《From Downfall》


 Chapter 1: It Start Like This

    ¡­And they¡¯ll keep pressing forward, for that is His nature and Her curse.


    Chapter 1


    It Starts Like This: Part 1


    The Celestial War: No one remember when it truly began, but many believe it was at the dawn of The Second Age. After saving the world from the destruction of the moon, the three celestials, Sedna, Mother of the Deep, Orcus, Lord of Order, and Eris, The Unfettered, have fought for control over the world.


    As the three God-like beings battle in the heavens, their followers wage wars across the Shatter Realm, a great continent broken into three religious factions.


    The war would¡¯ve continued forever, the three deities forever stuck in a perpetual stalemate. But the intervention of a single man consumed by unchecked ambition would change the very direction of this endless war.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°Quickly! Reload the cannons! We can¡¯t let these savages reach the holy land!¡± One of the sailors screamed. His voice was nearly drowned out by the heavy thunderstorm and the waves that slammed into them threatening to capsize their ships.


    But the turbulent weather might as well be a mere breeze to the children of the deep, for they were natural-born sailors blessed by the goddess of water herself. Even in the Harshes of weather, the Hallow Sea aided them while sinking boats opposing Sedna. For centuries, this is how the sailors defended the holy land, Adlivun, until now.


    The opposition repeatedly fired their cannons, and the cacophony of noise drowned out the roaring storm. The sailors return fire easily hitting their marks. But the sailors weren¡¯t facing just a few ships, they were up against an armada. The destruction of a few boats barely deters the invaders as they were quickly replaced by another. Even with the sea assisting the sailors and swallowing the enemy ships, the invaders continue their relentless assault.


    Fear begins to swell in the courageous children of Sedna. Most attackers would¡¯ve begun to flee at this point, but it seemed that every ship the invaders lost only made them more ferocious. They found themselves wondering where their suicidal confidence was coming from. Their answer came in a horrifying form.


    The first to notice it was the captain of a ship. As he was shouting orders at his crew, he caught a glimpse of something dark flying past him. At first, he thought it was just a cannonball whizzing by until he heard his men scream. One by one sailors were snatched off the ship by a large, winged beast. His face pales when he notices the dark red scales on the creature. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be possible.¡± He blinked rapidly, expecting the illusion to vanish, yet it persisted. Before his very eyes, he witnessed a mythical creature that was said to have been wiped out during the calamity that ended the First Age. ¡°Dragon!¡± The captain cried in horror as he watched his men being carried off into the night. A flash of lightning revealed they were being taken to a mountain- no it wasn¡¯t a mountain, it was moving- worse it had teeth.


    The mountain-sized beast opens its mouth wide. A bright radiated light formed deep within the creature¡¯s throat illuminating the obsidian-scale beast. With a roar the creature spewed out the light, splitting the sea and eradicating half of Sedna¡¯s fleet.


    A thunderous beat came from the remaining ships as they repeatedly fired their cannons at the beast. The creature continued to march forward not even noticing their pitiful attacks.


    Dragons dove from the sky breathing a cloud of fire that engulfed dozens more ships. The sailors¡¯ screams echo across the sea as they are either incinerated or carried away by the dragons.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± One of the sailors cried as what remained of the fleet began to slowly turn, fleeing to their holy land.


    The massive beast opens its mouth again, preparing to fire another radiant beam at the retreating fleet.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± It was a soft voice, barely audible. But it manages to get the creature¡¯s attention. The massive beast turns towards the armada. It leans its enormous head towards the lone ship that sails towards it. The crew onboard pounded their fists against their chest and kneeled in reverence to their emperor who stepped onto the deck. His presence was as heavy as the beast that towered over all of them.


    The creature focused its silted pupils on their king. The emperor was a man that looked to be someone in his late forties or early fifties. A golden crown adorned with a dozen colorful gems rested on the tops of his head. On his hip rested a long sword sheathed in a fine black scabbard with an intricate gold design outlining the edges. But what stood out most wasn¡¯t the opulent jewels on his person or even his imposing stature, it was his eyes that glowed a deep scarlet.


    [Abaddon, why do you stop me? You promise me a feast.] The beast spoke loudly in everyone¡¯s mind. The crew clutches their heads in pain. While Abaddon looked up at the creature, annoyed.


    ¡°Are you truly content with eating cowards? If you want a true feast then let them flee, let them lead us back to their holy land where their God resides.¡±


    The creature hungrily gazes at everyone onboard for a moment that seems to last an eternity. And then, almost reluctantly, move out of the fleet¡¯s paths.


    [Fine, but do not forget the oath.] The creature whispers in the emperor¡¯s mind.


    ¡°How could I forget?¡± Abaddon mumbled as he traced the dragon tattoo on the back of his neck.


    The weather grew more turbulent as the emperor chased after what remained of Sedna¡¯s fleet. The heavy rain pelted the crew weighing down their clothes, the wind howled, ripping apart anything that wasn¡¯t tied, and the waves snatched anyone who was unsteady on their feet.


    ¡°Steel yourself, men!¡± Abaddon shouted. "For the sea itself worships our enemy, it¡¯ll do everything in its power to stop us. But we are warriors of Ayon, conquerors of the Shatter Realm! Mere water won¡¯t defeat us, will it?!¡±


    ¡°No sir!¡± Abaddon¡¯s men shouted in unison.


    ¡°Then follow me! I¡¯ll lead all of you to glory as I¡¯ve always done!¡± Abaddon¡¯s soldiers roared, emboldened by their Emperor¡¯s words.


    [Humans. Always so eager to throw their life away for someone else¡¯s ambition] The beast¡¯s cackling echoes in Abaddon¡¯s head. [Since your men are in a rush to die, perhaps you can offer me some of them as a snack.]


    Abaddon ignored the beast. His attention focused beyond the fleeing fleet. He felt it before he saw it: Adlivun.


    An island shrouded in shadow. To everyone else it looked like a normal island, but Abaddon¡¯s crimson eyes could see it. An invisible, formless energy known as magic surrounds the island.


    ¡°So, this is Sedna¡¯s elusive holy land.¡± The wide smile on the king¡¯s face quickly vanishes when he notices the fleet stop fleeing. The remaining ships formed a line creating a blockade to impede the invaders.


    The wind suddenly died down, and the rushing water ceased entirely, causing the entire fleet to halt in place. A young demure-looking woman with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back, stepped off a boat and walked on the surface of the sea.


    ¡°My name is Arna, Emissary of the Deep.¡± Her voice boomed across the sea. ¡°Heed this warning Abaddon, turn back now or face Sedna¡¯s wrath."


    Abaddon raises an eyebrow at the mention of his name.


    ¡°You seem surprised that I know your name. Reclusive as we might be, we¡¯re aware of your exploits. Abaddon, the Mad Emperor. And that creature following you is Typhon, Father of Dragons."


    The children of Sedna whisper amongst themselves, fear evident in their voices. Every single one of them heard tales of the madman who not only refused to join a side in the Celestial War but even indiscriminately attacked the worshipper as he expanded his empire.


    Abaddon tilted his head. ¡°Mad Emperor? Is that what everyone is calling me now?¡±


    ¡°Only a madman would ally himself with a man-eating beast and declare war on all three celestials.


    ¡°You call me mad but I¡¯m merely seeking a legacy like all good men strive for.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve conquered over half the continent. Men, women, and children tremble at the mention of your name. For better or worse history will remember your name. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the question, isn''t it When should one be satisfied?¡± Abaddon¡¯s gaze became distant as he thought back to all his battles, to everything that led him to this moment. ¡°I have felled nations, slept with the finest women, and defeated the strongest of warriors. Those who hear my name either coward in fear or kneel in reverence. I suppose I should be content with this, but I¡¯m not. No, I want something more than land, and gold. Something no men had ever conquered! I desire the stars themselves! So, call your gods! so that I, Abaddon, may spread my glory to the heavens!¡±


    Abaddon¡¯s words reverberated across the sea. The Children of the Deep stood in silence, baffled by what they heard.


    ¡°You, truly are mad.¡± Arna¡¯s body trembled with rage. The water trembled as if the sea itself was responding to her anger.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Abaddon instinctively bent his knees. He could feel something big was coming. A smirk spread across the emperor¡¯s face as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword.


    ¡°Men!¡± Abaddon shouted. Before he could finish speaking. A massive tentacle bursts out of the water and lunges at Abaddon.


    [That human is mine to devour.] Typhon grabbed the tentacle with deft speed that betrayed its enormous size. The slimy appendage wrapped itself around the scaly giant attempting to pull it under.


    In an instant, the still sea turned into a deep undulating valley. Lightning raced down the sky, striking the dragons, waves swallowed ships whole, and tentacles pulled any ships close to them into the depths.


    ¡°Push towards the beach!" Abaddon yelled as loud as possible.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± Arna snap. A jet of water erupted under her feet launching her in the air. With cat-like agility, she spun her body around landing on the deck of Abaddon¡¯s ship.


    Another wave slammed into the ship knocking the soldiers off their feet. Arna took advantage of the situation and dashed towards the emperor. The puddles on the ship gathered in the palm of her hand. Twisting until it took the shape of a spear. Still struggling to get to his feet, Abaddon threw his hand in front to shield himself. The spear of water pierces his hand. Arna gritted her teeth as she tried to pull her weapon free, but Abaddon grabbed the weapon with his wounded hand. Arna¡¯s eyes widened as her water spear froze and snapped in Abaddon¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Why so surprised? If you know who I am, you should know I¡¯m a mage. A very powerful one at that.¡± Abaddon threw a right hook aim at Arna¡¯s head. Seawater rushes onto the deck of the ship to intercept Abaddon¡¯s attack.


    Abaddon¡¯s eyes shimmered and the stream of water froze. Abaddon¡¯s fist easily broke through the ice wall and continued towards Arna. She raised her arms just in time to block his attack. The force of the inhuman blow lifted her up off his feet and sent her flying off the ship into the sea.


    ¡°What remains of the Sedna¡¯s fleet fires at the armada. The bombardment ripped into Abaddon¡¯s ship ¡°We need to retreat, our ship isn¡¯t going to ¡° Before the coward could finish speaking Abaddon threw the soldier overboard. ¡°I have no use for cowards. Only men who relish a challenge.¡± Abaddon pointed directly at the island and shouted ¡°Full speed ahead! If our ships give out on us, then we¡¯ll just steal there¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Full speed ahead!¡± The crew echoed their emperor¡¯s words until everyone in the fleet could hear his command.


    The cannons continue to rip apart Abaddon¡¯s fleet as they bravely sail towards the blockade.


    Abaddon took a step back and darted towards the bow of the ship. He leaped in the air at the same time his ship collided with the blockade. The impact sent him flying directly into the center of the enemy¡¯s boat. Behind him, he could hear screaming and the ships colliding with each other.


    Abaddon didn¡¯t bother to look back to see how many of his people made it. He darted ahead towards a mage casting a spell. Abaddon grabbed the mage¡¯s throat and easily crushed it with one hand. He threw the mage into the sea and dashed across the ship. Blood and limbs flew across the boat as Abaddon used his preternatural strength to rip apart anyone foolish enough to get in his way. In seconds, Abaddon found himself already on the other side of the ship leaping into the air and landing in shallow water.


    Before Abaddon stood Sedna¡¯s holy land: Adlivun, already in flames. Dragons swoop down breathing fire across the beach. Sedna¡¯s troops retaliated by firing their arrows and cannons at the flying beasts.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help them?¡± Abaddon turned to the five hooded figures approaching him. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you guys are the strongest here. If not, then bring them, for they¡¯re the only chance you have at stopping me.¡±


    Typhon let out a deafening roar as he ripped the tentacles off its body. The sea roared back. A dozen more tendrils emerge from the depths. They clung onto Typhon¡¯s body attempting to pull him under.


    ¡°Typhon groans in pain as his back splits open. Large jet-black wings emerge from his back. With one flapped from its newly formed wings, the mountain-sized beast rose out of the sea tearing itself free from the tentacles.


    Typhon fired another radiant blast directly at the sea, disintegrating the appendages below.


    The sea trembled as something massive below screamed in pain. The head of a great serpent burst out of the water. Enrage, the serpent grabbed Typhon with one of its tentacles and slammed it into the water.


    While the Titans wrestled in the sea, lightning raced down from the sky, striking enemies and allies alike. While zigzagging across the beach, Abaddon hurls a ball of fire at one of the mages casting lightning. Immediately after the flames left his hand, the emperor pointed his finger at two other mages, firing a beam of magic at the mages. The mages dived out of the beam path that continued unimpeded towards the sea, incidentally, slicing one of the tentacles wrapped around Typhon¡¯s neck.


    [I don¡¯t need your help!] Typhon growls in Abaddon¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hel-¡°Before he could finish speaking, Abaddon noticed a glint in his peripheral. He leans backward, narrowly avoiding the blade aimed at his throat. The swordsman stepped forward as he tried to catch the emperor with a return swing. Abaddon grabbed the blade and threw a punch at the swordsman¡¯s abdomen. An ally mage quickly created a wall of light in front of the swordsman, but Abaddon¡¯s fist easily broke through the barrier and continued toward the swordsman. The swordsman released his blade and threw himself backward to avoid the deadly blow.


    ¡°You guys are kind of a disappointment,¡± Abaddon said as he causally examined the sword before stabbing it into the ground, daring the swordsman to reclaim his weapon. ¡°I expected more from the mages that guard this holy land. Is this how far your faith goes? Or is your God weaker than I thought?¡±


    The mages clench their teeth to hold back their growing fury. Abaddon cocked his head in surprise no one rushed him for mocking their god. ¡°I guess some zealots can think rationally. But...¡± Abaddon¡¯s voice trails off. He glanced behind him, observing the battle between his men who managed to make it to the beach, and Sedna¡¯s soldier. ¡°But do you think this is the time to be patient? From the looks of it, I¡¯m winning. And surely, I don¡¯t need to tell you what happens when invaders reach your home.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡± The swordsman dashes toward the Mad Emperor, who holds his arms out like he is going to embrace an old friend.


    A mage fires a magical energy bolt at the Mad Emperor. Abaddon¡¯s eyes glow faintly as he turns his attention to the incoming spell. He grabbed the bolt of energy with his bare hand and flung it back towards the caster. The spell slammed into the utterly shocked mage, caving his chest in.


    The swordsman clenches his teeth and continues to charge at Abaddon, and in one swift motion, he pulls his sword out of the sand and swings it at Abaddon, who easily sidesteps it. The swordsman unleashed a flurry of slash at the Mad Emperor who casually evaded every attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting closer.¡± Abaddon tease.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The swordsman angrily raises his blade over his head. Abaddon took advantage of the momentary gap in the swordsman¡¯s defense and struck him in the face with a jab. The swordsman staggers backward, dazed. Before he could recover from the blow, Abaddon threw another punch which sank into the man¡¯s stomach. The swordsman hunches forward, his face falling into an uppercut. Blood and teeth flew in the air as Abaddon continued striking the swordsman¡¯s face with sadistic glee. The three other mages rush to the swordsman¡¯s aid. Abaddon grabbed the now unconscious man by the neck and threw him into the sea.


    The three mages rushed to their friend''s aid. Abaddon chuckled at the fools for dropping their guard. While they were busy helping their friend Abaddon prepared a spell.


