Nathaniel sighed as Ms. Maple continued her lecture about mathematics. The teen had been sitting in a small classroom for five hours with very few breaks and his attention was drifting elsewhere. He had Lucian, a fat black cat, resting on the school bench just next to his right hand. Nathan gently let his hand run over the feline's back and Lucian responded by purring deeply.

"Focus Mr. Walker or I will remove the cat from the lecture hall," Ms. Maple said sternly.

"Yes ma'am," He responded with a sigh.

His teacher and tormentor was a tall woman dressed very conservatively in a long black skirt, white shirt, and a black, buttoned-up, suit jacket. She wore a simple silver chain around her neck and two earrings adorned with small diamonds to complement her business-like attire. She was blonde and had blue eyes, most likely inherited by her ancestors in Scandinavia. She was supposed distantly related to him, yet he had never cared enough to find out if that was true. As his eyes wandered over her body Ms. Maple sighed and looked over her shoulder, stopping whatever she had been writing on the blackboard. The woman put down the chalk and looked at the clock on her wrist, frowning lightly.

"It seems you are free for now, but we will continue talking about logarithms tomorrow," she said.

Nathan quickly closed the open math book in front of him and put it into his bag. He left the room with Lucian in tow, not even acknowledging Ms. Maple's statement. He dreaded having to go through even more hours of math with her, every fiber of his body screaming at him to run away. He simply hurried down the lavish corridors of the Walker estate, heading towards his room. His steps echoed across the marble corridors as he quickly made his way to his sanctuary. When he finally reached his room Nathan just opened the door and got inside, locking it behind him.

Nathan's room was small compared to the large corridor outside. There was just a single bed in a corner with a desk and adjacent chair next to it. There had been a couch and a tv opposite the bed, but they had been removed as a punishment. Nathan didn't even remember what he had done to earn the punishment, but he frankly didn't care. Where the tv had once stood there was now a litter box and two bowls. Lucian had been pleased with moving the stuff out of the bathroom at the very least. Nathan sat down on the bed with a sigh and the black feline jumped up onto his lap. He petted the cat and looked out the window to his left, seeing the grand garden and hedge maze. His eyes flicked between gardeners and the living sculptures they tended to, creatures from myths brought to life from trees and bushes. The garden itself was full of life as the summer sun warmed every plant, flower, and tree. Yet every person in the colorful expanse of green looked ready to attend a funeral. It was a good analogy for the entire estate, colorful and beautiful but filled to the brim with gray and dull people.

It didn't help he was one of them.

The young man reached underneath his bed and pulled out a violin-shaped box. Said instrument was inside the box and he picked it up, smiling at it. He leaned the violin against his left shoulder and put the bow against its strings. Nathan let the bow run over each string before he started playing a soft melody. Lucian purred in his lap as the music spread across the room in a calming way, blocking out the noise of the outside world. Nathan closed his eyes and let his fingers dance among the strings as he moved the bow faster and faster over the instrument. For a brief second, he imagined himself in front of a group of people, all of them cheering him on as the melody grew all the more beautiful and fast. The melody reminded him of a spring wind, bearing with it the warmth of summer and death of winter. As his hands skillfully manipulated the instrument his phone suddenly buzzed and the melody died. He moved the bow back over the strings, trying to focus once again but another buzz made him aware of the sound of a car pulling up outside the main entrance.

Nathan sighed and put away the violin underneath his bed. He gave it a longing look before he looked at his phone, a message from his father blearing red in the notification bar. He opened the message and read it with building dread, his hand squeezing the phone tightly. The text was simple, he needed to get into the city and help his father at the company headquarters. He had planned on reading something or simply continue playing, but now yet another free afternoon was replaced with work.

With a grumble, Nathan put Lucian down on the bed and got dressed. The only large thing in the room was his wardrobe, filled to the brim with suits in different colors. There was a simple T-shirt thrown in there. He could just put it on, wear a huge smile, and walk straight up to company headquarters. His father would undoubtedly be mad about it. Such anger and fire would burn in the man's eyes that Nathan could almost feel the gaze piercing his soul. Nathan sighed and decided to wear a black suit over a white shirt. Nathan looked at the pair of black pants that came with the suit and the black shoes underneath them. He simply closed the wardrobe and kept on his jeans and sneakers, a small smile tugging at the end of his lips. Feeling ready to face his father he ventured out of the room after filling Lucian's bowl with food.

