The pain is great and you want it to be over with as quickly as possible, but you know to beg for mercy would be shameful, so you gasp say you'd rather die than beg. This response surprises her to a point that she actually takes her boot off your chest giving you relief.

"Truly, little one? You accept death so quickly? Have you no instinct for survival, or are you merely a fool? Still, your refusal to beg at least shows promise. It also shows that you know your place and that your life is ultimately not your own. It is nothing. ALL of your lives are nothing! Your lives will never be anything more than warm bodies to serve the Emperor! Remember this."

At this point much like your other classmate hit by her magic bolt, you slowly get up and back in your seat, clutching your chest. It hurts, but you compose yourself the best you can.

Time passes by under the harsh guidance of Mistress. She teaches you all that she promised she would and then some. Your lessons are not only that of a combat nature, but of an academic one as well. You wouldn't be aware of it, but you and your classmates are probably much better educated than other children your age.

As for you, Mistress doesn't treat you any worse or better than any of the other children, but your first experience with her did have an effect on your behavior. You take her lesson that your life ultimately not being important to heart and you become more and more withdrawn. So withdrawn in fact that you almost become invisible to your fellow classmates and even Mistress sometimes forgets that you're there at all. If it was not for group projects and sparring lessons you probably would be forgotten.

You obey commands and do your training and that is all. Why bother worrying about anything else when your life is not your own? You must follow orders even if it means your death, it's the only way you'll be able to please the Emperor.

Despite your low key nature, your personality doesn't completely go unnoticed by your instructor and watchers, they make note of it and decide how you should be handled in the next step of your training.

Year 12

You are in a room with a few of your fellow classmates standing in a row. Most of your class has been separated for reasons unknown to you. All you know right now is there is a man in a dark robe speaking with a well dressed man. They are speaking about you, but not actually speaking TO you…

"Far be it from me to question orders, but I thought the whole point of this program was to create a separate elite fighting unit. Why are they now being split up and more importantly why are some being placed with us?"
"Things have changed since the program's inception. Besides I would've thought the Shadow Guard would've appreciated such an honor of receiving such worthy candidates." the man dressed in black formal wear calmly retorts.
"That remains to be seen. I'm sure you're fully aware of our strict guidelines on who is accepted. There are tests and rituals to go through."
"So, put 'em through whatever it is you do. Look, I'd say you could benefit by having a few Eternals in your ranks, if nothing else than to keep you from getting lax."
"Lax? Our group has been the eyes and ears of the Empire for centuries, and our vigilance is beyond reproach. We haven't even seen one of these so-called Eternals can do. It's all been just speculation, and if I may be so bold, a misguided appropriation of time and funds. The Empire should be providing the regular military better equipment and more of it, so that we don't have to be sent in to help them on the frontlines when we could be doing better things with our time such as keeping the Empire safe from subversives and other internal parasites."
"Your concerns are irrelevant. This is the Emperor's project and he has his reasons. If I were you I'd watch your tone. For someone who doesn't question orders, one wonders if you have to be reminded that you are a servant of the Emperor and you will obey or you will be replaced."

The robed individual steps towards the well dressed man before speaking.

"Fortunately for you, I do serve the Emperor, for that is the only thing keeping me from ripping out your throat. Never question my loyalty again…very well I shall take these so called Eternals, but if they fail to live up to Shadow Guard standard, then they shall die like anyone else."
"As you wish brother, I leave it in your capable hands. You will keep me apprised of their progress on a weekly basis. Good day." The well dressed man says and leaves the room, leaving you all alone with the robed man. You've never seen a Shadow Guard before, but while he doesn't look quite as menacing from what you've heard about them you know that he is a force to be reckoned with by reputation alone.

He walks up and down the row sizing you all up before speaking.

"I am Brother Gray, and I will be in charge of the rest of your training until the Emperor deems otherwise. I imagine that your former instructor was that svelk woman, so I trust you all know by now that failure and weakness have no place here. Correct?"
"Yes Brother!" you all shout in unison.
"Hmm, well glad to see her skills in teaching discipline are still as effective as ever. Good. Now let's see how good your combat skills are…"

At this point you and your fellow classmates instinctively start to pair up to spar with each other, but Gray stops you and immediately knows what's going on.