    The earth shook as Typhon crashed onto the beach crushing the four mages before Abaddon could finish them off. Several tentacles ripped into Typhon¡¯s body while the sea serpent dug its fangs into the beast.


    ¡°Now that looks more fun.¡± Abaddon approached the two titans. ¡°Need any help?¡±


    [No! This is my meal!]  Typhon shouted in Abaddon¡¯s mind. Typhon opens his mouth to bite the serpent but one of its tentacles impales its jaw.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want my help?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡± Typhon lets out a frustrated roar piercing through the sky, and cracking the air. Two large black claws emerge through the crack, widening it just enough so the full-fledged dragon can escape. The newly formed dragon breathed a gout of fire on the sea serpent.


    The serpents flail around to rid themselves of the flame. Typhon slammed its body into the creature pushing it back into the sea.


    Abaddon glanced back at the battle on the beach, silently debating whether to assist his men or Typhon. Before he could come to a decision, a faint whisper caught his attention.


    In the distance, he spotted Arna, hands clasped in prayer.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still alive?¡± Arna continues her chant, ignoring Abaddon. ¡°May you find rest and the Deep One¡¯s embrace,¡± she muttered. The sea rose, becoming a wall of water that swallowed everything in its path, including Typhon and the sea serpent. Abaddon quickly raised his hand creating a dome of light around himself. The tsunami slams onto the beach, consuming everything as it travels inland.


    The waves shove Abaddon through multiple trees while continuously pounding on the barrier that protected him. The smirk on Abaddon¡¯s face slowly became a strained smile as cracks formed on his shield.¡±


    ¡°This seemed like the perfect time to use it.¡± Abaddon unsheathed his sword. A starry night sky reflected off the surface of the blade.


    I call it Stargazer!  The words of an eccentric blacksmith echo in Abaddon¡¯s mind. A perfect weapon for a man who gazes at the stars and only sees more worlds waiting to be conquered.


    ¡°I suppose before I can challenge the stars, I need to conquer the seas first.¡± The sword gave off a deep purplish glow as Abaddon channeled his mana into his blade. While Abaddon prepared his decisive blow, Typhon was dragged deep into the water. The serpent pulled Typhon towards a nest of baby serpents. They hungrily snapped their teeth waiting for their mother to feed them.


    [You intend to feed me to your children?] Typhon cackles, it come out in bubbles.


    [I¡¯m the devourer! And all of you are my lunch!] Typhon opens his mouth wide. Inhaling a large quality of water while a dazzling light builds deep within his throat.


    At the same time, both Abaddon and Typhon unleash their attacks. Abaddon swung his sword releasing a crescent iridescent light that cut through waves as it flew towards its target while Typhon''s beam swallowed the sea serpents and everything in its path.


    The rushing water slowed and then eventually came to a halt. Abaddon burst out of the water gasping for air.


    ¡°Not a bad weapon.¡± Abaddon raises the blade in the air. He sighed in admiration as he gazed at the starry sky embedded in the blade.


    [Human, you¡¯re still alive.]


    Abaddon dropped his weapon startled by the voice in his head. The sea trembles as a black mountain bursts out of the water.


    [I¡¯m glad you¡¯re well. Only I¡¯m allowed to devour you.]


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re alright. You looked like you were struggling back there.¡±


    Typhon snorts at Abaddon¡¯s comment.


    [Barely an appetizer.]


    ¡°Well, if you desire something more filling. Then follow me. A feast awaits us further inland.¡±


    Typhon''s mouth opened slightly, revealing his teeth. Abaddon assumed it was the creature¡¯s weird attempt at smiling.


    A soft sapphire light broke through the storm clouds, enveloping a body floating in the water. Blood pouring out of the deep gash in her chest, Arna weakly raises her hand towards the blue planet in the center of the sky.


    ¡°Aw, Lady Sedna. I knew you wouldn¡¯t abandon me.¡± Tears welled in her eyes as she stretched her arm, desperate to touch the Celestial that seemed to be at the tip of her finger. ¡°Please, let me sink into the deepest, darkest depth of the sea, where I can rest forever in your loving embrace.¡± Arna¡¯s arm falls back to her side. Wearing a content smile, she begins to sink into the depths.


    Typhon scoops Abaddon out of the sea. His eyes locked on the celestial body, ready to pounce. ¡°So, you finally decided to show up, Sedna?¡± Abaddon shouted at the heavens. ¡°And all it took is for me to burn your hallow ground.


    [She¡¯s not the only one we need to worry about] Typhon looked behind to see a scarlet planet covering the entirety of the eastward sky. The Celestial body bathes all that lay east in a deep red light.


    ¡°Is that Orcus?¡± Shock, Abaddon backs away but stops when he notices another presence behind him. An emerald-green planet hung in the west, casting an Emerald glow on all in its domain.


    Sedna, Mother of the Deep; Orcus, Lord of Order, and Eris, the unfettered. The three celestials, who had been at war since time immemorial, now stood side by side, looking down at the human and beast that dared to defy them.


    [Abaddon, You and everything you build ends here.]


    The air shook as thousands of indistinguishable voices bombarded Abaddon¡¯s mind. Most would¡¯ve gone mad or fallen on their knees in fear or awe. But Typhon and Abaddon cackle loudly, their eyes filled with ambition and hunger.


    ¡°And here I thought I would have to burn down half the world to get your attention. I guess you all finally realize I¡¯m the true ruler of this world!¡±


    Typhon hungrily gazes at the sky [Human, is this the feast you promise me?]


    ¡°Indeed, my friend. Everything we desire is right in front of us! The age of celestial ends here!¡±

 Chapter 2: It Start Like This; Part 2

    Chapter 2


    It Starts Like This: Part 2


    A shooting star streaks the blue sky, painting a bright white trail along the path it took. For a moment, those who could see the dazzling light stopped to witness the ephemeral display. One soul, in particular, found themselves utterly mesmerized by the light, as if the comet was beckoning them.


    [Wake up my beloved, it¡¯s time to begin again.]


    A foreign voice reverberated inside their head like a bell. Each echo flashed a memory that did not belong to them yet strangely felt familiar. Memories of war, memories of the Celestials, and memories of a maddening ambition.


    The rush of memories abruptly stopped as a snowball smacked the side of their head, knocking them off their feet.


    ¡°Are you okay, honey?¡± A small and pudgy woman rushes up to them. Breathing heavily, she turned around and shouted. ¡°Aaron apologizes to your sister!¡±


    A little boy shyly peeks from behind the woman. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± The little boy¡¯s voice was so small it was nearly inaudible.


    The people before them were strangers, yet somehow, they recognized them.


    ¡°Who are you? Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Anna?¡± The woman worriedly reaches for them. They quickly backed away from their grasp ¡°Anna, are you o-


    ¡°Shut up!¡± They screamed as they ran away towards a house that should¡¯ve been unfamiliar, yet they knew all too well. They threw their shoulders at the door, expecting it to be locked, but it flew open, sending them face-first into the ground.


    ¡°Anna?!¡± The woman screamed as she raced towards them.


    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s¡­ not me¡­¡± They said in between wheezes. They only ran a short distance, but their legs were already wobbly, and their lungs felt like it was on fire. They used the remaining of their strength to stumble their way around the house.


    ¡°But if that¡¯s not me, then who am I?¡± They dug through their mind, desperately searching for their identity.


    So, call your gods! so that I, Abaddon, may spread my glory to the heavens!¡± A memory of an emperor declaring war on the gods themselves flooded their minds.


    ¡°Abaddon? That¡¯s right; I¡¯m Abaddon, the emperor of The Shatter Realm!¡± Abaddon proudly shouted. He glances at the open door next to him that he somehow knew led to the bathroom. He could feel his heart beating faster when he saw the mirror. He took a deep breath and stepped into the bathroom to get a better look at himself.


    He sighed in relief when he saw his familiar ruby pupils and black hair. Relief quickly gave way to horror as he noticed his unique feature was on someone else¡¯s face. Abaddon jumped back from the mirror. The reflection backs away, too, equally as confusing.


    A little girl with sickly pale skin looked back at him through the mirror, mimicking his every move. ¡°What is this?!¡± Abaddon roared. He quickly covered his mouth, realizing his voice sounded higher pitch.


    What¡¯s happening? What kind of spell is this?! Abaddon¡¯s mind raced with questions. His chest tightened as he tried to make sense of the reality in front of him.


    ¡°Anna!¡± The tiny rotund woman busts into the bathroom. Her face pales the moment she looks at Abaddon.


    Abaddon tried shooing the woman away, but the words refused to come out. He dropped to one knee, his vision blurry, his mind hazy and distant.


    ¡°Oh god! Anna, you need to breathe!¡± The woman screamed, but even her voice sounded distant. Eventually, everything went dark as Abaddon''s consciousness slipped away.


    .


    .


    .


    When Abaddon came to, he found himself in a dark room, fatigue weighing his body down. Light spilled from the hallway into the small crack of the room. A faint whisper came from behind the door, but he paid no attention to it.


    ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± Abaddon mumble. He didn¡¯t bother examining himself. Just one look at his tiny hands was enough proof that this wasn¡¯t his body. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m exhausted.¡± While still looking at his hand, he let out a pitiful laugh. Abaddon knew that he probably would¡¯ve had another panic attack if he had any energy. Unable to move properly, all he could do was analyze his situation.


    This body''s name is Anna. Abaddon thought to himself, recalling the woman screaming the name. How did this happen? Did someone cast a spell on me? Does such a spell even exist?


    Abaddon looked back at the last thing he could remember; his raid on Sedna¡¯s holy land, Adlivun. Typhon rampage on the naval fleet, the battle on the beach, and the arrival of the three celestials. All these memories came back in intricate details, along with something else.


    There¡¯ll be another time, my dearly beloved. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Abaddon sat up and franticly looked around the dark room for whoever had just spoken to him, but the only thing he could hear was the creaking of the wood and the howling wind beating on the window.


    Was that a voice? Or a memory?


    ¡°Sis?¡± Abaddon''s eyes locked onto the bed on the other side of the room. A little boy¡¯s head emerges from underneath a pile of blankets. Abaddon immediately knew the boy¡¯s name was Aaron, and it was this body¡¯s little brother.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Aaron¡¯s voice quivered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡±


    Abaddon turns his back towards Aaron wanting nothing to do with the boy. ¡°Don¡¯t you start your military training tomorrow? You should get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡± Aaron slips back underneath his cover, embracing the warmth and darkness that was quickly ripped away from his sister.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re joining the military?!¡± Abaddon ripped the blanket. Confused and cold, Aaron hugged his body and looked up at his sister, whose crimson eyes pierced through the darkness.


    ¡°Y-yea, I don¡¯t want to, but they say mages have no choice but to join the academy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage?¡± Abaddon examined the boy more carefully. An invisible formless energy flowed around his body. A moment after confirming the kid was a mage, it dawned on him that he still could see mana. An ability only his bloodline should have.


    Is it because I took possession of this body?  Abaddon once again fell deep into thought.


    ¡°Um, sis? Can I have my blanket back?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Abaddon tossed the blanket on Aaron¡¯s face, annoyed the boy broke his train of thought. Abaddon stumbles back to his side of the room, kicking away the toys that littered the floor. Still fatigued, he flops down on his bed. Far too many questions plague Abaddon¡¯s mind. For the sake of his sanity, he decided to focus on one problem at a time. The first is learning where he¡¯s at. The girl¡¯s memories told him he was in a city called Whitehorn. A city with a strong military presence that sat at the edge of Haos. A country that worshipped Eris, the Unfettered.


    ¡°Eris?¡± Abaddon mutter. The thought that the goddess might be alive and be one behind his current form terrified him.


    It¡¯s too dangerous to be ignorant about my current situation. I need answers now. Abaddon thought. An academy for mage sounds like the best place to get answers.


    Abaddon figured it would be impossible to break in, especially in this body. But thanks to Aaron, he knew that mages could walk through the front door.


    Until I figure out what happened to me, I¡¯ll have to blend in for now. Content with his current plans, Anna closes her eyes, finally allowing her exhausted mind to rest.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°Stop moving!¡± Anna barked at Aaron, who continued to squirm awkwardly.


    ¡°B-but it feels tight,¡± Aaron whined.


    ¡°Have you taken a look outside?¡± Anna points towards the single window in their room. Ice covered the surface of the glass, making it impossible to see outside.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t dress properly, you¡¯ll get sick.¡±


    ¡°B-but I can¡¯t breathe,¡± Aaron whined as he reached for the scarf. Growing more agitated, Anna smacks his hand away.


    I can¡¯t believe I have to do a maid¡¯s job. Anna clenches her teeth, barely able to hold back her growing anger.


    ¡°Is he ready, Anna?¡±


    ¡°Check for yourself.¡± Anna quickly shut her mouth, realizing she had let out some of her anger out. When Abaddon woke up this morning, he decided to pretend to be Anna. Thankfully, their personalities were quite similar.


    Anna took a deep breath to quell her rage. A short and plump woman steps into the room. Anna knew the woman¡¯s name was Olive, and she was Anna and Aaron''s mother.


    Anna looked at the incredibly plain woman, disgusted she had to pretend to be her daughter.


    Unaware of her daughter¡¯s thoughts. Olive beamed with joy when she looked at her son. Aaron wore a dark green sweater and black pants, the colors of the academy. ¡°Oh, you looked so adorable!¡± Olive squeezed Aaron hard enough that Anna started to think she was trying to crush the kid.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Aaron pushed his mother away. He kept his eyes on the floor as he spoke. ¡°Do I really have to go to the academy?¡±


    The question wiped the joy off Olive¡¯s face. As much as she wanted to say, ¡®No, you can stay.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t. The room fell silent as Olive searched for a way to cheer her son up. While Olive continues to ponder, Anna places her hand on Aaron¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Aaron''s eyes lit up. Still deep in thought, Olive looks at her daughter, just now realizing she had her winter coat on. Instantly, she snaps out of her stupor.


    ¡°Anna, you can¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m a mage too.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Olive paused, searching for the right words. Anna knew she would talk about the ailment that plagues her body and how she blacked out yesterday.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Anna proudly bumps her chest causing her to cough. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Anna manages to squeeze in between coughs.


    ¡°Why did you have to be so cute?!¡± Olive lunged at her daughter, hugging her before she could react. ¡°I want to say no, but I just can¡¯t.¡± Frustrated, Olive squeezed Anna like she was a stressed doll.


    ¡°So, sis, can come to school with me!¡± Aaron hopped around the room excitedly. It was hard to believe that just a moment ago, he was depressed about going to the academy.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not for me to decide. That decision belongs to your father.¡±


    Aaron froze in place. His cheery expression instantly darkens, and the room seems to grow colder. Anna took advantage of the sudden tonal change and slipped from the grasp of the woman who nearly suffocated her.


    The sound of the front door opening and slamming shut caused everyone in the room to flinch.


    ¡°Oh, that must be him.¡± Olive quickly hopped to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll see if he¡¯ll let you go. Just make sure your brother is fully prepped. Your dad doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡± Olive rushed out of the room with such desperate energy that for a moment, Anna thought she was about to confront a robber.


    Anna knew very little about her father. What she did know was that his name was Aiden, he was a high-ranking mage, and he rarely came home.


