___Derek's POV___
Following William's order, Andrew took me to my room. To start with, this house is massive! It felt like a thousand of the little homes I lived in with my family would fit in here.
Starting from massive halls for dances and gatherings which had colorful chandeliers and marble floors. There were carefully designed landscapes with fountains, statues, and geometric patterns everywhere he went.
Not to talk of the gold accents on walls, furniture, and moldings aimed to display wealth. I was certain the fortune used to erect this magnificent structure would be enough to house not less than ten thousand people.
Entering the grand entrance hall saw a double staircase for the very first time. The massive chandeliers on the vaulted ceilings and a carpet bearing the Blackwood family crest, a cluster of trees, and a shield protecting them.
It was strange, but I didn't have the luxury to stand there and stare at it endlessly. We walked up the stairs and entered the private living quarters of the Ross family but it was strangely empty.
I followed Andrew down the massive corridor until we stopped at a towering and luxurious double door. The old butler pushed the doors open with some effort and I was flabbergasted by the sight.
For the first time, I saw a real bed and not the kind made of straws but a real king-sized bed with massive windows and expensive curtains.
There was a bookshelf large enough to kiss the ceiling, filled with books, and a small mobile ladder. There was also a fireplace, a reading desk, and even a lounging sofa with a bow of fruits on the wooden table.
This room alone was bigger than his old home!
There was so much and still lots of space.
I snapped out of shock as Andrew walked in and headed straight for a door next to the bookshelf. I ignored him and headed straight to the massive hang on a wall, this was the first time I had seen my reflection so clearly.
Back then, Dad used metal polished mirrors to shave—though it wasn't as clear as this. Real mirrors cost a small fortune and only people like Lord Blackwood can afford them.
For the first time in months, I saw my reflection, emaciated to the point where my bones were visible. My fair skin had been darkened by dirt and blood, but most importantly, my messy raven-black hair had green streaks that complimented my emerald eyes.
I never had green eyes!
"What's going on?" I asked.
{Even basic elements influence a person's attitude. People with an affinity for fire magic can be hot-headed at times. The same applies to you but the Death magic is on a whole new level. Its influence on you will manifest physically over time.} Death responded honestly.
"Basic?" I blinked in confusion. "Fire is basic?"
I have never seen anyone call any form of magic basic.
{It may come as a shock to you, but even in magic, there is a hierarchy broken into five stars.} Death calmly explained. {Primary elements like fire, wind, water, and earth are 1 star. Secondary elements like light and shadow are 2 stars. Tertiary elements are fusion elements like lava, explosion, ice, and so on, and are 3 stars. Then there are cosmic elements like space, time, and gravity, which are 4 stars. Finally, we have core or forbidden elements like Death, Life, Destruction, and Nature. Those are 5-stars on the ranking list. You should be grateful I gave you something so valuable!}
I blinked in confusion and paused to think. I was going to scream foul at the ranking list but I noticed something. The terms used to describe these core or forbidden elements were broad, like destruction, nature, life, and death.
While space, time, and gravity sounded cool, there was something about the names of five-star elements.
"Forbidden? Does that mean I'm not allowed to use the death magic?" I asked, confused.
{Yes, if you are caught using it. You will be burnt on a stake like the last user.
Buzz!
I felt a chill that made all the hair on my body stand. I was about to question death when I heard a knock on my door. It was William, with a velvet Renaissance pouch in his hand.
"Are you okay?" He asked, noticing the rare freight on my face but I nodded and wore my calm face.
I'll ask Death for details regarding his words later.
"Yeah," I responded with a nod.
William didn't question further; I was beginning to like this man's unique skill that allowed him to mind his business. He never asked more than he should, and he wasn't forceful in getting information even though he had a forceful voice, and he seemed like an easygoing person.
He approached and united the pouch and handed it over to me. I was suspicious but took it regardless and looked inside. It was a pinky-sized pearl with a faint blue hue. Only after seeing it did I realize the pouch in my palm was unnaturally cold.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Astral essence pearl. It will help awaken your dormant core. It's something every mage takes before they can become an actual mage." William explained.
"Horrible name," I commented and took the pearl in my hand to get a closer look.
"You eat it," William added but I simply shrugged.
The creaking sound of the bathroom door opened and Andrew stepped out with a clean towel in hand.
"Your bath is ready. Young master…."
"Derek," William said before I could speak. "He is the newest addition to the family."
Andrew blinked with a look of genuine shock before shifting his attention to me with an increased intensity to his gaze.
"I see…" he said after a minute of blankly staring at me.
I didn't know any of these people and I honestly didn't want to stand in the middle while they conversed with each other. Without hesitation, I tossed the pearl into my mouth, and to my surprise, it melted like butter and a cold feeling ran down my throat.
