In the slums of Golden City, everything is quiet, save for the activities of common criminals exercising their craft.

The sun had set hours ago and the moon was high, people were sleeping peacefully in bed, when a loud bang shattered the quiet night air.

A young boy runs through the winding streets like he is chased by the hounds of hell.

He turns into an alley where he tries to catch his breath.

He gasps "A little too much firework powder, nearly blew my hand clean off.

Next time I should use less."

An angry girl’s voice sounds from the shadows at the end of the alley. "Lux Tenebra next time I will thump your ears, you woke the entire Slums with your trickery."

The perpetrator behind that loud explosion was Lux Tenebra a nine year old boy, with an average build and black hair his eyes were the antithesis of his body with a beautiful blue color donning them. 

Lux turns and smiles while saying in mock surprise "Aerin what are you doing out at this time of night? You should be in bed, your mother will be worried."

Aerin is Lux’s friend and neighbor; she is older than him by one year with a thin body, long blonde hair and blue eyes.

Aerin huffs and stomps her feet as she furiously says "My mother will be worried? What about your mother and brother? You know Seff will be upset when he finds out you went out at night without him."

Seff is the older brother of Lux, he is ten years old and unlike his brother he has an athletic body which makes him to look a little older, his eyes are green which matches up very much with his brown hair.

Lux shrugs and mutters "Seff would have slowed me down, his body is too big.

He is better suited to be a warrior than a rogue anyway."

Aerin scowls at him and snaps "Well let’s get home anyway before we get into any more trouble tonight. Isn't it your birthday tomorrow, just in time for the Power Hall Potential Test, right?"

Lux and Aerin start walking home as quickly and quietly as they could through the misty streets, using only the moonlight to see by.

Lux laughs "Hahaha, yes it is. I'm excited to find out if I have any power so I can become a mage. Do you think you have any power? You are 10 years old, the minimum age requirement to take the test."

Aerin shrugs and says " I hope I am a healer as I don't like fighting.

What about you?"

Lux spreads his arms and waves them like wings while saying "I hope to be an air mage because I always liked the idea of flying in the sky and use powerful gusts of wind to blow away people who try to hurt me. That way I can protect you, Seff and Mum."

By the time they stopped talking, they reached Aerin's home which is next to Lux's house.

Both houses are rundown wooden houses with leaky roofs and worn paint.

Lux says to Aerin "Well, have a good night sleep before tomorrow’s test. Night."

He then gives her a quick hug and Aerin pushes him away while blushing.

She says "... Well good night, also you will tell me what you were doing tonight, in the morning?"

Lux laughs and says "Fine, I was putting a firecracker under Little Johns bed.

Hahahaha, you should have seen his face! Tripping all over, Hahaha.... Ahem."

Aerin glares at him and says "This is why he beats you. You do know this right?"

Lux shrugs and says "He would do it anyway, might as well get payback.

Well it’s late and I am tired so I am going to bed, goodnight beautiful."

Lux then enters his house and quickly closes the door on Aerin’s red face.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Aerin raises her fist and says "I will get you tomorrow for embarrassing me, Lux, just you wait."

Aerin starts thinking while entering her house "Does he really think that I am beautiful?"

The next day Lux is lying in bed when his brother comes running in and jumps on the bed.

His Step-Brother's full name is Seff Wolf, he is Lux's foster brother and is the same age as Lux.

Seff was found starving by Lux in the streets of Golden City's slums, he carried him home to his mother who decided to adopt Seff into her family.

Seff chose not to take Tenebra as his Surname; instead he decided to keep his own name, the name he remembered from his own father, Seffra Wolf-Eye.

Seff shouts "Happy birthday Lux, come on wake up it's your Birthday sleepy-head."

Lux wakes up to his brother's face close to his own.

Lux yelps and scrambled away from Seff while yelling "Argh, get away idiot, are you trying to kiss me or something?"

Seff laughs and tries to grab Lux while saying "Well if that’s what the birthday boy wants? Who am I to deny him a birthday kiss, come here bro."

Lux dodges and runs from his room into the kitchen and shouts to his Mother who is cooking breakfast.

He shouts "Mum, Seff is trying to kiss me, make him stop."

Lux's mother grabs her son and while playfully saying "But I want to give you some birthday kisses too." She then starts kissing him on his cheeks and forehead. Trying to fight back, Lux whines "Stop it Mum, Mum stop it.

I am nearly a man you know? I am ten years old today; men don't get kisses from their mothers."

Lux tries to break free from his mother’s hug by sitting down but his Mother hugs him tighter, blocking his escape.

Lux's mother says lovingly "Men are always children in their mother’s eyes, no matter how old they get. And mothers can kiss their children whenever they want as they will always be their child."

Seff laughs and sarcastically says "Haha, Lux is getting babied. So much for being a Man, right Lux!"

Lux's mother then grabs Seff and then starts giving him kisses as well.

Lux and Seff start struggling together, but still can't get away from the grasping arms of their mother.

Lux's mother then says "you both might be leaving soon and so I want you to behave when you are at Power Hall as you will be treated differently because you both aren't nobles.

So I want you two to look after each other ok? Promise me."

Lux and Seff simultaneously chant "We promise to look after each other mum, can you let us go now?”

Right after they spoke there is a knock at the front door.

Lux's Mother lets her sons go and resumes cooking breakfast.

Lux shouts "Come in!"

Aerin walks into the kitchen and says "Hello everyone, happy birthday Lux, I have a present for you."

Lux smiles and says "Thank you, what is it?"

Aerin hands over a small black jewelry box. Lux opens it and sees ring.

The ring has a cloudy onyx jewel as the center piece with grey flecks which look like they are moving, while the band of the ring is made of some black and grey metal.

Lux says "It's beautiful, just like you."

Aerin blushes and punches Lux in the arm while shouting "Shut up stupid!"

Lux's mother covers her mouth while giggling.

She says "You two would make a good couple. You already argue like husband and wife. Hee hee!"

Lux and Aerin both blush and back away from each other.

Lux whines "Mum, you're embarrassing me."

Lux's mother then says "Well go out and play, we will leave for Power Hall at 14 bells." The commoners in the city usually don’t own watches to tell the time, so they rely on the bell tower to tell what time is it. Every time the bell rings one hour has pass.

 Lux says "Ok mum."

He and the others quickly leave and run outside.

As he is running down the street, he hears a voice shouting at him.

He looks over and sees a tall fat boy waddling towards him.

The boy then says "well if it isn't the gutter trash, I heard it was your birthday today. You aren't going to go to Power Hall today are you? I mean you will just embarrass yourself with how pitiful you are. There is no way you possess power, you are destined to be gutter trash for the rest of your days, just like your mother, who is so worthless that your father ran away to get away from her."

Anger floods Lux's eyes as he replies "Well aren't you long winded little John.

So long winded in fact that you have swelled up with air like a balloon made of fat! The truth of the matter is that you are worthless and the only worth your family has is in the form of coin. Your family is made up of fat, opinionated wannabe nobles!"

Outraged, Little John raised his fist, with an expression of a Wrathful God upon his face.

He glared at Lux with killing intent in his eyes.