    ¡°Anna, you think dad will let you attend the academy?¡± Aaron looks up at his sister. A mixture of hope and fear was evident in his eyes. Reflexively, Anna pats Aaron¡¯s head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; he¡¯ll have no choice but to let me go.¡± Learning from her past mistake, she smiles at him instead of bumping into her chest.


    ¡°Go where?¡± Both Aaron and Anna jump at the sound of the voice.


    A man in an olive-green winter coat steps into the room. Anna stared blankly at the man''s short black hair and eyes, which glowed a deep crimson. It was like she was looking at a mirror.


    ¡°I heard you black out again.¡± The man¡¯s voice was dry and monotone. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor tell you not to overexert yourself?¡± The man steps closer to the two children, allowing her to get a better look.


    After Abaddon calmed down, he quickly noticed the difference. The man''s smooth face lacks the withered skin and scars that come from conquering nations for decades.


    Then that means¡­ Abaddon trembled at the realization he came to. He tried to find another reason, but in the end, there was only one answer to the mystery before her.


    This man is my son.

 Chapter 3: It Start Like This; Part 3

    Chapter 3


    It Starts Like This: Part 3


    During his long campaign to conquer the Shatter Realm, Abaddon acquired many concubines that bore his children. All of whom share identical traits, Hair as dark as night and deep crimson eyes the man standing before him, was no exception.


    Abaddon staggers backward. The realization that he had to pretend to be one of his children¡¯s children was almost too much to bear.


    ¡°I guess you still haven¡¯t recovered.¡± Aiden places his hand on Anna¡¯s head to check her temperature. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever, but you should probably return to bed.¡± After a quick examination, Aiden waves Anna away and grabs Aaron, practically dragging him out of the house.


    ¡°W-wait.¡± Aaron reached out to Anna, who was still in a daze. ¡°I think sis wants to come with me!¡± Aiden stops and looks back at his daughter snapping her out of her stupor.


    ¡°Did you forget our previous conservation?¡± Aiden¡¯s glare returned a memory that shouldn¡¯t exist in Abaddon¡¯s mind. A memory of Aiden belittling his daughter¡¯s weak constitution and her incompetence at magic. ¡°Look at you. The day just started, and you¡¯re barely able to stand You¡¯re unfit to become a mage.¡±


    ¡°Unfit?¡± Cocks her head amuse. ¡°I¡¯ll show you not only am I fit to be a mage I¡¯m overqualified.¡± Anna claps her hands together, concentrating the mana in her body into her palms. Slowly, she separated her hands, revealing a small ball of fire hovering in the air.


    Aiden¡¯s eyes widen as he stares at the flame. Surprise, the little girl, who could barely manipulate her mana, not only was casually able to cast a spell, but an elemental one.


    ¡°Why so surprised? If you came home more, you would¡¯ve noticed my growth.


    ¡°Um, Anna?¡± Olive nervously steps forward. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk to your father like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Aiden places his hand on Olive¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should¡¯ve paid more attention to your progress. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aiden¡¯s monotone voice made it impossible for Anna to tell if he was being genuine, and even if he was, she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°So, have I proven myself?¡±


    ¡°That not for me to decide. You¡¯ll have to prove yourself to the headmaster.¡± Aiden walked out of the room, still dragging Aaron. Before disappearing around the corner, he glances back at Anna, gesturing for her to follow him. Just as Anna was about to follow the two, Olive grabbed her daughter¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Please remember to take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Anna shrugs off Olive¡¯s hands and chases after Aiden and Aaron.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it!¡± Olive yells at Anna, who rushes out of the house into the cold morning.


    Houses similar in design to Anna¡¯s home line the street. In the middle of the snow-cake road a large group of children led soldiers dressed in olive green military uniforms silently march towards the mountain range that loomed over the entire town. Anna¡¯s memories told Abaddon that it was tradition for soldiers to march new mages across the city towards the academy.


    ¡°Anna!¡± Aiden called out to his daughter from the other side of the street, snapping her out of her thoughts. She pushed through the crowd to reach the other street pushing past anyone in her way. ¡°Sorry, I got distracted,¡± Anna said in-between gasps for air. The small run left her breathless and exhausted.


    ¡°You need me to carry you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Anna brushes past Aiden and continues down the street; her face flushed red from embarrassment and frustration. She cursed as the edge of her vision darkened; she knew this was a sign that she was about to black out. Her body slumps forward, Aiden scoops his daughter into his arms before she can hit the snow.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have pride in yourself, but if you don¡¯t understand your limits soon, I¡¯ll take you back home.¡± Aiden looked down at his daughter with an expression that said, ¡®Don¡¯t argue.¡¯ Anna closed her mouth to keep her boiling anger in check, knowing that gaining information from the academy was more important than protecting her pride.


    ¡°Are your kids going to the academy?¡± A young woman called out from her porch, breaking the tense silence between the family. The woman carefully climbs down her stairs, gingerly avoiding the ice on her steps. Three boys around Aaron¡¯s age follow behind the woman.


    ¡°My children start this year. Maybe they can be friends with you-¡°The woman froze when she noticed the crimson glow in Aiden and Anna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Actually, never mind.¡± The woman grabs her children¡¯s arms and races down the street.


    Aiden pulled Aaron closer to him in merged with the other people in the silent march. The line continues to grow longer as more kids and even some adults join in.


    A palpable tension hung over everyone, growing thicker the closer they got to their destination. Suffering from the brunt of the nervous energy that coursed through the crowd, Aaron tightly clung to his father¡¯s leg, sensing furtive stares from people around him. ¡°Why is everyone looking at us so weirdly?¡±


    ¡°Do you see anyone else with glowing red eyes? To them, we might as well be exotic animals.¡± Anna said unbothered by everyone¡¯s cold gaze. Even in his past life people used to look at him with disgust in fear, although that quickly changed once he took the throne.


    As they reached the end of the sloping road. A massive stone structure that looked more like a castle than an academy came into view. It stood in the shadow of the mountain. Several green banners hung off the roof that said ¡®Welcome to Dys¡¯ Aegis Academy¡¯ written in bright gold letters.


    Everyone walked through the steel gates and down several well-shoveled roads, each one leading to an emerald statue of a winged woman placed in front of the academy. The students broke apart from the crowd and gathered near the statue. Aiden pushes Aaron towards a group of children around his age. The little boy reflexively clung to his father, refusing to let go.


    ¡°No need to be afraid. This school is going to help you become stronger.¡±


    ¡°B-But.¡± Aaron stammers. Spending most of his life at home with his mother and sister, being left alone in an unfamiliar place was far too terrifying for him.


    Seeing the fear in his son¡¯s eyes, Aiden gently placed his hand on his son¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s time to man up and make yourself useful for once.¡± Aiden¡¯s cold gaze made him tremble. he wanted to cry but stopped himself afraid that would only make his dad angrier.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll be joining you soon,¡± Anna said to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so certain; you¡¯ll have to impress the headmaster.¡± Aiden turned his harsh gaze to his daughter, who shrugged it off and repeated, ¡°I¡¯ll be joining you soon.¡± Seeing the confidence in his sister¡¯s eyes, Aaron wiped the tears away and steeled himself for what awaited.


    ¡°!¡± A gun went off immediately, destroying Aaron¡¯s newfound confidence. Soldiers march across the snowy field carrying a flag of a bird whose wings are bound by chains. A somber melody fills the air as the soldiers approach the statue.


    Aiden carried Anna from the statue towards where the parents were gathering. The crowd had mixed emotions; some were proud to see their sons and daughters enter such a prestigious academy. Others were worried about leaving their kids alone in an academy that also operated as a military base. Some were just curious, using the rare chance the academy gates were open to see the mages.


    The parading soldiers stopped. Creating a line that flanks both sides of the students. The soldiers face forward, staring directly ahead at the statue. The somber melody turns into a triumph harmony as three more figures step onto the field carrying the flag of a bird breaking free from its chains. A stern-looking woman with fiery red hair tied in a loose ponytail led the march. Behind her was a blonde-haired man whose expression was just as dour as hers. His cold blue eyes scan the students, weeding out the capable and the weak. Behind him was a balding old man who stuck out like a sore thumb. Unlike everyone else who wore a green uniform, he wore a yellow suit that barely fits his plump frame. A dozen medals were adorned on his outfit, proof of his long and successful military career. The old man energetically waves to the crowd with a goofy smile until the red hair jabbed him in the side. The old man immediately straightens his back and walks awkwardly onto the stage with a stiff smile.


    The music stopped, and everybody waited in anticipation for the words that would open the academy this year.


    ¡°Welcome, to Dys¡¯ Aegis Academy!¡± The old man shouted. Fireworks soar into the air exploding into a myriad of colors that brighten the dark morning sky for a brief instant. ¡°My name is Ozlan Witts, the proud headmaster of this academy.¡± After the introduction, Ozlan paused and scanned the children before him. Some of them were attentive and eager, most nervous, and fearful.


    ¡°I know many of you don¡¯t want to be here. In fact, many of you were forced to join because of your potential. It would be cruel of me to say you should be honored that you were chosen. So instead, I ask you to understand.¡± Ozlan points to the academy behind him as he continues his speech.


    ¡°Behind this building, beyond these mountains, is a land unclaimed by man, teeming with aberrations called spirits. Further still lies the country Orgo, ruled by slavers who worship the Lord of Order: Orcus. We are the first and only line of defense against these threats who wish to harm our beautiful nation.


    ¡°Orcus¡­¡± Anna angrily bit her nail at the mention of the Celestial name. While the other kids trembled in fear, even those who joined voluntarily weren¡¯t aware of the daunting task that awaited them.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. There¡¯ll be hard times. But know that you¡¯re not alone on this journey. While we¡¯re here we¡¯ll be your teachers, guardians, and in time, hopefully a friend.¡± A warm smile spread on his face.


    ¡°Many of my peers will ask you to fight and die for honor or for leaders you never meant. I don¡¯t expect any of this from you. In fact, I don¡¯t want you to do that. What I do want is for you to see this place as more than some military academy that teaches you how to fight and kill, but rather a school where you can learn and grow, where you can make friends and have fun. And if a time comes when you have no choice but to fight, I want, I hope you fight for your comrades, for your friends you made at this academy, and most importantly, for your loved ones who are waiting for you back home.¡± Ozlan clasped his hands, white vapor slipped from his lips as he took a deep breath.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s pretty chilly out here, So, I¡¯ll end this by saying I hope you enjoy your stay at Dys¡¯ Aegis Academy.¡±


    The crowd erupted into cheers as Ozlan walked off towards the academy along with the blonde and redhead that flanks his side. Fireworks again flew in the air, brightening the sky with colorful explosions.


    Anna blankly watches everyone celebrate, her mind still on Orcus. The world around her suddenly becomes a blur as Aiden dashes through the cheering crowd.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?!¡±


    Aiden ignores his daughter¡¯s shouting and weaves through the crowd, swiftly catching up to Ozlan as he enters the building.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t need to carry me anymore!¡± Anna wiggles out of her father¡¯s grasp falling face-first into the snow.


    ¡°Oh, are you okay?¡± A hand reaches out to Anna.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Anna waves the hand away and forces herself back to her feet. The embarrassment from falling turned into bewilderment. The snow that should¡¯ve been on her face and clothes was gone, and a soothing warmth washed over that felt strangely reminiscent of the blanket she woke up in.


    Anna knew someone cast a spell on her, but she couldn¡¯t believe that not only had she failed to sense it, but she didn¡¯t see it happen either. Confused, Anna looks around only to see a rotund man towering over her. Ozlan gave Anna a soft smile before turning his attention to her father.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, Colonel.¡± Aiden bows slightly to Ozlan, who awkwardly scratches the bald spot on his head.


    ¡°Please, no need for formality. I¡¯m just a principal. So, what do you need?¡±


    Aiden pushes Anna in front of him. ¡°My daughter wants to enroll in the academy.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± The blonde-haired man chuckles. ¡°You want us to accept her? Didn¡¯t you say once she has no talent as a mage?¡±


    ¡°Callan.¡± The blonde immediately closes his mouth the moment Ozlan glances at him. ¡°Sorry about that. Keep going. The headmaster said, still wearing his warm smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I thought she was incapable, but she has recently proven me wrong.¡± Aiden taps his daughter¡¯s shoulder, whispering, ¡°Go ahead, show them.¡±


    Anna sighs and examines the four adults, debating what spell she should use.


    It would be strange if a girl who struggled to use magic in the past could suddenly cast a high-level spell. Anna thought to herself as she raised her hands. She squinted her eyes and gritted her teeth to make it seem like she was struggling when truthfully, she was easily manipulating her mana. The energy seamlessly flowed out of her body and gathered between her palms, turning into a sphere of light.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Anna interrupted Ozlan''s praises and focused on the spell in her hand. The ball of energy flew into the air, exploding into a rainbow of lights like fireworks earlier.


    Ozlan slowly claps while looking up at the lights in the sky. ¡°Impressive, Anna; most mages your age can barely cast spells. Not only have you passed the requirement to join this academy, but you¡¯ve exceeded it.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The blonde took a step forward. Ozlan raises his hand once again, silencing him.


    ¡°Claire.¡± The red-haired woman instantly straightens her posture at the mention of her name. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you handle the students for me?¡±


    ¡°No problem, colonel.¡±


    ¡°No need to be formal, I¡¯m just a¡­.¡± The headmaster''s voice trails off, noticing that Claire has already marched away, clearly not paying attention to him.


    ¡°Callan, check security, especially around the mountains. It''s around this time of year that¡­¡± Ozlan pauses. He looks down at Anna, trying to find the right words. ¡°¡­people we don¡¯t agree with tend to become noisy.¡±


    Callan glares at Aiden briefly before saying in a low growl, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Ozlan lets out a sigh letting his chest deflate before turning his attention to Aiden and his daughter. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss your enrollment, Anna.¡± The headmaster opens the door gesturing for the family to enter.


    Anna enters a warm, brightly lit hallway shaped like a T. A dark green banner hung off the ceiling saying, ¡®Welcome to Dys¡¯ Aegis Academy¡¯ or ¡®Let''s have a good year.¡¯ The two adults walked ahead, leaving Anna behind before she could fully grasp her surroundings.


    ¡°Anna shows quite a bit of talent with her manipulation of magic. It¡¯ll be a waste to start with the beginning course. I plan to put her in advanced classes if she joins the academy. Is that okay with you?¡±


    Aiden nodded and looked at his daughter, who was falling behind. She peeked into every room and office in the hall. Hoping to find a place that might have the information she desired.


    ¡°You find anything interesting?¡± The headmaster walks up to Anna, still wearing his smile.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Anna said, still looking through a window. Ozlan chuckles, he kneels to look Anna in the eyes. ¡°Maybe I can help. Tell me what you are interested in. Why do you want to join the academy?¡±


    Abaddon fell silent, sensing Ozlan''s inquiry was some test. He wasn¡¯t sure how much this man knew. For all he knows, he could¡¯ve been the one that trapped her in this body. ¡°I want to find a cure for my sickness.¡± Anna''s chest tightens. It was a lie, but she could feel the body¡¯s previous owner''s frustration and anger with her sickness welling inside.


