Maxi found himself drifting in an endless black void. Nothingness stretched in all directions. He ran forward until it felt like every invisible muscle in his body straining, pouring every ounce of his strength into a directionless sprint. Time felt distorted-minutes stretched into eternities. Then, piercing the infinite dark like a blade, came a single spotlight.
In the center of it stood an old, prestigious coffee table atop the table a single book.
Maxi pushed toward it, step by step, closer and closer. But then the void retaliated. Shadowy hands burst from the blackness, clawing at him, trying to drag him backward into oblivion. He fought, pushing his body beyond its limits, surpassing them even, inching forward. But just as he reached the edge of the light, hundreds more hands erupted, grabbing the ones already holding him, their weight unbearable.
The terrifying sight, the overwhelming force, and the realization that he might never escape-it broke something inside him. Not even the infinite dark felt as hopeless as this moment. Maxi was swallowed by it.
He awoke with a gasp.
A makeshift medical bed cradled his body. His arms and legs were wrapped in thick bandages, not the kind used for breaks, but for deep, vicious wounds. Yet somehow, his limbs no longer felt broken.
Colen sat beside him, reading a book. Maxi's mother lay asleep, her head resting on his lap.
Colen glanced up, his cold eyes meeting Maxi's. "So you've awaken. Good. That means we can begin the announcement. I know you just woke, but we need to hurry."
Maxi blinked. "Why do you need me?"
Colen closed his book with a soft thump. "Because this was your test, was it not? People need to see the one I'm speaking of. They must look at you, hear your deeds, and remember your name, then remember your face. "
Maxi raised an eyebrow. "People?"
"The branch families," Colen said simply. "Mostly reconnaissance branches."
Maxi groaned. "The branch families?"
"Yes."
Maxi sighs. "I guess I have no choice then, huh."
"No one truly has a choice, Maxi," Colen said, standing. "Especially since fate exists. Now come. We can't keep them waiting. It would be dishonorable."
Maxi looks at his sleeping mother. She thinks international for all the support she gave him and kisses her cheek, and then he gets out the bed as he tried to stand but winced from the pain. As he stumbled, something cold pressed against his chest-a snowflake.
It held him up.
Maxi looks at Colen, slightly amazed how such a small thing could hold him from falling
More snowflakes pressed against his back, guiding him to a pair of crutches. With their help and the mysterious snowflakes, Maxi followed Colen back to the arena.
The stands were filled. Nobles in ornate clothing, each representing a different region, branch, or house. But none held the quiet regality and presence of Colen. His outfit, flawlessly fitted and intricately designed, shimmered with subtle charm. No one compared.
Colen cleared his throat. He snapped his fingers, summoning illusionary rainbow stars. From the glittering lights, an invisible star and a yellow star shined the brightest as a mimic-stone microphone emerged as all the illusory stars faded away.
"Greetings," Colen began. "My name is Colen Bloodheart. Today, you are gathered to witness the result of a test-one involving a boy named Maxi."
He gestured to Maxi.
"You likely know nothing of him. That's to be expected since our information branch, the ruddy family, made sure of that. But allow me to enlighten you: within two years, he uncovered the full anatomy of four Worldly Blessed Creatures by studying only mundane monsters. He deciphered twelve different town-level spells-"
The crowd murmured, unimpressed they raised their eyebrows at the fact he had uncovered the full anatomy of four Worldly Blessed Creatures by studying only mundane monsters, but other than that they are unimpressed.
"Without knowing how to cast spells," Colen added.
The uproar came immediately.
"Impossible."
"How could a child accomplish that?"
"Who is this boy?"
Colen raised a hand. "Before those two years, he knew nothing beyond commoner fairy tales about both monster and magic. His library access was limited to twelve specific days per month. And yet, he achieved all this."
A white-haired man with brown-tipped hair raised his hand. "But what of his blessing? Surely it aided him?"
None," Colen replied. "His aura doesn't match any known God's of knowledge. Even the God of Selective Planning only enhances understanding of what is already known-not total comprehension"
"His last feat," Colen said, "was lasting seven minutes against Hana BloodHeart."
