"I'm going to die." Morgan thought. Morgan had been through a lot in the recent weeks, but he truly felt like this time he would die.
Darkness loomed around him. His lungs felt like they'd been set ablaze. His heart was pounding madly in his chest.
The water's surface felt so near yet so distant.
With a final desperate push, his head broke the surface of the water. He gasped audibly, greedily breathing in the air.
"Well done," Luke said, standing at the pool's edge, his crimson eyes glinting in the sunlight.
" Honestly, I'm a little surprised you've managed to hold out this long. We'll be back tomorrow. Go get some rest, I'm sure you need it." He said with a smile.
Morgan weakly swam to the pool's edge and barely managed to get out of the water. He plopped down, taking in deep, measured breaths.
He had met up with Luke as instructed at the pool. Luke had asked him if he knew how to swim, to which he'd nodded.
His mother had ensured he'd learned how to swim when he'd been quite young.
On hearing his response, Luke had smiled brightly before announcing the next bit of his training.
" You'll be diving to the bottom of the pool. While you're there, you'll hold your breath and slowly count up to 10 before resurfacing for a quick breath and diving again. This will not only help you improve your endurance, but also help you to think clearly and calmly under pressure. You'll do this until I decide that you're at your limit."
Morgan looked slightly puzzled. "How will this help me think calmly?"
Luke smiled.
"Once you're in the water, seconds can feel like an eternity. At some point, it'll feel like you're going to die. In such a situation, you must remain calm and focused to stop your body from giving in to the urge to breathe in. If you do not know when you'll be stopping, it heightens the agony the mind feels because of the suspense."
"Alright then, if that is all, you may start. Oh, and one more thing, don't think of resurfacing before the count of 10, I'll be waiting up here if you do."
And so it began.
The pool was roughly 12 feet deep, more than twice Morgan's height. At some point, he'd surfaced prematurely, gasping for breath. He had learned his lesson then.
Luke had been standing at the pool's edge.
In the next moment, he was standing on the water's surface, right next to. Morgan.
Morgan's eyes widened in surprise.
Luke leaned down and gently tapped his shoulder.
He suddenly hurtled towards the bottom of the pool, abruptly closing his mouth as he neared the bottom.
His lungs burned, and his body trembled violently; he was desperate for air.
It felt like the world he had been living in before was a meticulously crafted lie, a joke compared to what he was enduring now.
He continued to dive and resurface endlessly. His eyes had slowly gotten accustomed to the water. His muscles trembled, his lungs ached for air.
It truly felt like he was playing a losing game. After what seemed like an eternity, the hellish exercise came to an end.
He dragged his battered body back to his room.
He unceremoniously sprawled on his bed and promptly fell asleep. His dreams were plagued with piercing screams and visions of monsters that skulked through the night.
"Morgan, Morgan," A voice called.
His eyes shot open as he abruptly woke up. His shirt was damp, covered in a cold sweat, as he took fast, shallow breaths.
" I'm sorry, " He mumbled."I didn't quite hear you."
He rose, circling the room to grab another shirt. Rebecca stood in the doorway of his room.
"You must have been quite exhausted, it's evening already. It's also time for our lesson. Join me in the library when you're done changing."
The library was situated below the mansion and took up an entire floor by itself. Morgan rode an elevator descending below ground level.
He arrived in front of a large set of glass doors that led into the library. A biometric pad was installed next to the door. He hesitantly placed his palm on the pad.
"Morgan Thane, identity verified, access granted." An automated voice rang out. The glass doors slid back with a hiss, granting him entry.
The library was quite enormous. It was filled with shelves upon shelves of books. He slowly made his way through the shelves, looking at the ancient tomes that were neatly arranged on the shelves.
Some of the older-looking books were sealed in glass containers, probably to preserve them against the passage of time. The rich smell of old parchment and dust lingered in the air. At the centre of the library, a tall brunette in a fitting black suit sat on a plush sofa in silence.
