Decision

The next morning, when Aiden woke up, he suddenly jolted out of bed. The events from last night playing back in his head.

The inheritance, his mother's voice, and the potential conspiracy that surrounded him. Joy and worry collided leaving him slightly confused.

What was he to do? His small face wrinkled tightly. It was times like this where his longing for family became overwhelming. If only there was someone to guide him, but unfortunately he was alone to face what could be torture and death.

Aiden slowly took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to reign in his galloping heart. Soon he was able to calm down slightly. The path to immortality is long and grueling, it relies heavily on willpower to overcome enormous challenges, even the heavens themselves.

As this thought flitted through Aiden's mind, he knew what had to be done. If he cowered here and gave up this opportunity, to wait for a better time, then he would never be able to accomplish much. His spirit would become indecisive and prone to retreat. He had to face whatever came his way, even if it brought danger.

Aiden was only ten, but life in the Golden Lion Kingdom did not leave much room for naivety and childishness. The first time you see a random pedestrian cut down mercilessly in front of you, you grow up quickly. The Moore family itself was no spring breeze, even the servants were well versed in the ways of intrigue, every step was like dancing on the edge of a blade never knowing when you might slip up.

This life led to him gaining experience and fortitude well beyond his years, traits that would prove necessary to progress in cultivation.

He decided that he would act the same as before, making his way out of the courtyard and toward the kitchens. There were several kitchens within the confines of the family mansion, the one Aiden was going to was a smaller kitchen provided for the servants.

It was the closest to him, and unfortunately the only one that he was allowed to go to. Ordinary people were looked down upon in noble families, as a family member who was ordinary he was seen as a shame.

Although clearly he had never been given the opportunity to learn, that didn't change the way he was viewed. If Aiden tried to go to one of the larger kitchens and was caught by someone of higher status, he was likely to be beaten and humiliated.

Despite the early hour, the kitchen was already bustling with servants. Aiden walked up to a severe looking maid,

" Housekeeper Loraine, may I inquire about mealtime today?"

He tried to keep his tone soft and his expression obedient. Don't think that this maid is just a mere servant. She runs the kitchen and is responsible for meal distribution and logistics.

If she docks your meal you would still have to grin and bear it, lest you risk offending her further. As for trying to go around her, no one who ate at this kitchen had the status to be heard by her supervisor.

Aiden had grabbed that sweet cake yesterday and was worried that he had been noticed by the sharp eyed maid. He desperately pushed down his fear and maintained his expression under her fierce gaze.

She glanced at him with disdain,

" Your meal is scheduled for noon, any tardiness will result in your meal being forfeited."

This was basically the same thing he heard on a daily basis, nothing about the stolen food, Aiden felt relieved.

" Of course Housekeeper Loraine, I will arrive on time,"

He said politely, before leaving. She hated it if people were lingering in the kitchen, it made it difficult to keep track of the food that way.

After leaving the kitchen he made his way to the training grounds. Located close to the center of the mansion, the training grounds covered a wide expanse of land. There were obstacle courses, beast fighting rings, arena matches, instructor training, the skill library, the ordinary library, and the children's lecture hall.

Aiden's goal was the ordinary library. This library was open to everyone in the mansion, the only place that someone of his status and skill level could accrue knowledge.

Despite that however, it held an enormous amount of books and maps within its walls. It could not provide any martial skills or training manuals, but it had necessary information about the resources needed for warriors, as well as basic knowledge about cultivation and the world they lived in.

The Moore family encouraged all of the family members as well as servants to enlighten themselves and use the library. This would increase the versatility of the family as a whole and lead the family to prosper.

Today, Aiden was searching for a detailed map of the capital city. His instincts were screaming that the Moore family had bad intentions towards him so he needed to plan a way out.

His courtyard was at the edge of the manor grounds, not far from a very secretive hole in the wall that he used to sneak into the city sometimes. He never went far, only observing the bustling and lively streets, yearning to be apart of a wider world.

Aiden spread open a map, the Moore family manor was a small part of the behemoth that was the Capital. He frowned, the city was a lot larger than he imagined. It took him over an hour to reach the training grounds from the kitchen, how was he supposed to find his way in the sprawling city with tiny ten year old legs?

He bit his lower lip slightly, and tried to memorize as much of the map as he could. It could be what saved his life later so he needs to be serious. When the sun started to creep towards its zenith, Aiden put the map away, and quickly jogged back to the kitchen.

He had used a lot of energy trying to memorize the map, if he missed his meal for the day it would break his heart.

He retrieved his food from the kitchen and ran back home as fast as possible. It was survival of the fittest in the manor, and many would rob the weaker to get extra food. Aiden had been the victim enough to learn to avoid sticking around long.

The food was nothing spectacular, but it filled the belly and was warm. Spring had just begun, and the weather was still relatively cool in the mornings and evenings. A warm meal was extremely comforting.

After the meal, Aiden began tidying up the house and courtyard. Although he lived alone in a remote corner, he still had to adhere to the strict requirements of the family law. All residences must be well managed in order to preserve the face of the Moore family. If someone fails to meet standards, harsh punishment awaits them.

The last person was sent to live in the servants dormitory and was fined food and resources for two months. The food is less important as that can easily be purchased outside, but the resources needed for cultivation are integral for family members. Without these resources, they may be overtaken by weaker members and thus receive a decrease in their allocated resources as well as the attention they receive from the family itself.

Aiden only had a pitiful amount of food as it was, if even that was taken from him he would probably starve. After a few hours cleaning, Aiden decided that he couldn't wait any longer.

He gathered a fresh change of clothes and a candle before heading into the bathroom. Aiden felt that the stone encased room had the best privacy, and would be the best place for practicing.

Although his small courtyard was not luxurious in the slightest, all residences were equipped with a natural pool for bathing. If one was a cultivator and heavily appreciated by the family, they might even have the chance to bathe in special alchemical concoctions that would aid in their practice.

Or at least that is what Aiden had heard through gossip with the servants, who knew if it had any truth to it.

Aiden gingerly sat down beside the pool, the cold stone beneath him helping to settle his jittery nerves. The first chapter of The Heavenly Flame Ascension explained that he had to use fire to roast out the impurities in his body to embark on the road of immortality. However, even though he had already forced himself to go down this road his natural instincts were not happy with the idea of lighting himself on fire.

Although his mother had explained that he would be fine, he was still nervous. With shaking hands he struck the flintstones to light the candle he had brought with him. Soon the soft candle light filled the room. Aiden stared at the small flame deeply for several long moments before gritting his teeth and picking the candle up.

He could feel the heat radiating from the flame and knew that he just had to get it over with. Hesitation would only breed fear, and he didn't have time for that. Aiden wanted strength and freedom.

He slipped his outer robes off before pulling his undershirt off as well. He then brought the candle flame to his chest. The technique didn't specify where to start the cleansing process, but his mother had said that their Soulfyre clan embodied fire itself. Their hearts burned with the purest flames and their passion fueled their power. Aiden felt that this seemingly innocuous statement was a hint for him to go boldly and confidently. So he decided to start with his heart.