    Ozlan pats Anna on her head, sensing her distress. ¡°You¡¯re quite talented. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll eventually find the cure.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will.¡± Anna huffed. She slapped the headmaster¡¯s hand off her head and stormed off. Once she was a decent distance from the adults, she took a deep breath to calm herself. This sickness is annoying, but I didn¡¯t come here to find a cure. All that matters is finding my body and learning the spell that trapped me in this one.


    After reaffirming what his true goal was, Abaddon rejoins the two adults with renewed vigor.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to bring up a sore subject.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine.¡± Anna waved off Ozlan¡¯s apologies.


    Ozlan worriedly studied her expression before opening the door labeled ¡®Headmaster Officers.¡¯


    The office was small, the desk taking up most of the space. The walls were decorated with pictures of children posing in front of the academy. In the center of the wall was a massive painting of a woman in a green dress approaching an empty throne bathed in green light. The back of her dress was open, revealing her flawless porcelain skin and jet-black wings open wide like she was preparing to take flight. On the bottom of the painting was the title ¡®Our Lady in Jade.¡¯


    ¡°Ah, do you remember this, Aiden?¡± The headmaster chuckles as he points to a young boy with red eyes and black hair. ¡°You have changed so much since then.


    Did he? Anna thought as she took a closer look. Everyone was either smiling or posing except Aiden. He stood stiff, wearing a stern expression that looked exactly like his current one.


    Yea, I see no difference.


    ¡°Can we get started?¡± Aiden stood near the desk, waiting impatiently for the two to sit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you more of your dad''s school pics later,¡± Ozlan whispered to Anna before sitting behind his desk. As the headmaster started shuffling through papers, Anna peered over his shoulder, searching for any clues that might explain what happen to her. Although deep down she knew, something so convenient wouldn¡¯t be found on a desk with student reports. Eventually, her eyes fell upon what looked like a calendar buried underneath a pile of books.


    Realizing she wouldn¡¯t find answers anytime soon, she decided to figure out how much time had passed after the battle at Adilvun.


    Anna carefully pulled the calendar out of the pile and was greeted with a picture of a well-endowed woman in a bikini that seemed too small for her. Anna silently praises the headmaster¡¯s taste before focusing on the dates.


    The calendar was set in the season of harvest. Anna didn''t remember when exactly she launched an assault on Adilvun, but she knew that it took place during the summer. Which meant only a few months had passed. -Or at least that¡¯s what Anna thought until she looked at the year.


    1220 A.S (After Shattering.)


    Anna banged against the desk. The weight of what she discovered made her faint.


    ¡°Is everything okay? Ozlan looks over at Anna. His eyes widened when he saw her holding the calendar. ¡°That¡¯s not what you think it is!¡± The headmaster snatches the calendar from Anna, his face flush red.


    ¡°The dates, are they real?¡± Anna looked up at the headmaster, her face paler than usual.


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± Ozlan embarrassment quickly turned into concern.


    Anna''s mind went blank, unable to comprehend the current situation.


    It was year two hundred. Or, more precisely, two hundred years after the moon shattered into several pieces when Abaddon was at the height of his power and declared war on the Celestials.


    Which means¡­. Anna stopped. Too afraid to finish her thoughts.


    Anna stumbles out of the room. Aiden and Ozlan called out to her, but none of it reached her ears.


    No, it can¡¯t be. Eight hundred years couldn¡¯t have passed!  Pain surged through Abaddon¡¯s head as memories of his defeat came rushing back to him so vividly, he could feel the cold chains digging into his arms, the burning gaze of his horrified subjects, and the weight of the Celestial silently judging him from above.


    (Abaddon, for all the sins you¡¯ve committed, everything you love. Your family, your kingdom, and your ambition will end.)


    Sedna, Eris, and Orcus loomed over his kingdom, bathing the entire country in chromatic lights. Four humanoid silhouettes floated in the sky, three of them standing perfectly in the center of each celestial.


    ¡°You arrogant bastards.¡± Abaddon growl. He tried to lunge forward, but the chains digging into his skin yanked him back to the pole he was tied to. ¡°You think you can look down on me just because you reside in the heavens?! I will surpass you one day! I will reach you!¡±


    (The only thing you¡¯ll ever reach is our shadow.)


    The three celestials¡¯ bodies glow brighter and brighter until the chromatic glow turns into a blinding radiant light that washes over the entire kingdom scorching everything in its path. Screams of pain and fear filled Abaddon¡¯s ears as, one by one; his citizen was disintegrated.


    ¡°How dare you do this to my people! My Kingdom!!¡± Abaddon roared at the heavens. The light melted the flesh off his body and ripped the muscles off his bone. ¡°I will reach you!¡± Abaddon screamed, the blistering pain driving him mad. He reaches through the light, his arm swiftly turning into ashes. ¡°I will reach you!¡± He gargled out of his melted mouth. ¡°I will reac-¡°


    ¡°Anna!!¡± Aiden shouted, snapping Anna out of her mind. She found herself convulsing in the snow, her mind fading away. ¡°That can¡¯t¡­. Can¡¯t be¡­ that¡­.¡± Broken words came out in between desperate gasps for air.


    Aiden scoops his daughter in his hands. ¡°Anna! You need to breathe!¡± He shouted, but none of his words reached his daughter. Anna''s vision grew darker and more clouded until, eventually everything faded.


    .


    .


    .


    One last memory visited Anna¡¯s fading mind. One of Abaddon''s oldest memories. Before he was a king, before he was a proud warrior, he was just a boy abandon and left to die along with the other dregs of society.


    His gaunt body was tossed into a massive pit filled with the dead and the dying. Weak and on the verge of death all Abadon could do was stare at the bright blue sky and wait for his end.


    ¡°My lord!¡± someone cried out. A silhouette of a woman steps toward the edge of the pit. ¡°You need to get up! Please, you need, you have to, you must rise!¡± The woman¡¯s voice rang through Abaddon¡¯s foggy mind. he crawled towards her using what little energy he had left to climb up the pit.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, my lord! Rise! Rise!¡± Abaddon¡¯s heart races. He could feel himself growing stronger and faster the higher he climbed.


    ¡°Rise! Rise! Rise!¡± The woman¡¯s plead turned into a fervorous chant as more people joined her side.


    Abaddon lets out a roar as he leaps out of the pit and into a blinding light that engulf his entire being. ¡°Rise, my lord.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was fraught with love. ¡°And claims what rightfully yours?¡± The light faded, and Anna found herself lying in a hospital bed, reaching for the ceiling light. In the corner of her eyes, she spotted Olive sitting by her bedside.


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re awake.¡± Olive grabs her daughter, pulling her into a tight embrace. ¡°The doctor told me you were fine, but I was so worried.¡± Olive squeezes her daughter harder, afraid if she lets go, she will vanish. ¡°I told you to be careful! Olive shouted, tears streaming down her face.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Anna said weakly, her eyes downcast. Olive pulled away from Anna, surprised to see her daughter look so defeated.


    Anna has always been a prideful and energetic girl. Even when the doctor told her there was no cure for her condition, she proudly proclaimed she would find one.


    ¡°Anna.¡± Olive stopped and bit her lip. Initially, she planned on reprimanding her for not properly taking care of herself. But now she didn¡¯t have the heart to do it when her little girl looked so depressed.


    ¡°The headmaster has already finished your paperwork. He said you can go to class whenever you recover.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said, still looking at the ground. The room fell silent as Olive sought a way to cheer up her daughter. "Oh, I know, how about I get you your favorite yogurt?" Olive¡¯s chair scraped the floor as she got up. "Stay right there, I''ll be right back."


    Anna nodded her head and watched as Olive left the room. With nothing but deafening silence accompanying her, eventually, her thoughts consumed her.


    I lost everything: my people, my kingdom, and even my body.


    Anna''s body trembles as she chuckles madly to herself.


    ¡°Do you think this is enough to stop me?!¡± Anna shouted at the heavens in the distance she could see a small green light in the night sky.


    Please, my lord, you need to rise. The woman¡¯s voice echoes in Anna¡¯s head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why or how I¡¯m alive, but just like how I crawled out of that grave all those years ago, I¡¯ll rise once more; from downfall.¡±

 Chapter 4: Bloodline Hunt

    Chapter 4


    Bloodline Hunt


    Abaddon awakens to find himself sitting on an opulent throne. The lanterns on the walls lit a small area around him but everything else past it was shrouded in a solid wall of darkness.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Abaddon stared into the void sensing something was staring at him.


    (Listen, well, we don¡¯t have much time.) Abaddon clutches his head in pain. Something was forcing its way into his mind. (I¡¯m approaching. but I¡¯m still far away. They¡¯ll reach you first.)


    ¡°Who are you? And who¡¯s coming for me?¡± Abaddon gritted his teeth fighting back against the searing headache while peering into the darkness, searching for any signs of whatever was talking to him.


    (I¡¯d left something for you in the waking world. Use it to protect yourself.)


    ¡°Explain yourself!¡± Abaddon shouted. ¡°Who the hell is looking for me?!¡±


    (Stay safe, hide, and be careful.) The voice grew fainter despite it speaking in his head.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Abaddon jumped to his feet. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer any of my questions. Who the hell are you?!¡±


    (We¡¯ll meet in due time, my dearly beloved.)


    A deafening sound rang in Abaddon¡¯s ear. Instinctively, he reached out towards the noise, grabbing something cold and metallic. Abaddon opens his eyes, not realizing they are closed. A digital clock rested in his hand. Slowly, everything returned to him as his brain woke up.


    ¡°A dream?¡± Abaddon stared blankly at the ringing clock, still unable to fully wrap his head around his new reality. After a moment of contemplation, he presses the button, silencing the alarm.


    Three days have passed since Abaddon awoke in the body of a nine-year-old girl named Anna.


    Anna sighed and crawled out of her bed. ¡°Time to get up.¡± She said as she stretched. Aaron groaned in response. He threw his blanket over his head to shield himself from the cold and the waking world.


    Anna clicked her tongue annoyed. She was tempted to leave the boy and let him miss school. But it always been her job to wake him up and it¡¯d be suspicious if she just stopped doing it now. She walked over to the other side of the room and ripped the blanket off Aaron¡¯s body.


    ¡°You better be up when I come back,¡± she said as she carried Aaron¡¯s blanket to the bathroom.


    After shutting the door, she took off her bunny pajamas, barely resisting the urge to burn them. After taking off her clothes, she carefully glanced around. Confident no one was looking at her, she let out a sigh. Abaddon ran a finger down the back of his neck. He couldn¡¯t see it, but he could feel the heat of the mark that formed when he made a contract with Typhon.


    The tattoo didn¡¯t exist until three days ago when Abaddon awakened in this body. As much as that worried him, there was something far more pressing on his mind.


    Abaddon unclenched his hand. a small light hovered in the center of his palm. The moment he woke up this morning he felt something attached to him.


    I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the gift the thing in my dream was talking about?¡± The light pulsed in his hand as if it was trying to respond. Somehow, Abaddon knew almost instinctively that something would happen if he fed the star some of his mana.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later,¡± Abaddon said as he clenched his hand, making the light vanish. He turned on the shower while avoiding looking at himself in the mirror. His small and frail form was a cruel reminder of everything he lost: his kingdom, his people, and even his own body.


    There¡¯s a lot to worry about. Abaddon thought as he began to wash himself. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough. I woke in the body of a sick girl. But I just so happened to be in a land ruled by one of my enemies, surrounded by mountains and monsters.¡± That¡¯s way too many inconveniences.


    For a moment, Abaddon believed that someone might be behind this but quickly dismissed that thought, as it didn¡¯t make sense for his enemies to revive him after killing him. He also couldn¡¯t imagine his allies purposely putting him in a weak body surrounded by enemies.


    Maybe the thing in my dream is behind all this. ¡°Ha.¡± Abaddon sighed heavily as he brushed back her wet hair, deciding to drop the issue. No point in trying to solve a mystery with no information. I should focus on finding an ally like Typhon.


    Abaddon intertwines her fingers, making the hand signs to summon the Father of Monsters. Now where can I summon a monster the size of a mountain?


    ¡°Anna, your brother needs to wash up too.¡± A knock at the door shook Abaddon out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Abaddon hopped out of the shower and quickly dried himself off. He stopped at the bathroom door. In the corner of his eyes, he notices his tattoo reflecting in the mirror. The image of a massive dragon with countless monsters emerging from its body was etched to his back. His eyes glowed faintly as he cast an illusion spell to hide the marking. Once the tattoo faded, he opened the door without putting clothes on.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Anna!¡± Olive gasped. She pushed Aaron away and grabbed the towel hanging on her daughter''s shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t walk around like this!¡± she shouted as she wrapped the towel around her daughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the problem is. I¡¯m sure I bathe with everyone in this house at some point.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem.¡± Olive pushes Anna to her room. ¡°You¡¯re a young lady. You need to learn modesty.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Abaddon looks at himself, realizing he¡¯ll have to live the rest of his life as a woman. Even if he learned whatever spell put him in this body, it would be impossible to return to his original since it was turned to ash centuries ago. Abaddon¡¯s shoulders dropped. The realization nearly sapped him of his strength.


    Olive hums to herself as she brushes her daughter¡¯s hair, unaware of the mental anguish she''s going through. She smiles softly as she looks at her daughter in the mirror. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you inherited your dad¡¯s good looks.¡± Olive whisper. Her smile quickly vanishes when she notices the short, overweight woman with dark blemishes in the corner of the mirror. Reflexively, she took a step back. Afraid her presence could somehow sully her daughter¡¯s beauty.


    Anna glances back at Olive, confused as to why she suddenly stops brushing her hair.


    ¡°You should get dressed before you''re late,¡± Olive whispered as she backed out of the room.


    Anna turns her attention to the outfit hanging on the closet door. The outfit included a dark green overall dress, a black shirt, and tights. ¡°Do I have to wear this?¡± Abaddon cringes at the thought of wearing a dress. However, what truly bothered him was wearing the colors of the enemy that destroyed his kingdom.


    Anna clicked her tongue annoyed, as she grabbed the uniform. After becoming an emperor Abaddon quickly learned how important a person¡¯s appearance was. Thus, he took his time to dress properly.


    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll ever get used to this,¡± Anna grumbled as she examined him, her dress fluttered each time she turned.


    ¡°Anna, you¡¯re going to be late?¡± Olive shouted. Anna sighed and headed downstairs, to see Olive running back and forth across the house making sure her children had everything they needed for school.


    ¡°Ah, Anna, your breakfast is on the table. Hurry up and eat, or you¡¯ll miss the bus.¡±


    ¡°If we miss it, we¡¯ll just walk,¡± Anna said as she grabbed sausages and toast from her plate before heading to the front door.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Anna looked back at Olive, confused, with a piece of sausage in her mouth. Olive sighs and opens her arms wide, waiting for a hug.


    Anna cringed, remembering almost being crushed the last time Olive hugged her. ¡°Maybe later,¡± Anna mumbled as she fled outside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about your health!¡± Olive yell. Aaron used this moment to sneak around his mother to avoid being hugged and chased after his sister.


    As she walked, Anna looked up at the sky, expecting to see Eris, but a blanket of gray clouds covered the sky. She absentmindedly stared at the slowly cascading snow, unsure if she was relieved, she couldn¡¯t see the celestial.