And he was immediately stopped by a woman clad in a black and white maid get up.

"Where are you going?" a feminine voice would ask him.

"Out. Dad wants me to go to the company for some talk or work or whatever," he mumbled.

Isabella looked him over, an ember eye examining each centimeter of his clothes. "You're not wearing the shoes or pants meant to go with that jacket."

"Oh come on, I am not getting dressed up for one of his fucking lectures!" Nathan pleaded.

"Language! Now, we are going to get you dressed in better clothes. You know your father gets very angry when you disobey company dress code," the maid would scold and usher him into the room.

Nathan would sigh as she walked into the closet, looking around until she spotted the clothes she was looking for. Isabella would put them on his bed before motioning to them. "Get dressed, please."

"I- I don't want to," he responded and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You are not a child anymore. Pouting will not help you," she said.

"I don't fucking want to wear any of these clothes."

Isabella sighed and walked up to him. She was in her early thirties, black hair reaching her hips. Her eyes held that motherly care, the gentle 'I am not mad but please just do what I say' look. Nathan just scoffed and looked to the side. Did she really think a 'please' would be enough for him to follow his father's orders? He had gone through this song and dance before, he knew how to play this game.

"Nathan, if you cooperate instead of always fighting back you'd discover everything is a lot easier," Isabella said and gently touched the side of his face.

"Yeah, because you, who are paid by him, would surely have my best interest at heart," he muttered.

The woman pulled away her hand and glared. "I have done everything in my power to make you happy since you were a child! Do not speak to me like I am plotting against you!"

"You fucking help him keep me in this fucking caged don't you? Am I supposed to believe you care? Just get out of here, I don't need your fucking help!" Nathan yelled.

Isabella raised her hand for a moment, anger burning in her eyes. Nathan held up his arm to shield him, expecting to be struck. However, the woman just slowly lowered her hand and muttered darkly. She stormed past him, opening the door. Before she closed it, she looked him over one final time. "You are not wearing a tie either. Get dressed, for your own sake. And stop wearing for god's sake, your father does not like it when you do so."

With that, she closed the door.

Nathan would look at the clothes and the walk-in closet for a second, gaze falling to the ground. He would close his hands into fists and grit his teeth, suddenly kicking over his chair. He breathed deeply before he stormed out his room, slamming the door behind him.

The trip down the marble stairs to the front entrance was a short one. Every step on the red carpet leading to the door made a weight grow heavier on his shoulders and the driver honking on his horn did nothing to help his condition. When Nathan finally exited the house he was met by a black limousine and its driver, Charles. The man looked annoyed and tired. He had dark lines underneath his eyes, and he looked like he'd missed drinking his morning coffee. Everything pointed to this not being a good day for Charles, and Nathan certainly wasn't planning on making it any better for him.

"What took you so long? Lord Walker is not a patient man. If I show up late with you it is my livelihood on the line," was all Charles said before getting into the driver seat.

"Just fucking drive," Nathan muttered back and sat down in the passenger section of the car.

Charles seemed to freeze in the middle of starting up the car, looking over his shoulder at the young man. "Oh. Oh, I am so sorry your highness did you have to wait for a long time? Do please forgive me for taking fifteen minutes longer, can you ever forgive me?"

"Just drive Charles! Jesus fucking christ..." Nathan said and swatted at the air.

"Of course, sir," Charles said and started up the car, slowly leaving the perfect and boring garden.

The ride from the Walker estate to Walker Co. was a long one. As Charles drove them through the forest surrounding the Walker estate, Nathan just scrolled on his phone. The time was four pm, and he was certain his father would deny him dinner until he went along with whatever assignment the older man had in store for him. Once again Nathan squeezed his phone tightly and his breathing got deeper. He felt like he had a great fire bubbling up in his chest that threatened to burst out at any moment. He noticed Charles eyeing him in the rearview mirror, the driver's disapproving eyes making Nathan sink back into his seat.

Not before long they left the forest behind and got out onto the highway. Cars of all sizes sped past them as they traversed the roads. As far as Nathan knew a car crashed along the highway every fifteen minutes, considering how often they were forced to halt whenever they ran into a car queue. With some luck and a blessing from the gods they reached the city just after five, the traffic inside the concrete giant not better than on the highway outside it. The time was half-past five when Charles pulled up outside Walker Co. and the driver simply motioned for Nathan to get out.

