Alexander shaded his eyes as he approached the growing tornado. Still, he couldn’t believe he was actually the one that caused this mess. He was supposed to scare Lord Richard but instead he created this?

How could he even stop the whirling strong wind? He was certain he’d float if he approached it even further. But he had to do this for the sake of everyone. If the Valorian palace went down, Crescia would definitely attack and the results could be guessed. The palace was still where his loved ones resided. His mother, his beloved sister Elle, and the likes of Lord Richard.

But how then could he stop this? Wait.. He had created it, right? So that meant he could command it. Yes! He should command it to die down. This would be way easier than trying to stop it.

Closing his eyes lightly, he focused all of his attention in his mind and channeled his powers into the growing tornado. But it was no easy task to link his mind with the tornado. Every time he inched closer to the source, a repulsive force would knock him off, sending him a few feet away. And though this was happening in his mind, he could feel the physical pain every time that he was knocked off. It was like taking a step closer to this source required extra amount of energy from whomever was approaching it. But this was his mind, and he should control everything, right? Maybe he should just command it to let him in! Simple, he thought grinning to himself.

"Stand down!" He commanded, but still, nothing happened. Maybe it obeyed him, he thought and took a few steps towards it but this time, he was knocked even further and harder than the last.

"Damn!" Sweat was already forming on Alexander’s face now. He bit his lower lip to suppress the pain and so did his mind-self. Losing concentration at this point would not be an option.

He dusted his pants and stood on his feet, narrowing his gaze at the white like halo standing in front of him. Taking in deep breaths, he started walking closer to the source while reciting encouraging words to himself. ’You can do this’ He said and took the first step and hell! It was like a gravitational pull was pushing him away from the source. He estimated the number of steps and hell, nearly ten! The first one alone proved to be difficult but ten...

The pressure continued acting upon him as he braced himself to take the second step and just like the first one, he made it though the push was greater here than the previous one. ’Just eight more and you’ll be done’ He encouraged himself and took another one.

He almost lost his balance but was quick to regain his composure before he’d be thrown off to the first step. "Phew! That was close!" He sighed. But would he really take the next step. Three alone had taken a toll on his body and yet, seven more awaited.

The pressure was even greater here that he could feel as if his flesh was being cut into pieces. He lifted his right foot and after letting out a loud growl, he took the fourth step. But he had to pay a price. He coughed out blood, at the fourth step! What would he cough at the tenth step. Maybe he would be dead by then. Maybe he shouldn’t have done this. He would never make it! His mother and everyone would die because of his foolishness. But it was still too early to give up. He had not given it his all. He needed to stand and keep going. So much people were looking up to him, all of Valoria. This would determine their fate as a kingdom.

And with that in mind, he took the fifth step. Just five more. The distance looked minute but it actually required a lot of effort to cross it. And Alexander knew the last five would be the most challenging. Turning back was not an option right now. He’d be thrown off to death would he turn back. Damn it! That meant he had to keep going, no matter what.

Lifting his leg now seemed to be the most difficult job in the world. Crackle! His bones made the sound as he forcibly made the next step. Yes he made it, but at a greater price this time. He couldn’t walk! His bones had been broken. "Fuck!" He cursed. How was he even going to make it. Four more steps and that would be it! But with broken legs, that seemed impossible. Using his hands was the only option left, but would they be as strong as to take him a step ahead? He had to try.

Placing his strong arms on the cold floor, Alexander gripped the edges of the bridge like pathway propelling his body forward. Lord! This was even more harder than he had thought. He could feel his biceps flesh burning and tearing as he rolled helplessly on the seventh step, his hands now helpless as well. He groaned in pain, searing pain coursing through every fibre of his body. He could see the source only three steps away but he knew what awaited him was far more worse than breaking his limbs. Three! Just three and he’d be done. The only option left now was to roll on the floor, but what would it cost him this time? There was only one way to find out.

Rolling proved to be the toughest task. He couldn’t even lift a rib off the ground, and he was certain they would get broken if he did. So it cost his ribs to move to the next step. But that meant one side only. So two steps for his ribs. He felt like laughing but the searing pain came again, and he had to move. Rolling while feeling your ribs getting broken was not something one would look up to, but he had no other choice.