A cold chill invaded my body but it was the soothing type.
Without hesitation, I walked towards Andrew, snatched the towel from him, and entered the bathroom with my palm clutching my chest. The speed at which the cold feeling spread through my body was beyond my expectations.
__Lord William Blackwood's POV__
I could tell Andrew didn't agree with my decision based on his reaction. That sharp glare was a look he would always give me whenever I did something stupid, and to him, this was another one of those moments.
To his credit, he observed Derek with a neutral gaze before the disappointment came. As soon as the bathroom door shut behind him, an awkward silence followed; one I would have preferred to avoid.
"Robert only died a few months ago. Don't you think you are moving too fast?"
I shook my head. In the Gyro empire, a noble family was not judged by the prosperity of his lands, the happiness of his people, or wealth. The only criteria used to judge the value of a noble House were its mages.
"My only son is dead. He is survived by the most beautiful girls a grandfather could ask for but they don't have a talent for magic. I'm nearing the end of my life…"
"Don't talk like that!" Andrew yelled.
It always annoyed him whenever I spoke this way but that was the truth.
"Like it or not, that's the truth… Once I'm gone, if the family doesn't have a mage to take my place, they will take everything away and my little girls will be sold as slaves or worse." I frowned at the thought while clenching my fists.
Many people wanted my lands and properties. They were waiting for me to follow my son to the grave so that they could take everything my family has worked to amass for centuries.
"But—"
Andrew tried to speak but I cut him off with the wave of a hand.
"What I do now, I do for the girls. Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil, I won't hesitate to do so if it means securing their future and the survival of my house!" I said with a heavy sigh.
Andrew had a lot to say and I knew it was out of concern. By the way, he has been the only constant figure in my life for decades now. But there were some things he couldn't understand about fatherhood because he had never experienced it.
I walked out of the room with a heavy heart, wondering if my decision today would make or break the House of Blackwood.
"We will find out tomorrow," I muttered.
___Derek's POV___
I walked into the bathroom, shivering like a cat outside on a cold winter night. The slight chill had evolved into a full-blown blizzard within my body.
I had little time to survey the bathroom. Apart from the wall mirror next to the entrance, a stone bench, and the sizable pool of steaming hot water, I couldn't see anything else.
'What the hell did he give me?' I gasped.
I staggered forward as my vision played between a clear view and a blurred one. The frosty energy slowly consolidated around my chest, its chills slowing down my beating heart.
With immense effort, I walked into the pool without a thought, and the steaming hot water was just perfect for the cold. The cold spreading across my chest began to lose and breathing became easier.
Lost in the moment I failed to notice black ink escaping my body as I immersed myself completely into the water.
Splash!
My vision went dark and my consciousness faded instantly.
__________
My eyelids slowly opened, and I saw myself in an alleyway; it was dark and quiet.
'What?' I was confused. 'Wasn't I in the pool a second ago? How the hell did I get back here?'
The stench of blood reached my nose and I looked down. I wasn't sure what was more shocking, the pair of plump breasts I had or the fact my clothes were completely soaked in blood.
'How am I bleeding so much and it doesn't hurt?' I wondered before I looked up against my will and shifted my glance to the entrance of the alley; three figures were standing there.
'What's going on? Why is it moving on its own?' I blurted out as my body struggled to its feet against will.
At this point, it became clear to me that this wasn't my body. I couldn't even feel the pain from the stab wounds; I was just seeing the world through this person's eyes.
"You are going to kill me, your daughter, because I was born with this power?" The owner of the body gasped. I could feel the pain in her voice, but there was also a trace of emptiness that followed.
This was a feeling I was still struggling to get used to.
Her words were directed at the man standing behind two armed guards. His dress was similar to Lord Blackwater's, but he had an obsession with the amber color, probably because it matched his hair and eye color.
"Believe it or not, it pains me to do this but humanity has survived this long because we follow the rules mapped out by our predecessors. That power you wield is forbidden for a reason." The man snapped back in a voice that lacked warmth.
I wouldn't have believed he was related to the girl if she didn't call him Father. This level of cruelty to family was a discovery to me since I grew up in a loving home.
The guards standing ahead began taking cautious strides forward with their swords pointed at me, but the shadows didn't take this lightly.
I watched as familiar shadow tendrils emerged from my shadow and the surrounding darkness. For a moment the guards were petrified with fear and didn't dare approach. However, this girl's father was a different case altogether.
He showed the guards aside and stepped into the alley with burning amber eyes. I wanted his palm dramatically yanked open and a massive tongue of fire appeared with a dazzling flare.
This man was ready to kill but I could feel hesitation from her.
'Why was she hesitating?' I wondered at first but picturing my father in place of the man made me frown.
Would I strike if I was in her place?