"I don't want to see him," He mumbled, eyes locked on the glass doors to the building.

"And I want to keep my job. Get the fuck out of my car," Charles said.

With a glance at the street outside Nathan got out and Charles drove away to park in the underground garage.

The building Nathan found himself in front of was a tall white skyscraper. The entrance to the building had some stone stairs leading up to a couple of glass doors. There were four guards outside the entrance, all of them dressed in black suits and adorned with an earpiece. One of them spoke into a radio as he spotted Nathan, the other three guards moving down the stairs to meet him. Nathan was used to armed escorts at this point. Being the only child to his mother and father it meant his death would be the death of the family's control of Walker Co. Sure he had a cousin or two, but they had not been prepared for the role like himself. Not that Nathan even felt ready to run an entire corporation, but his father didn't care about what he felt, only what he did.

"Mr. Walker, your father is waiting for you in the penthouse. I would suggest you hurry, he looked agitated," One of the guards said with a sympathetic look.

"Thanks, Marvin," Nathan mumbled in response and walked up the stairs and through the automatic sliding door.

The reception area was littered with men and women in suits on the phone or comparing notes on company-issued tablets. The chattering of the common employees died down as Nathan passed, all of their eyes set on the company heir. Some looked at him with predatory interest while others seemed downright afraid to be in his presence. Nathan just wanted the pristine marble floor to swallow him whole as he passed the curious workers. The receptionist behind the front desk just smiled as he was led up to her by the guards. He gave her an electronic card that she examined and then she motioned for him to take the elevator behind her. The guards followed him up to the elevator and waited with him as it descended.

"Did he say why he wanted me here?" Nathan asked Marvin with a sigh.

"I am not important enough to be divulged such information Mr. Walker," Marvin simply responded.

As the elevator doors finally opened Marvin gave his fellow guards a nod and stepped into the escalator with Nathan. The young man put his electronic card into a card slot underneath the button panel on the wall. The elevator made an affirmative ding before it started carrying the guard and rich youth up towards the penthouse. The ride lasted for three minutes at most before the pair reached the top floor of the building and Nathan stepped off. He felt stiff as a wooden board as he saw his father sitting at a desk in the other end of the rooM. Nathan's hands gripped his legs firmly. He felt as if there was a swab of honey at the back of his throat. Was that his heart beating like an overenthusiastic drummer?

Marvin hit a button and the elevator doors started to close. "Good luck kid."

As Marvin descended for the lower floors and left Nathan alone with his father the young man felt as if the swab of honey had developed into a full jar. He put his hands behind his back and straightened his posture, giving a glance to his jeans and shoes. He felt like tearing them off his body and throwing them out the window before his father noticed, but something was stopping him from even taking one step forward. It was like his feet had been turned into concrete, yet he didn't know why. He saw his father by the desk at the other side of the room, looking over some sort of paperwork. Most of the lights were off except for one table lamp that his father used to read his documents. There was a lounge area between them filled with leather couches and glass tables. It created a maze of furniture between him and his father, it almost calmed him down seeing all the objects between them.

"You may approach," his father said, the old man's deep voice echoing over the dark office.

"Yes, sir," He responded and walked towards the dark figure.

Nathan navigated the lounge area and walked up to stand in front of the desk. His green eyes were locked on the floor as the old man shuffled with his papers. Finally, the patriarch of the family looked up and aimlessly flicked his wrist to a chair next to the table.

"Sit."

The young man grabbed the chair and seated himself in front of his father. "Yes, sir."

William Walker eyed his son before standing up. He grabbed a glass of whiskey from the table and walked over to the large window behind his desk. The dying sun cast its orange light upon the man's face and he took a sip from the glass. William was fifty-five years old and it was noticeable. Wrinkles under his eyes and white strands settling in among his finely kept hair reminded Nathan that the man was still mortal. His father wore a white suit with the company logo sewn onto its chest, a 'W' in the foreground of a globe.

"We're going on a trip starting tomorrow," The man said and took another sip from his whiskey.

"What?" Nathan responded and looked up at his father with confusion.

William looked over his shoulder, his cold green eyes burrowing into Nathan's skull. "Did I stutter?"

"No- No, sir. But where are we going? I thought I had lessons left and.."

"We're going to New York, then London. I will add more cities to the list as we travel," William responded.

