I woke up.
I didn't move.
Not out of fear.
But because the body didn't respond.
I tried to send a command… the hand didn't move.
This is wrong.
In the moment when your body doesn't obey you, you are in danger.
I closed my eyes.
Adjusted my breathing as I used to do before a fight.
Nothing. The tension did not decrease.
I opened my eyes slowly. Strange ceiling.
Memory exists, but it is distant, as if it is not entirely mine.
I tried to get up. Failed.
Okay. So I am either injured, or dead, or something else.
I heard a voice, feminine:
— Jay.
I didn't respond. The name did not belong to me yet. I didn't try to understand. Understanding comes later.
Now, I must know three things:
Can I stand?
Do I feel pain?
And does this world punish mistakes?
I moved my fingers… it hurt.
Good. Pain means limits, and limits can be broken.
I did not accept the situation, but I stopped resisting it.
I tried to stand again… failed.
The body is heavy, and it does not seem mine.
I sneaked to the wall, sat on the floor, looked at my hands: thin, no muscles, nothing familiar.
I remembered the sword, how heavy it was, solid, and how I knew it before it cut.
And now? Weak fingers, as if they will never know the sword.
I moved away from the wall slowly. Shaking fingers, every step hurts.
Then I saw it: the mirror.
I haven't seen myself in decades, and I do not want to see this child.
But my eyes moved automatically.
It was him… Jay. The fourth son, useless.
Small face, wide eyes, fragile body, never trained, does not seem like someone who can survive.
I breathed slowly. I said nothing, did not scream, did not think of running.
I just saw him… saw the limits of the body, its boundaries, and that I will start here.
I stepped back. I stepped forward.
I did not smile, did not get angry, just looked.
Then I told myself:
I will learn how to walk in it.
I will learn how to fight in it.
Everything else comes later.
The mirror does not lie, but I do not need it to know the truth.
I heard footsteps, light, regular… palace service, or maybe one of the brothers.
The door opened, a young man in a formal uniform entered:
— Young master, the Duke is asking for you.
I did not move, did not smile, was not afraid.
I told myself: I will not move until I know the reason.
He took a breath, then gestured me to approach.
I moved slowly. The body is still heavy, but I moved.
I arrived at the hall, saw the Duke. A big man, stern face, his gaze weighs everything.
— Jay, it seems you are awake.
I did not respond, did not smile, did not fear. Avoiding speech was my weapon today.
The session ended quickly, and the Duke left.
I looked around, my brothers were there: the second and third, as if copies of excellence.
Their words are heavy, their eyes watch me.
I stepped away from the center, said nothing, did not smile, did not move unnecessarily.
And suddenly I felt something… a sensation… I am different from them.
I did not understand the magic, nor did I want to understand it, but every movement of theirs reveals gaps.
I smiled slightly inside. No one noticed, but I noticed more than anything.
The first day was just a test.
A test for a new body, a new mind, and a long patience.
I entered the family room, the simplest can be described: chairs, table, faces looking at me.
The Duke looked at me:
— Jay, we will send you to the academy soon.
I did not move, did not make a sound, did not smell the usual anger.
I sat as if time were very slow.
The eldest brother smiled mockingly:
— Finally, this useless child will learn something.
The second and third brothers added:
— Will he survive there? Maybe they will send him to humiliate others.
I swallowed my anger, said nothing, did not move.
My calm was more shocking to them than any shouting.
Yes, I am weak here.
Yes, everyone sees me as worthless.
But no one knows what will happen next.
The Duke said:
— The academy will teach you the rules. Do not be late, do not hide the opinion of those who expect much from you.
I did not open my mouth, did not shout.
My calm was a silent answer, like a hidden sword.
I sat, watching them, listening to their words, living in my own world.
Every step, every movement, every word details the path: a path of long silence, a path of precise calculation, a path of sword.
They left the room, leaving me alone.
The quiet of the palace is harder than any fight, but I felt something strange: a small smile.
I do not accept the situation, but I can coexist with it, I can use it.
This was the real beginning.
Not the academy, but understanding that control starts with calm.