Be invisible, hide your face, hide your feelings, hide your eyes. It is not your place to want, to live, to feel. You are but a puppet, a prop in a larger play. A secret life, of which you are but a shadow...
With his head bowed, the young boy shuffled in his too-long grey cloth robes, tied tightly at his waist with the pale sash, bringing out the ashen tones in his skin as he was led by a firm hand forward into the entrance hall, carrying nothing with him but a small bundle of papers.
Beneath a spun gold fringe, eyes like water lifted to the balconies, the towering staircases and then fell to marble floors and intricate patterns. A grand prison.
Silently, his shoulders shook as he openly wept, tears already staining his cheeks beneath that mop of beautiful hair.
So this is home now...
Hands clutched those gently crumpled tokens of his life with desperation. This looped, intricate handwriting was all that was left of his former name, his life..his family.
With shaking legs and pale knuckles, he dropped to his knees as instructed in a low and humble bow to await the one who would show him with no warm welcome to the beginning of his torture. Above his head, his outstretched arms presented the letters of passage, and his father\'s short note of explanation and thanks, rolled unceremoniously into one short scrawl...there was the summary of his arrival....
May I express my humble thanks to the Academy for their services to our family. As promised, I have sent my fifth son as payment for the further use of these valued favours.
I sincerely hope that he will be of use, he has been trained in the basics needed, and is a fast learner.
With sincere thanks,
~V~
So, that was that.
To become a shadow.