"What about my classes? Ms. Maple will not be pleased," Nathan said.

"Ms. Maple has outlived her usefulness. We're going on a trip the coming six months anyway and she's not allowed to leave the country since her last 'incident'," The company man said.

"Six months on the road doing what? What about my birthday, sir?" he asked his father.

William looked over his shoulder once more before turning his gaze back to the city skyline. "What about it? You will be learning how to properly run a company from some of the best businessmen in the world."

"father.."

A single look from William silenced him, even if it was only for a moment.

"Sir, I hoped to celebrate my birthday with my cousins. They told me about a great bar in the city that they frequently visit and.."

"No," was William's response.

"What? It's just one night of drinking! You cannot honestly tell me that I am not allowed to do that!" The young man yelled and stood up.

William snapped around and marched up to his son. He slapped Nathan across his face and the boy stumbled back. He looked at his father in shock and nursed his reddening cheek.

"Listen very closely now Nathaniel, because I am not saying this again," his father started and grabbed a hold of Nathan's shirt, "In three months you turn eighteen. This means you can inherit the company and legally run it as its CEO. You will not be out partying with your good for nothing cousins and you will not waste your money or time on alcohol. There will be no cake, no booze, and no special lights. You will spend your birthday signing contracts and learning from people far more suited than I to impart some sense into that head of yours. Once we return from our trip and you have signed all the necessary papers I am handing over the Walker Corporation to you. After you have taken my role at this company I will retire and travel as far away from you and your annoying sense of entitlement as I possibly can. Do you understand?!"

He looked to the side as his father yelled in his face, gritting his teeth. "I don't want it..."

"What did you say?"

"I said I don't want this fucking company! I don't want to sign away my freedom so you can sip pina colada on a beach!" Nathan yelled and pushed William away from him.

The older man growled and grabbed his son. He threw Natan into one of the couches and Nathan hit the floor, gasping through the pain as it felt like someone had put hot coal against his spine.

William walked over to his son and bent down. "Do you think I wanted this company? Or do you think my father wanted it? Or his father before him? Or his father before him? This is not a matter of choice boy, it's your duty."

"No. No, it isn't," He responded through a pained breath, looking up at his father with a glare.

William shooked his head. "Get up and dust yourself off, I don't want the media gossiping. And for god's sake find some better clothes! Your small acts of rebellion are no longer endearing, just annoying."

As the businessman walked back to his table and sat down Nathan slowly got up from his prone position on the floor. "I hate you..."

"I hated my father too," was the only response he got back.

Nathan looked at his father, his hands clenched into fists. The young man felt like there was a storm inside his chest threatening to burst out, a storm that would consume the old man and tear him to shreds. This passionate fire only grew and he felt like his right hand was burning up. He just wanted to get rid of the cruel man before him. He just wanted to march up to his father and punch him. He just wanted to tear apart every important paper and contract his father was signing and burn down the penthouse.

But most of all he wanted his freedom.

"What are you standing around my office for? Go and help Samantha in accounting or something, I do not have time to babysit you," William grunted.

Nathan shook slightly, his face contorting into a snarl.

"Don't tell me you're going to cry," The man sighed. "You're a Walker, it's beneath you."

"You're not taking my freedom. You're not selling it for your own benefit. I am done with you," Nathan said and looked up at his father.

The young man didn't see it, but slowly green lines burned themselves onto his right hand. A hexagonal shape formed itself and within it, there was a rune that took the shape of a 'Y'. His eyes started to glow slightly and Nathan aimed his hand at the desk.

"I do not belong to you!" He yelled and sent green lightning flying towards his father.

The older man threw himself to the side as the arc of lightning flew towards him. It burned a straight line into the floor until it hit the desk, splitting it in half. Papers were sent up into the air, some of them on fire. William looked at the destruction with wide eyes and ragged breath, slowly crawling away from his son. Nathan just looked at the destruction with an open jaw, his eyes having a hard time focusing. He noticed his father's fear and he scrambled back towards the elevator. His feet carried him there in a second and he hit the button to call the elevator. It came quicker than he imagined and the young man threw himself into the elevator. He hit one of the buttons and the last thing he saw of his father before the door closed was the old man glaring at him darkly.

