They called me a mistake.
A curse that should've never been born.
An anomaly—something that didn't belong in their perfect little bloodline.
The whispers followed me like a shadow.
"Filthy half-blood."
"Charity case."
"Not even worth the food he eats."
Some threw stones. Others used words—they hurt more.
Laughter echoed louder than my name.
Even the servants looked down on me…
like I was dirt in their golden halls.
To them, I wasn't a person.
I was a stain.
So I ran.
I left our village behind—dusty roads, whispered shame, and all.
At just fifteen, I walked away from the life that never wanted me.
Through the burning deserts, across silent plains, and into the whispering forests.
Each step a defiance. Each night, a fight to survive.
And then I found it—
A city cradled by mountains, wrapped in mist and mystery.
They say the peaks shield it from the monsters beyond.
But I wonder... will they shield me from the monsters within?
---
As it turns out, the city wasn't the sanctuary I hoped for.
It's ruled—no, *owned*—by monsters of a different kind.
They call themselves "nobles".
Dressed in gold and soaked in power, they smile with fangs behind velvet masks.
But this time, I didn't run.
I stilled my heart, clenched my teeth, and chose to move forward.
I buried the past deep inside me, not to
forget it—but to forge something new.
5 years later.
Since then, I've been attending a school built to make us stronger.
Or at least, that's what they claim.
In truth, it doesn't teach *us*. There is no "us."
There are only **them**—the nobles, the chosen.
But even among the nobles, there are those who stand above the rest—The true elites.
They are the ones who must be respected.
Their power is unmatched, their presence undeniable.
They are the city's strongest force—The warriors who stands in the frontline, The protectors who stand at the border between the ones they protect and ones they must slay.
---
And above them all… stands the "City Lord".
Unlike the other nobles, he doesn't boast. He doesn't need to, what he only wants is for him to be respected.
He stands at the pinnacle of Black-Gold,
just one step away from ascending to the most coveted rank of all: Legend.
But even so, he's not the strongest in the city.
That title belongs to his father—
a true Legend-rank, a figure so powerful his mere presence keeps the city's enemies—and its nobles—in check.
Then there's the Sacred Family.
Arrogant, extravagant, and second only to the City Lord's bloodline.
They wear their wealth like armor, their pride sharper than blades.
Wherever they go, gold follows—and so does attention.
They've turned flaunting into tradition,
and status into currency.
In this city, power decides everything.
---
Present Day – My POV
And then… there's me.
Power? Influence? Some innate gift?
I've got none of that. Not even a clue how it all really works.
All I have are two things: Adaptability and survival.
Those two kept me alive when I was just a kid wandering deserts and forests alone.
But here, in this city obsessed with bloodlines and rankings… they don't seem to be enough.
Boring lecture again...
*Sigh.* Am I stupid or something? I've been studying for a year now, and still—no progress.
Still stuck at the bottom. No rank increase. No breakthrough.
Nothing.
Maybe I am just a nobody.
But… my mom is a noble. There has to be something in me, right?
Even a tiny spark?
I mean with a name like Aiden, I have to be some kind of a protagonist right?
*Sigh* No point overthinking it.
I'll just focus in obtaining materials to help me in my cultivation.
Guess I'll look for a part-time job instead of relying on the orphanage to keep feeding me.
Still... if I could just get lucky and stumble into some kind of miracle—
An opportunity to evolve, to rise...
I'd take it in a heartbeat.
---
**Later That Night**
*Alleyway behind the school*
???: *"Hey kid… wanna get strong, fast?"*
Me: "...What's in it for me?"
???: *"Uh… becoming strong? DUHH?"*
Me: "Yeahhh, no. I'm out."
*Called the guards nearby*
---
**Back at the Orphanage**
"*Sigh* I guess is no safe cheat code."
*Shrugs, flops onto bed*
"...Ignore whatever the hell that was. Time to sleep." 😴
---
If there is anything wrong or grammar error please feel free to comment .
A/N: I am still studying how to write novels/FF please be careful with your words I am gonna cry frfr.
And lastly if you like this chapter and likes to where it is going please feel free to comment.