It’s finally time. I finally get to find out what my Spirit level is and element. Mother said I have nothing to worry about I’ll have a fire-based Spirit and at the very least have a starting level of 50. Ha, I bet my level will be so high even the Greater Fire Elemental my mother caught won’t be good enough for me and I'll have to pick something even more grand, maybe a Fire Drake. I can’t believe all those peasants so happy to get a 25 thought I was going to piss myself from laughing at the look on their faces practically jumping for joy. It was just so pathetic. Okay now is the time all I have to do is lay my hand upon the orb. While reaching towards the orb, I close my eyes and finally touch it.

...Nothing is happening. Did I do it wrong? Is it broken? I’ll try my other hand. No, still nothing. It’s probably broken. One of those peasant brats probably did something to it because I laughed at him. I will track down every last one of them after we get a new orb out here to test me and have my monster eat them alive for this humiliation.

“Ri is everything okay?” I hear my mother ask me.”Why are you hesitating you just have to touch the orb, it doesn’t hurt I promise.”

“I put my hand on it mother it’s not working I think one of the peasants broke it to humiliate me. Father can you send for a new one so we can get this farce of testing done,” I respond back.

“Boy, there is no way to tamper or break a testing orb they are made from one heart of every kind elemental dragon. It’s near indestructible. So quit playing around and touch the damn orb.” My Father responds back sounding annoyed.

“But father… I am touching it look,” I said in a nervous voice.

Everyone left steps closer and sees my hand is on the orb. Everyone responds differently; the Head Priest looks at me with pity, the Chancellor with disgust, my father, is entirely speechless, and my mother starts crying saying “oh no… my sweet boy.”

“I don’t understand what’s wrong like I said it’s broken just get a new one,” I said in a now terrified voice.

The Head Priest looks at me and says, “Boy you are deaf to God and blind to his will you have no Spirit so no system. You are a Zero.”

“What kind of sick joke is this. I can not be a Zero I am the heir to the Firestorm family I should have you executed for even suggesting such a thing you charlatan. Now bring me a new orb like I said this one is broken,” I reply back scathingly.

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“There is no mistaking it boy you are a Zero and have no rights to talk to me like that if you do so again you won't even be a smear on the road. Now the Chancellor and I will leave you if we may, Your Highness?” askes the Head Priest with a bow to my father.

My father waves them off and just stands there motionless, and I can tell only from the heat he is giving off that he is becoming angry. My mother is sitting in the Head Priest chair still crying now incoherently, and I am still standing on the platform hand on the orb surprised at the ridiculous notion that I am a Zero. How could that be I’m a royal we have the strongest bloodline leading back to the first tamers.

“Boy. What have you done? This is a black mark on our family. Do you even understand what this means if it gets out that God punished a Royal? The peasants will start to think we are becoming weak and by our doctrine unfit to rule! I can NOT allow that to happen not during my reign as Emperor,” bellows my father while pacing.

“F-f-father? What did I do? It’s not my fault. It’s broken it has to be broken,” I stammer in tears.

My mother finally collects herself, stands up and faces my father with tears in her eyes but with a firm voice she says, “The rules are clear about this Norix. It must be disowned and executed.”

“What but Mother,” I cried out now sitting on the platform head in my hands and tires in my eyes.

“We can’t do that it’s too public. It can not get out that we bore a Zero and if it’s disowned then executed it’ll be in public records and do you think the Noble's wouldn’t try to spread that knowledge in an attempt to gain more public support. No… we’ll have to do something else,” says my father quietly almost to himself.

“I don’t understand what are you saying I’m your son you can’t kill me? Why do you keep calling me it?” I yell shaking all over with fear.

“What then? We need to decide fast? Someone is bound to wonder what is keeping us here so long,” states my mother.

“On the way home, we had catastrophic carriage accident. Our son fell out and hit his head falling into a coma to pass away tonight. It happens all the time.” calmly states my father.

“It’s broken, it’s broken, it’s broken,” I say over and over this can’t be happening.

“And what happens to it?” my mother asks glancing in my direction.

“Just another runaway zero it should be turned into a warden through a bounty hunter I think.” says my father while looking at me now too.

“I’ll go waylay the Priest and Chancellor and swear them secrecy with a threat of death and promise of money that our son had a high spirit level of fire based, and inform the guards we’re leaving soon.” Says my mother wiping the tears away and walking out without a backward glance.

“MOTHER!” I yell. I start to rock back and forth. I feel light headed I don’t understand this must be some sick joke. They wouldn’t kill me I’m their son. Why is father just staring at me? Why… Why… Why me...

“Boy you should have never been born a zero,” my father strides towards me with a fire in his eyes and starts to raise his fist.

And blackness…