Wooden swords clashed. My pale silver hair, with black streaks running through it, shone in the sun as sweat ran down my face. Father's training had gotten more intense. A few days ago, I stumbled across a sealed sword down in the basement. It was clear that it had belonged to Father. Curiosity got the better of me, so I put my sword to the side and paused to catch my breath.
"Father, when I was down in the basement, I saw a sword that looked like it belonged to you."
My father paid no attention, resuming his stance. "That is not your concern, Lucius. Focus on your footwork."
Before I could resume my pose, Father rushed in and knocked me off my feet. We both began to laugh in sync as I threw myself back onto the lush, summer-green grass. I looked over to the other side of our land where Darius had been rigorously training like me. He had progressed from just light balls to beams that he could attack with, and not only that, but he could shape them into whatever he desired.
Before I could collect myself and get on my feet, I heard a scream of excitement coming from my mother. Father and I quickly rushed over to where we witnessed Darius standing so proudly. Whispers were exchanged between Father and Mother, and his teacher Maeve stood there along with them. Perplexed by the situation, I went ahead and tapped my father on the back to get his attention.
"What is going on?" I asked.
"Your brother is a wielder of the Purification Light Blessing," Father replied proudly.
"So, why is that so important?" I replied.
My father looked at me with confusion but then quickly changed to an expression of understanding. He knelt down and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Your brother is the first human ever in this world to receive this blessing. It is God's gift to him."
No way. Darius has not only the rarest type of blessing to be bestowed upon someone, but he also has an ability that only he has received in the history of this world. I can't say that I was too happy to hear that just now.
"Really? How amazing."
Father could sense the underlying jealousy and dissatisfaction in my voice but decided to ignore it, instead giving me his motivational advice. I decided to walk up to my brother and congratulate him because, despite everything, I have to at least act like I'm happy for him.
"So, you have your own special ability, huh? Remember, with great power comes great responsibility, Darius," I said with a hint of sarcasm in my tone.
"Thank you, Lucius. You're really uplifting," he fired back quickly.
"Hey, Master Maeve, what does this actually mean for my brother?"
With elegance, she responded, "He shall be admitted to the greatest academic school in this world, the Holy Academy of Esturia."
My brother's eyes lit up at that sentence. Later that evening, we all sat down for dinner. Mother and Darius were gleaming with joy. How couldn't they? This was a great honor not only to Mother but to Darius as well. But me? I was brimming with envy. Father, on the other hand, had stayed quiet, but in his eyes, I could see a sense of displeasure. We all said our prayers before we began our meal. Digging in, I chewed on my meat and stared down at my plate, playing with my rice and vegetables.
"This is the day of my dreams!" exclaimed Darius.
Father finally broke his silence and responded, "You shall not be attending there."
Mother and Brother looked back at him in bewilderment. "Arthur, you can't do that to him."
"Yes, Father, it would be in our best interest to let me go and study there. I can excel at many things and make you proud," Darius added.
My father lightly slammed his curled-up hand on the table. "Enough! What I say goes. He will not be going to study in that abysmal place."
For the rest of the meal, we sat in silence. Darius was the first to go upstairs, tears welling in his eyes. Mother followed after him, and I could hear the door shut behind them. Father ground his teeth and finished off the last bit of peas on his plate. Tension thickened in the room. I decided to start up a conversation in hopes of reducing it.
"So... Father, why isn't Darius allowed to go? He seems really hurt by your denial."
My father scoffed and turned to look at me. "Because I have permitted so."
I pushed on, replying, "Did something happen to you back there?"
He immediately got up from his seated position and left his dinner and his cup for Mother to wash up later. He exited the room, leaving me with my thoughts. It was clear that something had happened back there. I mean, his whole past is a mystery. Why are we living in a secluded place, out of social interaction, unless we willingly go down to the village? I also noticed that Father never visits there, and whenever my brother mentions his name, they all cower in fear. I chalked it up to simple respect from the village folk, but he's never actually stepped foot in there. So how in the world could they have heard his name? Unless there's something more to it that I don't seem to understand yet.
I went ahead and tucked the chair behind me, yawning lightly. I had begun to feel sleepy. Walking up the stairs, I decided to head to sleep earlier than usual. It was only 7 PM. Time still works the same here, and we even have similar calendars to the Gregorian one, but slightly different. Chatters came from my room. Mother and Darius had still not finished their conversation. Instead of walking in and heading to bed, I sat down and placed my head on the door, deciding to listen in on their conversation.
Darius' voice trembled with unshed tears, crackling under the emotional weight of Father's rejection. "Are you sure, Mama?" he uttered.
My mother caringly replied, "Of course, you're my gift. God has given you to me. I will stop at nothing to see you prosper."
I smiled behind the door. All the jealousy had begun to leave. I started to perceive the sense of looking up to my brother. It was there that I realized he was a person I had been secretly admiring this whole time. It wasn't just jealousy; I had the feeling of wanting to catch up to him, to be like him, to be as great and smart. I sat there with determination and a grin between my lips. The door opened, and I stood up, acting as if I had just come upstairs and seen them both come out of our room.
"Were you listening to us, Lucius?" my mother asked affectionately, with a smile on her face.
I looked toward the ground and responded, "No, not at all. I just got here right now. I feel a little tired, actually."
She chuckled and replied, "Lying is a sin, Lucius."
It was obvious because of the guilt written all over my face. What an idiot I am. I glanced at my brother, then walked inside and hit my head against my bed, hoping to be lost in my dreams as the fatigue hit me in full effect. I shut my eyes, but not before I was interrupted.
"Lucius."
"Yes?"
My brother smiled, putting his hand up to the ceiling and grasping it with his hands. "I'll always protect you, little brother, and the whole family too. So don't be sad that God hasn't given you these gifts, because I'll always be there for you."
All my worries had calmly subsided. This was a feeling I had never felt before. I didn't know how to describe it. I couldn't form any words, so I nodded and made a sound with my lips. At last, I had nothing to worry about. My eyes slowly shut.
I couldn't make sense of the time. I heard the door creak open. Father walked inside and kissed Darius on the head and me too. He stood over our beds. I could make out his figure. He was smiling, tears running down his face.
"Oh Lord, please make sure my sons never see the filth of this world. Let them believe that there is just good and evil and that there isn't a line blurred between them."
And with that, he left the room. The next morning, commotion and discourse came from downstairs. The only sentence I could make out was from my brother.
Darius screamed, "Let go of my father! Aren't you supposed to be our protectors?" His voice echoed throughout our walls.