It was a Monday. Esterian woke up. He didn’t know to what exactly. He tried in vain to get back to sleep, putting the pillow over his head, but it was no use. He groaned and slowly sat up. He looked out the window. The sky was dull, the Sun barely risen. Way too early for someone to be up, he thought, especially on their birthday. He yawned and tried to remember how old he was. 18. He was technically a man now.

Esterian stumbled out of bed. He made it to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. He didn’t look much different. Technically, he was now an adult, but the same grey eyes looked back at him. The same almost-beard on his face. The same messy hair. He sighed. Maybe that was the whole point. It was just another day. He cleaned his teeth. Had a quick wash and changed into a solid blue shirt and pants

He made his way downstairs. His mother was waiting for him at the base of the stairs.

“Happy birthday, dear” she said, with a smile on her face. Esterian looked into his mothers eyes.

“Thanks Mom”, he gave her a kiss.

“Breakfast?” she asked.

He wasn’t particularly hungry, but Esterian’s mother always made something special for his birthday. Something apart from what they grew themselves. Last year it had been a precious piece of meat, cooked tender and juicy. Esterian wondered what it was this year.

Five birthdays Esterian had celebrated in this house. On his sixteenth, he had asked his mother why they kept moving all the time. She had told him that she would tell him when he was older. Last birthday he had asked her how his father had died. Same answer. This year, he has a man. He would get an answer.

“Esterian?”

His Mother’s voice brought Esterian back to reality.

“Breakfast. Yes, please”. He followed her into the kitchen. He sat himself down at the table, and waited for his mother. Mirram walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a plate. Loaded it with some freshly cut vegetables and placed an egg on top.

“I’m sorry my dear, but I couldn’t get any fresh meat. I hope this will do.” She stepped back, wringing her hands in front of her apron. Esterian looked down at the pale white egg. He picked up his fork, but instead of eating, he pushed the egg around his plate.

“What’s wrong, dear?”

“Last year, I asked you about Father. The year before that I asked you what we’re running from. You told me I needed to be older. Well, I’m older now. I’m 18. I’m a man now. I want to know why we keep running. I want to know what happened to Father.”

“Why bring this up now, eat your breakfast. We’ll talk about this later.” She diverted her eyes and busied herself wiping the table with the cloth she held in her hand, even though the table was spotless.

“NO.” The steel in Esterian’s voice surprised even him. He’d never openly opposed his mother before. Sure, He’d argued with her, and fought with herm but he’d never directly gone against something she’d said. He watched as his mother slowly turned to face him. He expected a loud, passionate tongue-lashing, followed by the inevitable tears. He almost apologized, but something, he never felt before stopped him from doing so. Instead, he continued,

“I just feel there’s something important that I need to know. Something connected with Father. So please, tell me what happened.”

His mother stood and listened. A cloth in her hand, her eyes weary from being up so early in the morning, making the breakfast that stood untouched before Esterian, strands of hair slipping out of her bun. She closed her eyes. Rubbed them with her hands. When they opened, Esterian could see the tears. He felt horrible, but that same feeling came over him, and he just sat quiet.

“You are right. He was your father and you deserve to know what happened. Too long have I been hiding from you, and from what happened. It just seemed so much easier to go on. But I beg you Esterian, do not ask this of me. If you love me at all, don’t make me relive what happened.”

Tears started pouring from her eyes. She stood there, arms at her side, head bowed. The tears traced her cheeks before they fell onto the table.

Esterian looked at his mother. He felt an enormous lump in his throat. All these years, she’d looked after him, alone. Far away from anyone, in their little house. She’d fed him, taught him, gave him everything he’d ever asked for, and he had repaid all that by making her cry. Shame overpowered Esterian. He stood up, covered the distance to her in two steps, and hugged her tight. Her head rested on his shoulder. He could feel the wetness of her tears.

“I’m so sorry, mother. It was too selfish of me to bring this up, I’m sorry”, he whispered in her ear. He could feel her mother sobbing. After a few seconds she pulled away. She wiped away her tears, and cleared her throat. She looked at Esterian.

“I love you so much, my Esterian. You’re all I have in this world, and no matter what happens, I won’t lose you. I just won't.”

“Mother, I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s what you say now. But the day will soon come, when you will be taken away from me, not by your wish, but by what you must become.”

“You’re not making much sense. What I must become? What do you mean? I’m your son. When the time comes, I’ll marry a girl, and we’ll come and live with you. You will look after the both of us, help us raise our children, and hopefully cook something special for lots more of my birthdays”, he smiled at her.

Esterian’s mother tried to return the smile. But her eyes revealed how she really felt

“Yes, you are my son. But you are also your Father’s. Your father was afraid for you, Esterian. Afraid of what might happen if they found you. Afraid they might kill you.”

“Now you’re making even less sense. They? Who is ‘They’? And why would some people who have never even met me, want to kill me? It’s dumb.”

Esterian felt frustrated. Finally his mother was talking to him about his father, but instead of telling him how he died she was telling him about some ‘they’ who wanted to kill him.

“You think it’s dumb? DUMB? They killed your father, and you think it’s dumb they want to kill you?”She slapped him across the face.