    ¡°Cold,¡± Aaron mumbles, his body trembles uncontrollably. The frigid wind wipes away any lingering drowsiness from the boy. However, his desire to return home and wrap himself in his blanket increases every second.


    ¡°Sis.¡± Aaron turns to his sister, hoping to start a conservation that would distract him from the cold. His eyes widen in disbelief when he notices she isn¡¯t wearing a coat. A cold gust blew through her hair, yet Anna stood perfectly still, unaffected by the winter breeze.


    ¡°How are you not cold?¡±


    Anna tilted her head confused. ¡°Abjuration,¡± she said matter-of-factly as if the answer was obvious. Aaron waited silently, thinking she would elaborate further, but she turned her attention to something else, ending the conservation.


    Aaron nervously reached for his sister¡¯s hand but quickly pulled away. Even though he never wanted to attend Dys Academy, he thought it would be fun if his sister went with him. And yet lately, she seems colder than usual, more distant.


    Maybe she¡¯s nervous. Aaron thought. She has always wanted to go to school, and this is her first day. Not to mention the principal put her in the elite classes. I bet she¡¯s under a lot of pressure. Aaron nodded his head, satisfied with the answers he came up with.


    An awkward silence closed in on the two siblings that was occasionally broken by Aaron¡¯s groan and his teeth chattering.


    Growing annoyed with the boy¡¯s whimpering, Anna places her hand on his head. A soft light wrapped around his body before suddenly vanishing.


    Aaron blinked a few times, unsure of what he saw. It took him a moment to realize he wasn¡¯t cold anymore. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I cast an abjuration-based spell on you.¡±


    Aaron blinked a few more times, not sure his sister was even speaking the same language as him. Anna sighs heavily. ¡°How do you not even know the basics? Have the school taught you nothing?¡±


    ¡°So far, we¡¯ve only been doing tests to determine our ranks?¡±


    ¡°Oh, and what¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°They say I¡¯m an apprentice but have the potential to be a sage,¡± Aaron said as he shrugged his shoulders. Unsure of what any of that meant.


    ¡°Sage? That can¡¯t be right.¡± Anna took towards the boy to examine him closer


    ¡°Um, Is that bad?¡± Aaron looked at his sister nervously. Anna simply replied with a smile finding the boy''s cluelessness somewhat endearing.¡±


    ¡°Mages are divided into five ranks. Apprentice, Caster, Adept, Sage, and Archimage. All mages start at apprentice.¡±


    ¡°I guess. I¡¯m stronger than I thought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works." Anna continue. Mages are not ranked by their strength but by how many spells they know and how effectively they can cast them. Apprentices are people who just learn about magic.¡±


    Then again, centuries have passed, and they might¡¯ve changed how the ranks work. Abaddon thought.


    Anna looks down at the little boy. The last time she checks Aaron she only observes the mana gathering around him. This time she focuses her attention on how well magic flowed inside Aaron. The smoother flow the more skilled the mage was.


    Anna''s eyes glowed faintly as she narrowed them. A vast energy explodes from the little boy¡¯s body. She reflexively jumped away almost believing the energy might consume her.


    ¡°No way.¡± Anna hesitantly took a step towards the boy still in shock by the dense mana that shrouded Aaron¡¯s entire being. ¡°To have this much mana at such a young age...¡±


    As expected of my offspring. An almost predatory smile stretched across Anna''s face. She grabbed Aaron¡¯s shoulders, her eyes glowing bright from excitement. ¡°Looks like they weren¡¯t wrong, you have potential. How about I teach you? I can help cultivate that potential.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­sure.¡± Aaron tilted his head, confused as to why she suddenly wanted to train him when just a moment ago, it seemed she didn¡¯t want anything to do with him.


    The bus blew its horn alerting the sibling of its presence. The annoyed and tired driver silently beckoned to get on.


    "We talk about this later." Anna patted the boy''s back gently shoving him towards the vehicle. Aaron hesitantly stepped onboard, freezing almost instantly when he felt a dozen eyes on him and his sister. Anna pushed the frightened boy into a nearby seat. As the bus began to move Abaddon found himself thinking about the dream he had earlier.


    As much as Abaddon wanted to dismiss it as nothing more than a dream. The moment he saw the star earlier, he knew something somehow was trying to reach him. As he stared out the window a chilling thought came to his mind.


    How does anyone know I¡¯m alive?

 Chapter 5: Bloodline Hunt (2)

    Chapter 5


    Bloodline Hunt: Part 2


    Abaddon stared out the window, impressed by how fast the scenario flew by. He found himself thinking about how modern transportation would¡¯ve affected the wars in the past.


    The bus came to an abrupt stop while Abaddon was deep in thought. The children exit the bus entering a crowd of students that threatens to crush anyone who wasn¡¯t going with the flow. Somehow Anna manages to pull herself and Aaron out of the group. Unlike the sleepy and quiet city, they drove through, the academy was loud and busy. Hundreds of students and soldiers moved across the courtyard with purpose.


    Anna became dizzy just looking at people exiting and entering the dozens of entrances the academy seemed to have. Through the sea of people, she caught a glimpse of a red-headed woman and a plump older man standing by the front door of the central building.


    Anna pauses for a moment. Ozlan held a high rank in Eris¡¯ army, naturally making Abaddon wary of him.


    After a moment of contemplation, she reluctantly waded through the crowd toward Ozlan. The headmaster''s big smile widens when he notices her approach.


    ¡°Ah, Miss Anna, I¡¯m glad you made it.¡± The headmaster extends his hand, expecting her to shake it, but she simply stares at it before looking him in the eyes again. ¡°I¡¯ll show you to your class.¡± Ozlan gestured for Anna to follow him. Aaron softly spoke up just as the two were about to enter the academy.


    ¡°Ah! Um¡­¡± Aaron stammer. Anna looked behind her, surprised the little boy was still following her.


    ¡°Did you need help finding your class?¡± The headmaster looks down at Aaron, who quickly hides behind his sister.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­.¡± Aaron stops, not even sure why he¡¯s still here, but Ozlan, from a glance, fully understands the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, still wearing his gentle smile. ¡°You can talk to your sister about everything you learn during our many breaks.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Aaron looked up hopefully.


    ¡°Of course. Now you get to class before you are late.¡±


    Aaron excitedly rushes to class, eager to meet his sister during a break. Anna sighed. she¡¯ll have to teach Aaron not to listen to people she considers an enemy.


    ¡°Well, shall we go?¡± Ozlan held out his hand. Anna ignored it and brushed past him, entering the building.


    The headmaster quickly walked in front of Anna to lead her. As they walked through the hallways up to the second floor, Ozlan explained the academy''s curriculum and other forms of activities.


    ¡°By the way, since you have been put in the advanced class, we moved your rank from Apprentice to Caster.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°You know what that means, right?¡± The headmaster stopped to look at the unimpressed girl.


    Apprentices were mages learning how to manipulate magic and cast spells, while casters, as the name suggests, were mages who could cast a spell or two. While they are the starting ranks, the difference between the two ranks is massive and is considered a huge achievement many beginners strive for. However, for Abaddon, who held the rank of Archmage and was considered one of the strongest mages of his time, this rank-up was nothing more than an insult to him.


    ¡°I thought I would get a higher rank.¡±


    Ozlan guffawed loudly. ¡°I like the confidence. I was concerned you might fall behind since you were sick the first few days. But with that attitude, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll catch up quickly.¡± Ozlan stops in front of a door, gesturing for Anna to enter.


    A middle-aged man whose craggy face seemed permanently contorted into a scowl stood before the class. The older man wore a black and green military uniform, which made him look more like a soldier than a teacher.


    ¡°Ah, Headmaster.¡± The teacher placed his fist on his chest and stood up straighter.


    ¡°Relax, Grish.¡± Ozlan pushes Anna in front of the whole class to see. The teacher frowned when he saw the little girl.


    ¡°So, this the missing student I¡¯ve been hearing about. I heard you¡¯re quite talented, Miss Anna.¡±


    ¡°Indeed I am,¡± Anna said as she examined the room. Inside the class were fourteen kids around Anna¡¯s age. ¡°This is the advanced classes, right? Where¡¯s the older students?¡±


    ¡°The older students have their own advanced classes. We try to keep teenagers away from kids your age.¡± Ozlan answered.


    ¡°I see.¡± Anna looked at the ground, disappointed she was stuck with children. She walked to the back of the class, allowing the headmaster and the teacher to talk to each other for a few minutes.


    ¡°Since we have new a student why don''t we do a quick recap.¡± As soon as the headmaster left the room, the teacher continued his lesson. Anna drowned the teacher out as she looked around the room, trying to figure out what her next move should be.


    ¡°Nandi, tell me what magic is.¡± A girl with golden brown skin and disheveled black hair jumped to her feet, nearly knocking down the stack of books on her desk. The dark bags under her eyes made it clear she didn¡¯t sleep a wink last night, but she spoke with enthusiasm nonetheless.


    ¡°Magic is an invisible and formless energy that flows through our world.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Caleb, how exactly does magic flow?¡± A blonde boy stood up. His sharp blue eyes made him look far more mature than his actual age.


    ¡°Magic flows through the leylines, invisible veins that stretch across our entire world.


    ¡°Correct, again!¡± Caleb turns around to stick his tongue out at Nandi before sitting back down. The teacher''s heart was swelling with pride as each student easily answered his question. That moment of joy didn¡¯t last long. Instantly he was disappointed when he noticed one of the children looking out the window in a daze.


    ¡°Ms. Thothen.¡±


    Anna''s eyes dart from the window to the man who called her. ¡°What did you call me?¡± The teacher took a step back, surprised by the hostility in her voice. Thothen was the surname Abaddon abandoned when he took the throne from his father centuries ago.


    ¡°Just call me Anna.¡±


    The teacher took a deep breath and puffed his chest up. He found it silly, but Grish instinctively felt he would lose authority over his class if he didn¡¯t deal with this girl¡¯s attitude now.


    ¡°Well, Ms. ¡®Anna,¡¯ do you find my class boring?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would be bored if you were forced to learn something you already know,¡± Anna said, still looking out of the window. The entire class looked at her, aghast, she talked back to their teacher.


    ¡°Since you seem to know everything explain each school of magic to me.¡±


    Anna stared at the teacher, silently debating if she should ignore him. After a tense moment of silence, she stood up and spoke in a hollow tone.


    ¡°There are five schools of magic."


    Evocation: is the manipulation of energy. Due to its simplicity, this school is the easiest to teach.


    Abjuration: Is healing and protective spells like wards or barriers.


    Transmutation: Using magic to change the state of something to something else.


    Conjuration: Is creating something out of magic. Even though it sounds simple, this school of magic is the hardest to utilize for various reasons.


    Enchantment: Is magic used to affect a person''s mind like hypnosis or charms.¡±


    Anna sat back down. The teacher stared at her, seemingly not satisfied. ¡°And?¡± Grish said, waiting for Anna to continue.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Unless you want me to talk about the off branches.¡±


    There are other schools of magic, but they were considered off branches. For example, an off-branch of Enchantment is Necromancy. Since they both dealt with manipulation. Although one focuses on the living while the other the dead.


    The teacher sighed and looked back at the classroom. ¡°Can someone please tell Anna what school of magic she missed?¡± Two kids quickly raised their hands.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± The teacher pointed to Nandi, who stood back up, eager to explain. ¡°The sixth school of magic is Astral.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Correct, again, Nandi.¡±


    Nandi sat back down, satisfied. The cold glare coming from Caleb wiped the smirk off her face.


    ¡°Sixth?¡± Anna sat up straight. A sixth school of magic didn¡¯t exist back when Abaddon reigned.


    ¡°Indeed, Ms. Anna, although I understand how you miss it. Most mages don¡¯t consider astral a school of magic. but here we do.¡± The teacher looked at Anna with a smug grin, expecting her to be ashamed of her proud outburst, but instead, what he saw was a slight smile blooming on her face.


    Abaddon has always been fascinated by magic but after becoming one of the strongest mages of his time. He started to believe that there was nothing else for him to learn. But seeing that there was a sixth school of magic not only meant magic had evolved over the centuries but now there was room for him to grow.


    ¡°Explain this sixth school to me.¡±


    The teacher¡¯s tense expression softens. Grish was always happy to see a kid willing to learn so much that he ignored Anna¡¯s demanding tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to teach this subject later in the year, but I don¡¯t mind discussing it now.¡± The teacher walked up to the board and wrote Astral in bold letters.


    ¡°The sixth school of magic, Astral, is mages'' interactions with the leyline. This is an incredibly vague subject, so let¡¯s start simple; What is the definition of a spell?¡±


    This time, only one kid eagerly raised their hand. ¡°Explain, Caleb.¡±


    ¡°Spell is magic given form.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. As explained before, magic is a formless energy. But us mages can mold it into practically anything.¡± A ball of fire suddenly forms in the palm of the teacher¡¯s hand. ¡°Truly anything. Like this ball of fire or an energy beam. Or, if you¡¯re creative, a cat with butterfly wings.¡± The class chuckled at the absurdity.


    ¡°Speaking of mages.¡± The teacher continues to write on the board. ¡°Caleb, explain what a mage.¡±


    ¡°A mage is a human born with the ability to absorb mana from the leyline.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Us mages automatically soaked in magic like sponges absorb water. Even right now, as I talk, your body is taking in mana. This is one way we interact with the leyline. There are plenty of other ways, but for now, I¡¯ll end this by asking why is it that we can use magic but no one else can?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, that wasn¡¯t a question for you, Caleb. You can sit down now.¡± The young man sat down. He threw another glare at Nandi before turning his attention back to the teacher.


    ¡°Truth be told, even after centuries of research, we still don¡¯t fully know why only some people can use magic. For a while, many believed that genetics was what decided it, but this was disproven. There have been many times where a family of mages gave birth to a child who can¡¯t use magic, and a family that gave birth to a mage despite none ever being in their bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s the soul,¡± Anna blurted absentmindedly. She thought about the oath she made with Typhon, which took on the shape of a tattoo. His body was destroyed eight hundred years ago, yet somehow, the markings appeared on this body.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting theory, Anna, but have you heard of imbued objects?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have!¡± Anna snapped. Insulted, he tested her intelligence. The teacher smiled and turned to the rest of the class.


    ¡°To those that don¡¯t know, imbued objects are materials like trees or ores that can absorb mana from the leyline like us mages. If we go with your theory, that will imply that these objects have souls.


    Anna sat back down, silently digesting the lecture until the bell rang.


    ¡°Ms. Anna, can I talk to you?¡± As everyone was leaving class, the teacher called Anna to his desk. ¡°I think we got off to a bad start; I¡¯m Grish.¡± The teacher held out his hand.


    ¡°You know who I am,¡± Anna said, ignoring his hand.


    ¡°The headmaster told me about your situation. I understand you were homeschooled for most of your life because of your sickness. It must be hard for you to speak with others. But if you don¡¯t learn to socialize, you¡¯ll fall behind. Well, even further behind than you already are.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Anna pursed her lips. As much as she hates to admit it, her knowledge of magic is outdated.


