1. Hope.

"Don't do it."...

Why inscribe that on the very door that grants your most desired wish?

Is it a test? No. The journal only stated six tests, all which I've struggled with and passed. But I still can't get my mind off of it.

"Are you even paying attention boy?!" My father's voice dragged me back to the dirty reality of the sandy circle I stood in.

"You haven't yet earned the right to space out during battle. Even if it's against your younger brother!" His voice thundered again from the sidelines.

Wait, what was I even doing?

Oh no.

"I've waited four years for this." My youngest brother, Yuta pointed his wooden sword at me with a smug grin on his face. He definitely wasn't feeling the heat of the ritual.

I on the other hand,

"I'm going for the win!" He yelled, running towards me with such a firm grip I hadn't seen anyone else apart from father pull off.

"Tch!" I winced as his weapon smacked against mine. I may have blocked it but the strength behind it still pushed me back a few steps.

I narrowed my eyes at the ground, trying to find the circle's markings on the sand. It was almost night time, the sun had set and dark clouds filled the sky.

This is bad. Father's watching, what do I do?

The taste of the incoming rain hit my tongue.

I'm just too weak.

"Stand your ground Sora!" My father's voice came again.

Damnit.

I finally saw the circle and I was barely a foot away from its edge.

"This is too easy, Sora-chan." Yuta smirked, coming at me again.

Our swords collided over and over, I barely blocked his attacks. Even at such a young age of thirteen, his raw power was something else!

"Take that, and that, and that. Take it all!" He shouted with passion as he kept hammering on my wooden sword. To me, he was a little brute with a limited attack style, which I already saw through years ago. I thought I'd be able to use that knowledge to prove I wasn't so weak—

His eyes glinted down at me as he kept hammering, his blue eyes narrowed as he focused.

—but my arms are shaking so much, that I can't move them before the next strike!

I remember when he was just born, a little baby that cried in my arms. For the first time I thought I might be useful, or looked up to.

Damnit! It was never going to be my reality!

But still, I won't lose to my junior!

The cold didn't reach my vibrating skin anymore, my insides grew a strange hotness that I hadn't felt before as I drew out every bit of strength left in me.

I slid my right leg back to gain more balance as I slowly rose my sword amid the repeating strikes from Yuta. Slowly, I gained my height back.

"Argh!" His brows furrowed as I steadily pushed him back.

"I may be the family's weakling but you honestly didn't think it'd be that simple to beat me?" I smiled back at him, his face nearly turned red as his strikes got heavier and heavier, my arms wouldn't stop shaking.

"No, I can do this." I whispered to myself.

My right heel stood inches from the drawn circle, one wrong move and I'll make history for all the wrong reasons.

"Just drop!" He yelled as he brought down his hand, but this time it was slower, less precise.

Finally.

I immediately shuffled my body to the left and dodged his swing by a hair. The wind pressure it carried rushed at me as it hummed past, but I couldn't waver now. I've waited for this moment.

My fingers ruffled his pure white attire as I grabbed it by the neck and pushed him past me, so he would cross the line.

I win!

"Now I'm pissed." He said as his entire body froze just behind me.

Huh? He saw through me?

"I didn't want to win like this. But I'll take it."

His wooden sword fell on the sand.

I looked down, my feet rested on the line, my heels were out of bounds. He had pushed me past the line already, that's why his attack really slowed down.

"It was supposed to be an undeniable win." Yuta huffed as he walked towards father.

"You did well enough Yuta. This ritual was meant to test you, yet father kept yelling at Sora and advising him instead." Jinoke, my elder sister blindly comforted Yuta from my father's side.

I stared at the wooden sword I held as adrenaline slowly left my system.

I lost. Thought as much.

"Sora, this was your last chance to get your own sword. I didn't think you'd still fall short. I'm not pleased, son."

Give me a break, you always knew I'd lose. This was your plan from the onset, father.

"Harugi had high hopes for you. He'll be really disappointed." He said.

"Yeah. But he didn't really expect that much from me, I'm glad." I forced a smile at the shadows that hid my family's faces.

"Sora," my father sighed my name.

"So when do I get to pick my own sword huh?" Yuta faced my father too but with such a bitter look.

"Don't be like that Yuta, you won at least." I said.

"I'm not talking to you. The elders will think I'm barely past the level of a failure like you." He shrugged, moving further away. "That's no way to start my legacy."

Humph, what about mine?

I'm just collateral damage right?

"Still, you did well." I smiled again while still holding my wooden sword and Yuta scoffed.

"Why are you even cherry? I was your last chance to get a sword, you understand that you'll be the first in our family not to get one from the Shogun? Your name is forever marred."

Of course I'm mad, I'm devastated. But being angry doesn't make me any stronger. It just makes me more annoyed with myself. Though I'm used to it.

"Let's go. I can't look at him anymore father." Jinoke grumbled, grabbing my father's arm.

Within a few minutes I was left alone in the family training ground, my feet still on the circle, with my wooden sword in hand.

I looked up at the grumbling sky, everything was already a stroke of black when the first rain drop soaked into my left eyebrow.

"Stop." I whispered to the skies, but received a full bath in response. The rain poured hard, increasing the weight of the white kimono I wore.

My lips bent into a shabby smile as I remembered the warning engraved on the rift's door.

It doesn't matter. Very soon, my words would become law.