"What age is he at for that to be considered to be an impressive feat?" a sun-kissed man said plainly with a hint of mokingness.
"Same age as Hana."
The murmurs turned to awe. Then, a voice rang out from the crowd.
A man in formal kamishimo robes, purple-streaked black hair cascading over his shoulders, stood tall.
"Impressive, but irrelevant. His blessing could have been anything—even foresight or future-sight. And if he were granted a blessing that let him see other people's future plans, it could just as easily guide him toward the correct choices to guarantee success. Remember your gods don't play too big of a role in the manifestation blessing powers. Even with limitations, like the visions being vague or blurry, he could still receive the answers he needs. And that's only one of countless possible blessings he could manifest. So the feats you claim he has don't really mean much; they collapse under the weight of the possibilities. With the right blessing, he could easily last seven minutes against Hana BloodHeart."
Colen's smirk, but his smirk was as slight as the line of a megagon.
"He hasn't received his blessing yet."
Silence.
A hologram lit the air, displaying the full fight between Maxi and Hana.
"No blessing powers," Colen said. "What you see is effort, intelligence, and adaptation."
A hollow abyssal black void like tired eyed man with long jet black hair spoke. "His eyes—they glowed green, then yellow at the end of the fight. What was that?
"That is a passive blessing if you can't tell. It only activities when he gathers enough information. I think you of all people, Zane, would understand that better than anyone, especially considering that your branch family's main god is the profession that set aspect."
Zane shrugged and muttered, "Just confirming."
Colen continued, "And his eyes turning yellow was him awakening a different aspect of his passive blessing, deepening his connection with his gods. Look at clip did it give him an advantage, unless you consider him only being able to bite off metal from armer without having viable limbs to take off said opportunities an advantage."
A woman with a fan covering half her face glared. "Why tell us all this, Colen Bloodheart?"
"Because I wanted to properly introduce you to him. So let me do so."
The tension in the air froze whether by Colen or not, Maxi did not know
Colen's voice dropped.
"This is Maxi Bloodheart. And he is my disciple."
The crowd erupted in disbelief. Maxi could see it on their faces-shock at his family name and at his new title.
Maxi was just as stunned. Colen had never told him.
Colen then cleared his throat as he said, "And if anyone has a problem with the test or judgment of Maxi, please come to me because I am both the test creator and the administrator."
Colen's words silences the whole crowd
Then, a deep, commanding voice rang out.
The king Maxi's father stepped into the arena.
"If you want to know more about Maxi Bloodheart, come to his birthday party in three days-"
The king looked directly at Maxi
Maxi froze. He remembered.
He had to either wait until age sixteen for his Blessing Awakening Ceremony... or accept one of two marriage arrangements from branch families
"If you bring your children. We may enter negotiations. That is all. You may leave."
Maxi saw a few glances linger on him as the audience left the most notable ones. The man named Zane, the purple and black haired man who wore a Kamishimo and the lady with the fan and purple hair
As the audience dispersed, Maxi turned to Colen, confused.
Colen replied, "Oh, the birthday thing. Your mother forced your father to make a bet. If you lasted five minutes, you could have a birthday party."
Maxi, though (Oh, so it wasn't just Dallas Mōkō who beted on me, I thought I was trying to bet the odds for no reason because only Dallas mōkō beted on me)
Then his father called.
"Maxi, you're coming to my office now. Your indecessness has gone on too long. You're making a decision today, "
Maxi followed, his steps slow and painful. They climbed stair after stair, hallway after hallway, until they entered a door at the top of the main castle in the middle of a whole where the grand office was waiting.
A woman in a red-gold Qipao dress sharpened a katana inside while sitting on the grand table in the middle of the room.
"So you're finally back after your social statement," she said as she looked at the king
Her red eyes, strangely familiar, locked onto Maxi. he froze.
