Chapter 1

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I open my eyes, breathing hard, my heart beating like I've run a marathon even though I've just gotten up from sleep. My face feels wet, i touch it to find tears. no surprise there.

Almost every night I have the same nightmare which I don't even remember. It's been 2 yrs since that day

I stand in front of my foot long mirror to see beautiful golden blond hair cascading down my shoulders and green eyes staring back at me.

This woman's name was Melody given by Ariana , Its been 2 years since she found me, took me under her wing and gave me a path to follow.
I was taken to a shrine where the people there deemed me an orphan and guided me as i learned everything from scratch.

In the 1 year I resided there I learned more than enough knowledge about my surroundings, the culture here, etiquette and much more. Although it felt less like learning and more like recollecting what my mind already knows. Though I have a weird feeling that even before I lost my memories I never liked studying very much.

I left the shrine soon after to experience the world around me, hopefully something to trigger my mind to remember who I am.

Along the way, I tried physically training myself to fight. It was easier than learning with books. The people i fought with say i must have underwent rigorous training in my youth. My body remembers if not my mind. I understood then what arriana meant.

Since then up until now I wanted one thing. Control. Control over my life, and what i wished to become. It drove me. And the only way to achieve that is to learn all the skills necessary for survival in this kingdom.

The name of my kingdom is the taevaria empire
The empire is divided into 6 circles, based on the life aura that sustains them.The ones at the centre are the strongest and live the longest. In other words the farther from the circle you go the lesser your life span becomes and the weaker you are. The people of this kingdom don't age after they reach 25, but their life force keeps decreasing every second. Once done the person just vanishes.

It is ruled by the one we call the ruler, along with 8 of his most trusted who are his hands and feet.
The ruler changes every 500 years or more. He could be anyone the force sustaining our kingdom chooses.

He could belong to any circle irrespective of the life force within. Once he gets chosen he receives the power strong enough to protect and rule our empire. Strength, wit, wisdom, everything ones mind can think off.

The trusted however are chosen differently.
The main shrine is where all of the mentally and physically fittest gather a year before to take a test to select the fittest amongst them which the the aura inside the previous trusted, who recently passed away, chooses another to take their place.

if the successor is not present, the ceremony is halted for another year during which the newer ones are invited to try their luck.

Every child of the circles of 3 to 6 are to be sent to the shrine from the age of 16, where they undergo rigorous training and are assessed at age 25 to which circle they will spend the rest of their life in.

The best ones among those will be sent to the main shrine along with the children of nobles of the 2nd circle from which the trusted will be chosen when required.

If not they will work for the shrine as the highest command and lead it into the future.
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KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in"
"Someone's up early. Ooo and ready as well"
"Arianne? its been months since I last saw you. Where have you been!"
Oops that came out wrong

"the sixth circle as usual, that aside, is it that hard for you to say arrianne I missed you so much, wish you'ld come back and see me sooner"

That's what I meant to say

"Sorry Ari, its just"

"just throw away the cold hearted, unapproachable persona when you're with me girl. I know you better that you know yourself, you know"

(No, not you, someone else does, someone i would die and live for if he asks.......)

There it is. That voice in my head again. but strangely enough I believe it. I know nothing about him or even who he is. but whenever I think of him i see a black silhouette in my head and i feel warm inside, elated, satisfied. You name it. I cant even begin to explain the happiness I feel when I do.

"Helloooo, anyone there"
"Oh ari, sorry I was "
"Forget it, I know you only do that cause you're scared of what people will do to You if they find out what a pushover you are. You are too kind for your own good"

"Just what are you going to do without understanding me by your side hmm?"

I smile though guiltily, thinking thank god she couldn't read minds. Wait. why do I even think anyone can read minds?

"Anyways lets go. Your entrance ceremony in the main shrine will start soon"

"Lets go baby sis"
"you're the little one, how dare you call me that" I say in my best angry voice

"Neeevvvver happppenning" she sing songs as she ran out of the room
"WAIT you conniving little...."

Haaaaaaa. its gonna be a long day. I feel really nervous today.
Why, you ask, I have been selected to compete with the best of the realm and do my best to be selected as a trusted to serve the ruler.
Did I forget to mention that?
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