Igor knocked at a door. His solemn face hid his dim eyes, as he waited for a reply. Behind him stood Libertas looking down at his feet. During the whole walk, they didn't speak, it was awkward. From time to time a step reverberated somewhere in the corridor. The time flies by and soon the door creaked, it was opened. An old man peeked out.

"Please come in, His Majesty wishes to see your Highness."

Both nodded in acknowledgement, Igor stepped back and Libertas walked into the room. The old man wore a butler attire, as he looked through a monocle down at the Crown Prince. His father, His Majesty, sat at a Table, whilst he smiled at him. He pointed at a chair across him and said, "Come, sit down."

Libertas followed and immediately asked after sitting down, "Father, why did you call me?"

"Can't a father see his own Son without a reason?"

At this question, Libertas smiled weakly, while pressing his nail into his hand. His Majesty patted Libertas head as he stood up. He walked to a window and looked outside, a garden.

"I have found a teacher for you. Though he wants first see your Talent for Cultivation before accepting you."

Then he walked out. Libertas frowned, but followed him. The butler stood behind and closed the door. Thereafter he opened a side-door and stepped in. In the air was a sweet metallic smell. Even now a sweet and metallic smell crept out of the side-door gaps.

"Hello, little Crown Prince. You can call me Eduard. Don't just stand there, come in and take a sit."

A man with white skin, handsome face and a warm smile greeted the Father-Son pair. He led them to a table, before leaving again. After a while, he comes with a crystal ball in hand back. It shined bright, as it seemed to contain a whole world inside. Even the shining dimmed and brightened with a certain rhythm like it was breathing.

"This is called "The Reflection of Dao". This crystal allows others to peek into your mind and see your own 'Imaginary World'. Now, please drip a drop of blood at the crystal."

Libertas stared blankly at Eduard, before turning to his Father. How should he drip a drop of blood? Should he bite his finger? Nothing happened. Eduard stared similarly confused, though he laughed in the next moment. He grabbed Libertas' hand which shortly after jerked back. Blood fell from Eduard's finger on the crystal. The world turned once again for Libertas black and he crashed against the floor.

In the Imaginary World of Libertas. Libertas awakened in hid Imaginary soon again. After staring at his hands for a moment, he observed his Imaginary World curiously. Wondering, how it can be bright so bright one can't see anything without a light source. Then again it can be said it is dark, as you can't see anything. Then he frowned but not at the 'brightness' rather at something else he noticed in his Imaginary World.

The two adults appeared in the Imaginary World of Libertas. They too frowned pretty soon. His Majesty frowned as he can't determine if this 'brightness' was an intrinsic nature to this Imaginary World or his individual perception. He didn't know as he entered for the first time someone else Imaginary World.

After Eduard glanced around and not seeing another phenomenon, he closed his eyes in concentration. Then, suddenly he pulled out of thin air a pure white burning pearl. Something inside was overflowing and he crushed it. Sacred Flames engulfed the Imaginary World, instantly cracks formed.

"Ahhhhh"

Libertas screamed out, he clutched his head between his hands. With each new crack in his Imaginary World, the pain in his head increased. It throbbed and his vision darkened as a blazing fire scorched his awareness away. Such power wasn't something he could now fight against. He was too weak, a nobody who was powerless and helpless. He succumbs the moment his vision was fully burned away. The Imaginary World crashed in and the adults were banished back to reality.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"Meow~"

A cat's growl resounded in the Imaginary World, and the Imaginary World rapidly reformed as if nothing had happened. Following afterwards was sharp breathing in, all the Sacred Flames disappeared. Later on, a burp chased the silence once again away, before stillness settled in – at least for a while…

It wasn't dark or bright but something foreign, seemingly fake like a lie. A lie like a dream with no feeling of time and space. It was a boring dream with just Libertas floating in nothingness. Somehow it doesn't feel like he was alive like he was a machine. However, calling him dead didn't feel right. It was more like just existing and nothing else, not living or dead but something between. Should this feeling be described as 'Emptiness'? Maybe, maybe not, he didn't know. Though he seemed to start understanding something, but couldn't quite grasp it.

Back in the reality was Libertas sitting on a chair with his face planted on the table. He snored slightly. Eduard starred suspiciously at Libertas before he turned to His Majesty. Obviously, he wasn't pleased. His mouth edges were faintly pulled down and his eyes were drawn to each little movement of His Majesty. Nevertheless, he couldn't see the wet back of His Majesty.

"It seems your son… isn't very gifted. He showed no flexibility, resistance or resilience. His Imaginary World is terrible. An average Imaginary World would first distort, before slowly cracking, which start to heal just to crack again until the Imaginary World crash in."

"Seems like it… "

"Is he really… "

Without letting him speak to the end, His Majesty raged and slapped with his hand against the table, "You shouldn't doubt me! He is and I already promised it to you!"

"He better is! If I find out…. Hehehe, you would be better of dead."

His Majesty harrumphed as the reply and grabbed his son by the neck. After he raised him like a cat, he walked to the door.

"Hey, don't you have forgotten something?"

Eduard waved with a piece of paper in his hand.

"I don't need it!"

"You maybe, but your Son needs to know."

"I will tell him!"

"Just take it."

The paper was thrown at His Majesty, which forced him to catch it grudgingly. As he walked out of the door, a drop of blood fell from his finger. It was slit by the paper. Outside the door was Igor waiting. He was restless on his feet and went in a circle. Upon seeing the pair His Highness was thrown at him.

"He needs to rest."

After the short command, he moved on, ignoring Igor who had trouble not to fall on his nose. After he found his balance again, a piece of paper has fallen to the ground.

A day later in the morning. The same dim light shined through the slits of two fluttering curtains. The roof is white and the candle remained half-burned atop a long table. The scribbled papers and books were left at their place. Nothing has changed. The rooms were more or less the same…

"Will I die the same…?"

Libertas raised his hand high and clenched it to a fist. He felt empty, but with a hint of sadness. He was indignant but helpless to his coming fate. Unwittingly he muttered, "Will I be betrayed the same…?"

He bit his lips and sighed. His fist fell open on the bed. The door was opened, Igor came in with a tray in hand. A whiff of steam wafted from the tray. It stemmed from a mutton soup. Beside the plate of soup were two spoon and two loaves of bread.

"You are awake your Highness!"

Libertas stared at him, for a moment, Igor and a familiar Man of his past live superimposed. Just for a moment, he thought, he was back in his old-known world. In the next, he laughed with a mocking grin on his face, "Yeah, I am dead, long dead. I ain't him any longer! I am… "

He stared Igor who gaped stupefied back, "… Libertas!"

"You… Your Highness, are you insane? Did… did you hit your head?"

Libertas laughed it off and smiled back, "Have you already eaten?"

"Your Highness, shall I call a physician?"

"Come sit and eat with me."

"I don't dare, Your Highness."

"This is a command, not a request!"

Igor sighed, placed the tray at his Highness thighs and walked to the chair. While taking a piece of bread, he sighed once again, "Your Highness, you aren't behaving like a royal."

"I know and you aren't behaving like a servant."

"That is different. You are the crown prince, someone who will become the King."

"Do you know my Talent?"

"…"

"Sigh, seems like it is horrible."

Igor was stunned, before pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. It was wrinkled and patches of tears could be seen on it. Igor stared at the paper, as he apologized, "I am sorry Your Highness. This was given to you by His Majesty. I know I shouldn't have hidden it, but… "

"Don't worry. I believe you wouldn't hurt me."

Libertas stretched his hand and took the paper. He bit his lips, as he saw the content on the paper.