18 years. He waited 18 years for just a slimmer of opportunity. He cried, he begged, he even did drugs to be able to fulfill his dream.

Yet the gods never smiled upon him.

‘’Now we move on to the next! My heart beats in anticipation for those who’ll enter this enigmatic and exciting class! The black pillar, let the world underestimate you and cease the heart of your enemies! Assassins, become one with the darkness and silence, use it to your favor and become stronger!’’ Should it have such biases? What truly are such creatures? It never introduced itself…

More than half of those left move to the class, probably enticed by the words said by the figure. He feels a small tug on his ripped shirt, raising his gaze towards a child, their face is covered in tears and snot, their clothes are high-quality but they’re soiled. His black eyes are filled with fear, his dark brown hair is soaking wet, and the knuckles of his hand are white on how strong he’s holding onto him.

Why would a child decide to cling to me of all people? He’s still too young, he does not have kind eyes or even showed interest in anyone.

He tries to take his hand off his shirt, but it doesn’t budge. The fuck?

Making a sign with his hand, telling him to go away, but the child only grabs him with their other hand as well, as if he was saying to grab on even more. He wishes he could sigh out of frustration, but his mouth doesn’t move. He doesn’t look a day older than six years of age, and that doesn’t help his case. He abhors children. Never knew how to deal with them, and they never liked him as well. Especially considering seeing children made his mind wonder upon his own terrible childhood.

No matter how much he shakes him off, the boy doesn’t flinch, probably more scared of the figure than him. After a few more tries he gave up even trying, eventually they’ll be separated anyway.

‘’Nice to see! Yes, being an assassin is indeed the best’’, the figure smiles creepily. ‘’The gods are waiting impatiently so let’s move on quickly: Hybrids. Did you ever wonder what life would be if you weren’t fully human? Now you can delve into the mysteries of different species inside your own DNA!’’ An eerie laugh leaves its mouth as it points towards the purple pillar.

Not many people move there, even less than the Priests class, letting go of one’s humanity might not be the best idea after all. But that’s when an idea occurs to Balthazar, slowly he gets up, moving towards the pillar, and by what he assumed, the child follows. 

Then the quickest he is able to, he pulls the child, tossing him towards the pillar, their back becoming stuck onto it as he moves back.

There’s no way I’m going to become responsible for a kid that cannot even drink alcohol yet. Moreover, even if this child accompanied him through the floors - which he doubts -, he wouldn’t be able to protect him, and he is not about to get killed over some brat.

It was his bad choice that led to this, he could’ve clinged upon anyone else.

‘’Now, now, now, so few of you are left, I wonder if we won’t have any fireworks today…’’ It smiles. ‘’The last class will make you shiver in wonder, the yellow pillar, a class of wonder and magic, what secrets can mana harbor for those that choose the Magician class?’’ 

Yes.

Finally.

With no hesitation he is the first to put the hand on the yellow pillar, feeling a warm feeling prickle his skin. A solitaire tear leaves his eye, sliding across his cheek. The memories of his life as a Prince might be foggy and confusing, but this yearning will never disappear regardless of how many times he dies.

Years spent reading books, admiring magicians, learning about a mana he did not possess, crying at night, drowning himself with alcohol to hide the pain, drinking poison, searching everywhere for a miracle. He can finally have it.

Magic.

Mana.

Will I finally become enough?

No more useless Prince, no more neglect.

Can this finally make me whole?

Even if it won’t, achieving something that he yearned for all his life, sure feels incredible.

He can’t even hear what else the figure says, his pounding heart overwhelms him. Matters not what will happen next, to him, this makes all of it worth it.

A pop sound catches his attention, getting his mind off his own head, all the pillars start to glow, the warm feeling filling him whole as another pop is heard, then another. Next to him a child that was crying blows off, the popping sound being heard once again, and a few meters away, an elder blows up as well, its guts flying everywhere. 

The strong scent of blood fills the whole place, his clothes feel damp and he can feel something on his chest, his breathing becomes unstable as he slowly looks down, just to be met with a piece of the child’s head sliding off his skin and falling onto the ground.

But he cannot even scream or cry, because the pillar lights up completely filling his vision with its light, its warmth consuming him whole.