Esterian could feel the heat on his cheek. But even more, he could feel a rage he had never felt before.

“Father was murdered? By whom?”

“I’ve said too much already. Eat your breakfast. It’s getting cold.” She turned away.

“WHO KILLED MY FATHER?” Esterian yelled. His breath was coming in quick gasps. He couldn’t think. All he could see was red. His mind was numb. The revelation that is father had been killed, had come as a complete shock. But he should have realized it. Why else would his mother have not told him. It was starting to make sense.

His mother swiped at the plate on the table. It crashed to the ground. The egg made a crack as it shattered. Yellow yolk poured out, pooling on the floor. The salad just lay there. He could see that his mother was trying very hard to keep it in. Keep in the anger and the sorrow. She buried her face in her hands, and turned to him. She took one deep breath and another. She spoke in a quiet voice.

“Your father was killed. More important than who, is why. Your father was part of a team. A team of brave men and women, who wanted to give mankind a new beginning. For that, he was killed. There’s so much about the world that I’ve kept hidden from you Esterian. Not because I wanted to, but because your father made me promise I would. The world is a horrible place. Wars in the name of Gods, led by people claiming to be Gods. All your father wanted to do was to end it all. And for that, he was killed. By the Shadow of Heaven.

“The Shadow of Heaven? I thought he was just a myth. You told me he was made up. I still remember that night. You even looked under the bed for me.” Esterian was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

“No. The Shadow is very real, as is everything they say about him. His Sword is black. Blacker than the darkest night. His armor too. It looks like the night itself clothes him. And his face. Red eyes that seem to burn through you. Anything that gets close to him, just drops to the ground. Doesn’t matter how heavy, or how fast, it just stops. Your father tried shooting him with his gun. All I could hear was the crack of the gun followed by a little sound as the bullet fell harmlessly to the floor at the Shadows feet. He didn’t even move.” Esterian’s mother shuddered, and continued.

“I saw him. Standing over your father’s body. Saw him pull his sword clear. I can still remember the red of your father’s blood. He turned towards me. Every bone in my body wanted to kill him, to take revenge, but… I couldn’t... All I could do was stand still” She looked off through the window, at the garden outside. Esterian knew she was picturing that night.

“He just turned and left. I searched for your father’s body, but it was gone as well. I don’t remember the next few months at all. My mind was blank. All I had to live for was you.”

She drew near and hugged him. Reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

“My Esterian, I want to make you promise me that you won’t go after the Shadow, but I won’t. I can imagine what you must be feeling at this moment. All I want you to promise me is that if you do go after him, you will come back home to me.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

Esterian stood speechless. His mind was still reeling from all he’d heard. He nodded his head and embraced his mother again. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. More scared than he’d ever been in his life. He rested his head on his mothers shoulder. Felt her hair in his face, and closed his eyes.

Mirram pulled away. She wiped her eyes on her apron and turned to the mess on the floor.

“I’m so sorry my Este. Your birthday breakfast is ruined.” She bent down and started wiping it with the cloth in her hands.

“It’s alright Mom. Now, I need some air.” He turned and quietly left the room. His mind was reeling. The mythical Shadow was real? The shadow had murdered his father? Who was he? Questions raced around in his head, making no sense at all. He searched for the blade, but he knew it would not be there. The blade had disappeared a few nights after his thirteenth birthday. The voice had just stopped, and the lingering sense of power had vanished. But before it had departed, the blade had whispered to begin training. Esterian had asked what, but the voice had fallen silent by then.

After that, every day he would spend at least an hour outdoors, exercising one way or another. Sometimes he jogged, sometimes he jumped and sometimes he tried lifting rocks. Other days, when his mom needed him to go to the market he would run the whole way there and back. He had rediscovered the blade this way. One day he had tried lifting a rock far too heavy for him. He remembered thinking, if only the rock weighed less. The blade had suddenly appeared from nowhere in his mind and infused his arms with strength. Esterian had lifted the rock single-handed after that. The same way, he had wanted to run faster, and he thought to himself, if only the distance was shorter. The blade had penetrated his legs and his stride lengthened to an impossibly long one.

After years of practice, Esterian had mastered a few of the things the blade could help him do. He had tremendous strength, and was just as fast. All he had to do was imagine the blade reducing something, and it would. He didn’t know how, or why, but he didn’t really care. He could jump higher than himself, once landing atop the roof. He had exhausted all his creativity in explaining that one to his Mother. Mirram still did not know about Esterian’s prodigious talents. He was very careful to keep them hidden. He was afraid she would worry for his safety, or worse yet, think him a freak. His mother was all he had and he didn’t want to alienate her.

Esterian made it outdoors. He wondered what to do. The sun was out, and the day was just warming up. The sky was covered in pale grey clouds. Esterian was still thinking of his father. And the Shadow. He had been about a year old when his father had been killed. All he remembered about him was that his hands had been very strong. He could still sometimes feel them under his arms, as if he was being picked up. He shook his head to clear those thoughts away. What the blade had said was starting to make sense. He would need all his talents and more if he were to face the Shadow and survive. He started jogging slowly working up his speed into a sprint. The blade infused his legs with its strength and the world blurred around him.