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll have Nandi help you for the rest of the day.¡± At the mention of her name, the little girl peered over from the pile of books she was buried in before immediately retreating beneath the pile when Anna looked back at her. ¡°Since she¡¯s studying to become a specialist, it wouldn¡¯t hurt her to miss a few classes.¡±


    Anna¡¯s ears perked up at the mention of a specialist.¡¯ She had never heard a mage be called that. She opened her mouth to ask what that meant but quickly closed it, her pride stopping her from showing how ignorant she truly was of the current state of magic.


    ¡°Nandi, right?¡± Anna said as she approached the piles of books. Even with the books shielding her, Nandi could feel the intense gaze of the girl who almost picked up a fight with the teacher. ¡°The teacher believes you''re capable of teaching me. so, what you got to show me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Nandi closed her eyes waiting for the other girl to lash out at her. ¡°I just read books from the library.¡±


    "Library?" Anna''s expression brightens. "You think you can show me the way?"


    "S-Sure." Nandi hesitantly stood up and guided Anna out and through the busy halls, down the stairs. The passerby gave the two girls a wide berth, afraid they might be crushed by the tower of books Nandi was carrying. Anna snatched one of the books out of the pile expecting it to be a spelled book, but as she scanned through it, all she saw were detailed pictures of human anatomy.


    ¡°What exactly is this for?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re for my studies,¡± Nandi said, her voice strained from lifting the heavy books.


    After a quick scan, Anna tossed the book back on the pile, causing Nandi to stumble forward, the sudden extra weight throwing her off. Just as she almost regained her balance, someone threw their leg in front of her tripping her over. Nandi¡¯s books soar out of her hands scattering across the hall as she falls face-first to the ground.


    ¡°You should keep your head out the books when walking.¡± Caleb chuckled.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nandi meekly muttered.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t apologize to me. You should apologize to everyone else. It¡¯s because of you they have to clean up your mess.¡± Caleb exaggeratedly gestures towards everyone in the hallway. A group of kids giggled amongst themselves as they playfully kicked her books around.


    Nandi¡¯s eyes widened in horror. She pushed Caleb away and scrambled for her books. One of the boys stomped on the book she grabbed holding it in place.


    ¡°Let go of it!¡± Nandi screamed.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Nandi yanked the book away and held it lovely close to her chest. She smiled briefly at the boy, which quickly gave way to horror when she noticed the shadow looming over her. The boy¡¯s foot hovers over Nandi¡¯s face. Wearing a wicked grin, the boy brought his foot down on her. Nandi closed her eyes waiting for the pain. When it didn''t come she opened her eyes to see a small hand holding the bully''s foot.


    ¡°Careful where you walk.¡± While forcing the boy to awkwardly hop around one leg, she turned her attention to Caleb. ¡°You¡¯re the leader, right?¡±


    The demonic glow in her eyes made Caleb flinch. He glanced at the crowd around them before boldly taking a step towards Anna. ¡°And you must be the disgusting spawn of Abaddon. You have a problem with me picking with your little friend?¡±


    Anna smirks, seeing through the boy''s desperate need to prove himself. ¡°Not at all. However, whatever quarrel you two have settle it on your time, not mine.¡±


    ¡°And what happens if I don¡¯t?¡± Caleb took another step towards Anna. ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Anna raised an eyebrow, amused by the hostility coming from the little boy. Nandi nervously tugged Anna¡¯s dress to get her attention. ¡°Anna you shouldn¡¯t mess with him?¡±


    ¡°Give me a reason why."


    Caleb chuckles amused by the girl''s bravado. ¡°You really, don¡¯t know who I am, do you?¡±


    ¡°Am I supposed to?¡±


    ¡°I guess I should enlighten you!¡± Caleb thrust both his hands outwards like he was getting to perform in a play. ¡°My name is Caleb Viluf! My family are the personal protectors of this country¡¯s lord.


    Anna releases the bully''s leg letting him fall to the ground. She loudly clapped her hand while putting on a fake smile. ¡°Not bad, although I don¡¯t see how that makes make you special though?¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me? My father is an adept mage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard you.¡± The red glow in her eyes nearly blinded Caleb. He backed away, surprised by how close Anna was to him. He blinked unsure when she got so close to him. Anna steps closer once again getting into Caleb¡¯s face.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about your family,¡± Anna whispered. ¡°I want to know more about you. I want to know what achievement you¡¯re so proud of that it allows you to stand here so arrogantly in my presence.¡±


    Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry, and no words would form. Anna tilted her head waiting patiently for the boy to answer. ¡°Nothing, huh? How disappointing.¡± She backed away from the stunned boy, the moment Anna¡¯s gaze left Caleb. An intense pressure that he didn¡¯t know was weighing him down faded. He collapses onto the ground shuddering in fear.


    ¡°A word of advice, boy. If you want respect, stop hiding behind your family name and make a name for yourself.¡±


    Anna turns around and helps Nandi pick up her books. Caleb stared speechless at the two girls as they moved through the crowd that parted for them.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Nandi looks at the girl with starry eyes. Anna shrugged the compliment off.


    ¡°I see nothing impressive about picking on a kid.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand since this is your first day at the academy. Caleb has been abusing his family''s position to get his way, even though some of the adults are afraid of him."


    ¡°Sounds like everyone in this school is a coward. Why didn¡¯t you fight him when he knocked you down and walked all over your books?¡± Nandi froze from Anna¡¯s piercing gaze.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t beat him.¡± The little girl mumbles.


    ¡°From what I can tell, you have a pretty good chance at taking him down.¡±


    ¡°Really? What makes you say?¡±


    Anna smirked the glow from her eyes fading. "Just a feeling." She said as she stepped into the library. Nandi stood quiet momentarily absorbing everything Anna said before following behind her.


    The library itself wasn¡¯t that big, but the long shelves that stretched to the second floor made it feel like Anna was stepping into another world; a world overflowing with knowledge.


    ¡°Is all this information available?¡± Anna hesitantly reaches for a book expecting someone to stop her. Eight hundred years ago. It was nearly impossible to study magic as most mages went to great lengths to protect their research.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Nandi proudly puffs out her chest. ¡°Everything you see you can read.¡±


    Anna excitedly walked through the library, stopping at the section labeled Enchantment. She searched for books on necromancy hoping to find anything that might explain how she was revived.


    In the past, necromancy was heavily researched, as many mages believed it was the key to immortality. Abaddon was no exception. He had some of his best mages search for a way for him to cheat death.


    In a way, I succeeded. Abaddon mused. If you consider the state, I¡¯m successful.


    Unable to find the necromancy section, Anna lets out a frustrated sigh and instead heads to the Astral section eager to learn more about the new school of magic.


    A glance at the titles Anna immediately could tell that most books here focus mainly on theories and the history of magic rather than spells. Disappointed but still curious, she grabbed a couple of books and threw a toss onto the table alongside Nandi¡¯s pile of books.


    Time quickly flew as Anna and Nandi dug into their mountain size stacks of books only occasionally stopping to grab snacks at the cafeteria. At some point, Anna leans back in her chair. Her mind was exhausted from all her studying and her heart was strangely heavy with anxiety.


    Am I forgetting something? Anna places her hand on her chest, unsure why she¡¯s felt so uneasy.


    ¡°Sis?¡± Anna quickly turns towards the familiar voice. Aaron stood at the doorway, tears streaming down his face. A sense of relief washed over Anna when she saw him. It almost felt like someone had placed an ice cube on a sore she wasn¡¯t aware of.


    I forgot I was supposed to spend time with him today during a break. Anna thought. she stepped forward but stopped when she noticed something was off about Aaron. He looked at his sister, eyes wide and shaking uncontrollably like he was afraid of something.


    Two soldiers suddenly burst into the room like they were checking it for hostiles. Another man wearing a heavy black coat steps into the library, his face covered by his hood.


    ¡°So, your sister was in here, huh?¡± The hooded man places his hand on Aaron¡¯s shoulder while looking down at Anna, wearing a mischievous grin. ¡°Good, I like to have a word with you.¡±

 Chapter 6: Bloodline Hunt (3)

    Chapter 6


    Bloodline Hunt: Part 3


    Time slowed to a halt as Anna¡¯s mind raced to analyze the situation.


    Three potential threats stood in front of her, only one was a mage. The library only had two exits. The soldiers blocked one, and the other was directly behind her, leading to a small courtyard. The back entrance was clear at the current moment, but Anna didn¡¯t bother thinking about escaping, confident she wouldn¡¯t get far because of her ailment.


    I can beat them. Anna narrowed her eyes and tightly balled her hands into fists.


    Both soldiers aimed their gun at the little girl and shouted,¡± Raise your hands in the air!¡± The hooded man jumped in between Anna and the armed men.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± The hooded man jumped in between Anna and the armed men. ¡°Why the hell are you guys aiming your guns at a kid?


    ¡°We¡¯re subduing the threat.¡± One of the soldiers said.


    ¡°Threat?¡± The hooded man sighed. He stepped towards them and grabbed their guns, forcefully lowering them. ¡°Since you guys are so afraid of a little girl I¡¯ll handle her. You guys take the boy.


    Aaron trembles at the mention of his name. He backs away while looking at Anna, silently begging her to help. ¡°S-sis.¡± He cried out as the soldier dragged him away.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Most people don¡¯t understand how magic works, and because they don¡¯t understand,d they get nervous. Twitch a little and they¡¯ll take that as a sign you¡¯re casting a spell.¡± The hooded man chuckles a little as he approaches. Anna immediately backed away to put a decent distance between them again.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The hooded man''s shoulders drooped. ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡± He places a hand on his chest as if he was hurt by the question. He flung his hood off, revealing a man with multiple piercings in his nose and ears. He had short platinum-blonde hair with pale blue eyes. ¡°It¡¯s me, Uncle Z.¡±


    Anna''s eyes widen as a memory pops up of a man who was not only crazy to call himself a friend of Abaddon''s family, but he even actively played with Anna and Aaron when they were younger. Although the person in Anna¡¯s memory looked completely different than the man in front of her.


    Growing impatient, the guy let out a loud groan. ¡°Oh, come on! There¡¯s no way you forgot me!¡± Z immediately covered his mouth, realizing he was shouting in a library. Z shrinks from the dozens of eyes on him. Some were curious, most still frightened by the armed men, who left a moment ago.


    ¡°Hey, can we talk somewhere else?¡±


    Before Anna could answer, Nandi pinches her dress while warily looking at the hooded man, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go with him.¡±


    Anna gave the worried girl an assuring smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± She removes Nandi¡¯s hand from her dress and walks past Z and out of the library.


    ¡°Sorry about the noise!¡± Z shouted as he ran out of the library. ¡°Do you really not remember me?! I mean I know I haven¡¯t been around lately, but still.¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± Anna stopped and faced him. ¡°But you change a lot.¡± The Z she met in the past was a plain-looking man with dark brown hair.


    Z laughs while bashfully brushing his hand through his hair. ¡°When you¡¯re in love, you¡¯ll understand. It has a way of changing people.¡±


    Anna examines Z silently, somewhat curious about what women found interesting in this era.


    ¡°Hey, I know what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Z points towards Anna, offended by her judgmental stare.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Anna quickly retorted.


    ¡°Yes, I do! You¡¯re thinking, ¡®There¡¯s no way this guy got a girlfriend! Aren¡¯t you?!¡±


    Z pulled his phone out of his pocket and shoved it into Anna¡¯s face. ¡°See, that¡¯s my girlfriend! Isn¡¯t she beautiful?!¡±


    Utterly uninterested, Anna moved the phone out of her sight, not bothering to look at the picture. ¡°Are you going to explain why you called me out here? And where do those guys take Aaron?¡±


    Z audibly blinked, confused by Anna¡¯s question. His eyes widened a moment later, fully remembering why he came here. ¡°Ah, right. Somebody came down here to interview the students here.


    ¡°Interview? The way they burst into the library and dragged Aaron away, it looked like they were going to interrogate him.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Z sighs. ¡°Listen. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Your dad suddenly called me on my day off, mind you, and gave me instructions on how to get to you guys through this interview.¡±


    ¡°Do people normally come here to ask questions?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of civilians who are interested in magic. But we normally turn them away. To avoid information from falling into enemy hands.¡±


    That means whoever is asking questions must be high up if they don¡¯t get chased away. Anna thought Z chuckled to himself, watching the little girl fall deep into her thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot like your father, and I¡¯m not just talking about your looks. He is always in his head trying to do everything on his own.¡±


    ¡°What did Aiden want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Straight to business. Also just like your father. ¡°Z said with another sigh. ¡°First thing first, tell me your name and age.¡±


    ¡°Anna. Nine.¡±


    ¡°Boring! Come on; you need to put some energy into your voice. Like this.¡± Z throws up two peace signs and says in a girlish tone. ¡°Hello! My name is Anna; I¡¯m nine years old! I¡¯m happy to be here today~¡± Z said with a wink.


    A deep and awkward silence fell over the two. In the distance, a faint chuckle could be heard from the students who caught the act. Anna¡¯s face slowly turned red, embarrassed she was even associated with the guy in front of her.


    ¡°Did Aiden tell you to do that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Z said, embarrassed. He hung his head low to hide himself from the stares. ¡°He¡¯s wanted me to tell you a few things. First, answer each question as truthfully as possible. Apparently, the interviewer can sense lies. Also, don¡¯t take too long to respond. They''ll ask even more questions if you hesitate to answer or lie. He told me the interview can take hours if you don¡¯t cooperate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are still calling whatever is going on an ¡®interview.¡±


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Z suddenly looked at Anna grimly. She stares back at the man, impressed he has the mental fortitude to act serious after acting like a clown.


    ¡°Your father also said that you must say yes to the final question no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Z shrugs his shoulders.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say. All he told me was that it¡¯s important you said yes to the final question they ask.¡±


    Anna fell silent, wondering what the final question was or why Aiden went out of his way to warn her.


    ¡°Looks like our time is up.¡± Z looked down the hall to see the two soldiers who escorted Aaron. Approaching them. ¡°Remember what I told you.¡± Z gently pats Anna¡¯s back, pushing her forward.


    ¡°You guys can take a break; I¡¯ll handle things from here.¡±


    The two soldiers silently look at each other for a moment before letting the two pass. They follow behind the two mages.


    The two soldiers turn what should¡¯ve been a quick and quiet walk into a tense one. The armed men warily watched the mages like they were feral animals that might lunge at them at any moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Z whispered. ¡°They won¡¯t do anything as long as I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°And what about Aaron? You let them take him away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Z repeated. Although the more he was, the more Anna worried. As long as he follows my advice he¡¯ll be alrigh-¡° Z¡¯s voice faded away. Both mages stopped the moment they turned the corner.


    At the end of the hallway was a lone wooden door that gave off a foreboding aura. However, what worried the two mages the most was Aaron, curled into a ball right by the door.


    ¡°Keep moving!¡± A soldier barked as he shoved the two mages forward. Anna glares back at the two. Both soldiers aim their guns at the mage. ¡°Try something. I¡¯m confident I can pull this trigger faster than both of you can say hocus pocus.¡±


    Anna stared into the barrel of the gun. In an instant, her mind simulated her taking the gun and shooting both men. Before her body could enact the plan, she felt someone grabbed her.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Just listen to them,¡± Z said as he tightened his grip on her to hold her in place. Anna smacked his hand off her and turned her ire towards him. The harsh words that almost left her mouth faded when she saw Z clench his teeth tightly to hold back his anger.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Anna took a breath to calm herself. She reluctantly approached the door, taking one last look at the shivering boy one last time before entering the room.