As the elevator began its descent Nathan sank to the floor and breathed heavily, his mind spinning. How had he done that? How had he sent down lightning upon his father like Thor? He put his hands on his head and rocked back and forth, his long dark hair spilling between his fingers. As the elevator made it to the twentieth floor he assumed he was safe until the machine suddenly stopped dead in its tracks. The young man looked around skittishly and stood up, seeing how the alarm button lit up. His father must have stopped the elevator, meaning he had informed security about what had happened. The idea of the guards dragging him back to the penthouse made his blood run cold and Nathan pushed on every button he could. Finally, the elevator doors opened to reveal Marvin and two of his colleagues. They stood a bit above him as the elevator had stopped just as it passed their floor.

"Get out Nathaniel," Marvin said.

Nathan only shook his head in return.

"We won't hurt you, son, unless you give us a reason to," The guard said.

Nathan noticed how one of the guards had his hand resting on his gun. "Then you don't need those weapons."

"We will only use them if you give us a reason to use them," Marvin repeated. "Now come on."

He slowly climbed up from the elevator, his heart pumping faster and faster. It felt like his head would explode as his breathing got quicker and quicker. The new mark on his hand burned like someone had put hot coal on the insides of his skin but it barley fazed him at that moment. However, the glowing from the mark made the other two guards do a doubletake, and Marvin looked confused.

"What in the world?..."

Nathan didn't let the guard say anything else before he punched his fist into the floor. The marble cracked underneath the force and the action released a massive amount of energy. The guards were sent flying, crashing into various desks and cubicles as the personnel cried in fear. Nathan just ran away from the downed guards, only acting on instinct as he made his way past scared and confused people. A few tried to stop him only for Nathan to swat them away, sending them flying. His lungs burned and his entire body felt sore as he made it to the stairs and he rushed down them. For the remaining twenty floors he did nothing but run, the mysterious force giving him the ability to stop anyone from getting close. When he finally made it to the reception area Nathan was met by tons of guards, including Marvin. The men must have used the elevator to get down before him.

"Stand down Mr. Walker or we will shoot!" Marvin yelled as twenty guards pointed their guns at the young man.

Exhausted and tired he collapsed to the floor and weakly held up his hands. Nathan felt darkness spread over his mind as he saw the men approaching with their guns pointed at him. He could see his father's reaction to it all and how the old man would lock him in a cell somewhere to see why he had suddenly turned into a magician.

"Please somebody..." He whimpered and looked to the floor.

"Someone put cuffs on him, I don't want him using that thing again," Marvin said.

"On it, sir," one guard said and hurried towards Nathan.

The young man suddenly felt like the skin on his right hand was peeling off and he screamed. He nursed his hand and held it against his chest as the pain only got worse and he closed his eyes. All he could see was green light as the mark on his hand glowed brighter and brighter, blinding the guards. Suddenly there was an explosion of energy once more, but this time it sent the people in the reception area flying out the glass door. The pillars supporting the upper floor cracked and shook from the sheer force of the explosion. The guard that had been to next to Nathan was turned to ash and as the dust settled was the young man nowhere to be seen. Only a crater remained in the once pristine marble floor, glowing and sparkling with energy.

Nathan, on the other hand, found himself falling. Through his blurry vision, he saw clouds high up in the night sky before he hit something hard. He grunted and yelled out in pain as branches and sticks tore into his face and sides before he suddenly hit the ground with a wheeze of pain. He stumbled up to his feet and managed to see more trees before he fell to his knees and coughed. He saw the moon in the sky, bathing him with its soothing light. An owl was hooting away in the distance and fireflies dotted the forest like small stars.

"I'm free..." he said with a slight chuckle and a huge grin on his face.

Nathan fell face-first into the grass and passed out, the wind slowly drifting through the leaves.

Author's Note

I don't know why but just reading the line "I don't want it..." makes me think of GoT season 8, which leads to me thinking about bad storytelling and the colossal failure that was the climax to one of the best shows out there. God D&D doesn't deserve to direct a Star Wars movie after how they royally fucked GoT.

Anyway, thank you for reading the first rewritten chapter of CoN. I hope to improve the story through these rewrites and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I will. Just a heads up for the other chapters, they won't make sense until I have rewritten it all. Chapter 2 will mix events from the original chapter 1 and 3 since it is just a better place to end the first chapter with Nathaniel arriving in the Everfree. I might just add a new chapter entirely to further explore Nathan's time of freedom in the woods.

So stay tuned for that, have a wonderful day.