not something he can portray to the others, not when he is the last to carry on the family spirit…
Whatever the spirit is…
He finally reached class, found a random seat overlooking the class, and the professor spared no time.
"Right! Week 7 is the week we summarize everything we've taught so far! It might get a bit boring, but stick with me if you want to pass your exams!"
The man turned to the board behind him. His hands quickly glossing over the board, drawing various lines across, "So! In the beginning, there were dungeons. According to the scriptures of our ancestors, the world has around 100 dungeons, but the one the city of Eryndale is built around is known as the largest one in the world. It has been known to be bestowed upon us by the gods as the dungeons provided meat, and most importantly relics."
He drew out the cave system that went on deeper and deeper, the lines and details becoming vaguer as even he probably didn't remember the exact details. " Listen up, this part is important. These cave systems are segregated into 5 floors, each floor segregated by these giant shafts that previously. Now, our Terra Fluxborn have changed their shapes for a more approachable descent."
He rubbed off the chalk of the shaft and turning into a coiled path, " Each floor's entrance to the next is quite ambiguous and had to be found. But, of course, as of right now, we know the locations of each."
Finally, he put his chalk down and walked back to the podium. "But most importantly, each dungeon around the world has a different layout and design. What I have described might seem common sense, but the thing is…even the dungeon in the city next to ours might be different. Regardless of these, economic….."
Lucius's mind wanders off. The professors blabbered into white noise that fed his daydreaming. This was quickly interrupted by a bell for the end of the lesson.
Today was the last day of the week, so it was his only lesson. He quickly walked out of the classroom, letting his legs go wherever they pleased, walking to the area he somewhat yearned for again.
It was something about the roof, or perhaps it was Seraphina. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was a place that allowed him to drop his guard, a place where he needn't worry about how he looks. A place he could truly rest without being constantly reminded of what he was supposed to be.
He walked through the same halls. The conversations and discussions were loud. Too loud. It was all too suffocating, just like their shifting gazes. Were they looking at him? Were they judging him? What were they thinking?
He hastened his pace, skipping the steps on the stairs, trying to escape the noise until he reached the door once more. He quickly got out, and walked to the railings. The crisp wind kissed his skin and for a fleeting moment, it was like all his worries washed away. Everything felt so detached from reality, it felt surreal.
He climbed over the railing and sat on the tiles for a split second before lying down and looking to the skies above. Beautiful.
"Of course, you're up here. Earlier than me this time." Seraphina muttered as she laid right beside Lucius without hesitation, "Ah…" she let out in relief.
The screams of the students felt distant. Muffled. The perfect distraction. He closed his eyes, trying to get the sleep his mind was too afraid to get at night, but he could feel it. Seraphina's gaze at him, unwavering. Although he didn't much care for it as she thought he would.
"How can I help you, Queen Celeste?" he asked, turning to meet her eyes.
"Was thinking, since when did you come to the roof top so often. If you had, I would've went somewhere else earlier." She said, shifting in her position, "You sure you'd rather escape here than just… I don't know… go home?"
Lucius groaned as he adjusted his position as well. "Talkative today, aren't we?"
He put his hands behind his head before turning to look at the sky, his eyelids weighing down. "Could say the same about you."
There was a moment of hesitation. "Guess you could."
Lucius glanced at her as she shrugged her shoulders.
Peaceful silence befalling again, grey clouds overhung, blocking out the sun's rays but the winds were refreshingly strong. The howls grew louder, even so than the muffled voices beneath.
He quickly glanced at her again. This time, it was curiosity that got the better of him. The scars on her wrists were even more prominent this time.
"Struggling?" The words leaked out of his mouth, almost unintentionally.
Seraphina paused. "Yeah, I guess."
"Is it me? Because I'm not recognizing you as my nemesis?" Lucius thought he connected the dots.
She pursed her lips, a slight frown revealing, "Nah, don't think too highly of yourself. Not everything is about you. Just… a family thing."
Lucius looks back to the sky. "I see…"
I guess everyone has their struggles huh, one way or another.
In reality, he had always known it. Yet, he simply couldn't get over the fact that… he was alive? The question always lingered in his head: "Why me?"
Was it because he was first in school? Or that he was stronger? Looking back, he had done nothing. Nothing to deserve being alive, yet here he was. Perhaps the only reason he continued to fight, to hold his first place regardless of how depressed he was.
He sometimes liked to imagine how the world would've been should he had been the one to have died. He could've had the opportunity to sacrifice himself so his family could escape. Perhaps they could've brought together forces around the world and defeated that thing.
Perhaps they would've had the grandest funeral in his wake. He could imagine it all, clear as day behind his eyelids. He watched from above as his family members cried, but he knew better…
"Oi… OI!"
"Huh? What?" Lucius' eyes shot open as he looked around and it was already evening as the sun was setting, "Time to go, unless you want to sleep in school or something."
