Author's notes: Wahoo! My first update in... awhile. Hopefully it won't disappoint.

Also, just to let you know, the prologue was when Soren was six, he is now about seventeen (Which is the equivalent of an eleven-year-old) so it is roughly two years before the beginning of Path of Radiance.

Disclaimer: Same as always, I own nothing 'cept the OC's.

Chapter 1: Hope and despair

The child bolted upright from his position on the mat in his room. He sat there for a few moments panting heavily before he finally started to calm down. His nightmares seemed to get worse and worse as the years progressed. But then again, he only expected that since he was under the care of, that woman.

Her real name was Ileva, however, ever since she refused to acknowledge his name, he refuse to acknowledge hers. Instead, he always referred to her as 'Ma'am' and most times he just finished his chores while he ignored her. And she was usually content to ignore him. But, there were times when that was not possible. Times much like that morning.

Soren rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he looked out the small window. There was already a bit of light seeping through shutters. Great, he overslept; he was surely in for it today.

Hurriedly, he got up from the floor and dressed as fast as he possibly could into his only other pair of clothes. Quickly he exited his room and made his way to the kitchen.

Ileva was angrily mumbling to herself, lazily Slumped in a chair. Well, until she caught sight of the boy that was.

"Looks like someone finally decided to wake up." She said tersely as she glared at the boy. "Hurry up and make breakfast, boy, and then get to your chores. We'll get to your punishment for oversleeping later." Soren flinched at the word punishment; he was still sore from last time.

"Yes Ma'am." He automatically replied as he made his way to the cook-stove, keeping his head down the entire time. As he passed her, she slapped him hard across the face, and he fell back onto the floor.

He didn't ask why, she didn't need a reason. She never needed a reason to do anything; it was her house. Plus, he had learned long ago that you do not ask questions. It was simply not done.

He quickly recovered from the shock of the blow, stood up, and continued on his way to make breakfast for the two of them. As he listened to her complain about him and about life, he wondered what it would be like if he could just, run away.

She clearly didn't want him around, bugging her, so, why did he stick around here? Perhaps it was that this was all he ever knew, and didn't want to change that. But, he did want to change it, he didn't want this life, he hated it in fact. He didn't want to be constantly abused and insulted. It made him feel so empty, so weak. But, why did he stay with her then? Perhaps it was because she always told him that no one would ever want him? He even if that was partially true, he doubted that was the main reason.

It suddenly struck him, he was afraid to leave. He was afraid of what she might do to him if she find out, afraid of what he might find there, just beyond these walls. But, most of all, he afraid to find out that everything she told him was true. That he was merely a useless curse, meant to cast aside. It was this paralyzing fear that kept him here, the fear of the unknown.

In his wondering he nearly burned the food. Oh, if he had… He shuddered to think of the consequences there would be for doing THAT. Soren sighed heavily, wearily. It was just as she said, he was too easily distracted.

After breakfast Soren went to finish his chores around the small farmhouse, and he did just about, everything there. He wondered who had done the work before he came there. After all, she certainly didn't do it. He wondered if she had had a husband, if she had had a family that once loved her, but then, had everything taken from her.

He still remembered her, his mother, very faintly, and often wondered if it was merely a dream. If she wasn't really his mother, but someone else's. But, she had to be, it had to be her, his heart wouldn't let believe otherwise, and was constantly at war with his more logical mind.

What was he supposed to believe? His more dominant logical mind, or his already weary heart holding on to a small hope that the green-haired woman in his dreams was really her? He was torn between the two, hope and despair.

Was he to continue to believe this seemingly false hope or was he to abandon the one thing that had kept him going all these years?

Nothing made sense anymore. Even as he tried to fit the pieces together, they all just, fell apart. It all crumbled on him. Why couldn't he make sense of it anymore? Whenever there was an obstacle in his way he was always able to overcome it, but now everything seemed to stack against him in a fight he knew he could not win.

What was he to do? Was he to just give in to the despair? Or hope for something that may never come true, and then be crushed by the heartache? Was there even a sensible solution?

As he worked, he tried to process and rationalize all this information at once and only managed to confuse further his already muddled thoughts. He realized he need to slow down and think this all through, but he couldn't stop his racing thoughts and already he felt a headache coming on.

He stopped in his work as he tried and failed to get his thoughts under control as so many scenarios played through his mind all at once. He turned around so he could go and try to clear his head, but as he turned all thought stopped immediately.

Crimson eyes widened in horror and fear as he stared up into those dark, cruel, green eyes.

"Hello there."

Endnotes: (cues dramatic music) Dun, dun, dun! Hmm, it would seem this is getting right into the action a bit here. And yes, I know, a cliffhanger I'll probably become infamous for those. Oh well. Hopefully I will be able to finish the next chapter soon so you won't have to wait as long. (I'll try to make it bit longer as well.) Well, Until next time!