Enlighten: - Nick Venom (book recommendations for young adults TXT) 📗

do was take one step forward. 

Should I? Yes, I should. There’s nothing else for me. Riley betrayed me… No, she was never my ally in the first place. She was a spy placed by the head of the family to watch over me. She never cared about me. She used me to get rewards from him. She used me. She used me. SHE USED ME. SHE NEVER CARED ABOUT ME? SO WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT MYSELF? 

With his decision confirmed in his mind, he took in a deep breath and one last view at the clearing that housed every good memory he used to have. He then took a step forward, leaving the safety of the log. He voluntarily gave up his life to God. And God was more than happy to take it.

***

“You cannot die.” A voice grumbled. “It would put the world into disarray.” The voice was loud and alerting.

Eden awoke in an open field, gasping for air. He grabbed at his neck, feeling the rope burn. It was embedded into his body, a painful reminder of his suicide.

A man, who towered over Eden at fifteen feet tall, approached him. The man was dressed in a black set of metallic armor. The helmet was dragon-shaped and had bright red eyes that pierced the dim lighting of the field. He walked with long strides, every step shaking the field. He neared Eden, kneeling and bowing his head. “Welcome, the new Enlighten?”

“E-Enlighten?” Eden questioned. “Where am I?”

The man raised his head, staring at Eden. “You are in the Battlefield, a space that exists outside of time. It’s the land that houses my fallen comrades of the past, present, and future.”

Eden tilted his head. “O-Outside of time? What does that mean?”

“It means that time doesn’t move here. Right now, you are present here in a frozen state, hence the burn on your neck still being present. Once you leave the Battlefield, time returns to normal and Father Time can breathe out a loud sigh.” He explained. 

“Why am I h-here?” Eden asked. “It can’t be out of pity!” He snarled. 

“Calm yourself. You have been selected by the Council of the Enlightens to become the next Enlighten.”

“W-What is an Enlighten?” He asked, slightly irritated.

“An Enlighten is a being standing at the peak of humankind. They have the ability to destroy even the strongest of kingdoms. They can unroot hell and burn heaven with their power. Every Enlighten rules over the entire world of Koriyx.” The man said. “However, before they can finalize their status as the strongest being in the world, they must go through several trials. These trials range from simple murder to governing nations successfully.”

“Why w-was I chosen? Am I r-really that s-special to be this Enlighten person?”

The man nodded. “You are, Eden. This is our first time officially meeting, so you may call me Rethos. I am one of several members of the Council of the Enlightens. We promoted many candidates and watched them all with scrutiny and judgment. You ended up as the top candidate, effectively making you the successor to the last Enlighten.”

“The last E-Enlighten person died?” Eden asked, tilting his head.

Rethos nodded. “Fern Arch was the previous Enlighten. You may know him as King Arch. He passed away a week ago due to heart complications.”

Eden furrowed his brows. “If he was the ‘strongest being’ then couldn’t he have fixed his heart problems? How could he be killed like normal people?” He asked, doubting Rethos’s words.

Rethos shook his head, disappointed. “Enlightens are not omnipotent. There’s a limit to what they can do. They can never be at two places at the same time and they can never escape time unless a Council member decides to hide them in their planes of time.”

“Woah,” Eden muttered as he looked up at Rethos. Rethos nodded his head before turning away. He pointed at the end of the field. Eden squinted his eyes, staring at what Rethos was pointing at. It turned out to be a large clump of red, brown, and white. It looked unidentifiable from afar. “What are you p-pointing at?”

“The bodies of everybody who has died on this Battlefield. Many of my comrades were slaughtered here and many more continue to die.” Rethos said. He walked towards the bodies with Eden following closely behind him. They approached the clump of bodies, the features and shapes of the corpses becoming more apparent to Eden as he neared them. He looked away, feeling the need to expel his stomach’s contents through his mouth. 

“They perished during the Twelfth Civil War between two Council members.”

“T-Twelve?” Eden exclaimed. “You fought twelve times? Is the Council as foolish as humans?”

“Watch your mouth, Eden. Don’t forget that I am one of them. However, you are correct… except for one thing. There have been fifty-seven civil wars between the Council.”

Eden raised both eyebrows. “R-Really?”

Rethos nodded. “The Council is more foolish than the human race, it appears.”

“Definitely seems like it.” He remarked.

Rethos furrowed his brows, but Eden couldn’t see it. “That girl is right. You do have a sharp tongue.”

Eden scowled at him. The “girl” he was talking about became a sore topic for him. 

Rethos, meanwhile, turned away from him, brushing his fingers against the corpse on the top of the pile. “If you wish to become the Enlighten, you need to show your bravery, leadership, and sword skills. I will help forge you into a proper successor.”

“What i-if I don’t want to become the next Enlighten?” Eden asked.

“If you don’t, then your life won’t change. Your body will hang on that desolate tree and be disgraced by your family. I’m giving you a chance to become somebody else and show your family that you aren’t the untalented child that they believe you to be. However, if you refuse to take the opportunity, then the next candidate will be chosen. Simple as that.”

