16-year old, me could only watch as my step-sister amazingly spars with the training dummies set up by our sword instructor,

That year, something changed between us, and it wasn't a development that’s doing me good… not in my own mind.

The day after we first kissed, we continued our lives as if nothing changed between us

But during our study, the way she looks at me wasn't the same, finishing her rounds she turns to me her ominous gaze wasn’t the cold-hearted stare she gives me before…

Rather her eyes were filled with... Lust.

“Well training is over, you kids can go home.” The male instructor told us.

Lilina bows first while I stood up bowing after her.

During our trip home from our school, there were only two of us in the carriage, we sat opposite to each other, the windows were shut, and her breathing quiet but heavy, it gives off quite a tense atmosphere especially with everything that happened last night.

Breaking the silence I asked her

“Are you okay?”

“…” She didn’t respond but her face looked like it broke off from a trance, she glances at my face and slowly turns her face at the window…

I looked at the closed windows too, and beyond the narrow slits covering it, I could see the forest that we used to play a lot, when we were younger.

“Hey Lilina, remember the time we used to play there as kids?”

“Yes…”

“We would play heroes and princesses all the time.”

“It was a bad memory…”

“What do you mean….?”

“The reason we stopped playing there.” She said softly.

Oh… she must meant the last day we played there…

That memory was still fresh in my mind.

We were 10 years old at the time and a green goblin came out of nowhere. The woods were supposed to be monster free yet a stray green goblin came and attacked us while we were playing.

It attacked us but I was able protected Lilina though I got severely injured in the process.

“I was so scared at that time… I thought you died.”

“Well I was too? Yet I am alive and in full health so it all ends well.” I said with my signature charismatic smile.

“Well I see that you are.”

I always wanted to be a hero like the 7 heroes in my dad stories who defeated the ancient evil that plagued this land.

But looking at my sister… I am incapable of being that person, especially knowing that I would never become as strong as those people I aspire to be.

My face frowned and I looked down.

While I was wallowing in my self-pity I didn’t notice that Lilina was already leaning for another kiss.

Swift as the wind, Lilina grabbed my face and rushed for a deep kiss.

My eyes widen, my voice escaped my breathe.

Holding my cheeks, But the Carriage stops, so much time has already passed by and Bastion and the other servants greeted us, as we step down the carriage as if nothing happened...

.

.

.

In the mansion's own study she would sit on my lap and deep kiss me profusely...

"Please...ha... Lilina aren't you satisfied?"

"Your body isn't honest..." she says pointing downwards.

A large bulge on my pants was clearly rising in front of her... taking this chance she pulls her body towards me sitting right on top of my hard bulge and grinds her own crotch on it.

While I'm distracted from her grinding she took advantage of naivety again and wrapped her arms around my head, kissing me again...

She starts unbuttoning my shirt without me knowing, but we wouldn’t go that far. I would never allow it…

Even if I would suffer more because of it.
.
.
.

My father knocked on my door one night and asked me if he could meet me in his room.

In the past few days, Father has been distant towards Elise and he has been... acting strangely. Nevertheless, as his only family left, I complied with his request...

His office was furnished with shelves filled with books to the brim and his table cluttered with piles of documents necessary for governing his state.

But my father wasn't sitting on his chair rather he was leaning on the windowpane, moonlight gleaming on his face...

"Father...?"

Derek quickly turned to me, his expression tired and nervous, trying his best to smile as to not make his young teenage son anxious.

"Give me your right-hand son..."

He placed a beautifully decorated box on the palm of my hand and he closes my hand clenching it.

"This is a gift prepared by your mother... your real mother and me when you were supposed to come of age... but I'm giving it to you now."

I opened the box and it reveals a ring...

A red ring with inscriptions imbued on the outside.

"That ring is our family's heirloom, the ring that was used by the 8th hero Veron, the hero that we named after you."

"8th hero?" I asked him.

"Yes. Njilven history will tell you that the demon lord was defeated by the Queen's lineage the hero of wisdom, but the truth is... it was your ancestor Veron. The hero of sacrifice who died killing the Demon god Sien... and this ring” he shows me. “ This ring is proof of that and your mother too because she was a descendant of that great hero..."

You are that hero’s descendant.

I could only look at the ring in amazement.

a real hero's ring...

Finally, he says "Verron my son, this ring symbolizes the balance that was needed to rid the world of evil, I hope that one day, when you come of age you'd be able to achieve that balance when you grow as a noble and lead these people."

“Of course I will.”

With that said I gave my father a hug that night and I returned for my bedroom, leaving my father behind.

I didn't know that one of biggest regret was not hugging him longer.

My biggest regret was not hugging him longer.

Tears began flowing from his eyes...

This wasn't a beginning of hope.

Because the real nightmare has

only just begun..