Silence. As the strange device in my fathers shaking grasp projected my status, like a soundproof chamber, muting all noise within its walls, complete silence filled the room. I could feel my fathers grasp on me loosening slightly as he inhaled deeply.

Please don't drop me.

I could also see my status from here, and to be honest, I didn't really feel much stronger, or feel any different at all actually.

Craaaash — the sound of glass breaking reverberated through the silent room, snapping people out of their earlier reverie. Some people began to half mindedly rub their eyes, as if trying to comprehend the status screen clearly visible above them.

“A-am I seeing things correctly right now?” one woman, still rubbing her eyes, stared at the screen unbelievably.

“So– it's really true, I'm not the only one seeing things right now?” Another person, a man this time that looked to be in his early twenties seemed to confirm his earlier disbelief as the woman spoke.

“Two S rank skills being inherited is unheard of. But even a divine blessing too?” The man speaking this time was someone I recognized. The blonde man that had a striking resemblance to my mother. His blue eyes looked up at me with keen interest. The beautiful boy with red hair sitting next to him was now also looking up at me, his expression unreadable.

Loud clamouring and people shouting over each other echoed throughout the walls of the ballroom, expunging the earlier silence. Was my status really such a freak occurrence? My father's grip on me seemed to have calmed down, no longer shaking.

Quiet footsteps could be heard from behind us as somebody approached. It was my mother, now standing beside us with Clear worry reflected in her eyes as she gazed down at me.

“Samel, this is too much” she said, as she re-directed her gaze towards my father, probing for a plan.

“I know” he replied, looking towards an empty corner of the room.

Empty? My eyes were telling me nothing was there, but as soon as my eyes focused on the empty space something within me told me otherwise. Like my eyes were being fed a picture that nearly perfectly matched its surroundings, I hadn't noticed it so far because I had just slightly glanced at it from time to time, but I could tell, something didn't feel tight.

“Samel, just what have you done?” A loud domineering voice seemed to echo out from empty space, its location pinpointing to the empty corner.

Then , seemingly out of nowhere, a man seemed to just appear, there was no slow unveiling of his presence, or sound to signify his form. He just appeared, almost as if he was there all along. His muscular grip held a white mask of a weeping demon, engraved within its forehead was an eye with a cross over it. Long silver hair draped down his waste, well kept and tied behind his back in a ponytail, revealing a moon shaped purple tattoo on his forehead. A pair of starlight silver eyes glared unhappily at my father as he questioned him.

“Prince Zanek, my family and I extend a warm welcome to yourself and your entourage” My father, seemingly unsurprised by the man's entrance, gave him a cordial welcome.

Entourage? There are more people hidden in the ballroom?

At least I wasn't the only one surprised, Many people looked shocked at the prince's arrival. My mother however, although shocked, seemed to already know he would be here.

It appeared this man was a bigshot within this country, many people already forgetting about me and looking in his direction. Mostly women.

“Cut the formalities, Samel. Explain yourself, Which dark god have you allied with to accomplish this! A Divine blessing from an unknown god shouldn't be possible” The Muscular man seemed irritated as he heard my father avoid the question, his chiselled features and silver eyes held a harsh gleam.

It looks like this world had rules in place to make it difficult for gods to hide their presence. Well, that troublesome goddess had told me she wouldn't be able to communicate with me much when I got here as it was outside her domain. Maybe this was just how a god's domain worked?

“I wont have you attend my daughters birthing ceremony bringing such treacherous remarks and hearsay Zanek! You know a dark god's involvement would immediately alert the church. Eldara's power also makes it impossible for a dark god to be hidden on the status page.” My father shouted intensely at the man he called Prince Zanak.

I could tell it was just an act, after all my father was not a man that was quick to anger. I don't think I had ever seen him lose his temper once. It seems my mother was aware of this too as she made no attempts to calm him down.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“...…..” Perhaps gathering himself or maybe waiting for the audience to soak in my fathers response, intense silence once again filled the halls.

“...apologies Samel, I didn't mean to slight your daughter. Her future prospects just impressed me greatly and I lost my reasoning for a moment'' Apologising, Zanek's muscled frame bowed slightly towards my father.

A prince bowing to my father? Just who was he?

As if clearing the wind, the prince's voice was like a signal of authority, alerting the guests that my power was safe and allowable under the country's laws. I could hear my mother exhale sharply beside us as voices began to raise within the room once more.

“A divine blessing and two high ranking skills, her future is nearly limitless.” A man spoke up within the hall, breaking the silence once again and allowing for more excited chatter.

“Dear, our son is turning of age soon, even though he might be a bit old, perhaps we should attempt a marriage proposal?” A couple of two seated closely to the front discussed taking my hand in marriage for their son. Disgusting.

More loud chatter filled the air, people now thinking they could somehow gain my power or future power.

What a stupid and pointless ceremony.

“SILENCE!” As soon as the prince spoke the surroundings seemed to obey in unison, as silence filled the room once again.

“I'm sure you have seen the king's message Samel, so you probably know why I'm here. The youngest prince, my brother Denir, just turned 10, although his talent isn't as high as Tenes, he's also a once in a millennia talent.” Zanek's gaze pierced into my fathers eyes, anyone with a brain could tell he was hinting towards a marriage proposal between our families.

repressed giggling could be heard in the room as he spoke, it looked like this Denir person lacked a decent reputation.

