Slap!
"Caecus, you still don't get it, do you? You are blind. A disgrace to our corpus. Even if you got the resources to grow stronger you still wouldn't be able to amount to anything. What will you do if you get asked for a duel? Swing around your sword everywhere hoping to hit your opponent?"
It stung… Caecus could feel his cheek start to swell from his father's slap. But he couldn't show weakness. With his jaw tightened he felt his nails digging into his palms.
"B-but father… I- I just wanted to be useful to the corpus for once," his voice was trembling.
"If you truly want to be useful, stay put so we can marry you off to another corpus. Even though you are blind, you have the genes of the main family… so your offspring will be of use."
Caecus felt a strong hand on his shoulder and his father's breath pushing against the skin of his forehead.
"Now go. I wasted enough time with you," the older man said as he pushed him away by the shoulder.
Caecus only heard the footsteps of his father against the heated ceramic floor as he walked away. A tear tracing his cheek.
Drip.
...
On a soft bed a young boy lay, looking to be 13. His messy jet-black hair, spilling onto the silky duvet of his blanket, exposed his features, which were usually hidden under it.
His pale skin bore no imperfection other than a birthmark next to his eye. Dried tears made his skin slightly crusty. His eyes were the color of his hair, providing a sleek contrast against his skin.
One might think they held intellect behind them considering the family he hailed, but they were empty due to his blindness. If it weren't for the faint sound of his breathing and the slow rise and fall of his chest, one might've thought him dead. A faint redness was rimming his eyes, and his cheek bore a bruise.
Caecus lay still. Too still. On the outside he may have seemed calm and steady… but inside he was a mess.
'Maybe I should just give up. It was foolish to think I could step out of the shadow my disability cast onto me.'
Caecus just wanted one thing. To have a purpose. Ever since he was born he had been discarded by the corpus.
'What was the point of teaching a blind person to fight?'
Thanks to the corpora's eugenic system, he had genetic worth. Nothing more. He would probably be married off to some girl for political relations and his children would be groomed by the corpus to become strong.
Compared to other kids his age he wasn't very big either. He was 14 years old now, but he barely passed off as 13 because of his small frame.
The other children from the corpora like his sister had trained since birth and were given the best resources. They were all taller, stronger and more intelligent than him. Even if he started now, it would be futile.
Self doubt was consuming him from within… until he realized something.
'All my doubts stem from myself. The corpus never put any expectations on me. If they don't care, then why should I?'
The black haired boy stood up with strengthened resolve and grabbed his guide cane. It was around 100cm long and had a little ball at the end to help it glide across the ground.
From the surface it was to be felt that the entire ground of his room was covered in a mat which cushioned the ground in case he fell. As a little kid he always bruised himself because he stumbled over things he couldn't see, so this was put as a safety precaution.
He counted seven steps and was immediately able to smell the wooden door. Knowing he was in front of it now, he grabbed the door handle, feeling the cold and smooth metallic texture of it, twisted the handle and found himself to be in the hallway.
When he stepped out he heard someone walking behind him.
"Young Master?" a friendly young female voice rang out from behind him. It was a servant, "do you need any help?"
"Yes… do you know where the training room is?" Caecus was nervous. He knew that the servantsDDD didn't have much entertaining things to do here other than being on the internet and gossiping. It was assured that she would tell this to the other servants and it would surely make him seem like a fool.
"Th-the training room?! Oh. Pardon this question Young Master but do you even know what to do in there? You never trained a day in your life…" her voice was full of surprise. Caecus smelled a sweet scent, which provided him with the information that she rigidly moved. Whenever people moved fast their perfume spread into the air.
"It's alright. I'll just do some light physical work, nothing with weapons yet. May I ask you to assist me in doing that?" Caecus was ashamed to ask.
'I can't even do something as simple as working out on my own…'
"Oh- of course…"
Slap!
He struck his cheeks with both of his hands. The pain which was on his cheek before only got worse. The bruise from his father's previous slap was still there.
"E-eh? Young Master?"
Caecus extending his hand in front of him toward the direction where her voice came from. His palm was facing upwards; non-verbally asking her to take it.
"Please lead me to the training room."
'Finally.'
'It's time for me to live for myself.'