Prologue

Pathetic. This world is pathetic. What even are these class divisions? Grades 10, 9, 8, 7,... Why even bother?, Valentine thought to himself as he concluded his workout in the gymnasium, the final blow of his disgruntled punch rippling through the punching bag, leaving a huge dent on the wall. Useless. This must have been the tenth punching bag that he had utterly demolished due to the overwhelming force exerted through his punches, and they were yet to keep up with his exponential growth that increased with his age.

The people next to him flinched from the sudden impact, and gathered to whisper amongst each other. That's what they all did. Stare and whisper. That's all they have ever done. Though it irked him at the thought of engaging with commoners, Valentine was accustomed to being their daily spectacle, an idol to be admired and worshipped.

"Weaklings," he mumbled under his breath while snatching the towel off his butler who stood there seemingly concerned. To Valentine, it was obvious who was the strongest around there — or perhaps in all of England, and more. It was him.

'If you need strength, you need me.'

"Young Master, please take it easy on yourself," the butler stated politely, facing the floor as a form of respect. Valentine pierced his gaze down at him while he wiped off his sweat, and carefully examined him. The butler seemed quite young, and new. 'Butler Williams' read the name tag, neatly pinned to his blazer pocket. He wondered what family Williams may have come from, or what form of mana he would be capable of. Alas, at the end of the day he was simply just a butler.

"What do you think of me?" Valentine asked abruptly, putting the butler in a tight spot.

"I…think you're awesome, and skilled," he stated after a slight pause. He sucked in his breath reminding himself of the thorough lessons and notices he was given regarding his service to the young master. 'Be careful around him, he's quite difficult to work with. Make sure to stay on his good side.' Williams remembered the words of the senior butler that coached him.

"I know, but, what else? Do you think I'm strong?" Valentine pressed further, making the butler feel uneasy.

"The strongest, Sir. You also look great, fantastic even. Your proportions are unmatched," The butler added, with hopes that it would satisfy Valentine.

"I guess I am. I'm great aren't I? That's a keen observation you've made, Williams," he stated feeling accomplished. He might be worth keeping around I suppose.

"Where is Mr. Wilde?" questioned Valentine as he threw his towel onto the floor, and walked forwards. Williams scurried behind him with caution, and with stress of his new-found job settling in.

"I assumed he may have filled you in before his absence however, I was told that he will be accompanying his Lordship for a few days in his overseas meeting," he replied.

Valentine scowled internally. That means he won't be attending my declaration ceremony or my birthday. He had thought of firing Mr. Wilde right there and then. How dare he?

Mr. Wilde had always been there for Valentine throughout every major or minor event that has followed his life but, to choose to miss the most important one of them all? The thought of that infuriated him. Perhaps 'chose' wouldn't be the right term to use as butlers don't really have a choice but to follow orders from their masters. However, he was still frustrated at the sudden change of routine and event in his life.

"Whatever, it's not as if I need him by my side. Plus, he's assisting my father out of everyone, which I can accept," he blankly stated, as he rummaged through his private closet. The butler's eyes widened at this small yet significant gesture over the ownership of a closet in a public gymnasium that flaunted their wealth and status. Though this specific organisation was open to everyone, only the strongest was capable of buying a subscription there.

"Time?" he asked Williams whilst changing into his most elegant school uniform adorned with five silver-sterling stellar.

"6:30 AM," he replied back curtly.

"So, 30 minutes remaining. Oh and—"

"I have them ready," Williams interrupted him, but he was unsure whether to take offense or be impressed by the intense research he had done as a mere substitute. Valentine raised his eyebrows in glee, glancing at the collection of his most prized watches, and trailed his index finger avidly along the opening of the box.

"This one," he pointed at the crimson diamond-coated watch, a piece that was exclusively made for him by the most talented horologist in the whole of Europe. A piece that costed a million. Not his most expensive piece by any means, yet remained his favourite. The primary reasoning being, that one could only dream of owning such a rarity. He enjoyed being able to keep the distance from himself and the 'commoners'. Slipping the watch onto his wrist carefully, Valentine admired its brilliance. The crimson diamonds sparkled under the light, a reflection of his own power and superiority, marking the second reasoning.

Just one more day to go.

There was simply one more day left before the grand-reveal. Time had come, and he was finally going turn eighteen. The idea excited the very nerves within him and, plastered an eager grin onto his smug face. It was time to unlock the depths of his unnerving potential and his own little helper. A daemon.