Maxi thought (Her eyes are red, but yet i feel like thier different my eyes red or my siblings..... wait now that i really think about it her red eyes are similar to Dallas's I didn't notice it before but, now that i have someone to compare them with, his eyes are like a mix of hers and my fathers. Is she from a different family? Wait, isn't she one of my step moms)
She turned to Maxi's father. "So. You brought him here. Why?"
"To decide," he said, sitting down on his chair. "Brought him to make a decision. I made him seem as appealing as possible so we can make other branch families gain interest in him so we can either sell him off with greater ease to marriage or use him as a staple in the BloodHeart family, showing that even our weakest can beat their best, so he has to decide what he wants."
Maxi then thought (I knew that letter wasn't as simple as it seemed I hade a sick sense that there was a secret underlining to it a... secret plan)
The woman scoffed. "And if he fails to meet that standard?"
"Then we fource him to meet the standard because we did have a deal. I don't care how young he is, he should have learned that nothing in life come free when he was 5."
Maxi cursed the king internally (I already knew that you basted I learned it back in my home world)
The king's gaze turned to Maxi. "Now choose."
Maxi stayed quiet only a moment.
"I choose... marriage."
"Good." His father pulled out a diamond crystal. Two images of homely girls that looked painfully average appeared.
Maxi stared in horror.
"Choose one."
He couldn't Maxi stammered and stuttered as he tried to choose.
The king grew tired as he grew annoyed
"Too long."
The king slammed the desk. "Fine. You'll marry both!"
Maxi's mouth dropped. "B-BOTH?!"
Maxi was shot horrified, modified at the words that seemed to Echo in his ear eternally as his face was filled with even more dispear then before
As Maxi sat there shocked, panicked in utter horror, his mother burst through the door.
She her eyes scanning the room as her eyes locked onto him she hugged him tightly.
Then she saw the hologram, then she pulled back and looked at Maxi's facial expression.
She stood upright. Her voice dropped, sharp and cold, as the she threatened Techxin.
"Your majesty, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly where you talking about that was so bad that it made my baby boy make this kind of facial expression."
"Something that is none of your concern."
she chuckles coldly and emptily. "You know i hate it when he makes his facial expression right so please my lord do not test my patience"
She walked towards the kings table with slow deliberate steps "Considering that it concerns, my son, I believe your nonsensicalness of saying it doesn't concern me is idiocracy, so just tell me."
She smashed the diamond hologram as she slammed her hand on the table leaving a deep imprint.
"If you must know, I just made him finally make his decision, and even in that, he was indecisive, so I made a choice for him he will be marrying lady Arturia and Lady Viertin.
Maxi Mother chuckles even harder as she suddenly shouts out and says, "BOTH!!? ARE YOU MAD, my son will not be treated as low life worse than a commoner."
"Listen, Ray-"
Maxi mother cuts him off shouting "No you listen here KEALAVITH BLOODHEART you are not going to disrespect my baby boy like that after you had no hope in him what's so ever, and where proven wrong about his capabilities, you have no right as both a parent and a king to make any kind of choice concering my son you hear ME."
she grabbed the kings collar as pulls him closer to her face
"you are going to give him as much time as he needs and you are going to let him pick from a wider selection from rather then two fat ugly children of some snobby fallen branch family nobles who you owe forgiveness from"
Kealavith clenched his jaw. "And where will I find a better selection?"
"you tell me that didn't you say to the branch families that 'make sure to bring your children of his age we may be in for negotiation if you bring the right ones.'?" she replied.
Kealavith turned. "Who told you that?"
"Colen."
Kealavith groaned. "What if none of the branch family membranes are not satisfied enough with his performance, then what."
she turns to Maxi and picks him up. "I don't care. That's your problem. All i know is my son is not going to some housewarming gift for some stupid nobles, brats."
She turned to the woman with the katana. "Hello, Shantel."
Then, she walked away.
Kealavith muttered, "He still has to pick two."
she stopped for a second, then continued walking away
Shantel stabbed the katana into the desk and laughed. "You're really scared of her."
Kealavith sigh as he leaned back and said, "Yeah. Aren't you?"
She grinned. "Nah. I'd win."