I stared through the open window, searching for anything that would be more interesting than this farce. Isolation was getting to me, and I was yearning for a taste of what the world had to offer. I looked higher at the Starships flying in the skies above the dome covering the city. Myriads of machines were streaming across the skies in an orderly grid. Beneath the ships and the dome was the mushroom forest, and in the distance, a gigantic metal spire rose from the center of the city, piercing the everlasting dome.

  But something pulled me back into the stuffy study room. A soul-draining voice. “Magnus! Magnus, pay attention. Game etiquette is extremely important for a young noble.”

  Mizzila was a rather young-looking human woman. She had red hair, carefully tied in a bun. She stared at me with her stern crimson eyes, putting her data-pad on the table.

  “Shut up, Mizzila,” I mumbled absentmindedly.

  “What did you just say?”

  “I said, shut up!” My voice always sounded so much squeakier than it did in my head. It was uncomfortable.

  “How dare you speak such words to me?” She looked astonished, as if nobody dared to talk to her like that, especially not a five-year-old child.

  I grabbed the data-pad she had put down and read the title. “Baby’s First Etiquette Lessons? Is that what you think of me?!”

  Quickly, I ran towards the window and tossed the thing out. It flew in a nice curve and landed on the soft grass fifty meters below the window.

  “You must be exceptionally dull, Ms. Mizzila.” I rolled my eyes.

  “T-this…” She stammered with her mouth open wide. “Throwing my data-pad!?” She put her hands on her hair. “This is the greatest insult for an archivarius. Have you no respect? I will make sure Baron Richter knows about this.”

  “Are you stupid?” I was confused as to how such a thing could be more than a minor inconvenience. “Your resume said you had basic starpower training. So go on - bring it back?”

  “I will not do that!” Even more outraged, she raised a hand at me… Too bad for her in this place, I was invincible.

  I felt a cruel smirk tug at my lips. “Or I guess I can tell my father that you hit me. It would be so easy to fall… You wouldn’t want my father to know, would you?”

  That miserable look on her face made life worth living. Louder, I said, “Do it. I won’t give you much time, Ms. Mizzila!”

  Mizzila rushed towards the window like a scared gazelle. She extended her hands out of the window and started curling her fingers into a J shape, moving her wrists in a rhythmic manner.

  I went closer to her. The data-pad was slowly levitating, though it was shaking in the process. Mizzila’s face wrinkled with exertion. Eventually, the device floated into her hand.

  “It took you a minute and forty-two seconds to do that! I took a deep breath, trying to calm my anger. “Just how incompetent can you be? My father could do this in an instant with just his pinkie!”

  Mizzila couldn’t even look me in the eyes as she mumbled a pathetic excuse, “T-that is not my area of expertise.”

  “What is your area of expertise? Toddlers? I expect my mentors to be exceptional and yet you’ve done nothing of value!”

  Her eyes jerked rapidly, as red covered her face. “I am an expert at teaching nobles! I will teach you, whether you like it or not!”

  I cleared my throat and stared her in the eyes. “Who do you take me for?! I started speaking when I was one, started reading when I became two, and when I reached three, I read every historical biography that was here! And you seem to think that these baby-books will give me something useful?”

  I pointed at the titanic spire, seen through the window. It was right in the middle of the city, piercing the dome at the top. “If you want to teach me, bring me to the Archive! There, I can choose proper books. Or maybe try educating me on topics of science instead of useless trash! Got it?”

  Taking a deep breath, she mumbled something under her nose and shook her head. Mizzila squinted her eyes and, with the most dismissive tone, spoke, “Alright then. I will educate you on the intricacies of noble society.” She raised her voice, “But only after you bow down and apologize!”

  And here I thought, there could be some hope for her. Before I could respond, the door slammed open, hitting the wall with such strength that it exploded into pieces. There stood my father, Baron Richter Glanzvoll. A tall old man with a gray goatee and carefully trimmed hair. He stood tall, his shoulders wide enough to cover the door completely. His regalia was covered in diamonds, denoting his righteousness. There was such a stalwart look in his eyes that people seemed to obey without even thinking, but I knew he was using it to hide his awkward use of force.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  Mizzila’s eyes darted to my father, shocked by his appearance. It is rare for him to appear around the manor at this time, and he probably heard what she said. “My baron! Please, let me explain!”

  Like I was going to give her an opportunity. “Dad! Mizzila tried to humiliate me! She even did a form at me! Ask Vogelgesang, she’ll confirm it.”

  Speaking of Vogelgesang, she sneaked up from behind my father, calmly observing us. Vogelgesang was an elf, a short elf, which was bizarre enough. She wore a tight black dress, which contrasted with her long green hair. Her eyes were shaped like those of a goat, making it hard to read her. Her face was the stuff of art, as if she walked out of a painting. And her ears often reminded me of Dumbo; they were so big they seemed to give up halfway, flopping beside her face. The longer the ears, the older the elf.

  Richter shook his head, but I could discern the annoyance behind his calm expression. “Mizzila. Leave, now.”

  “But my baron, I must tell you what truly happened here-”

  Vogelgesang came closer, glaring at Mizzila. The elf smiled widely, revealing her shark-like teeth. “You will do as Baron Richter commands.” Her voice was too calm to be threatening, but it was enough for Mizzila.

