Light halted, his dull sword faintly humming while he gripped it firmly by his side.

"Do you think you can just interrupt my session like that and get away with it?" He spoke again, his expression playful but his intentions clear.

He received a deep guttural growl in response, an expected reply but it still annoyed him. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

He sighed, portraying disappointment as he stretched his hand forward, spreading his fingers wide.

A single tendril of darkness seeped out through his palm and found its way to the beast, which was still bleeding from the earlier attack.

The tendril struck the Azure wolf and enveloped it in darkness, pulling it closer. The creature struggled and fought back, its claws dug deep into the earth in an attempt to stop itself from moving, but it was all to no avail.

This was a skill that Light had developed using his affinities.

<Shadow Pull>

As soon as the creature reached within the attacking range of Light, the young man held up his sword and brought it down on the creature repeatedly in swift, heavy movements.

Light spent the next five minutes hacking at the wolf’s thick nape, as though he were chopping wood.

The beast cried out in pain but there was nothing it could do to save itself.

By the time he was done, the wolf lay helpless at his feet, only a few breaths away from leaving this world.

Light gazed upon the beast pitifully.

"I bet if you could talk properly, you’d be begging for your life right now—sadly you interrupted me, so I had to do it, I’m sorry." He said out loud, shaking his head slowly.

Even though he was forced to deal with these creatures attacking him every now and then, he had reached a point where he felt pity for each one he killed, he understood intrinsically that these beasts were just following the natural of life. It was in their nature to hunt and they were doing just that.

Unfortunately, the Hunter frequently became the hunted, that couldn’t be helped.

He sighed once more and drove the tip of his blunt edged sword through the skull of the dying wolf.

Suddenly the black aura that surrounded the beast dissipated.

Light grabbed the wolf by its hind legs and dragged it back to where he initially sat.

"I can’t wait to taste of your juicy flesh, bet you’d make a nice meal too, after which I can get back to my peace and quiet." He said again.

The young man had grown so accustomed to living in the forest, he had gotten fond of speaking his thoughts out loud, and conversing with himself.

"I wonder what I should do, should I boil you, or fry you? Bah!—who am I kidding? Where would I even get the oil?" He laughed internally, still dragging the corpse along the floor, leaving a trail of fresh blood.

Light had grown up accustomed to luxury and comfort, prior to leaving the estate, he had never stepped foot in a room that wasn’t in pristine porcelain condition.

He wore only the finest garments and ate the healthiest food.

He was only eighteen years of age, and had lived in the forest of Ten Thousand Beasts for six whole years.

Light grew as the fourth child of eight children, and there were all boys, their parents bore not a single female child, so naturally, it was rough being a pampered little boy.

_ _ _

*Flashback from Light’s memories*

He opened his door to four little boys, just a little older than him, staring at him in disdain.

"You better not fail this time!" Said Yannick, the eldest child, he had the same shade of red hair ad Light, with streaks of white.

"He’s gonna fail again, and be banished by father—I can see it all over his face." Jonathan added, the second child, he had untainted white hair that fell all the way down to his lower back.

The remaining two, Randolph and Eron, just stared at him as he walked past them, not paying them any mind.

He had grown immune to their regular taunts and their derogatory words.

Growing up in the castle, even at the young age of ten, everyday was like a competition for each of these brothers; to be strong, to be better, and to prove themselves in the eyes of their father, Lord Baron, the Primarch.

But Light was not interested in any of those things, he wanted to have the freedom to pursue his dreams and his goals, unshackled from the burden of living up to expectations.

Which is why he walked into the awakening ceremony halls with his head held high, he knew deep down that it was his time to shine; ig he could get past this stage, then surely he would be left alone to live his life as he pleased.

Seated on a high table was his father, the Primarch. To his left and right were his mother and a couple elders of the Wutherhorn dynasty.

People from far and wide sat in the crowd with their eyes peeled and their expectations high.

"Surely this child is destined for greatness, just like his brothers." Said one woman in the crowd.

"Didn’t he fail his awakening last year? Surely the heavens will curse him if he fails again." A man spoke, his arms were crossed nervously.

A young girl smiled brightly with her fingers crossed. "Shush now! I know my Light will pass, he’s the most handsome, and the strongest, I know he will awaken!"

She had long golden hair and rosy cheeks, her smile seemed to light up the room, she was Anissa, the princess of Marlboro, and she was in love with Light Wutherhorn.

"Go Light!" She screamed while waving her little hands, even though she didn’t care much if he awakened or not, she just wanted to see him succeed.

Light looked across the hall and noticed a little girl waving her hands and cheering him on from afar, it was his friend Anissa, whom he hadn’t seen for over six months.

He smiled and waved briefly, causing the little girl to go bright red and her hand to pound wildly in her chest. Light continued walking towards the podium where the Nexus Spirit orb was placed.

"It is time for you to awaken, young lord." Jacob looked up at the man talking, it was the oldest, and most trusted butler in the entire estate, Mr. Holloway.

He stood at a towering 6’4, his head was shaved and he had a white mustache and goatee, a single monocle sitting perfectly over his left eye.

"Tell me, young lord, are you finally ready to awaken?" The man asked, bending over slightly to look at Light.

Light took in a deep breath and braced himself, "Yes I am." He responded, causing the people in the crowd to cheer.

The Primarch remained unfazed, watching intently.

"Place your hand on the orb." Holloway gestured towards the glowing white ball resting on a purple pillow in the center of the hall.

Light stepped forward and placed his hand on the orb, the orb began to glow, brightly, for a moment everyone watched in anticipation and curiosity.

Until...

The light slowly started to fade, with every second that passed, the light dimmed even more.

’No, no, no—" Light said over and over in his mind.

The glow went out eventually, causing Light’s thoughts to eventually escape his lips, "No! No!" He yelled.

The crowd remained silent as they witnessed the boy fail his awakening for the second time.