“Last lesson of your training period, Zeref.” Gramps smiled at me, whacking my back. Our training period was really coming to an end.

I had come so far in terms of agility, mana malleability, confidence and strength in these couple of months. I couldn’t deny my heart beat rising at the mention of the training ending. I’d have to start a new year at school and the thought of the night I left still made me feel sick. I would have to confront Malia and everyone.

“What are we doing today?” I queried as I followed him while he led me through the trees and back towards our tent.

“Training your desire. All you have to do is stand in front of this magic lake and stare at the waterfall for a few hours while pouring all of your mana into your hands.”

We stopped, standing in front of the lake. “What? I don’t follow.” I peered at him, confused.

“Okay, so levitate using your gravity magic and keep your left hand shrouded in ice while your right hand shrouded in fire.”

I did as I was told, levitating 3ft into the air. I flicked my wrist and like claws, icicles extended from my fingertips rapidly, sharpening until the tip could cut through flesh. My right hand lit up with flame mana and I was ready to go.

“Now just… stare.” he said, walking away. I gave him a confused look before following his peculiar instructions, staring at the waterfall flowing down in front of me.

“And remember, stay focused!” he yelled from the distance as his footsteps faded.

This was the weirdest thing he had me do by far, but nevertheless, I followed the instructions.

**

It had been half an hour and I was starting to feel confidence swell up inside me. This was easy!

Suddenly, a flash of light zoomed across my line of vision. I should have never thought that. The flash stopped but another one zoomed underwater in the shape of a girl. I squinted my eyes, knowing the sirens were finally starting to acknowledge my presence.

“James Lance. My king! Forgive me.” a crying voice echoed in the air but the voice was too familiar.

General Sanders?

Her voice was weak and sorrowful.

“Please forgive me James! Please spare me!” she screamed, making my ears ring.

I knew she wasn’t real. This was my last test. The test of my will and self-control. I kept my body stiff, keeping my focus on balancing my mana and staring ahead of me.

NO!!!

Ignore the siren.

Ignore the siren.

Ignore th-

“My life is in your hands! Spare me my King!” General Sanders ran out from behind the waterfall, her hair matted in blood as she kneeled in front of me.

“Shush you ugly chameleon, reptile siren thingy.” I jumbled out, not finding the right words to describe her with the amount of disgust I was feeling.

I inhaled and exhaled a few frustrated puffs of air, struggling to keep focus and not behead her. She still had that same walk. That SAME. FRICKING. WALK. The one that tempted me to break all her bones and rip out her hips. I wanted to rip her into shreds, take chunks of her flesh and force feed it to her. That student’s death will never leave my memory and when I do become monarch, you can bet I’ll find her and make her life worse than hell.

Her face twisted into a horrid pout making me nearly throw up and gag out all my organs. She fell face first into the lagoon, her body stiff as a board when she hit the water.

My whole body relaxed at the mental fight I was struggling to win after seeing such a strong desire I longed for. I braced myself, knowing it would get worse.

I looked up at the waterfall to see dad staring at me with a goofy smile. The focus on my mana slipped but I held myself in control, fixing my posture as it circled me in big whirls. Dad stared back at me with his stubble beard. A few fresh wrinkle lines sat on his forehead but he still looked the same.

“You have NO right to pose as my dad!” I glared with wide beaming eyes. My voice raised and the mana around me vibrated. Tears welled at my waterline but I didn’t falter the focus on my power.

These sirens were heartless creatures; fishing out your darkest desires and displaying them to you. Even the ones that’d hurt you the most.

The siren morphed into its original form, shrieking like a banshee. Dad’s skin fell off like a strip of dried glue. It knew I wasn’t going to enter the water and it was frustrated at my stubbornness. She jumped at me but I didn’t move. Her claws extended but when they reached inches away from my face, an invisible barrier bounced her back into the water, injuring her scaly skin.

“Hah! You tried!” I tried to entertain myself but my mind kept forcing me to dwell on dad.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep