"What dictates that which is now and that which is yesterday? Progression would be the obvious answer but what if tomorrow is known before yesterday? Who's to know what happens in between. The time between isn't a set piece of a puzzle but an ever changing ever evolving moment that fits into the seam as if it were always there when it becomes known. Time is never set." Death read confused.

He had been searching for something for a long time and he believed he was onto something. But he didn't understand it just yet. This tome seemed to hold another 'Memory' he needed.

Death was interrupted when he sensed 3 entities approaching. He set the book down and went and took a look.

Death was watching the children who had entered the library.

The heavy doors leaving a resounding 'thunk' as they shut closed.

Three people had entered his territory. Their lives were his. From his vantage on the third floor balcony, Death slowly nocks his bow. A bow of white wood with a black string that he had claimed for his own years before. He still had his dagger but this situation called for hidden means.

The three who had entered were no slouches. Princes and a princess of some far off country sent here to gain fame for their respective domains.

Two men and one women. It was obvious that they were here for him. Killing death would make them famous. The one who had yet to perish even once in his stay in the tower.

Long ago, he had thought it a palace but it was truly a prison. Death was an expert on prisons, real and phantasmal.

No matter how many floors he traveled down there was always another. A deeper depth that seemed to always give off an ominous air. Death though gave no fear when going further only disdain. From the day he had been able to care for himself it had always been that way.

Memories of the last life would come to his aid whenever he needed them. But otherwise he had realized long ago that he wasn't the person he once was. He thought his emotions greatly improved but his desires fickle as always.

Afterall, his current predicament lay in his own success.

From the day he had entered into the tower or better yet the academy. He had stunned those who tried to raise him. From being able to speak to having the desire to read books he had found. Most children who were in the nursery were very young.

In the times they were awake they were allowed to watch the battles of older children be they inspiring magi, warriors, and even archers. Death on the other hand was not interested in the least he would see a book and point to it and ask to read it.

Death was trying to get a better understanding of the world that lay around him. He had been able to break down language that had been foreign to him even reading them aloud to the other babies.

This made those in charge of him happy as well bone chillingly afraid. They understood he had been blessed but none knew by whom. Marked children were usually heralded as heroes and future kings. Saviors and the like. But at this time there was a great peace. No God had ever marked someone when peace was all around. But now they saw him as an omen of troubling times.

The other children at the time not knowing what the odd child was tried to befriend him, but he would only pat them on the head and send them away.

They started to place him along the same perch as the teacher and caretakers on the field. Whenever a problem occurred they would first come to Death.

This had also been noticed by the caretakers. It gave them kind of trouble you never hear about. As the ideas that would be given to fix the problems were always straight forward and blunt.

After all by the time death was around the age of four. He was the leader. Not a bad thing at the thought but eventually it made difficulties.

No one of course were allowed to have names at this time but he would begin to name the children in ways that made it easy for him to remember them.

Around this time they decided to allow him to join the tower seriously. His body size was around that of a 5 year old. While his new classmates would be six or seven but they figured that it would help to tone down Death's ego. After all no one could die on the tower grounds.

They were wrong. On the first day he had gained the name that the friar had so childishly thought to call him.

************

"Allrigh yu bratssss. Time ta welllll" the mad stopped to take swig of his jug,"cum a nuewww memba." The large man said dramatically.

Obviously inebriated, I watched him closely as he began to sway back and forth. Taking a swig from the jug regularly.The other children were shivering back and forth in what looked like terror. Both boys and girls were completely nude, it made not sense to wear clothing to only have it saturated in blood. I couldn't help but have a sort of disdain for this man. I knew it was appropriate for the training but it was disgusting all the same.

"Yoo git ova heer!" The man said.

I walked slowly to where the man was.

Upon closer inspection I could see the copious amount liquid saturating the tip of his beard and his stained white shirt; the grotty hair showing through.

We were currently one of three classes having training in the courtyard. All the other classes were already screaming in pain or triumph. There was truly nothing special from the interior of the courtyard. No dummies were staged anyway probably on the belief that no one but the children would need to get be damaged here.

"Brilliant tactics to create hardened soldiers." I thought " Still it is not so pleasant when it becomes your own training regimen." I chuckled.

Mistake number 1.

A kick came out of nowhere and sent me barreling away.

"EYYY, Tis Ain't NO Time Ta LAugh" the Basterd screamed.

"He will die." I resolved.

I slowly rose to my feet feeling each individual muscle and bone to calculate the damage. A skill I had picked up in the last life. After all the most important skill is to know when to flee. Coward you may call me but I lived to tell the tale and finish it in more favorable conditions.

My condition was favorable based on what could have happened. I didn't have any weapons to fight with but I after all I am a master of going with my gut.

Five not even that. Three seconds later. The man was in front of me. His jug already swinging down towards my head. I had two maybe a half a second to dodge. So I fell to the ground. Far easier to dodge if your body is a third the size of a your opponent.

At the moment I had two choices. I would either attack or die. Just based on his agility if he had not been drunk this would have failed miserably. Always take the advantage in cases such as these. Pity your enemy for a second and it will be your blood being shed and not theirs.

I took a half a second to overheard roll between the bastards legs, jutting to my feet. Thanks to my tiny size. I could hear the giant roaring words that would have made his mother disown him. To bad. I quickly rolled back on heels into the focus all the small amount of weight that I could muster into the backside of his knee. I rebounded and was at his neck the moment he fell to a single knee.