    The smell of lavender hit her nose the moment she entered the room. The inside of the room was bare.


    ¡°Ah, you finally made it.¡± A woman with brunette hair wrapped in a tight bun sat in the center of the bare room, typing something onto a laptop.


    Anna''s attention went from the brunette to the familiar redhead who almost stood perfectly still in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± The woman spoke with such confidence and authority that, for a moment, Anna thought she was the academy''s headmaster. Anna obediently sat in the chair, looking the woman up and down, searching for anything that might¡¯ve associated her with one of her enemies.


    ¡°Have you settled down?¡± The woman asked, her eyes never leaving her computer.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Anna shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Good.¡± The woman finally tore her eyes from her laptop. She focused her piercing brown eyes on the little girl in front of her. ¡°My name is Jeze. My company¡¯s job is to ensure all the children in our wonderful little country are physically and mentally healthy. We accomplish this by speaking to a few students and each school to get a sense of whether they¡¯re in a healthy environment.


    ¡°So, you just happen to randomly pick me and my brother out of everyone in this academy?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re quite lucky. Not many people get to taste my homemade cookies.¡± Wearing a half smile, Jeze slid a container filled with cookies over to Anna. ¡°It¡¯s peanut butter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Anna pushes the container away from her. Still smiling, Jeze handed the cookie over to Claire. ¡°You have been standing there for quite a while. You must be hungry.¡± Claire glanced at the sweets before turning her attention back to the two.


    ¡°Fine, more for me.¡± Jeze shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a clipboard. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions. If you ever start to feel uncomfortable or want me to stop, let me know, okay?¡±


    Anna nodded. She straightened her back, preparing herself for whatever had traumatized Aaron.


    ¡°First question; How are you enjoying your school life, Abaddon?¡± For the briefest of moments, Anna''s world froze. It took a preternatural amount of willpower for Anna to keep her face from even twitching from the question.


    ¡°Abaddon? I think you might be confused. I¡¯m Anna.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Sorry, it seems like I made a mistake.¡± Jeze let out a dry laugh as she wrote something on her clipboard. ¡°I read a lot about your family. I can¡¯t help but wonder, how do people treat you? Your great, great, great, great, well, your ancestor attempted to kill the gods, and you know, you¡¯re living in a country where one of them is worshiped. I¡¯m assuming a lot of people here are not a fan of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck at home for most of my life because of my illness. So, I haven¡¯t been around many people. But so far, everyone has been treating me well.¡±


    Jeze rapidly jotted on her clipboard as Anna talked. ¡°An illness that prevents you from leaving home. That must suck.¡± Jeze said, her eyes never leave her note. As soon as Jeze finished writing, she leaned forward, her dark brown eyes twinkling with curiosity.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to pry; it¡¯s just that your family history is so interesting. Your ancestor was an emperor, you know? Which means technically you¡¯re a princess.¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t feel like it.¡± Anna answers as innocently as possible.


    Jeze chuckles slightly. ¡°Tell me, Anna, how do you feel about Eris?¡±


    Answer truthfully. Z¡¯s words echo in Abaddon¡¯s mind.


    Anna stopped for a second to think about the question. ¡°I find it interesting they preach about freedom, yet so many kids here are forced to be in the military.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate her?¡±


    ¡°Should I?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, if it wasn¡¯t for Celestials. You would¡¯ve been more than just some sick girl. You would¡¯ve been a princess of a country, possibly the entire continent. They took away a bright future from you; doesn¡¯t that upset you?¡±


    ¡°I see no point being angry about something that happened so long ago. All I care about is the future.¡± Anna answered truthfully, confident she could rebuild her kingdom again.


    ¡°Fourth question; Have you ever heard a voice in your head or had a dream that felt like someone was trying to reach out to you?¡±


    Anna¡¯s heart stopped for a moment. Her mind races with speculation, but her face remains stoic as she calmly speaks. ¡°A dream?¡± Anna tapped her head pretending she was thinking about the question. ¡°Dreams are hard to remember. I had a dream I dated an actor.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jeze said as she continued to scribble something on her clipboard while asking questions. Most of which seemed focused on her heritage. Anna quickly realizes that the questions were designed to get a reaction out of Abaddon.


    Anna thanked Aiden as she answered each question. Confident if she didn¡¯t get a warning beforehand, she most certainly would¡¯ve given herself away.


    About half an hour later, Jeze finally put down her clipboard. She leans back in her chair and lets out a relieved sigh as she stretches. ¡°That¡¯s about everything.¡± Anna¡¯s shoulders drop as the tension leaves her body. Jeze chuckles, seeing how relieved the little girl looks.


    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to exhaust you. Since you told me so much about yourself, it¡¯s only fair if I told you a little bit about me. As you already know, I¡¯m a sort of an investigator, but you probably didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m also a mage.¡±


    Anna¡¯s eyes glow faintly as she examines the woman to confirm if it is true. A soft, barely visible energy flows around and through her body.


    ¡°To be more specific, I¡¯m a specialist. Do you know what a specialist is, Anna?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t learned that yet.¡± A wide smile spread on Jeze¡¯s face as she stood up.


    ¡°Most mages are trained to be proficient in at least three or four schools of magic to have a versatile set of skills on the battlefield. Specialists, on the other hand, train to master one skill. I am an enchantment specialist. Specifically, I specialize in delving into people''s memories.¡±


    As Jeze spoke, she slowly made her way around the desk. The smell of lavender grew stronger as she approached Anna. ¡°This leads me to my final question. Can I read your memories?¡± Anna froze. The question nearly destroyed her fa?ade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of prying too deeply. I just want to see your school life. It¡¯ll help me get a better understanding of the environment. Of course, if you feel uncomfortable, we can stop here.¡± Aiden¡¯s message flashed in Anna¡¯s head, stopping her from saying no and leaving.


    ¡°If it helps with your research, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Jeze smiled grew wider as she gleefully turned to Claire.


    ¡°Claire, as a witness to this interview, do you believe the interviewee, Anna, was manipulated or forced to agree to have her memories searched?¡±


    ¡°No, Anna, of her own free will, consented to have her memories scanned,¡± Claire said robotically.


    ¡°Thank you, Claire.¡± Jeze let out a content sigh. ¡°Sorry about that. When you have the power to mess with a person¡¯s mind, you need a witness to prove that I didn''t force you to do something against their will. Now, where were we?¡± Jeze placed one of her knees in Anna¡¯s chair and leaned forward until her face almost touched the little girl¡¯s. Her eyes became cloudy as she murmured something under her breath. Mana gathered to her forehead, taking the form of a translucent tendril.


    ¡°!¡± Anna let out a yelp and threw herself backward to get away. Jeze grabbed her shoulders to hold her still.


    ¡°Relax, this will only hurt a little,¡± Jeze whispered. Anna dug her nails into the armrest to keep herself from running.


    The tendril phases into Anna¡¯s head. A searing headache washed over her as she dug something into her mind, forcing her to remember the time she was bedridden because of her illness, her first crush, and all the time she spent with her family. All these memories flashed in her mind along with something else.


    ¡°Please, my lord, you need to rise.¡±


    No! Abaddon fought through the pain and pulled memories of his past life away from the invader. Using nothing but his will, he threw his current memories before the invader to hide his previous life.


    After a few agonizing seconds, Jeze pulled away, and the tentacle on her forehead dissipated into tiny particles of light.


    Anna observed the woman searching for the tiniest change in her demeanor, wondering if she saw any of her past memories.


    Jeze walks back to her desk, her expression unreadable. ¡°You can go now.¡± She waves the little girl away while typing something onto her laptop.


    Head still pounding, Anna stood up and slowly walked out of the room, debating whether she should leave or kill the woman.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?!¡± Anna brushed past Z and continued down the hall, her mind full of questions.


    They know I¡¯m alive! How do they know I¡¯m alive? They even knew about the dream I had. Anna stopped, realizing everything the person in the dream said was true. She shivered at the realization wondering if she should listen to the dream and wait for them to find her.


    ¡°No.¡± Anna shook her head swiftly shutting the idea down. There were too many unknowns around the voice in the dream for her to consider it an ally, plus she wasn¡¯t confident that she could handle any more mind probing from the investigator.


    Resolved began to flow through Anna as she swiftly decided to deal with the current situation before anything else could further complicate her already complicated predicament.


    If that lady keeps trying to discover my original identity. I¡¯ll have to kill her before that person in the dream finds me.


    .


    .


    .


    The sounds of clicking echo through the small dark room. The only source of light was the screen from Jeze¡¯s laptop. ¡°Hm,¡± She groans as she rubs her eyes; tired from staring at the bright screen for so long.


    ¡°You know, you can sit down if you want.¡± Jeze looked back at Claire, who was still standing in the corner. Jeze would¡¯ve thought Claire was a statue if it weren''t for the occasional blinking. You¡¯ve been standing there for a few hours. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave my position once the headmaster returns.¡±


    ¡°My, aren¡¯t you a good girl?¡± Jeze swung her chair around, finding the stoic girl her more interesting than continuing her report. ¡°You would do anything for this headmaster?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s in the realm of possibility.¡±


    ¡°Such loyalty. Is it because he saved you from the Red Labs?¡±


    Claire¡¯s body twitches at the mention of the project. Jeze scooted closer to Claire, ecstatic to see her poker face cracked.


    ¡°You looked surprised. Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t look up much. I prefer to hear it from your mouth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s confidential.¡±


    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon, you can tell me a little bit, can¡¯t you.¡± Jeze leans in closer, sensing a bit of anger in Claire¡¯s voice. ¡°We spent so much alone time in this room; doesn¡¯t that make us friends?¡±


    Light spilled into the room as the door suddenly swung open. The excitement building within Jeze immediately vanished when she saw the overweight man wearing a bright smile walk into the room.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late. You¡¯re free to go, Claire.¡±


    Without a word, Claire brushed past Jeze, leaving the room. The warm smile from Ozlan vanished the moment Claire shut the door. ¡°I appreciate it if you didn¡¯t bully my subordinates.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Whenever I see something cute, I want to hurt it, badly. Like that girl, Anna, ah, I wish I could¡¯ve had some alone time with her.¡± Jeze''s body shivered at the wild thought running through her mind.


    ¡°Speaking of Anna, are you done with your investigation?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Of course not!¡± Jeze laughed as she turned her attention back to her laptop. Ozlan slams it shut.


    ¡°What was the point of interrogation then?¡± Jeze tilted her head, confused by the question.


    ¡°Do you think Abaddon would reveal himself if I asked a few questions?¡±


    ¡°What about the memory examination?¡±


    ¡°Unreliable. The further back I looked, the vaguer the memory becomes. The memory test is more designed to get a reaction out of the subject. Guilty people tend to violently lash out when I try to check their memory.


    Ozlan rubbed his temple, exhausted at the thought he must deal with her a bit longer. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t think one of those kids is the Mad Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ozlan, you should know by now. It doesn¡¯t matter what we think. Our job is to follow our lord¡¯s orders. Your job is to groom these talented children into weapons to be used against other Celestials¡¯ champions. While mine is to sniff out any threats to the current state of our world.¡±


    ¡°That may be the case but remember this¡­¡± Ozlan¡¯s voice became colder as he talked. These children are under my protection if you hurt them. I don¡¯t care who you work for. The person you¡¯ll be answering to is me.¡± The headmaster stormed out of the room. Leaving Jeze behind with his ominous warning.


    ¡°How scary. Looks like the coldhearted colonial still alive somewhere underneath all that blubber.¡± Jeze chuckled. ¡°As much as I like to see the chubby old man jiggle with rage, I should focus on my work. After all, the investigation has just begun.¡±

 Chapter 7: Bloodline Hunt (4)

    Chapter 7


    Bloodline Hunt: Part 4


    A train rode atop a golden light that stretched across the night sky, illuminated by the fragments of the shattered moon. Several separate rays of moonlight bathe the city of White Horn. One of the fragmented lights shone directly on a second-floor window of a house as if the world itself was waiting for the leading actor in a play to appear.


    Anna poked her head out the agape window, checking if anyone was watching. It was three in the morning, an hour when even a city that never sleeps may yawn¡ªa perfect hour to make a move without worrying about prying eyes.


    Confident no one was looking; she squeezed her tiny body out the window. The wind suddenly picks up and wraps around Anna, safely carrying her to the ground.


    Other than the howling wind, the neighborhood was quiet. Abaddon inhales the cold night air, enjoying the serenity. Only at this hour could he be himself and not have to pretend to be someone else¡¯s sister or daughter.


    Abaddon looked down at his hand. A tiny light hovered in his palm. ¡°Time to figure out what you are.¡± Abaddon clenched his hand and ran off into the night.


    A military jeep drove down the street, its headlights catching Abaddon¡¯s attention. He quickly dove behind a nearby car. The soldiers carefully examined the road as they went by, using their flashlights to search for any children that might¡¯ve snuck out of the dormitory.


    Abaddon waited for the vehicle to go further down the street before continuing his mission. Anna¡¯s childhood memories helped Abaddon navigate past the similar-looking streets. After a few turns, he stood in front of an archway with the engraving, Everspring.¡¯


    Immediately upon entering, it became apparent how the park earned its name. Vibrant flowers decorated the snowy ground, and verdant green trees obscured the outside world.


    Abaddon thought that magic might be keeping the flowers alive but remembered Anna coming here with her mother. They would help the neighbors plant flowers that thrive during each season.


    While admiring the view, Abaddon once again manifests the light in his hand. A cold gale blew through the park carrying a faint sound of someone sobbing. He clicked his tongue, annoyed that someone else was here. He tossed the light away and headed towards the sound of crying, curious who took his spot.


    A haggard-looking man sat on a snow-covered bench. He wailed loudly, only occasionally stopping to take a sip of alcohol.


    ¡°How could they?¡± The haggard man¡¯s words were slurred and slowed. ¡°How could they kick me out of my house after everything I had done for them?!¡± In a fit of rage, he slams the glass bottle on the bench smashing it into thousands of pieces.


    ¡°They think I¡¯m useless just because I¡¯m drinking a bit. Maybe if I quit my job, they¡¯ll see they need me.¡±


    Anna watched in disgust as the drunkard chugged another bottle and slammed it onto the pavement. Immediately he reached for another one. In his periphery he noticed a pair of glowing red eyes staring at him from a dark corner of the park. ¡°Ahwah!¡¯ The man let out a weird cry, stumbling backward, falling off the bench. ¡°Get away! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m armed!¡± He shouted. The drunkards grabbed the broken bottle with shaky hands.


    "I see." Abaddon smiled amused by the small shard in the drunkard''s trembling hand. She raised her hands and slowly backed away.


    ¡°Hey, wait.¡± The drunkard rubbed his eyes, realizing it wasn¡¯t a monster but a little girl. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too young to be out this late?¡±


    "Shouldn''t you be with your family?¡± Abaddon asks. The drunkard¡¯s already flushed face turns completely red. The little girl¡¯s dismissive attitude reminded him of the fight he got in earlier with his daughter.


