Silas, a man shrouded in enigma, was a fixture within the noble household. A silent observer of the grand tapestry of the noble family he served. His childhood was a harsh one, marked by endless toil and meagre rations. The grand halls, filled with laughter and opulence, were a world away from his own.
Yet, a flicker of ambition burned within him, a desire to rise above his station, to taste the sweetness of power and privilege. His demeanour was often inscrutable, a mask of calm concealing a tempestuous soul. He was a master of manipulation, a puppet master pulling the strings of fate.
His obsession with the young heir, Tim, was a dark secret, a twisted desire that consumed him. He saw in the boy a reflection of his own unfulfilled ambitions, a vessel through which he could vicariously experience power and privilege.
Silas had cultivated a facade of loyalty and devotion over the years. He had subtly manipulated Tim, the heir, whispering doubts and sowing seeds of insecurity. He had guided the young heir's choices, steering him towards decisions that would benefit Silas's own agenda.
Tim, under Silas's influence, had grown arrogant and self-centered, a mere puppet dancing to Silas's tune. The once bright and promising young man had been reduced to a shadow of his former self.
Axel, the paralyzed boy, was a constant irritant to Silas. He saw the boy as a blight on the perfect image of the household he had so carefully constructed and desired. The attention and resources (although meagre) diverted towards Axel were a constant source of frustration.
He resented the boy's existence, viewing him as a blemish on the tapestry of his carefully crafted world. Born from a twisted idea that he would control the Blair household via Tim.
Silas often lingered near Axel's room, watching him with pity and malice. He would whisper dark secrets and weave tales of shadows and despair. He would subtly encourage the other servants to neglect the boy, to treat him with indifference, even cruelty.
Axel's vulnerability and his helplessness ignited a strange fascination within Silas. A twisted empathy, perhaps, or a darker, more sinister motive. Silas began to take a perverse interest in the boy, a fascination that bordered on obsession.
Silas's true intentions remained hidden, a mystery shrouded by desire and something nefarious. Was he seeking to alleviate his suffering through the suffering of others? Or was he driven by a darker, more sinister purpose? Only he knew the answer, and he kept it locked deep within his troubled mind.
He had long been the puppet master, pulling the strings of the household, his malevolent influence extending to every corner. The Blair family, blinded by their wealth and status, remained oblivious to his machinations.
He viewed Axel as a useless burden, a stain on the family's pristine image. Silas had relished in the boy's suffering, taking pleasure in his weakness. He had ensured that Axel was isolated, neglected, and treated with disdain.
But soon things were going to change and Silas would face his life's biggest adversary in the form of a 9 years old crippled boy whom he despised to such a degree. An adversary against whom he would have to use everything at his disposal even the Artifact that he had kept a secret from the eyes of everyone at the Household.
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The Struggles for Axel would now come to an end. The Promised time had arrived, and Gizmo's clock had just hit zero. Axel could feel sensations throughout his right side, a tingling sensation that at first was pleasant, but the intensity started growing.
To Axel, it felt like his right side was slowly heating up and soon would explode. 'Gizmo, was this supposed to happen, don't tell me that something wrong has happened again?' Axel said hurriedly in frustration.
[You don't need to worry, it's just your body's senses overloading your brain. It is as if the half part of your body which was always there but not yet under your control is regaining its senses, is connecting with your brain and is overloading your brain], explained Gizmo, but Axel could only hear parts of it as the pain and other sensations were too much to bear.
However, the one thing that Axel grasped was the part regarding the part of his body that was always there but not yet active. He tried to forget about the pain and only tried to focus his mind on the sensation of his body's awakening.
He was trying to apply this phenomenon of his paralysis being undone to awaken his skill by awakening the other mind inside him, always present but not yet aware. (That is how Axel perceived it.)
A bright, warm light engulfed Axel's body and started converging on his head. This phenomenon surprised Gizmo, who, like Axel earlier, thought that something had gone wrong. Gizmo started running scans on Axel and tried to awaken him from his trance.
[Axel, you need to wake up, something weird has been going on with your body. Hey, Axel, can you hear me?] Gizmo tried, but Axel was already deep within the trance.
After half an hour, Axel regained consciousness. 'Gizmo, what happened, how long was I out, run a scan on my body, and give me the report,' Axel was still fearing the worst.
[You don't need to worry, I already ran checks on your body and nothing is wrong, try and stand up on your own and get a feel for your body, no one is near this part of the mansion right now], Gizmo replied.
Axel still had many questions to ask, but for five years after regaining consciousness, he had been waiting for this moment and sometimes even doubting if this promised time was ever going to come.
So he kept his questions to himself and simply stood up.
Although it would have been impossible for Axel to be able to walk and even stand without the help of someone, as his muscles would have been too weak to bear the load of his body, Gizmo had been simulating muscles throughout his body over the years, and right now, Axel had the body of an Olympian who had been rigorously training for years.
Each step was a victory, a small triumph against the years of suffering. The cool touch of the floor against his bare feet, the weight of his body shifting, the gentle sway of his walk – every sensation was a revelation.
With each step, a surge of adrenaline coursed through him. The world, once confined to the four walls of his room, now stretched out before him, full of possibilities.
A small tear escaped Axel's eye. Finally, he had arrived at the promised land, and now a burning passion had lit in his eyes. A passion for revenge and a desire for life. It was still dark outside, and Axel wanted to fully utilize this opportunity.
His room was towards the north of Blair's mansion, near the servants' quarters and a huge garden leading to the forest outside his window. Axel jumped out his window and started running, experiencing the full extent of the prowess of his body. He marvelled at the capabilities of Gizmo.
Even in his previous life, Axel had never had an athletic body and was a stranger to the thrill and joy of having one. Axel enjoyed every laboured breath while running around the garden at full speed. He could feel his muscles contracting and expanding with every movement of his, but still, he felt like he could go on for hours.
Running aimlessly was never so much fun.