And today was the day, the 323rd day of the 1664th year of the new age at the 15th hour, just as it had been divined.
Today would be the day, this was the moment he would finally be able to access to his status.
He had trained so much, it was sure he would get something good. But... He couldn't help but feel scared in the face of all the pressure.
The moment he got the notification signifying his entrance into high society, he would have to walk through the doors multiple times bigger than he was.
But as he stared at the hands of a grandfather clock, he swallowed his saliva as he saw the hour's end near. His fingers twitched more and more, if the diviner was wrong... Then what would happen?
All of it would be for naught, the showcase, the festivities prepared...
The seconds flowed like a river and the last minute passed like any other before or after it, time never ceasing as it always did. Neither kings nor diviners could halt it, though he had once heard a {Time mage} could at least try to interfere unlike any other mere mortal.
Then another, then another. All the way to the 7th minute it continued, ever onwards.
It was here! The diviner was certainly off by a dozen minutes or so, but they weren't wrong. But that also meant...
Valin Andrulin, second son of Andrus' one and only king, took the deepest breath he could and pushed on the door before him. He struggled with each step as his palms drenched in sweat as the whispers of those on the other side entered his ears and the shining chandeliers crowned by jewel upon jewel, but he was able to do it. He was able to shove it open, and reveal in full the crowd of onlookers.
His respiratory rate spiked as his eyes shifted independent of his head, marveling at all that was watching him. The entire great hall of the castle had been prepared, a clear path through the guests deliberately assured all the way to the centre stage.
And he stepped forwards, the shaking stilled and the sweating stopped as his previously nervous expression dulled in a moment. Then came the next and then the next, not a single moment in hesitation despite the suffocating trepidation behind his visage.
He passed by the people to his goal, giving a wave with a completely fake smile meanwhile.
While he heard the words of people evaluating him, praising or disparaging him, they all went in one ear and out the other as he looked every where he could without moving his eyes as he'd like.
He reached his podium, where he was displayed to all who wanted to stare. Where a certain crystal stake was presented on a pedestal he mistook for a different object from what was atop of it, one which he had been told existed to present a specific screen for all to see.
Now just to get to that screen, a simple matter 'S-S-St... Sta- St- Staaat- Status.'
He hadn't been taught many skills, and even the rigorous education already given to him couldn't fully overcome the hurdles brought by both his youth, the theorized incomplete soul he contained and the lack of a status to inform the efficacy of teaching- At least, that being what he had been told of during said education.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
His stats were brought to their pinnacle through potions and medicine despite his young age, and his magic power had been specifically trained. But stats weren't everything, neither were skills, one's inclinations and talent were also important for what class one gained. With enough affinity, even a small girl beaten down by the world could gain a class even nobles would lust after.
He took one singular breath, and put his left hand on the crystalline stake with closed eyes, and focused on the plus within brackets. Before then pressing his hand down without looking at the screen which formed before it, feeling a sharp pain in the middle of his palm.
He instantly heard whispers, and their tone was less than favourable. He wasn't sure about how bad it was, and he certainly felt himself pressed down by the pressure. But he needed to see what classes he could pick from.
He looked up at the three choices, one a cop out for the children of royal lines, one a class without focus and the other one that didn't fit well with his lacking spirit and MP.
He understood it now, why they whispered. This was terrible, horrible, catastrophic. His fingers began to twitch as his head swayed, his eyes look all around him as he heard whispers and low murmurs.
It was terrible, he saw the eyes, all of them watching him from below the stage. Lungs flared and hands shuddered violently, the whispers drilled into his head as the walls seemed to melt.
He was over, his future was over. It was all over, except the whispers, they whispered more and more.
Everything... Everything fell apart, he was dizzy.
All of it was dizzying, the subtle and constant steps, the whispers...
His hand instinctively held his head as he looked down, and didn't see his legs.
...
"This dream again?"
Then he opened his eyes, with merely moonlight to light his bed chamber.
Hearing the soft footsteps that had pierced into his dreams, his eyes snapped to the side. He watched on with intense focus, as three people who had entered through the window despite the enchantments against such- As seen from the flowing of the curtains- Slowly approached him.
It didn't seemed they could see his open eyes, or didn't notice them in the dark atmosphere. Showing they probably didn't have
He had to pull on
to stop himself from showing his hand, from showing that he was awake. At least his hands were hidden under the blankets, the same as the sword on his hip.
It wasn't the first situation of its kind, honestly. His elder brother was probably behind it, the piece of shit he was. But that factoid would never calm his nerves, at least not any time soon.
He waited silently, patiently, drawing his hand to his side. He watched as a figure dressed in black robes approached his sleeping form, drawing a dagger from inside their cloak of sorts.
As he watched the dagger rise above him methodically, his hands finally calmed down and the {Martial artist}'s thoughts seemed to reach a certain sense of serenity.
An entire legion of guards ran through the halls, all the while their discordant footsteps were overshadowed by the blaring of an alarm. One which was connected directly activated by the second prince that had returned just a day before from an expedition into the reaches of the capital's depths, the 'Sanguinary incision' into the world at the great city's centre.
They could not pause for even a mere moments time, lest they be deemed the cause of a royal's demise.
Without even slight worry at the costs, the greatest of them all rushed forwards beyond their subordinates and reached the door to Valin Adrulin's chamber from the royal guard's quarters in record time.
And what he found after the regal wood obstacle was kicked open shocked him both of the blood shed and at the other blood shed.
Small traces of a golden yelled painted the floor and the bed, as the same dropped down from the elbow and stomach of a singular man; A proof of royal lineage. Seeing it he couldn't help but worry, readying his weapons in search of those who dared to kill one of the royal line.
And all he found were three corpses, their obfuscation already taken care of. Revealing three children barely 16 or 17 years of age, one a girl and the others male.
"G-Get me," He heard, words struggling out of a bleeding man, his hands shaking as he held his stomach "A healer, right now. Or I will have you t-tried for gross negligence."
"Ah! Right away your highness!" The head of the guard called out before leaving in a rush, Valin able to hear him commanding the underlings he passed by to do first aid when they arrived.
'...Man that was stressful, I really thought I'd die when that knife came for me. Luckily I blocked it with my elbow,' He thought, mind a bit woozy of pain, minor to medium amounts of blood loss and relief 'Still, that damn dream again? When is it finally going to get lost?'