ZACK: His unbeatable revenge

He paced around his room in confusion looking at his mum with obvious sadness. He has long prepared for this day, a day he wished never to come, a day he thought he could escape but it was reality, it wasn't a dream or an illusion. He has taken lessons from the best mages in all four countries in Gogae and studied books that talks about the most efficient spells yet, he wasn't able to discover his inner abilities. No one having royal blood has ever been born without powers but his birth broke an impossible record. He looked at his mother one more time as he watched her bite her lips to avoid tears flowing down her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, mum, I will always be here whenever you need me, the law can't be broken just because I'm the first son of the emperor, I would have to go," He said, walking up to her with unsteady steps. She looked at him and a sad smile appeared on her pale face "you've grown well, a fine man with an athletic body, I can't stop you from going but please be safe for me" She finally said as she let loose of the tears she's been holding for days. He looked away as he couldn't bear seeing his mother cry and most painfully, the tears were all because of him, his birth has brought her great pain deep down he wished he was never born. His birth was never meant to happen anyway, his mother was formerly a maid in the palace and she had an affair with the emperor and that led to his birth, if she knew he would bring her much pain, she probably would have gotten rid of him back then. "Young master, the emperor seeks your presence" His personal guard said, walking into the room and bowing down in respect. He looked at his mother and gave her a reassuring smile before walking out of his chamber. He walked down the palace as he came across different mages who bowed to him with respect but deep down he knew behind their courtesy was a mockery. It wasn't new to him, no one considered him the son of the emperor they all viewed him as an outcast and he has come to live with that. He ignored every one of their expressions as he finally got to the emperor's quarters where he met his brothers and other mages standing in different lines facing the emperor, it was obvious that they were all waiting for him. "Why are you late Zack?" The emperor said with a frown on his face, everyone knew how much he hated lateness especially when he was to be present on the occasion. He looked at his father as anger grew inside of him, ever since he was born, this was the second time he was seeing his father and it felt like the man standing in front of him was a stranger. Though they both lived in the palace their hearts were apart. He wasn't lucky to enjoy the love of a father, what he did all his life was train to be the best but he couldn't even be the worst. A man without powers is as good as dead in Gogae. "How dare you keep the emperor quiet!" A mage walked toward him in anger interrupting his thoughts. He raised his head to look at his father to see the expression on his face but he couldn't even read any expression on his face; it was almost like he was looking at a rock. He took a deep breath before looking downwards in respect. "I had issues to take care of, that's why I was late." He said, still keeping his head low. He knew what was coming, he didn't need a soothsayer to tell him he was eligible for punishment. "How dare you talk to the emperor that way, such impetus!" His immediate younger brother Nate said, with a tune of disgust and irritation in his voice. "Enough!" The emperor fired at them as he looked at Zack angrily "Since when did you become this arrogant Zack? Do you know the punishment for talking back at me?" He blurted out shouting at the same time scolding him. He slightly chuckled when he heard his father say those words categorically to his face, he wasn't like his brothers who talked behind the king, he said everything he felt right in the face of the emperor without fear of being punished because that was the kind of person he was. He looked up at the king with a frown on his face "Don't speak like you know me father because you know nothing about me, I have learned to live my life without you so don't you dare scold me like you care because obviously you don't" He said as tears gathered in his eyes which he fought to withhold. "Punish him!" The emperor commanded his guards as he glared at Zack with anger surprisingly mixed with regret and sadness. He knew he hadn't been a good father but why would he care? Zack was never meant to be born in the first place; it was all part of his carelessness and he would forever regret that. The guards dragged him to the center of the training center as the mages gave way for them to drag him properly. His hands were tied to steel and a big weep was brought forward and handed over to the chief guard. "It is written in the constitution of mages to always keep short when the emperor is talking and failure to abide would attract 20 weep at the back" with that, he began weeping hard as each weep he made, a mark would show on his back and blood would gush out badly. He frowned and gritted his teeth as the weep landed on his back, this is how his life has been since he was a child. He was never cared for but quick to be punished every single thing he did was always an offense to the constitution in the mage trinity. He wasn't even considered a mage by anyone but when it comes to punishment, they all regard him as a mage. He bit his lips forcefully as the fifteenth strike landed on his back, he clenched his fist tightly controlling himself from crying. "No! Leave him alone, he has done nothing wrong" His mother said running towards him as tears were already flowing down her eyes. He has been a bad son from birth always causing her pain of some sort. He looked at her and gave a pale smile "I'm fine mum, it's just a weeping punishment, it's nothing I can't handle" He said forcing a smile as the last strike landed on his back. His hands were loosened off the steel and he fell to the floor feeling pains all over his body as his sight became hazy. His mother assisted him to stand on his feet and he wore his blue jacket and stood in front of the king. He was sweating profusely and his dress was already soaked with so much blood but his expression did not change he looked up at his father and a smirk appeared on his face "Now that you've done the usual can we move straight up to the place where you would tell me why I'm here? I have never been considered your son anyway so how come I'm summoned among my supposed brothers' ' he said as he smiled widely ignoring the sharp pain he was feeling in his back.