Exordium

                                                                                       Prologue  

 "Be quiet honey, be quiet for mumma," She said as she comforted her whimpering child, tears running down his face while there are scuffling noises and shouts coming from the hall. "It'll all be over soon. I promise."

"Y-yes, m-mu-mumma..." The young boy sniveled, wiping his nose on his ragged sleeve.

"There's a good lad." As she says this, the door in the next room slams open. She jumps and replaces the small nightstand in front of the hideaway hole that encases her son.

"Open the door before we bust this one down too," Said an authoritative voice, practiced well in order to maintain rowdy troops. "I mean it number 47-68-83!"

"Right away Master Apex." She opens the door rightly yet cautiously as a large, brutish looking man with scars rippling down what you can see of his arms and face strides into the room holding a greatsword in his right hand, a blueish-green aura surrounding his left one. His large grey eyes barely held back by his narrow eyelids, showing that he has examined evidence closely and thoroughly throughout the years.

"There were reports of an unregistered child in the premises. We are, as you should know, here to vacate all younglings and match their numbers with the O.R.A.C.L.E. Stone. Are there any children in the home?" Before she is able to respond, he mutters three singular words and forming a backwards seven in the air, the sparkling light that surrounds his hand leaves a trail, "Incanto homosi revie." The stillness and silence in the room is almost deafening. Overwhelming seconds pass as the mother attempts to keep herself from tearing.

The worst happened.

"Mumma, c-can I come out now?"

"Ma'am, where did that voice come from?" He says almost carelessly, as though it were just another job to do. Only the slightest tinge of regret knowing that he is about to take a child from his own mother. But he must remain solid.

"A-..." She hesitates, tears pouring down her tired face. "Please don't take him away," She sobs, "He hasn't done anything. Please. I'll do anything!"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Where is he?"

"N-no...." Slowly, she lifts her hand to the nightstand behind which is the young boy.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Truly I am." It's almost a lie. And he knows it. He sheathes his sword but does not dispell his pacifying charm. Shifting over to the nightstand he slides it out of the way to show the alarmed boy in his ragged, hand-sewn clothes before lifting him up passively with his right arm and carrying him over his shoulder. The boy cries out for his mother who sits there with an outstretched arm crying out to him as well. Master Apex lays his left hand on the boy's back, instantly silencing him and causing him to lie limp.

The woman grasps at then man's boots, begging him not to take her son away. "Xavier no! Please don't do this!" 

Hearing his own name, Master Apex kicks her face from behind, breaking her nose and leaving her unconscious.

                                                                                   Chapter One

  A vision of a woman in front of me. Her face wrinkled not with age but several fake smiles and so much stress; Not enough sleep, nor enough euphoria. The sound of wood clashing and shattering from great force blasts in through the background. I whimper something unintelligible and darkness covers me, allowing only slivers of light through. Just not enough to see by. I hear voices beyond the dark, nothing I can understand, however, as they are garbled through the gaunt cracks of light. I hear a man's voice, it's soft and compassionate. My father must be here. I call out to my mother, asking if I'm able to come out. Finally, the darkness is pulled away by a large man, but he is not my father. I'm scooped up onto his shoulder and he walks away from my crying mother. I kick and scream for her, I want my mother. I. Want. Mumma. A soothing sensation. A warmth at the small of my back crawling through my body. I'm sleepy, almost at ends with the world so I may nap. It's cold now, too cold to be natural.