"Oh no, you won't be fighting each other. The svelk's cultivation of mistrust and loathing in all of you has its place, but not for our purposes. As a Shadow Guard you will learn that the reliance on such emotions to be a hindrance, as all emotions are. I can see I will have to undo some of the foolishness she has instilled in you all."

Time goes by and Brother Gray begins to train you in various forms of combat. It's actually similar to some of the stuff Mistress was starting to teach you as he goes on about unconventional warfare such as poisoning water supplies and assassinations. However he also teaches you and your classmates to work better as a team. One test involves fighting a strange beast called a Thought Lurker. It is one of the most grueling battles you've ever had and it doesn't require weapons at all. It takes place all in your mind and it utterly destroys a few of your classmates. It is only when you and your classmates concentrate together as one you are ultimately successful in defeating it.

Academically speaking, you are still given a well-rounded education. A strong mind and knowledge wins more battles than any blade did as Brother Gray says.

Brother Gray is just as uncompromising as Mistress in his training, but he is not gleeful about it at all. His verbal abuse is a cold disappointment rather than gloating about your failures. He still reminds you all regularly about how it is your sworn duty to serve the Emperor, but you hardly need him to tell you that, to believe otherwise is unthinkable.

As for you, you find yourself fitting in better here. It might be due to the conditioning that emotions are a hindrance and the emphasis on duty since you already had a slightly stoic personality coming in. There is a calming peace of knowing exactly what you need to be placing importance on. Despite your nature of blending into the background, you have not gone unnoticed by Brother Gray who approaches you to give you direct advice one day.

"You are a little different from your fellows. I have noticed that you adapted much better to training than they did. You may even survive the ritual when the time comes, however I will give you a little advice. I can see that you do not believe your life is truly important. You believe that you feel it is merely your duty to serve and if you die in the process, then you will die. I imagine this might be the result of something that the Svelk woman did to you…in any event, this approach will not do. There is no weakness in maintaining a survival instinct while serving. Yes, you will be called upon to perform dangerous duties or even suicidal ones in the service of the Emperor, but you should always try to survive even if the odds are against you. The Shadow Guard has been doing it for centuries. Remember, the longer you survive, the longer you can continue serving the and there is no greater honor. Think on this on your next training assignment."

Brother Gray's words carry much weight with you and in the years during your training you begin to discard your overly fatalistic approach to life well as becoming an accomplished warrior.

Your instructor and watchers once again note your growth and skills, and as usual they make decisions on how you will best serve the Emperor.

The Shadow Guard (History Lesson)

The Shadow Guard are an elite branch of the Empire's security force. Technically they aren't military, but they do help out the rank and file soldiers when assigned to. Their main task is internal security of the Empire's core regions however. Much like anything concerning the history with the Empire, the shadow's history is also a little murky, but for as long as anyone can remember, the Shadow Guard have been serving since the early days of the Empire.

While the shadows are feared and respected by most across the normal population, the higher ranking military officials tend to be suspicious of them for various reasons. One of the major reasons being their religious nature as they are practically a religious order of "warrior monks".

While the shadows do serve the Empire and dedicate their loyalty to the Emperor, they also worship a deity of some sort and have always done so, indeed it is supposedly how they all maintain their more magical abilities. Something like this might normally be considered a threat and the religion stamped out, but given their order's utter dedication to the Emperor for centuries they have been given some allowances that most would not receive. Not to mention that they are absolutely vital at keeping the population in check nowadays.

The Shadow Guard's procedures for choosing new recruits are almost as strict as the Eternal process. Besides the usual demanding combat training, they also have to go through some sort of ritual, which the shadows keep very private. It has something to do with their religion though, and not everyone survives the process. If the initiate survives then he or she becomes a fully-fledged shadow and all the abilities and powers that come with it.