1 Fate's cruelty.

A small crowd roared with excitement as a bloodthirsty aura filled the air. A group of teenagers gathered at the foot of a hill, forming a circle to surround two teenage boys.

One of them had a noble aura to him and clothes that matched. He held a sharp sword with a golden hilt and the pattern of a dragon engraved into the blade. On each of his fingers were rings with different colored gems. He looked like a prince when compared to his opponent.

Facing him was a boy wearing a basic grey robe. He looked around fifteen years old and had long black hair tied up behind his head. He was thin, and his skin was a shade or two darker than the boys around him. It was clear that he worked under the blistering sun for hours on end. The others appeared to be well-dressed and didn't work outside.

"Teach him a lesson he won't forget!" Someone called out from the crowd.

"Add another body to the Li Family crypt!"

"Kill him!"

The chants became more vicious as they stared each other down. Neither wanted to make the first move despite the crowd obviously favoring one of the two boys.

"I will give you one last warning," said the noble-looking boy. "Kneel before me and kiss my boots. Or else I will slice your throat like your whore of a mother tried to do to herself when—"

Before he could finish speaking, the other boy charged forward with a hunger for blood.

"Don't talk about my mother, you bastard!" He yelled as he swung his sword wildly. He seemed like a beast possessed by an evil spirit as he ran forward.

The noble boy jumped backward with a look of fear on his face and swung his own sword in return. The two blades came to a stop as they smashed against each other with a deafening clanging.

"How dare you attack me when I'm talking!" The noble boy shouted; he raised his dragon-engraved sword and smacked it against the other's rusted short sword.

He didn't aim for his flesh, nor did he strike towards a vital area. He repeatedly hit the sword as though he was using an axe to split wood.

"You're a disgrace! You and your dirty whore of a mother are a disgrace!" The noble boy yelled as he continued to attack.

Suddenly, a snap sounded out, and the rusted sword shattered at the hilt. The remainder of the blade shot up into the air, spinning like a tornado as it almost struck a member of the crowd.

The noble boy's sword slammed down into the other boy's shoulder and sliced through his flesh, eventually stopping as the blade struck bone. Blood seeped down the blade, making it look demonic as the noble boy held it with his eyes wide.

The poor-looking boy let out a blood-curdling scream as the pain rushed through his entire body.

None of the boys in the group knew what to do. The poor boy fell to the floor and rolled around, screaming in pain as blood rushed along the floor. To the group, it looked as though his throat had been sliced.

The crowd of teenagers quickly began to run away; they had just wanted to teach him a lesson, but the chanting and encouragement from the mob had turned it into a deadly battle.

Soon, the area at the foot of the hill was empty, leaving only the poor-looking boy to roll around in agony as he bled out through his shoulder.

The wind blew silently across the grass as blood stained the floor. Only a gentle groan could be heard as the boy slowly climbed up, holding his arm with tears in his eyes.

His arm was completely numb. He couldn't feel any sensation from it at all, and as he tried to move it, the horror of the situation settled in.

He was bleeding heavily, he was far from his home, and he could no longer use his arm. He looked up at the sky as he stumbled forward, and to make things worse, the sun was setting.

The boy shuffled his way through an empty field as he looked at the burning lanterns igniting around the city in the distance. His throat was coarse from screaming, and his head felt light from the blood loss.

He held the wound on his shoulder with as much force as he could. He was trying to hold back the blood, hoping that if he pressed hard enough, he wouldn't die.

What felt like hours passed as he finally reached the town gates. Two guards stood on either side as he approached them.

"Help!" He screamed. "Help! I'm dying!"

The two guards exchanged a glance at each other before rushing over to the boy. As they reached him, one of them gasped in shock.

"You're Li Wei's boy." He said as the other guard gasped, too.

"General Li's son!?" The other guard exclaimed as the one who recognized him put his arm around him and helped him back into the city.

The two guards rushed through the city, pushing past anyone who got in their way as they tried to find a doctor who was still working this late.

They eventually stumbled across a small shop where an old man was administering medicine to an elderly woman. The two guards barged in through the door and quickly sat the boy down.

"Quickly, we need a doctor! A child has been attacked!" The guard exclaimed as the old man stopped, shot up, and ran over to help.

The boy remained conscious for longer than he should have done. His mind had been running in overdrive to get him back to safety, but the blinding lights of the lanterns within the building seemed to be hypnotizing.

He slowly closed his eyes as he watched the flames flicker and dance around the room. He was tired. Too tired. His head hurt. His shoulder hurt and his arm felt like it no longer existed.

The trauma was too much for a child to bear, and he drifted off into a deep sleep. He heard voices demanding him to stay awake, but he was simply too tired. He couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

A/N: Hello every one, thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter then don't forget to add it to your library!

This novel is currently entered in the WSA competition and I would love to be among the winners. Each time someone adds the novel to their library it will push me one step closer.

I wish you all a pleasant day and hope you enjoy the rest of the novel!