The sun's luminescent rays slowly shone at every corner, signaling the start of a new day.
Despite the morning glow, many of the city's people remained in their homes, either hung over or tired from the previous day's celebration. The drama displayed by Phonzo had been practically erased from the minds of the people, cloaked beneath the forgotten festivities.
Phonzo was among the weary people, tucked away beneath the city's bridge. His body laid on the cold concrete floor, shivering from the freezing winds. His rugged and dirty blanket wrapped around him provided little protection against the natural forces.
The sun's bright rays stung his face, the heat dancing on his cold skin, forcing him to cover his cheeks with his left palm. His tired arms pushed his body up, trying to get him on his feet, but his exhausted body nearly toppled over.
After some trial and error, Phonzo gained his footing, his body bursting with energy, almost excited for the day's activities, though his dreadful features could make someone believe otherwise.
His daily routine was the same today as it was every other day: begging for meals with his face hidden, loitering around public areas, working minimum wage shifts to save money for cultivation tools, and getting taunted by children. A fairly simple way to live his life, nothing special.
But today was different. He had finally saved 1 gold coin to buy an enhancement potion that had caught his eye. It could have been a fake, but he couldn't decide unless he at least tried it, even at the cost of 1 gold coin. His mood brightened despite his dull features at the mere thought, and he sped into the city limits.
Meanwhile, within the city's limits, a small concrete house stood sturdily along the rough forest path, its wooden roof no larger than the smallest tree. Its paint was faded on the chapped structure, with only small potted plants placed outside to add a sense of beauty.
Inside, Ammaina's room rested at the building's edge, in a small space no larger than a closet, where she lay in bed, her curly hair standing on all sides, roughened.
Her gentle lashes rose a bit, unveiling the dark grey eyes they hid. "It's my birthday today..." were the words that escaped her lips.
Her eyes brushed through her room, each cloth and stocking out of place, until they landed on the door right beside. With haste, she leaped out of bed, making her way downstairs as she dashed out the door, her expression non-expectant but her steps in haste.
"Look who's awake. The ugly little..." Reen Valkyrie's taunting voice held jealousy underneath. "Hope you didn't come downstairs expecting a cake or something."
Ammaina shoved past her presence, as though immune to her poison, her path headed straight through the door in haste.
"Damn, she didn't even let me tell her." Her jealous tone sharpened, but it was too late, as Ammaina had already shut the worn-out door with a tenacious force.
Much like Phonzo, Ammaina also came from a long lineage of people who rejected her existence because she was born different.
Her family, the Valkyries, were a bloodline of weaklings incapable of bearing children able to surpass the first cultivation stage. All those who attempted to do so died from severe mana poisoning. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the Valkyries had to accept the truth: "No one in the Valkyrie heritage was born to succeed in the world of cultivation," as the elders told the younglings in every generation.
That was until the birth of a baby in the family - Ammaina, the black sheep of the Valkyrie heritage, a living insult to the generations that came before. Born into the body enhancement cultivation stage, she knew not of the agony faced by cultivators during the foundation stage.
Her siblings and relatives bullied, cursed, and even attempted to kill her on many occasions, until she learned to defend herself during her teenage years.
Ammaina was loathed by her family because of her fortune. Her parents mainly viewed her as a means of profit worth more than gold. When she was 5 years old, they had decided they would either sell her or marry her off for a fortune when she reached the age of 19, which was today.
Through her rough childhood, Ammaina saw a fragment of herself in Phonzo the first time they crossed paths. The first time she laid eyes on her friend, who would stick with her till the bitter end, or so she believed.
"Ammaina!"
Her mother's familiar voice rang loudly in her ears. "What the hell does she want?" Ammaina whispered to herself, redirecting her gaze towards the voice's direction.
Beside her mother stood a man, probably in his 40s or 50s, his grey and black hair slick on his head, his beard disheveled like a beggar's, yet his black suit too stylish to be cheap. His loafers, darker than Phonzo's hair, were likely to cost at least 50,000 gold coins.
His mere appearance was too fancy for someone originating from Hagi or Hora.
"How are you, my child?" A warm, caring smile stretched across the man's face.
Ammaina remained utterly confused, staring at him, trying to rack her brain: "Who are you?"
He replied, "I'm your new..."
"F—Father!"
Phonzo's shriek echoed in the background of the nearly isolated forest area.
He could never forget the face nor the voice of the man who had rejected his existence and exiled him from the family - the man he swore to get revenge on, the man known as Helbert Frederik.
The forest side had never seemed more quiet, each dreadful silence only broken by the occasional howling of breeze through the trees.
"What the hell are you doing here dad" Phonzo's shaky voice broke through cold silence.
He couldn't comprehend what was happening as from his pov it seemed as though his father had returned to reconcile with him. Feelings of happiness flowed through his body like water, his arms trembling in contained excitement.
Though he couldn't have been more wrong...
Helbert nearly wretched at the sight of his condition. A former member of the fredriks dressed in rags, so weak he couldn't find a decent source of income amongst Hagi 's cultivation ranks.
Averting his gaze from phonzo, he turned towards Ammaina, using his eyes to brush through her luxous features. Unlike phonzo she looked much too refine to have originated from poverty, unable to take his eyes off.
Though his act's of admiration made her feel a little like ant's crawled up her skin, his stare sharp as knives cut through her Will to protest....
"My daughter Ammaina, show some respect and greet your father" His words odd yet hinted his intentions.
Her mother remaining silent, hiding behind the man's robust figure, trying to avert eye contact with Ammaina.