Eden bit his lip. “I-I-I… H-How will my life change?” His voice had a large hint of innocence. 

Rethos smiled, his helmet blocking it, before turning around to face him. “Your life? It will become better. I can ensure you of that. Suicide will no longer enter your mind.” 

Eden nodded, still contemplating his decision. He lost everything and it pushed him to commit suicide. He had nothing to live for. Nobody to keep him alive. Nobody that cared about him. It was a thought that plagued him as he stood on the Battlefield, glancing at the pile of corpses surpassing his five-foot height.

“I…” He started before biting his lip. He continued to debate his answer. Rethos had given him a glorious offer, but it felt off-putting. Almost as if it was a dream or that he had died and was now in Heaven and Rethos was a figment of his imagination; a symbol of his secret desire to return and live a better life. 

His secret desire won over his other thoughts. “I… I’ll do it. As long as I get to leave the property. I don’t want to see them… ever again.” He told Rethos.

Rethos nodded. “That’s an easy condition. I’ll fulfill it instantly.” He said before kneeling, bowing his head to Eden. “Welcome, the ninety-seven Enlighten. The Council has said their greetings and prays for your survival. The trials will begin instantly.”

“N-Now?” Eden exclaimed.

Rethos nodded his head. “You’ll begin your training now to deal with the detachment of assassins tasked with killing you.”

“W-Why? I never did a-anything to any nobles or high rankers!” He shouted.

“You were declared the successor several days ago and the heirs of the previous Enlighten weren’t fond of it. They intend on exterminating you, a candidate chosen by the Council, and replace you with somebody of their choosing. They will be punished for this treason, but… the Council has agreed that this will work to send a message to them and put your strength on full display.”

“But I have no skills. I can’t carry a water bucket and I’m no good at swords.”

“I will train you! We have infinite time to beat you into shape. You’ll begin by swinging your sword non-stop!” He exclaimed.

“Non-stop?” Eden asked. “If we have unlimited time, then shouldn’t I take it slow?”

Rethos shook his head as he turned away, going around the corpses and picking something from within the pile. He disrupted several corpses, but none of them fell from their spots on the pile. 

The object that he pulled from the pile revealed to be a wooden box with gold-infused into its outline as well as a golden key. He brought the large several feet long box to Eden, placing it in front of him. He left the key on top of the box. “Open it.” He said.

Eden nodded. He grabbed the key and pushed it into the keylock, turning it. The box cracked open, revealing a night-black sword. The sword appeared almost metallic-like and had several grooves into the blade, which itself was curved like a scimitar. The hilt was made from the same substance as the blade, but it was dulled. Black tape was wrapped around the hilt, hiding something under it. 

Eden pulled the sword out of the box, speechless by it. It wasn’t the same as the wooden dummy swords that he was used to. 

“What is this?” He asked Rethos.

“It’s known as the Jagged Blade, the weapon all Enlightens wield. This will be your most important companion for your travels. Especially for the first three years?”

“Why?”

“Because every Enlighten has to be sixteen before becoming the ruler of the world. The Council doesn’t want a child who hasn’t experienced puberty to rule the world. For you, three years is needed before you can rise to power.” He explained. “Now, let’s start. I’ll make you into the strongest Enlighten Koriyx has ever seen.”

***

Rethos pummeled him for an entire century with a few basic practices. The first of which was to swing his sword. The second was to train against a dummy made out of grass - not the littered corpses that covered the Battlefield. The third one, however, was the most difficult as it involved Eden facing off against Rethos. Rethos wielded the Crimson Edge Blade, a similar weapon to Eden’s Jagged Blade but with a different color and fewer grooves.

These three practices were forced on him for a century. However, since they were training on Battlefield, time never passed. They could train for millennials and no time would pass. Rethos used this to his advantage as Eden mastered the three practices - though, he never defeated Rethos in a battle. 

Unfortunately, this century of training lacked one thing in particular. Real experience. Eden faced one threat, being Rethos who had no malicious intentions against him, but it would be nothing compared to the threats he will face in Koriyx. This made Rethos rethink his training, coming up with a decision.

“It’s time,” Rethos said all of a sudden. Eden glanced at him, continuing to swing his sword. “You’ve been here long enough. It’s time you return to Koriyx and begin your journey to becoming an Enlighten.”

“It’s… time?” Eden questioned. “I can’t, you know, stay here anymore? I still have a lot to learn.”

Rethos shook his head. “You cannot. The Council is getting anxious about the progress of your skills. You need to show them your true strength. Remember the detachment of assassins sent to kill you?”

“Nope, why would I remember about that. I can barely remember their names. I barely remember mine.”

“Watch your tongue, Eden. It’s time for you to venture off on your own. The Council has sent their blessings and prays for your survival. You need to live.”

Eden nodded, propping the dull side of Jagged Edge on his shoulder. “If you say so,” Eden remarked as he approached Rethos. “... Take me back home.”

Rethos nodded, a small smile being concealed by his helmet. “Good luck, Eden. I will be watching over you and doing what I can to assist you in your journey. But do remember that I’m not omnipotent. I can’t revive those that have died.”

Eden nodded. “Leading me on the right