Chapter 9
Leon felt an indescribable excitement. Finally, he had found someone who could teach him to fight, someone who could change his miserable reality. He didn't care that his trainer seemed to be in poor condition, or that his training might not measure up to what his brothers received from their prestigious trainers. To Leon, this was the first step toward becoming strong, to be treated as a human deserving of respect, and to stop being looked at with disdain or mocked.
The Morning of Beginnings
Leon woke up early, excited for a new day filled with hope. He fantasized about becoming stronger day by day, and about making everyone who had mocked him recognize his abilities. He even imagined a moment where his father, the duke, would finally respect him—just once.
As he walked toward the training area, he ran into his brothers. They were standing with their trainers, who looked more powerful and professional. As expected, the moment wasn't without its sarcastic comments and loud laughter.
"Is he off to his magical training?" one of them sneered, followed by another saying, "Maybe his trainer will teach him how to run away instead of fighting!"
Leon didn't pay attention to them. He was used to this daily mockery. All he thought about was that he would respond to them in due time, once he proved himself to everyone.
The Strange Absence
When Leon reached the training area, his trainer was nowhere to be found. He looked around, wondering where he could be. It didn't make sense. This was supposed to be their first official day, and his trainer should have already been there.
Instead, Leon noticed something strange. A foul odor lingered in the air. He wondered if his brothers had set up another prank, like they often did.
He couldn't ignore the smell, and he felt that something was wrong. The nearby forest covered the area with its low-hanging trees, as though hiding a dark secret. He rushed toward the source of the odor, feeling an increasing sense of danger.
The Shocking Discovery
When Leon reached the source of the smell, he was horrified by what he saw. His eyes widened, and his chest tightened as if he couldn't breathe. His trainer, the person he had placed all his hopes in, was lying on the ground.
His body was horrifically disfigured. One of his arms was severed, and his leg was gruesomely mutilated. His body was covered in wounds and scars, indicating he had suffered greatly before his death.
"It's impossible..." Leon whispered before taking two steps back and collapsing to the ground.
The foul odor from his trainer's body made the scene even more terrifying. His eyes were wide open, as though pleading with the heavens for mercy.
The Psychological Impact
Leon stayed seated on the ground, unable to move a single muscle. The scene was too much for him to bear. His inner pain exploded, mixed with fear and shock.
"Why?" he said in a hoarse voice. "Why did this happen? Who could do something like this?"
Tears flowed down his cheeks as he remembered the hope he had felt just hours earlier. He had believed that this man, despite everything, would change his life. Now, everything had ended in such a horrific way.
Leon sat there for a long time, tears never ceasing to fall. It wasn't just the shock of seeing his trainer's body; it was the feeling that the whole world had conspired against him again. It was as though everything he had tried to build had crumbled before it had even begun.
A Decision Amidst the Darkness
As Leon stared at the disfigured body, his emotions began to boil inside him like a volcano ready to erupt. Sadness, fear, and anger overwhelmed him all at once, but he couldn't control what he felt.
His knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, his hands trembling violently. He tried to catch his breath, but the horrific scene was too overwhelming for him to process. Everything around him became blurry, as if the world itself was fading away.
"How... how did this happen? Why?" The words were stuck in his throat, but they didn't come out. The shock of the scene was more than he could bear.
As his thoughts collided like raging waves, he felt his head spin, and his body began to collapse even further. In that single moment, Leon lost consciousness and fell to the ground, motionless, leaving behind a dark world that enveloped everything.
End of Chapter