Morgan approached Rebecca and sat opposite her.
"What we have here is a collection of most of the family history as well as what we know about the Dark world," Rebecca said with pride.
"Most of these books have been backed up using artificial intelligence, but some are written in languages we're currently unable to decipher, and our scientists are working towards that end. Some of the books here allegedly date back to the dawn of humanity."
"Well, most of the books look quite ancient, and some look priceless. Aren't you taking a great risk by leaving them exposed like this?
Morgan asked.
" Not to worry, the security here is quite foolproof. Only the Thanes and the most loyal retainers of the family have access to the library.
The glass doors are composed of a rare alloy reinforced to withstand a full-scale assault by mundane weapons, from railguns to even lasers. Morgan looked at her in disbelief.
" You look like you don't believe me," she said with a chuckle
. " In any case, if anyone managed to break in with brute strength, the library's guardian would make short work of them. I believe you are long overdue for an introduction."
"Hello, master Morgan." A voice quietly spoke beside him.
A tall, bespectacled man had suddenly appeared beside him. Unlike the other retainers Morgan had met, the man wasn't formally or rigidly garbed.
He was dressed simply in a modest, loose-fitting black long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. His auburn hair was stylishly parted to the side, and dark-tinted glasses hid his eyes from view.
His Morgan had not sensed his approach in the slightest. Even as he stood beside him, Morgan felt like there was no one there.
"Morgan, this is Conrad. He is the librarian, but he also doubles as the library's guardian.
If anyone managed to break into the library, they would have to deal with him first before proceeding any further.
Despite his looks, he isn't the type of man to be trifled with."
Conrad silently smiled. " I believe this is the first time we're meeting in person.
"My name is Conrad, Conrad Darklight, at your service. As long as you're in the library, you can reach out to me for any assistance you may need. I will help you as best I can."
"Can I ask you a question?" Morgan asked.
"Of course," Luke said, with curiosity.
"Are you stronger than Luke?"
Conrad frowned slightly, then suddenly burst into laughter. Morgan shifted awkwardly in his seat as Rebecca scrutinized him in amusement.
" You're a funny one, kid. I haven't laughed this much in quite a while. If I had to say, it'd be a bit difficult, but I think I'd win. I'll leave you to it then."
He offered and small bow and vanished from sight.
" Let's begin then. Luke will help you hone your body and mentality into a lethal weapon. I, on the other hand, will help you hone your mind. I'll teach you about the current hierarchy of power in this world, the basics. You'll learn more once you've enrolled at the academy. Knowledge in the right hands is power. In the wrong hands, it can be quite damning."
"Our history is not covered in the schools you've been attending, and master Damien has tasked me to bring you up to speed. I'll begin with some of the most important stuff you need to know." "There are several prominent families among the assassins that have access to the Dark world, the most powerful being the seven great houses."
These are Thane, Ash, Gracian, Varas, Mordrew, Snow, and Dark. She said as she showed him the crests of the different families. "Well, that's quite a few of them," Morgan said, observing the different insignias.
"The lion represents Thane, the owl is for Snow, the wolf represents Dark, the rose for Gracian, the bear for Varas, and fire for Ash. The Snows are our family's closest ally. You'd be wise to befriend them in case you happen to run into one."
"What about Mordrew?" Morgan asked.
" The Mordrew are quite secretive and are quite detached from the other great families. Their sign is a serpent." Rebecca said quietly.
"Your uncle has been representing your family's interests since your father's disappearance. The strength of the Thanes has been put in question due to the absence of a legitimate heir, but with your appearance on the scene, that will soon change." She said with a smile.
" When you come of age, you'll have to take over as the Lord of the house of Thane. Scott will soon be returning to the academy; you'll join him later. This will allow us enough time to prepare you and also to allow you to interact with the young scions of the other great families."
Morgan sighed. It seemed like the world had flipped off its axis just for him.