"Do you have everything you need, honey?"
The family was standing around Samuel right in front of the door. "The Protection Exam.. I'll pray to Mt. Ignis that you do well."
Julian clasped his hands together and began praying; Thea followed suit. It was time to say goodbye before Samuel left for his three-month examination.
Heart, who was sitting in a chair, struggled to keep her eyes open. Samuel approached her and wrapped his arms around her, "I love you, stay safe."
Heart's facial expressions relaxed.
Samuel looked towards his parents, "If anything happens, please send me a letter." The maturity in his voice was not fit for a 13 year old.
Samuel then crouched down and looked at little Amariel, with a big swoop, he lifted her in the air while simultaneously embracing her little body.
"I love you, Amariel! I'll bring you so many presents, you won't know what to do with them!!" Amariel couldn't help but giggle as he began to swing her around.
Finally, he embraced both his loving parents, "Stay safe, Samuel." A lump in Thea's throat formed, she managed to choke out her words.
"I will."
Off he went, to the capital of Lebrad, Kheelburg.
The Juladee family weren't poor nor rich, so, after saving for a while, they managed to pay for the transportation fees from Glento to Kheelburg.
After Julian closed the door, the same frail voice belonging to Heart spoke once more. "..Samuel..."
"He left already, honey." Thea rubbed Hearts back. "I know you'll miss him, we all will."
She sighed, "But this is a great opportunity for him. Who knows, maybe they will give him supernatural abilities like the Transcended?"
The Transcended were a group of people with supernatural abilities who were from Lebrad. Not to be confused with Theales' 'The Elevated', The Transcended fought against The Elevated in the 4th Era Great War.
The root of both group's powers remains a mystery, all that is known is they are docile and noble protectors, at least the Transcended. The Elevated has received lots of backlash and discrimination recently.
"I don't think so, Emperor Solin doesn't have control over The Transcended, remember?" Julian reminded her before picking up Amariel and walking upstairs.
Julian was correct, as of now, the monarchy has no control over The Transcended, nor did they have any data relating to them. The Frery massacre would have looked very different if The Transcended had been there.
Leopold Solin had never publicly called for the Transcended, even during desperate times. Why? No one knows. Sorin's method of ruling his empire has always been questionable, but not utilizing a docile, yet powerful group has sparked controversy.
"Let's eat dinner," Thea fixed the table and prepared the dishes while Julian descended the stairs once more to bring Heart.
Heart's fragile innocent voice spoke up once more, "...Sam...uel...?" Filled with pauses and voice cracks, she inquired about her brother's absence.
"Thamueo!" An energetic cute voice exploded from behind Julian.
Julian chuckled, "It's SAM-uel, my darling. And he won't be back for a long time, he has a very big test to take." While picking up Amariel, he explained Samuel's absence to Heart.
Amariel looked over at her sickly sister, her adorable brown eyes in deep analysis. Her tiny little feet started moving and she ran towards her sister.
"Hawt, Hawt." Amariel's chubby fingers were pointed at Heart's hips. "Hewp, Hawt!"Her head turned back and forth between her dad and her sister.
"Help... Heart?"
Amariel continued her procedure, she was serious all the way through.
. . .
The cold air struck Samuel like a knife as he rode in the carriage. His soft black hair fluttered in the wind. It was midday now, only a few hours after he said his goodbyes to his family.
I miss them already. Contrary to his parent's beliefs, Samuel wasn't remotely interested in becoming a Protector. His only motivation is the wealth and power that come along with it.
As he looked out the window, he spotted many tattered buildings, orphanages, stores, and broken homes. The carriage was driving through the poorer districts of Lebrad.
Unlike the other two nations, Lebrad boasts of having no poverty in any of its major cities, making them a desirable destination across the nation.
Unfortunately, that means that the poor people were grouped, and pushed into small towns. In the distance, he heard faint screams, like a crying child.
She sounds like Amariel... Despite wanting to jump out of the carriage and soothe the crying child, Samuel restricted his desires and looked forward until they reached their destination.
As Samuel exited the carriage, he was greeted with the largest building he's ever come across in his life. It was a grey and white citadel, with six pillars and many spires scraping the cold blue sky.
The citadel towered over Samuel, giving off an eerie vibe. He shuddered before exhaling and walking inside. He was met with around 100 other participants, all from the ages of 13-20.
So many..* He held his bag and found an empty spot. The applicants were all seated on the floor facing an enormous platform. The air hung heavy as the entrance exam was nearing its start.
Samuel placed his bag in front of him and sat with his legs crossed, reaching inside his bag, he retrieved a small book. Samuel eyes focused as he stared at the cover.
He didn't open the book, the tense energy in the room rendered him unable to, all he did was stare.
To his right, a 15 year old boy's ears pricked up. "Lord of the Mysteries?! You're reading it?" The boy had ginger hair with freckles covering his cheeks. His green eyes lit as looked at Samuel with anticipation.
"Yes, it's my favorite book series ever." The corners of Samuel's lips raised slightly, it's been a long time since he had met an acquaintance who had the same love for this series as he did.
The boy held himself back from hugging Samuel, "What's your favorite scene? Mine is Adam's introduction, I had literal shivers run through my spine!"
Samuel acknowledged the boy's favorite part, it was one of the best parts of Lord of the Mysteries, "I can't choose a favorite scene, but most likely anything involving Gerhman Sparrow."
"Awesome pick! Gerhman is so cool. I'm Diallo by the way! What's your name?"
"Samuel Juladee. Pleased to meet you." Diallo's eyes dialed in on Samuel for a second, "How old are you, Samuel? You look very young. I'm 15 years old!"
"I'm 13." Samuel admitted honestly, "13?! Really?! What's someone so young doing in the Protector's exam?"
Samuel's voice lowered, his eyes darkened and his lips quivered, "I want to heal my sick sister. Being a Protector gives the most money, and I get to speak with the most knowledgeable, his majesty Emperor Sorin."
It's a widespread fact that the most intelligent man in the Western Cradle was none other than Leopold Sorin. Samuel knows that the man with the highest chance of healing Heart is Leopold.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that... I'm taking the exam because my mom kinda killed my dad. Now I need to get stronger to protect my siblings."
Diallo's abrupt and gruesome history was revealed just like that. Samuel fell silent.
"Yeah, that's what a lot of people do, heh heh. She's not with us anymore, but she swore to come back and brutally kill us all."
Diallo faced the ground and began laughing, but nothing was funny. Samuel noticed the boy laughing to deal with the pain.
"Well, his majesty will select five guards, so hopefully both of us make it."
When enlisting in the Protector's exam, one's strength wasn't accounted for. If you did come with a good foundation, it would provide an excellent advantage.
The reason why it's renounced all over Lebrad was it's ability to amplify ones strength several fold. Basically, in the Protectors exam, it's anyone's game.
Diallo looked up and smiled, "Yeah, I hope so too! Anyways-"
Step, step, step
Samuel and Diallo shuddered,
Someone incredibly powerful is approaching.. Samuel braced himself, the next couple of weeks were going to be hell.