  Stiff as a mannequin, Mizzila bowed and ran away.

  I looked at the cowardly mentor and mumbled, “That’s right, chicken, run.”

  My Father sighed deeply and gestured to the chairs. I followed his command and sat down. He sat down near me, his face heavy with worry. “Again. You did it again. I thought you liked Mizzila, so why would you provoke her!? You need someone to teach you the way of noble life while I and your mother are working on the estate.”

  I calmed my breath, preparing a speech in hopes of convincing him. “Dad… I understand where you’re coming from, but she treated me like some sort of low-life! She didn’t listen to what I had to say, she refused to bring me to the Archive, or even to get me some books I wanted to read. She didn’t even think I could read!”

  Father scratched his head, looking at me with a heavy gaze. “You are too young to go to the Archive! I found you the best mentors, but it seems that isn’t enough. You will not go, Magnus.”

  “But would it be impossible to get me there? Is there really no way?!”

  He sighed, averting his eyes. He was hiding something. I knew he was hiding something because he avoided the question every time.

  Suddenly, a bright green light filled the room. Once it receded, I saw Vogelgesang standing near the door. She turned the scraps back into the door, fixed it with magic…

  “Father! Let me learn starpower then! Just help me awaken!”

  My Father looked confused for some reason, but quickly he returned to his stoic expression. “No, son. I won’t risk your life like that.”

  It was as if I were bashing my head against a brick wall. He was always like this. The fruitless struggle made my head pulse with pain, but I wasn’t going to stop. “I will do anything if it means I can use starpower.” The pain surged through my skull. Images of my family appeared in my head… A different family. My old father died such an awful death. I can’t-

  Vogelgesang’s eyes shone, and she looked at me as if seeing right into my soul. Her huge ears twitched as she quickly approached the table. Her voice struck like the ringing of drums, “My Baron, I believe you are late for a meeting. Worry not, I will take care of Magnus.” A chill passed through my neck.

  Father stood up, looking at something in his vision. “Fine… Look over Magnus.” He turned to me, hurry was clear in his eyes. “Son, we will talk about this later. Listen to Vogelgesang.”

  “Oh… See you soon, Dad.” Already, he was doing everything to run away from me. Darting glances, he quickly walked out, mumbling apologies I couldn’t properly hear.

  Vogelgesang’s eyes sparkled, and a huge grin settled on her face, so uncharacteristic of her. With feather-light steps, she sauntered towards me, standing near the table, just staring.

  Silence hung heavily in the study room. Only the constant hum of the lights remained. I couldn’t stand it any longer. Narrowing my eyes, I asked, “Vogelgesang. What do you want?”

  Her fangs glinted under the light of the room. “I don’t want much. Question is – what do you want from me?” The way she looked at me sent shivers down my back.

  She played these games again, refusing to speak clearly, forcing me to reveal information. And I knew what she hinted at – her excitement was clear as day. Vogelgesang just waited for my word, waited for an opportunity to mock me with her giddy glare.

  It wouldn’t be the first time I asked this, so what do I have to lose? “Can you help me awaken?”

  A booming laughter reverberated through the room. She stretched her back and spoke, “I can.” There wasn’t a moment I liked when talking to her.

  I crossed my arms. “I know you can. Will you do it?”

  She scratched her head teasingly, pretending she wasn’t going to reject me. Then she said something I couldn’t have expected, “Yes.”

  “What?!”

  “I said, I will help you awaken, but you’ll have to make a pact with me.”

  It was a trap, such an obvious trap. “What pact?”

  “Do not say anything of what I’ll help you do to your parents.”

  I slapped my cheeks, trying to figure out whether she was joking. “Are you trying to do something terrible to me?”

  Vogelgesang playfully scratched her neck. “I will only do what you wish of me. I still serve the Glanzvoll family.”

  My headache has gotten intolerable. “Yeah, yeah, the whole thing about being unable to harm or lie…” The decision was becoming increasingly obvious, even though she acted suspiciously.

  I couldn’t remain here, alone with incompetent mentors and useless books. I needed to act, to do something, to become greater. I stood up, pursing my lips unconsciously. There was no universe where I didn’t accept that offer. “I’ll do it. I’ll take your pact.”

  Vogelgesang licked her lips, as if anticipating a tasty treat. Then she extended her hand. On her palm, a tiny circle of black and green light started growing, slowly increasing in size. She offered me a handshake. “I will help you rise to the heights unbound.”

  It was comically evil. As if I were making a pact with the Devil. “C-can you stop acting like such a… demon. Maybe speak normally for once.”

  “I am a demon!” She chuckled. She took a step towards me. “Shake it, Magnus. You won’t regret it.”

  I almost forgot – elves were demons. I glanced around, searching for a sign of anyone else. It was quiet.

  “Go on, young master. Just grab my hand.” It was a trap, surely it was a trap. But I couldn’t stay here anymore, not without dying of boredom. She couldn’t hurt me.

  I took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. “Deal.” As my hand touched hers, a shock travelled across my body, and then the handshake broke.

  Vogelgesang exhaled as if she had taken a sip of a milkshake. “Good. Now I will lead you to the Hall of Awakening. Let’s go, little master. Today is your lucky day…”

  I felt my mouth dry and my head hurt more. I couldn’t decide whether I was happy or terrified. “Let’s go…”