Year 2047

  Month 9

  Mercier Manor Gardens:

  Dante, thirteen years of age, took two steps back, quickly raising his arms. A kick landing hard on his forearms. Dante, with elbows tight on his body, pushed upward, deflecting the kick. He gasped for air, blood dripping down his cut brow.

  Reflected through his ocean blue eye stood a boy who appeared the same age as Dante, the boy has a messy blond hair and stared at Dante with violet eyes.

  Damn it!

  Dante thought to himself his eyes shifting left and right to see butlers and maids watching the battle, one woman in particular dressed in a red gown stared at Dante with her emerald eyes.

  Damn, Cole and his mother. The moment I no longer became a part of the tests he attacks me. A year older than me, is that why? Does he want to take out competition?

  “Why? I told you I didn’t want to fight, I’m not interested in the seat of household head!” Dante yelled.

  Cole glanced at Dante then at his mother who nodded.

  “Isn’t it an older brothers job to educate his younger brother? I’m just teaching you your place.”

  Cole attacked with another kick, this one aimed for the chest. Dante sidestepped and moved, catching Coles’s leg.

  Cole didn’t panic. The moment Dante gripped his leg, Cole twisted his hips, planting both hands to the ground.

  He spun and brought his heel around like a whip.

  Dante responded by dodging backwards, pulling on Cole’s leg, forcing his hands to lose their hold and only letting go of Cole’s leg at the last moment. The kick scraped Dante’s forehead, cutting through the surface of his flesh slightly but causing Cole to drop.

  Dante moved in and pinned Cole down before he could recover.

  “It’s over now!” Dante said, his breathing heavy but controlled.

  Dante glanced around at the angered face of Cole’s mother. Her emerald eyes had narrowed, and her jaw clenched tight with fury. The maids and butlers stood motionless, waiting to see how this would unfold.

  “You fool,” Cole sneered from beneath him. “Even if you’re better than me in fighting, you still have a mother with no real power. You think your mother can do anything because she works in government? That’s nothing. Learn your place.”

  As Cole spoke, something caught Dante’s eye—a subtle movement from within the manor. Through glass panels, a silhouette stood watching. The light caught something metallic that Dante immediately recognized.

  Father. Another test?

  …

  Of course. It is everything is a damn test!

  I’m done playing your games.

  Dante’s jaw tightened. He looked down at Cole, then back at the silhouette.

  “I’m not playing this game,” Dante said quietly, releasing his hold on Cole and stepping back.

  I’m done being your test subject.

  Cole looked at Dante with confusion. As Dante turned to walk away, Cole’s mother ran to her son. Her hand placing a small blade into his own.

  “Don’t allow that commoner to win.” She commanded.

  Cole looked shocked for a moment at his mother and then the blade in his hand.

  “Didn’t you hear me? Don’t you know how much I had to sacrifice to get here, do not ruin this!” she said as she gripped his shoulders tightly.

  Coles’s eyes hardened, and he nodded.

  Dante’s attention was already far too lost in his own thoughts. He sensed the movement too late. He pivoted, but the knife caught him across the brow, slicing a clean line just above his eye.

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  Cole tried to stab again as Dante stepped backwards.

  In the background Cole’s mother tightened her hand and smiled as she was mentally cheering for her son.

  “Its a shame.” one of the maids said.

  “If his maternal side was stronger this wouldn’t be possible.” a butler responded.

  Cole lunged forward with the blade, Dante stepped back. Each slash each stab Dante kept stepping back his eyes hardening.

  I’m not scared.

  …

  I feel…

  Focused.

  The blades tip touched Dante’s shirt.

  Too close.

  I can try and grab his wrist.

  A well-placed twist or pressure would make him drop it.

  But I would need to find the right timing, stepping outside the attack while catching his wrist.

  Our speeds are close, the risk of failure is high, he can just end up cutting my hand or me if I don’t stop it.

  Maybe I can get in his head cause him to do something reckless.

  Maybe a counterattack?

  Throat, eyes, groin, or solar plexus?