“That boy has been shown to be an extremely arrogant troublemaker, Zanek '' clear displeasure could be heard in my fathers voice as he replied.

“Simple youth. By the time Tene is of age, I guarantee a changed man” Zanek responded, his tone unreadable.

This Zanek appeared to be an immaculate and calculative man, I found it difficult to read his intentions, his earlier outburst began to seem more like a ploy to clear my name then to really harm us. Or perhaps it was a threat.

“People don't change so readily,” my father replied coldly.

Ignoring my fathers cold tone he continued, hints of warning lingering in his voice “this marriage would, in a way, return the throne to the Renharts, their son being the next king of Eldara, is this not a blessing Samel? Or is there perhaps some reason you would be unable to accept such an advantageous proposal?”

“...” the silence continued as guests watched the exchange with bated breaths.

“...Tene is to be the new successor of the Renhart family” Loud gasps filled the room as my father spoke.

“A girl? the successor?”

“Has he gone mad!!?”

disrespectful tones rolled across the room like a toxic gas, poisoning the air around them.

I see, so this is a world where women are treated as unequal to men.

A seed of disgust took root within my heart as I heard vile words being spread across the room. The thing that surprised me the most however, was the high pitched sounds of women that joined the chorus of voices.

Zanek, suddenly no longer calm and composed, glared at my father with a chilling gaze. “You would go this far Samel!!” shouting loudly he kicked the table in front of him, smashing it across the room and splattering its contents against the wall. Shocked, I looked at the man that seemed calm and calculated moments ago.

Wait, this can't be the same person?

Gritting his teeth he gripped his hands heavily against his head, rage fuming. “I'll give you one last chance to take that back Samel, you would dare mock the royal family with words of such treachery!?”

There were no cries of shock or disappointment towards the prince's change in temperament, my father in particular looked slightly relieved.

Then suddenly, catching everyone off guard, a skeletal hand pressed its bony palm against the prince's chest, materialising instantly seemingly from nowhere.

“Ok, time for a nap, young prince.” Instantaneously, a thin silhouette manifested and held onto the falling prince, seeming to just appear from thin air.

“Apologies for any disrespect he might have caused Samel, you know how the prince's condition can get ” holding the prince, a… skeleton stood within the room. That was the only word that came to mind. A hollow skull with black holes for eyes pointed its head in my fathers direction.

How… Does it even function? Why does nobody look surprised? As I stared at the skeleton more and more questions seemed to come to mind. Good thing I'm a baby. I couldn't help but stare at…it.

It wore no tunic but instead black robes that seemed to embody the essence of shadows draped eerily around its bony form. Dragging its robes against the floor it inched closer towards my father. “It's been a while Samel. Sorry for hiding my presence for so long, though I'm sure I've been found out for a while now.” A deep male's voice seemed to echo from its hollow mouth.

“It's fine Obitus, I know people tend to not take too keenly to your appearance.” My father replied calmly… to a talking skeleton.

Looking around the room, although nobody seemed surprised by his appearance, there were varying levels of disgust. Huh, I guess talking skeletons are something of a rare occurrence then. A slight feeling of disappointment washed over me.

“HAKHAKHAKHAK” Randomly laughing maniacally its teeth clattering against each other the skeleton dropped the prince on the floor, seeming to forget himself.

“Oh, my bad.” Picking him back up his skeletal head rotated its neck to look around the room, frightened gazes glancing back.

“No, you're right, not really a fan of the gazes to be fair, gets under my skin.” Obitus appeared to be making some kind of joke, though his lack of facial expressions made determining this difficult. All he got in response were frightened reproachful glances. Hmmm, he works for the king and he seems approachable enough. Why are people so frightened of him?

“I would love to catch up in a more informal setting, Samel, but you know how it is, king's orders and whatnot. We really can't leave with nothing, you know how he is” Obitus’s tone as he mentioned the king seemed to shift slightly from the playfulness it had since his appearance.

Raising an eyebrow my father questioningly asked “I've already announced that Tene is to be the next head of the Renhart family, that means she will not be marrying outside”

“HAKHAKHAK, yes, I heard your interesting proposition Samel, it was a joke right? You do know the king would never agree to that?” Standing up fully with the unconscious prince now wrapped over his back, a tall skeletal figure made a looming appearance within the hall.

“He doesn't get a say in this, Obitus.” well he could have certainly phrased that better, this was the king we were talking about. It looked like my father didn't particularly fear him. Though it was still rather off for him to instigate someone like this.

“Oh, really now?” With a wave of his skeletal hand, I felt it. No, I'm sure everyone within the room felt it. DEATH. Not the feeling of looming unavoidable death you would feel at the edge of consciousness or the fear of death you would feel when approaching danger. No, it was something far more primal and Evil, complete death. As if I suddenly became nothing more than a living corpse, lifeless and void of meaning. I could still see, hear and feel, yet I knew something was missing, Some component that made life what it was.

For the first time in my new life, I felt fear.

“OBITUS!! YOU WOULD DARE!!” Even though my father was screaming directly in front of me, I could barely comprehend it, like he was screaming directly into my ear but underwater. I could feel my senses drifting and falling, deeper and deeper. Now I could only hear muffled gargling, the weeping voice of my mother barely reaching my consciousness.

Well, I guess it's nothing particularly new? Darkness.