Darius was shown the scene of the volcano from which screams could be heard screams whose meaning only those who knew and had endured great suffering could understand. Only one person understood that scream, while others were struck with terror. Only one person—Akilos, the bearer of the power of the Dragon King, Dragonos, the first and the only.
Darius was shocked by the sight of the volcano and those screams in the midst of that pitch darkness, and within that voice addressing him. Darius said:
"Who are you? Where am I? And what past are you talking about?"
The voice replied, "Soon you will know who I am. Soon you will change your view of this world. Soon… and now I will show you your past, the one many know and you are the only one who dont know about it."
Darius tried to remember his past, but his memory was confused. Only a few scenes appeared moments from his childhood training with a sword, and sometimes flashes of a fire. Darius struggled to recall his past or childhood, but he remembered nothing.
Darius said to the voice, "What do you want to show me? Show me what you want."
The voice replied, "Are you sure? Are you certain of this answer, O knight? Your memory is erased and washed, but what I will show you will change you completely."
Darius answered in a hesitant and shocked tone, "What do you mean by erased and washed?"
The voice replied, "I will show you now, O knight. You shall have what you asked for."
In the pitch darkness, the scene of the volcano changed, and the screams faded as events shifted into his past the one he had completely forgotten.
Darius was in a luxurious palace, for he belonged to a noble family called the Achilianus family, descendants of Akilos, the bearer of the power of the first and only dragon. After Akilos died, his successors came to rule after him, but He had left only a daughter who did not rule after his death, and a coup occurred, after which another royal family came to power.
After Akilos death, it was said that the power of the dragon would return to his descendant in a time that would be filled with chaos and corruption. The Akilianos family remained a noble and wealthy family, and although they did not rule, the kings took care of them because of their role in unifying the kingdom.
Wars intensified between the kingdoms, and the Akilianos family waited for the child who would inherit the dragon's power and restore their prestige and strength. But everyone mocked them, assuming it was just a legend. No one believed that the first king of the kingdom had possessed the power of a legendary dragon—people considered it nothing more than a myth, while the ruling family knew it was true.
As wars grew fiercer, every branch of the Akilianos family waited to see who would manifest this legendary power. That hope soon faded for some, but Darius's father waited eagerly. He was close to the king and sought a higher status,he aspired to become the king's right-hand man. The entire Akilos lineage had not shown any sign of power or aura, which created weakness, inferiority, and internal conflict among them.
Darius's father, Baritus, waited anxiously—would his son inherit this power, or would it appear in someone else in the family? This created fear within him. The Akilianos family was divided, and each year they waited for that hope for the one who would inherit the power.
Darius was an ordinary boy who loved to play with his younger sister Fiona. His mother, Maricia, cared deeply for them, while his father was the opposite. Every time he entered the house, he would take his son outside.
One day, he entered and dragged Darius out.
Baritus said angrily, "You are nothing but a joke! While everyone trains to become stronger, you play and laugh with your mother, you fool! Do you know what I go through because of you?!"
Thrown to the ground, Darius tried to stand and said, "What is wrong with playing with my mother and sister? I don't know what you expect from me every time I am only 11 years old."
His father replied angrily, "Do you know that our family is mocked? Do you know what I hear about us? If you ask me about my expectations, I expect a lot I expect you to become stronger and stronger. In the end, I expect you to inherit the power of the dragon!"
Darius said, "Again, the dragon power? Everyone says it's just a legend. I don't know why you cling to this false myth. Leave me alone."
His father approached him and slapped him, saying, "You fool! Do you know how many times I hear thats a legend,' or that we are liars and dreamers? I will hang your head if you say that again!"
He took his whip and began beating his son in front of his wife and daughter until Darius's skin was torn.
His mother stopped him with her hands and said, "Stay away from him! He is your son! Have you gone mad?!"
The daughter watched in fear, stepping backward—she was five years younger than Darius.
The father paused, about to strike his wife, but stopped. He dropped the whip and embraced her, saying, "My love, I'm sorry. It's not in my control. I don't know what is happening to me. I've started losing control because of people's pressure and their mockery, and because I strive for better to raise our family name and become the king's right-hand man so people stop ridiculing us."
The wife said, "Stay away from me. Let me check on my son. Have you lost your mind? Beating your son will not change anything."
Darius was in great pain, but he did not cry—he had grown used to the pain and the beatings. His father beat him two or three times a week. Darius looked at his father with hatred, and each day that hatred grew stronger. Every time, his father turned the peaceful atmosphere of the house into darkness and made his mother depressed.
His mother helped him stand while the palace maids watched the scene. She said, "Don't worry, my son. I will treat your wounds. I promise he will not touch you again."
These promises were always repeated after each beating. Every time she said those words, something in her eyes grew stronger—despair and sadness. She was exhausted from repeating them while watching her son suffer, both mentally and physically.
Darius also faced mockery at school because his family had no "Mankion" power, and neither did he. He was the weakest among them in sword training, and academically he was the worst due to his mental state, which prevented him from keeping up with his studies.
News reached his father that if Darius continued like this, he would be expelled from school. His father scolded him at home and beat him severely one night while drunk, shouting as his mother watched, "You are a disgrace to this family, you idiot! You are the most useless person I have ever seen,useless in fighting, useless in studying, useless in everything! I will slaughter you, bringer of shame!"
His mother could no longer endure it. Her sorrow and depression had reached their peak. With these scenes repeating over and over, she threw herself from the window, falling from the house and dying.
To be continued in the next chapter