"Ugh…" Lucius stretched his body as he looked to where Seraphina was, but she had already left, the door already closing.
"Oh, I have a battle…" He muttered, quickly climbing up again and rushing to the battle hall to find that Orion wasn't there yet.
"Yo! I'm hyped for this one." Jasper extended a hand to Lucius, who met him with a firm grip. Jasper pulled hm closer slightly, whispering to his ear, "Fuck him up," before releasing.
"Who'd you think I am? Fucking people up is my specialty." Lucius smirked as he walked over to the two professors sitting at the table.
"Mr Rowan. It's been a while."
The man stood hall, a head above the young Lucius, with a beard that stretched to his side burns, with disparate white hairs amidst a field of black. His hair above tied into a ponytail, grey strips extending to the back of his head.
"Certainly it has been Lucius." He stood up to greet him, "I see you have been coping well. Still top of the school as always."
"What can I say? It's too easy."
Rowan chuckled, "Knowing your talents, it is certainly true. Well, hope you enjoy the match today," he nodded before going back to the documents on his desk, doing the administrative work.
"Same for you." A slight smirk lingered in the corner of his mouth as he turned to the door, watching as his opponent had just arrived. He tossed his bag into the stands as he unbuttoned his uniform, revealing a large, burly body. His muscles were well-toned from the years of dedicated training, making him stand a whole 2 feet over Lucius.
Lucius walked closer, extending his hand, knowing very well the response that would come.
"Fuck off." Orion swept his hand away, "I didn't come here to play fighting with you. I'm here to knock you off your fucking perch, cock first-year."
"Okay." Lucius looked into his eyes, a stare down that lasted as they walked up to the fighting platform. A cemented and well crafted platform of black and grey, spanning 15 feet by 15 feet.
"Formalities complete. Orion Lark against Lucius Thornes. Start at Will."
Immediately, Orion launched himself forward. With a sharp inhale, he thrust his palm forward, sending a gale-force burst of wind directly into Lucius. The sheer pressure of the wind kicked up a cloud of dust from the platform as it forced Lucius to the edge of the platform.
He raised his arms as the winds continued to barrage him, erring him ever so slightly off the platform, but he quickly pivoted on his right foot, letting the wind rush past him. But Orion saw it coming.
His shadowy figure moved behind the storm of dust swiftly, sending blades of wind that sliced through the dust and at Lucius. Lucius dodged each with ease as the dust telegraphed the trajectory of the blades.
With a final blade approaching, Lucius flicked a spark onto the moving blade. Upon contact, the spark exploded in flames, forcing the dust apart. Instead of dying out, the flames coalesced into a ball of fire that jetted itself at Orion.
Without panic, the wind howled all around the chamber. He moved faster, dashing at Lucius as the fire died from a zone of vacuum formed.
The air spiralled around Orion's arms, coating his fists with extremely high-speed winds. Lucius watched as the fist came closer and closer, nothing but a smirk hanging on his face as he tapped his finger upon the incumbent attack. In a flash, a large explosion of fire blasted in all directions from him.
Orion, planted on the ground, burns on his arms and face, scrambling to his feet in the distance.
"That's all you've got?"
"You bastard…" Orion droned off, conjuring a blade of wind that extended from his arms, his balance staggering from the ringing in his ears, "You're fucking toying with me."
"At least you managed to figure it out." Lucius stretched his arms, playfully pointing a finger gun at Orion, a tiny spark of flame pulsing.
The air grew thinner, almost into a vacuum, as the remaining atmosphere was funnelled into the blade.
Lucius grabbed a breath before he dashed through to Orion.
With a hasty swing of his blade, Lucius turned and dodged. He grabbed the arm and twisted, kicking up Orion's pivot leg, throwing him to the ground. As the wind blade almost made contact with Lucius, a spark exploded again, bursting the concentrated air out to the atmosphere once more.
Lucius took in a deep breath, throwing one final sucker punch straight into Orion's face with a smile. He stood back up, sweeping his hair back as the platform lay in a mess. His shoulders already relaxed, he walked off the platform.
But Orion wasn't done. Slowly, painfully, he got back up right, his next words cutting through the air like the very blade he made, "All this firepower, and you can't even save your family, huh! What a goddamn shame! But perhaps we are better off without them if they were so weak!"
For the first time this match, the subtle smirk on Lucius's face faltered. The temperature around the arena spiked, heat rising in waves that warped the very air, suffocating the space between them. He took one slow step forward, then another. Each step felt like it was pressing in on Orion.
Finally, Lucius crouched down, his hand gripping Orion's hair. With a sharp tug, he tilted Orion's head back, forcing his gaze to meet his. Orion's body trembled beneath the pressure, struggling against Lucius' unyielding strength, but he simply couldn't break out.
Lucius leaned in, his voice in a cold whisper that sent chills down Orion's spine. "Today," he said, "not even the professors will be able to save you."