Imagine now a common child holding on lovingly to the the neck of his father. Playfully swinging back and forth showing affections to the father. All the while the father laughing and smiling at his own sons innocence.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Now imagine the opposite.

I was indeed on the mans neck like the other child.

Still anyone who repeats the events of that day, speak once about the man who was in a drunken rage but always twice about the child with a cold look of Death upon his face as if this was a completely natural action.

I didn't stay on his neck for long. I quickly straddled the neck. He had just comprehended the situation and was beginning to grab for me but I had one chance and I already saw the opportunity. Pointing with index fingers with both my hand I slammed them into his open eye sockets going to the extent of wiggling the back of the cortex. The deafening scream of the man could be heard from the furthest edges of the corners of the courtyard. No doubt the friar had been somewhere laughing his little head off.

But I knew the other teachers would be on me in seconds. So I needed to be thorough. I would not allow anyone to hurt me ever again.

I grasped the back of my right hand with left. Shoving the palm adjacently into his nose. Any other child would have broken his nose at the actions, but I had the experience and no how of a master. I could feel the bone hit soft pallet of meat. With a loud squish. He had stopped screaming and was now silent. He fallen to his knees. I slowly crawled down the mans back and stood looking at the other teachers around me.

I could say it was ominous. But I felt in my element. It was my first kill in this world after all.

The teachers had witnessed the majority of the debacle. Quite frankly they had heard of the child that was marked and now attending their school. But none had thought more than that. It would be an underestimate to say that the child gave them fear, after all they had seen him just kill their colleague with hardly a trouble.

They stared at the child in the nude that was standing before them. His blond hair coming to his shoulders. Blood saturating the majority of his palms and dripping to the ground. His black eyes staring at them mockingly, as he wiped the his palm through his hair as if saying 'nothing to it'. All the while a black colored mark gleamed from the roof of his forehead. They felt dread.

Slowly I noticed as a man in black made his way over to the seen. He looked calmly at the child and the teachers and said a single word.

"Splendid." The man had a genuine smile upon his face as he said this.

"How is this 'Splendid'?" one of the teachers voiced,"He just killed Jon."

The man was the friar I had met before. He was the man that I naturally hated. But as he went to lift me into his arms I didn't protest. These adults after all still thought of myself as a child.

" Have you ever heard of a child that could do what this one could?"the priest said quietly.

"How will we teach the children without him?" another one said.

"Split the children among yourselves. There will be a replacement soon enough. But until then I'm going to personally train this one." He said.

As the priest carried me away I could hear the words of the teachers. Mutter and christen me once again the name that followed me for so long.

" That child is Death."

************

Refocusing back from the memory of that day years ago.

I let the arrow fly.

It landed directly in front of the party. There was a group flinch as they began to comprehend the situation.

"Come out Death, fight us like a man!" A male voice shouted.

I laughed. The eerie sound echoing throughout the dark library.

I could here the quivers of the female of the group already. My reputation truly preceded me.

"Well, I wouldn't be much of a coward if I fought 3 vs 1 would I?" I yelled out.

I saw the mage of the group begin to cast a spell. From his words I realized it was a common light spell.

I wondered for a moment why would he need something like that.

"Of course!." I realized . "They couldn't see in the dark."

It had become almost natural to me to go days without seeing light of any source. The very need of it seemed funny .

"Let's play with them a little bit" I thought to myself with a smirk on my face.

Nocking another arrow from my hidden quiver. I pulled my bowstring once again and let it glide through the air.

You could hear a faint whistling sound could be heard.

"What can you not aim that bow of yours!" the oaf barked.

I notched another one and shot .

"Is he an idiot? Even I co-." the oafs tease cut halfway short.

I didn't have the patience to kill these kids, my goal was to scare them away so that I could continue my research. I was about to make a breakthrough and this was fast becoming a pest.

A chandelier fell causing a great scream through the air.

Just as the spell was activated the crash resounded throughout the library.

The floor now littered with glass was reflecting the light from the mage's spell.

I hadn't seen the library illuminated before so the sight before me truly was beautiful.

"Do you really wish for me to play with you?" I said.

The children sat back and talked among themselves. Whispering and the not.

I could wait for them to come to a conclusion or I could end this now.

I decided to end it.

I jumped from the balcony and appeared before them.

They called me many names. Death, Dark prince, End of the road. I went by the first on all common occasions. But their was only one that annoyed me to no end.

"Sun!"The female called out assertively.

I couldn't help but want to shed a tear. This was more trouble than I had bargained for and here she was once again coming to find me. No doubt lying to these two about her ambitions in the first place.

"Regine, what is the occasion?" I said sarcastically.

"Our mother is searching for you? You passed the ordeal years ago. Why do you insist on staying in this place?" she says this half caring and half upset.

I had met her years ago and goes to say her presence unnerved me. With looks so similar to the woman that had given me a chance so many years ago of course I couldn't outright kill her.

I looked at the two others that had followed along with her and sent the warning that they must leave now.

They bolted faster than I would have thought them capable no doubt already feeling betrayed by the woman.

"Come. I guess I should show you what I have been researching all this time?" I called out to her.

She followed with a humph. I sighed miserably.

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