Way of the Knights

Chapter 873: Stephen

—

The day began just like any other for Raven. 

He woke up from his long sleep a bit frazzled and seemingly on auto-pilot as he searched for food to consume. Thankfully, he prepared some before entering his slumber so he could just consume it right away. 

He had been working tirelessly for the past few months without any rest so when he took a break, he decided to make the most out of it. This is what he had always did and it has become a routine by now. 

Even with his frazzled state, Raven was still aware of his surroundings and the amount of time passed during his slumber. He knew that there are still a few days left for his mini-vacation and he doesn't plan on giving those up. Even he could, he wouldn't since Luna wouldn't let him hear the end of it. 

What's good though, is that he's nearly finished with the last project he'll need to prepare Divine Realm. Which means that not too long from now, they can actually rest easy and just observe as their home prosper. 

With the time they bought for themselves, hopefully their chances of beating the Abyssals rises. 

He could tell that the rest of his teammates were already starting their vacations and frankly he was quite jealous of that. Then again, he chose to carry this burden so he might as well see it through, it won't be long from now until he finished anyway so complaining doesn't really do anything. 

Anyways, ever since he woke-up, Raven had this feeling that something strange was happening. 

At first he ignored it since usually this sensation points to the looming threat above their heads but then again, it nagged his mind so he eventually put some thought to it. 

He wasn't able to put a finger on it at first. He thought long and hard whilst devouring his food but he just can't pinpoint where the sensation was coming from. 

The sensation didn't leave him in peace, which disturbed his supposed rest so he had to discover what's causing it for the peace of his mind. 

He used some methods to make it easier for him to discover what this sensation was. It succeeded, but the discovery made him feel stupid. 

It was a resonance from his very own seals. How could he have not discover it? 

Raven fought the urge to bang his head on the cold hard floor upon discovering this but resisted it. Instead of harming himself, why not just focus on what's happening instead? 

He focused onto his seals to trace where the sensation is coming from and to his utter surprise, he found the one. 

The one that found his inheritance and resonated with it.

This one was quite stupid and naive. It was a young boy who stumbled into the place where he left his inheritance. From a simple glance, he didn't even know where he was but he didn't care. He just saw that the place looked good enough to use as a temporary shelter and was fine with it. 

The young boy discovered the core of his inheritance. The fact that he could actually see it means that he could possibly interact with it. And the fact that he could interact with it, means that he has the potential to inherit Raven's legacy. 

Then again, the boy was quite peculiar and stupid to boot. Still, Raven can work with that under the premise that the boy actually agrees to inherit his legacy. 

—

Life has not been kind to the young boy named Stephen. 

He's an orphan who got kicked out of the orphanage since apparently he eats way too much. Which is not true actually. If anything, the orphanage doesn't give him the food that was meant for him so Stephen actually had to fight for what little crumbs he could, but as a child his attempts are mostly thwarted by the adults who seems to be keen on making his life miserable. 

Still, humans are applauded for their ingenuity and their resourcefulness. They could easily adapt and learn in order to survive and progress. Apparently, these gifts are amplified once they are pushed to a corner. 

Stephen learned and adapted to his situation quite easily. He learned that this world is cruel and unfair before he even knew what those words actually meant and how to read them. 

When he grew old enough to eventually outsmart the adults in order to make things more comfortable for him, he got kicked out of the orphanage. 

Only the clothes he was wearing that day were the things he was able to bring with himself. Not a single cent on his pocket and more importantly, nobody to rely on. 

Strangely enough, Stephen just rolled with it. 

Was he upset about the unfairness of his situation? Yes, incredibly so. Did he cry? More than he's willing to admit.

Is he angry? Did he vow for revenge? 

Well, that's most likely a 'No' for him. 

If you ask him, Stephen himself wouldn't be able to properly explain it. Sure, what the adults did to him was dirty. Sure, his life was unfair and quite tragic. His current situation is dire. He practically has nothing on him and he was uneducated too so surviving on his own would be quite difficult to do. 

Still, even with all of that. Stephen couldn't really say that he hated the people who did this to him. For Stephen, hate might just be a strong word. It's probably because he is too young and therefore, inexperienced, that he didn't hate them. This might change as he grows up but for now, he doesn't hate them. 

Besides, hating them wouldn't solve his situation anyways. 

When Stephen found this abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere, frankly he wasn't expecting much. When he stepped foot in it, he found out that nobody was here and that's when he rejoiced. Well, at least he has a roof above his head, it's tattered, but it'll make do. Beggars can't be choosers after all. 

Now, all he needs is a source of food.

He noticed that there is a stream of water nearby and thought that he might just be able catch some fish if he worked really hard on doing so. He doesn't know how to properly fish but it wouldn't stop his angry stomach for trying. 

The problem was starting a fire though. That is something he has no idea how to do. 

While he could probably ask around and potentially borrow a torch to start a fire, he hesitated since some people might just report him to the guards and they might imprison him for whatever reason. With his recent experience with adults, nobody could blame him for acting this way for now. 

Touring the interior of the abandoned shack, he discovered some writings on the wall. He can't understand any of it but he discovered that they're everywhere. 

This got his attention and his curiosity. It distracted him from his own hunger which, he didn't even notice, was slightly dissipating ever since he entered this place. 

He was oddly enamored with the writings he saw. None of them made sense to him but he was oddly drawn to them. He even traced some of it and was surprised to feel some warmth in them. He thought that the warmth was probably because of the sunlight heating this place up but the section he touched was shielded by what remains of the roof so that shouldn't be possible. He's just a little stupid to not notice that. 

Eventually, Stephen managed to trace the origins of the all writings. He discovered that there is a dusty ball left at the center of the table. This is where all the writings started from and Stephen felt a pull from it which freaked him out. 

The set-up was so obvious though. The ball was practically begging to be touched by him but Stephen was too scared to do so. 

He froze up and remained where he was. Unable to step back or look away from the ball since he felt so drawn towards it but also incredibly scared since he didn't understand what was happening. Well, nobody could blamed him for acting this way.

He's a child for crying out loud. One that doesn't know much about the world since the adults he encountered in his life mistreated him and kept him away from it. 

Stephen was equal parts torn and scared. He really didn't know what to do. 

His rationality told him that it would be for the best if he left this ball alone and just focus his attention elsewhere, like searching for potential food so he can actually survive. However, the temptation the ball gave to him was too much for him to completely resist so he remained rooted on his spot. 

Stephen thought long and hard about his situation. Eventually, he caved in and took several steps forward. He gritted his teeth and placed a hand on the ball, closing his eyes and looking away just in case something bad happens. But as time passes…

He figured out that nothing was happening…

Yeah, he really didn't know what to fell after that. 

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