  The risk is pretty much the same as disarming him, even if I succeed he still has a chance to hit me.

  Dante glanced to the side for a moment. An action that Cole took advantage of with another thrust that Dante barely dodged.

  I don’t have time to look around for something to use, much less actually take the time to use it.

  Ok

  Its a risk but ill have to force an opening, a strong tackle, he will try to keep me at bay, I’ll need to let him stab me somewhere to slow him down while I tackle him.

  Dante steeled himself, tossing aside all distractions. His mind narrowed down to a single focused task.

  He stepped toward Cole.

  Cole lunged the knife aiming for his eyes.

  Dante continued advancing forward, moving at an angle, closing the distance with each step, his arms rising to catch Cole’s wrist.

  Cole’s violet eyes widened as it stared into Dante’s cold blue gaze. A shiver in his spine causing him to panic.

  He stabbed down less in control than before.

  Dante, taking advantage of the panic, raised his forearm, ignoring the painful bite of the cold blade biting into his flesh.

  Using the moment to crash into Cole, driving him back and slamming them both into the nearby pond.

  Splash.

  Water exploded around them. Cole’s breath caught as cold enveloped him. Dante landed on top.

  Dante pulled the knife out his arm Cole struggled and hit his hand causing the weapon to disappear somewhere in the shallow pond.

  They grappled immediately. Punches and elbows were thrown as the boys tumbled in the water. They rolled, trying to get on top of each other, neither one allowing the other to stabilize.

  From the side, yelling could be heard, yet neither one paid attention, neither gave it any thought. Only the cold, wet feeling and the heated battle deserved such attention.

  Luck was on Cole’s side as one of the rolls caused Dante to hit his head on a submerged rock.

  The blow sent dizzying waves through him as Cole continued his relentless assault.

  Soon, darkness overtook him.

  Dante was unconscious by the time a voice had called out.

  “That’s enough.” a seductive voice called as Katarina walked in dressed in her school uniform.

  “Finish him Cole drown the damn commoner.” commanded Cole’s mother.

  “Lady Mirabella, I wont repeat myself again.” Katarina said as she walked closer.

  “Cole thats enough.” her deep blue eyes sent shivers down Cole’s body, he released Dante, who laid there unconscious.

  “How dare you…” Mirabella began.

  Slap!

  Came the crisp sound.

  “You, did you just.” Mirabella’s eyes wide from the slap held her cheek in one hand.

  Slap!

  Mirabella’s head turned once more as her other cheek felt hot from the second slap. The lady looked at Katarina, who bit her lip gently with a look of pleasure across her face. Mirabella shivered as Katarina looked at her with those blue eyes, looking at a toy to play with, she had heard stories of Katarina before.

  Stories she thought were exaggerated.

  But now she began to believe that the stories were watered down.

  “Mirabella you are not a Mercier by blood, you are simply one of my father’s many women do not make the mistake of thinking otherwise.” Katarina began.

  “Dante’s mother may simple work in the government but, you don’t do a single thing your power comes from your father, as a person you are nothing, your intelligence is barely passable, your combat power is nonexistent and to top it off your pettiness isn’t even amusing, it’s just pathetic.”

  “Oh and Dante’s mother may not have any power compared to your… ah excuse me I meant your fathers power, hehe.” Katarina giggled.

  “But your father’s power is nothing compared to the Mercier houses power so don’t ever forget that.”

  Mirabella gazed downward not daring to comment or look at Katarina, afraid at what the mad woman would do.

  Katarina walked toward Dante, Cole quickly left the pool with no desire of being close to his sister whom he considered insane.

  “Oh Dante.” Katarina whispered as she ran lifted him from the pond and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

  “Those eyes, the way you looked at Cole when he dived into the knife…”

  …

  “I can’t tell how I feel, you have something, something I want to see.”

  “But I know one thing.”

  “Those cold eyes, mmm, hehe.” Katarina bent down and kissed his cut brow, covering her lips with his blood, then licking his wound slowly.

  “Sweet dreams dear Dante, I cant wait to see when you grow up and what lies in the darkest depths of your heart hehe.”