Prologue ~ Sages' Matter

Mornings
"Theodore."

Sunlight peered in from the home's windows. The faint smell of cakes and berries drifted through the air, the culprit was none other than the young man's chef-of-a-brother, Silas. With the hearing of his name, Theo awakened quickly, sitting upright. "I'm up now! *yawn*, what's the time?" his mind drifted to his dreams, those of death, but he wouldn't alarm his older brother by telling him of them. "fifty past eleven, now." Silas checked his clock, when a sudden memory appeared to him. "Oh! Mirian came by. She asked you to deliver these asters to Miss Exin. You have until twelve, apparently." Silas smiled, giving off a calming aura, but Theodore's anger skyrocketed.

"Miss Exin!? what the hell, Silas! you know, she hates me, right!? and you couldn't have woken me up at a more appropriate time? that's literally only ten minutes!" the younger brother sprung from bed, his destination: the closet. Numerous clothes were thrown all over the room. Theodore is known for being a rather stylish young man, ordinary clothing just won't do for him. "Well, I cooked breakfast, and lost track of time, so that's my part. However, Miss Exin only expects the absolute best. She is the King's daughter after all." with that, Silas exited the room, a smile plastered on his face. Theodore scowled while getting dressed.

Sword Against Skin
The loud clanging of metal filled the courtyard of the King's Castle. Iron scraping against iron, heavy breathing following right after. "Your reaction times are getting slower, soldier." Clara Exin, the daughter of King Exin, chuckled between her words. Her long luscious braid of her deep brown hair swayed back and forth against her back with each maneuver. Her opponent gritted his teeth. "I am not a superhuman." with anger, he lunged forward with his sword. She quickly evaded to the left, just barely so that the sword's blade only tickled the skin of her face, yet it was sharp enough to create a small cut. "Interesting. You've managed a scratch. Excellent." Clara grinned at her opponent's efforts. She was the best Caelum had to offer in terms of skill in swordsmanship. Her current opponent was just below her in power.

"Am I detecting sarcasm?" the young man who battled against her stated with vexation. She responded with a smirk.

After raising her hand to show that the battle should end, her opponent complied, dropping his sword to the ground. His hands raced to his helmet, removing it from his head. Long red hair fell from it's insides, and the young man's face was finally revealed. The oldest brother of the Sage Brothers, Ashiel,