It didn't take phonzo long to understand Helbert wasn't there for him, his footsteps crunched on the rocky terrain of the forest road as he reversed his steps in disbelief, his eyes staring at Ammaina in confusion her only response a mutual exchange of glares.
Right then a possibility struck in Ammainas pondering thoughts. what if she had already been sold to the fredriks?
Her 19th birthday had arrived so it wasn't impossible,
The mutual glare she exchanged with phonzo flickered for an instant, her face twitching at him as she felt his jealousy seath through him wrapping itself around her like a snake. The friendship they held for so long was more fragile than glass.
Helbert took few steps closer to Ammaina, her body unable to react to his dominating presence. she was used to killing magic beasts that snuck into the forests occasionally but had never felt the chilling sensation he gave off before.
"Will you come with me dear Ammaina" his voice gentle yet harshly cold.
His request rang in her ear like bells, her instincts nearly submitting to his choking presence, "I refuse" her equally cold reply hid her unease.
Impressed by her display Helbert returned reversed his footsteps slowly, turning to the opposite direction of the forest exit. Mrs Valkyrie and phonzo left as spectators in the drama
"I'll give you till tomorrow. If you accept I'll make your widest dreams come true." We're his final words before shambling through the rocky terrains, her frightened mother tailing him from behind.
"What about me?" phonzo asked with a pail voice, tightly clenching his raggy clothes as his held tears, "you see the condition I'm in right? Won't you at least take me back..... father?"
Helbert stopped for an instant to listen yet wasted no time before resuming his steps not even turning his head towards phonzo. His frail request was snobbed as though he never uttered a word from his lips.
Clenching his fist's tightly phonzo swore in his mind to make his rue this day before turning his head to Ammaina once more.....
Though she'd already left, her presence unfelt by phonzo as though she vanished into thin air leaving only him in the deserted road. His seething rage began to cool as the result of his petty behavior pierced him like a fired bullet.
Redirecting his gaze to the forest, his eyes wondered through every tree and grassy path trying to grasp even just a small glimpse of her shadow. Alas his efforts were fruitless, she was nowhere in the vicinity any longer.
Ammaina was already dashing through the city streets and buildings on a set course to meet her father who served as a cobbler for the city's cultivators. Not just by mending their worn and torn shoes but also enhancing magic tools with his mana experience.
The pay was small but he made a decent name for himself amongst the people.
Ammaina reached his tattered shop gliding her feet over it's concrete floor, it's roof made of nylon sheets that stretched to it's edges held down by heavy wooden planks. Instead of her father she was met with disappointment....
"Closed" were the words boldy written on the front sign.
Everything started mending together in her head. Her father was never the type to go to work early, Her mother was a house wife who hated the outdoors yet she left the house, her sister attempted to have a conversation with her after 5 years...
It was fairly obvious they'd prepped for this day, hiding themselves till the storm know as Ammaina was taken away, unable to own up to their actions not face it's consequence.
Ammainas body fell beneath it's weight, the impact leaving a loud resonating THUD!. Thankfully no one was around to see her break down, all the cultivators in the area were either busy improving their techniques or aiding Zack reach body enhancement, Even then her heart weighed within her chest.
How many years had passed since she felt the bitter - cold taste of disappointment on her tongue? She wondered with her palms smacked to the ground.
Anxiety welled up within it's way through her body till it made every part ache. Her gentle head felt like it'd been hit on brick wall. She was used to getting hurt while fending off beasts in the forest but non of her battle scars had ever hurt this much.
Her right palm gripped her face tightly as though trying to prevent tears from pouring out. But she wouldn't need to worry about such things as tears, after all her ability to cry died with her family when she was little. Or so she told herself.....
Suddenly the noise of approaching footsteps made it's way to her ears. The sound of feet tapping violently on solid ground woke her dormant danger sense.
Ammaina was startled for a brief moment before leaping into a positioned stance, her heavy head lightened with her palms folded tightly into aimed fists ready to attack, her focus sharpened.
Her eyes lit up a bright green, everything she laid her gaze on lost shape but formed into a wavy ooze like smoke each having a unique motion patter. Indeed it was possible to detect mana of living things once a cultivator evolved above the first stage of the foundation realm, however what was making it's way to her didn't have one as though it weren't a living being.
"Ammaina.." phonzo spoke, his seemingly battered figure stood shakily behind her.
Awe took over Ammaina, she was neither able to react nor sense phonzo yet he snuck past her defenses. An impressive feat no one had ever done before.
"I don't like my family, they're not good people and are incapable of treating those who aren't up to their tase right" his eyes fixed on Ammainas "That's why as you are now you'll be worth their time"
Phonzo's gaze made it's way to Ammainas father's shop shifting his focus from her. He was her long time friend so naturally he was familiar with some of the family traits and behaviors.
Taking little time to decipher the recent events the weight of guilt pushed his head to the floor, rendering him incapable of staring Ammaina straight in the eye. Phonzo thought she was involved only to find out she was a pawn in his father's whole game.
Well aware both of them were no match for his gruesome wealth and power as they were currently, bitter words escaped his lips in realization.
"We both didn't deserve the families we were given..... A weak boy born in the family of strong and a strong girl born in a family of weak. Life plays such cruel jokes sometimes" phonzo continued to avert his gaze from Ammaina "That's why we'll have to correct fate's mistake. we.....At least one of us deserves better."
His words began to stammer as he spoke the last sentence, "Ammaina....I want you to accept my father's offer and become a member of the Frederik household."