    ¡°Someone needs to teach you, kids, some manners.¡± The drunkard stomped towards the little girl. Abaddon sighed as he turned to face the guy.


    ¡°I plan to let you go, but I guess-¡°Before Abaddon could finish speaking, the drunkard swung his hand in a wide arc. The guy smiled, expecting to hear a satisfied slap echo through the empty park, but it never came. Confused, he looks down to see his wrist bleeding profusely.


    ¡°Ah, so that''s what it was.¡± Abaddon sighed in admiration. The little light that followed him around transformed into a familiar sword. A twinkling night sky decorated the dark blade. ¡°Stargazer, right? I never imagined I would see you again.¡± Abaddon swung the sword around. Even though the sword was made for his past life body. The weapon felt weightless and somehow fit perfectly in his little hand. Abaddon could almost hear the eccentric blacksmith who made the weapon laughing in the back of his head.


    ¡°W-What going on?¡± The drunkard stared dumbly at the little girl. It took a moment for his muddled brain to register the girl cut him with the sword, even longer for him to realize he was in danger.


    ¡°Since even your family deems you useless, I suppose no one will miss you.¡± Abaddon took a step towards his victim. The drunkard fell backwards finally realizing the girl was aiming for his life.


    ¡°Stay still.¡± Abaddon¡¯s eyes glowed a deep red. The red glow fills the drunkard¡¯s vision and, eventually, his thoughts. Abaddon shudders at his work. He never was a fan of charm spells. Even less now after the investigator used it on him.


    ¡°Magic is a fascinating thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Abaddon stabbed Stargazer into the ground as she approached the frozen man. The sword dissipated into particles of light before rematerializing back into his hand.


    ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this incredible? I should¡¯ve paid more attention to the blacksmith when he gave me this weapon.¡± Abaddon kicked a beer bottle on the ground, annoyed at his past self. The only thing he could remember was the blacksmith saying something about the weapon being made from shards of the broken moon.


    ¡°If I had known that madman could create such a masterpiece, I would¡¯ve had him create weapons for my army.¡± Abaddon sighed in disappointment. With a flick of his wrist, Stargazer once again vanished. ¡°Oh well. At least one mystery was solved tonight. Now, it¡¯s time to get to the main event.¡±


    Abaddon closes his eyes and mutters something under his breath. His hair flutters as a sudden breeze swirls around him, lifting him off the ground, the tattoo of a massive beast formed on his body. The markings grew hotter and hotter as if it was trying to sear itself deeper into his skin. Abaddon ignores the pain and presses his fingertips together, finishing the spell.


    Summon: Typhon


    A bright hot gold light erupted from Abaddon, expanding rapidly, threatening to swallow the entire park before. Suddenly the wind dies, and the all-consuming light abruptly vanishes. Abaddon fell to the ground. He franticly looked around, expecting to see a monster the size of a mountain, but the only other person in the park was the drunkard still locked in his spell.


    ¡°It failed? How is that possible?¡± Abaddon was nearly tempted to tear his shirt off to see if he still had the tattoo. But he knew that was pointless as he could still feel the mark. The tattoo was proof of the oath he made with Typhon. It would only vanish if either one of them broke the oath or if one of them died.


    Someone, somehow, was preventing him from connecting to Typhon. The moment Abaddon came to that conclusion, he looked up at the sky, beyond the shattered moon, he could see a small green light.


    Abaddon sighed not only he had worried about your investigator looking for him, but there was something stopping him from contacting his most valued allied. He could feel the walls closing in around him. He only had one option left.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man.¡± Abaddon presses his finger onto Drunkard¡¯s forehead, pushing him into the snow. ¡°Very rarely do I give second chances to someone that slighted me. Take advantage of this situation and better yourself.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Another spell left Abaddon¡¯s finger piercing Drunkard¡¯s brain. The magic that locked him in place slowly began to fade away.


    ¡°Wha?¡± The drunk man looked around, unsure what was a dream and what wasn¡¯t. Almost reflexively, he grabbed another bottle of alcohol. ¡°Blah!¡± The moment a drop of liquid touched his tongue, he dropped the bottle, reeling back in disgust.


    The haggard man looked down at the broken bottle, perplexed. The drink that used to comfort him when he was at his lowest now tasted horrible.


    His heart grew heavy as all the horrible things he said to his wife, and children came rushing back to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so, so, sorry.¡± He dropped to his knee, the weight of his mistakes nearly crushing him. I¡¯ll do better! I swear!¡± The man roared as he ran off into the dark.


    Abaddon watched the man scurry back home, somewhat curious if his spell would be enough to fix the situation. He takes one last look at the haggard man before heading back home. ¡°I guess it¡¯s about time I had a chat with my ¡®father.¡¯¡±


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°Tch!¡± Anna clicked her tongue, growing more frustrated. Two days have passed since Anna decided to have a personal talk with Aiden, a task that seems almost impossible now. Since she hasn¡¯t seen him at home once. In fact, Anna hadn¡¯t seen Aiden ever since the academy opening ceremony.


    To make matters worse. No one seems to have a way of contacting him. Not even his wife, Olive, has a way of reaching him.


    ¡°C¡¯mon! One more lap!¡± The gym instructor roared before blowing a whistle. The kids let out a weak groan as they ran past Anna. Everyone single one of them threw a jealous glance at her. Anna stared back at them, equally envious. Because of her illness, she is forced to sit out on any physical activities.


    Her blood boiled just thinking about it. It felt like her body was tightly bound by chains, preventing her from taking a single step.


    Anna took a deep breath to calm her frustration and closed her eyes. Darkness didn¡¯t engulf her vision. Instead, she got quite literally a bird¡¯s eye view of the entire academy.


    A familiar she created earlier today flew closer to the track field, searching for anything unusual.


    Two soldiers were patrolling the track field, observing the children. Anna immediately recognizes them as the guards that dragged her and Aaron to the investigator.


    The bird¡¯s eyes glow red as it examines the two men. Since the familiar was a part of Anna. It also had the ability to see magic like her.


    The two guards weren¡¯t mages, but Anna could sense they were wrapped in magic. Seeing the vacant look in their eyes, she concluded they were under Jeze''s charm spell.


    The bird continued to circle the two guards acting as Jeze''s eyes, Anna planned her next move.


    Even after investigating Jeze for two days, Anna still had no idea who she was dealing with. Thankfully, she managed to gain some answers during her investigation. Observing Jeze from afar, she came to understand two things.


    Jeze doesn¡¯t know Abaddon is alive, but somehow, she suspects one of Aiden¡¯s kids is the Mad Emperor. Two, Jeze she was also being watched either by Claire or another mage.


    If she is being watched so intensely, then I doubt she¡¯s part of Eris¡¯ army, whoever she is working doesn''t seem to be on good terms with the Celestial that ruled this domain. Anna thought. The familiar continues to circle the two charm guards. She was tempted to deal with the brain dead guards and then Jeze herself, but killing her would just prove to whoever sent her that he was Abaddon. Someway, somehow she has to defeat Jeze without ever touching her.


    ¡°How interesting,¡± Anna smiled, finding the situation somewhat amusing.


    ¡°Um.¡± Anna felt someone tapping her shoulder. She quickly ordered her familiar to fly away before opening her eyes. A dark skin girl drenched in sweat stood before her. Her expression was a mix of concern and nervousness. ¡°You¡¯ll get sick if you sleep out in the cold,¡± Nandi said in a tiny, almost inaudible voice.


    Anna looked past the little girl; Exhausted children were sluggishly walking around the track field like zombies or lying flat on the snow. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the two guards still watching her from a distance.


    ¡°Right, guess I was just a bit sleepy.¡± Anna scooted over, making space for Nandi to sit. Ever since the time they studied at the library. Nandi stuck to Anna like glue, although Anna didn¡¯t mind as she helped her pretend to be a normal girl.


    ¡°So...¡± Anna scooted closer to Nandi. ¡°You¡¯re training to be a specialist, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yea!¡± Nandi jumped, surprised. By Anna sudden intense interest in her. She scooted away to put some distance between the two.


    ¡°I¡¯m training to become a healer specialist.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Anna''s eyes widen, her interest in the girl growing by the second. ¡°And how exactly do you become a specialist?¡±


    ¡°It depends on what kind of specialist you¡¯re training to be. But usually, it requires intensive study in the school of magic you selected and any field that¡¯s related to it. Like for me, I need to learn about the human anatomy, drugs, and other medication, and order to become a proper healer.¡±


    Anna rubbed her chin deep in thought. ¡°So, if someone is training to be an enchantment specialist. They¡¯ll need a deep understanding on how the human mind works.¡±


    ¡°I supposed so?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Anna slowly nodded her head, satisfied with the answers. ¡°You really are incredible.¡±


    ¡°Wha-?!¡± Nandi jumped to her feet, taken aback by the compliment. ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something I''ve been thinking about for a while. I¡¯m impressed that you already know what you want to do at a young age. I was a bit older when I discovered what I wanted to do.¡±


    ¡°Older?¡± Nandi cocked her head, confused. Anna''s eyes widen realizing she slipped up.


    ¡°I mean I didn¡¯t know what I wanted to do until a few years ago. Anyway, is there anything else you can tell me about the specialist?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Still taken aback by the compliment, Nandi brushed her hair back in a vain attempt to fix her bed hair. ¡°Oh! There¡¯s-¡° Suddenly, Anna threw her hand in front of Nandi¡¯s face catching a ball that almost hit her. ¡°H-huh?¡± Nandi blinked rapidly, still trying to process what happened, Nandi¡¯s eyes darted toward the direction the ball came from.


    A group of boys standing in a circle snickering to themselves. In the center of the group was Caleb. He glares at the two girls before turning back to the group.


    ¡°!¡± A sound of a bell resonates throughout the entire field, signaling the end of the period.


    Anna glanced at the two soldiers. One of them jotted something down in a notebook before walking away. She silently cursed herself, wishing her body didn''t react faster than the ball hit


    Should¡¯ve let the ball hit her. Anna clicked her tongue, annoyed her body reacted before her brain did.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Of course it''s what friends do, right?¡± The two girls continued their conversation as they followed the other students back into the academy.


    "Fr-Friends!" Nandi jumped up to her feet. She placed both her hands on her chest to calm her beating heart. "I-is that what we are?"


    Anna laughed at the question. "What else would we be?"


    "Ah.. um." Nandi stammered. Anna grabbed the stunned girl''s hand and dragged her back to the academy.


    ¡°To be honest, specialists are looked down upon. Since we don¡¯t receive a rank.¡± After regaining her composure, Nandi continued the conversation that Caleb interrupted.


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Anna raises an eyebrow, surprised. Most mages held their rank in high regard, as it was proof how skilled they were.


    ¡°It¡¯s because our abilities are situational. A specialist might have the abilities to counter a mage that happens to be a sage, but at the same time lose to someone who just learn magic.¡±


    Anna nodded her head and fell deep into her thoughts. When she met Jeze, she didn¡¯t think she was that strong. But after learning more about specialists, she started to believe that Jeze was sent here because she has abilities designed to specifically deal with him.


    A delicious aroma hits Anna¡¯s nose, pulling her out of her thoughts. At some point, without realizing it, both Anna and Nandi enter the cafeteria. After a long day of intensive training and studying, almost everyone was practically drooling, mesmerized by the smell of food.


    The two girls quickly found a spot in line before the stampede of hungry children could crush them. There was a wide array of colorful, mouth-watering food. Unfortunately, many didn¡¯t get a chance to look through the selection as the people behind them impatiently hurried them along.


    Not particularly hungry, Anna only grabbed yogurt and a few fruits to snack on. Her eyes darted around the packed cafeteria her gaze eventually landing on a little boy sitting alone in the room''s corner.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Aaron¡¯s moody demeanor instantly brightens when he sees his sister and Nandi approach.


    ¡°You learn anything today?¡± Anna¡¯s eyes glowed faintly, glancing at Aaron¡¯s unusually large amount of mana.


    ¡°No, right now we¡¯re just doing basic physical training.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Anna squeezes the spoon in her hand, frustrated the school was wasting the boy¡¯s potential. She wanted to cultivate the boy¡¯s talent personally. But that was impossible since they were being watched. which gave Anna another reason why she needed to quickly to deal with investiagtor.


    While deep in thought. Anna peeled the seal off her yogurt. The white goop bubbles violently before suddenly exploding onto her face.


    The entire cafeteria erupted in laughter. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Your parents didn¡¯t teach you how to eat properly?!¡± Caleb chuckled.


    Anna wiped the yogurt off her face, utterly unamused. She didn¡¯t need to use her eyes to know someone had cast a spell on her food. Ever since their first confrontation in the hall, Caleb has been harassing her from a distance. At first, she found it amusing that the boy was trying to get under her skin. But now, with an investigator breathing down her neck, she no longer had the patience to humor the kid.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anna. It''s because of me that he¡¯s targeting you.¡± Tears welled up in Nandi¡¯s eyes. It was frustrating for Nandi to watch her friend being bullied by someone who tormented her for years.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing? You¡¯re not the coward that¡¯s too afraid to face me.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Caleb slams his hands on the table. The cafeteria fell silent, sensing the tension between the two.


    ¡°Huh? Did I not say it loud enough?¡± Anna stood up and looked Caleb directly in the eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a coward that hides behind your friend group. Are you afraid if you confront me head-on, I¡¯ll ruin the little reputation you got from your family¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Why would I be afraid of you? You¡¯re too weak to even participate in any physical activity!¡±


    Anna¡¯s eyes glow brightly. Caleb''s food lifted off the table and slammed into his face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re truly not afraid of me as you say, then meet me after school. I¡¯ll show you even with my condition, I can easily take you down.¡±


    Caleb wipes the food off himself. His face beet red from embarrassment and rage. ¡°Fine!¡± He snarls. ¡°We¡¯ll settle this after school.

 Chapter 8: Bloodline Hunt (5)

    Chapter 8


    Bloodline Hunt: Part 5


    There was palpable excitement in the air. Two mages in the advanced classes were going to fight after school. The news had spread throughout the academy. Practically every student looked at the clock anxiously, waiting for the day to end.


    Even the children in the advanced class were eagerly waiting for the bell to ring, All except one person.


    Nandi glanced over at Anna. It was hard to believe the girl deeply engrossed in whatever book she was reading was going to be fighting in a few minutes.


    ¡°Um,¡± Nandi hesitantly tapped Anna¡¯s shoulder. Anna looked up from the book she was reading. The utter lack of concern on her face momentarily stunned Nandi.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight Caleb. I¡¯m sure he''ll leave you alone if I talk to him.¡± Nandi places a hand on her chest. She could feel her heart beating so fast that it would burst out. It terrified Nandi, but she knew what she had to do. Anna was only in this situation because she stepped in when Caleb was bullying her. If she became his target again, he¡¯d leave Anna alone.


    Nandi balled her hands into tiny fists, determined to find a way to get Caleb back off her new friend.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have to fight him, but I want to.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Just as Nandi found her resolve, Anna said something that shook it.


    ¡°I said I want to fight him. He walks around the academy like he owns the place, so I want to see if he has the strength to back that confidence up.¡±


    Due to his body condition, Abaddon hasn¡¯t had a chance to properly train. To him, Caleb was the perfect practice dummy to test his current strength.


    ¡°But!¡± Nandi jumped to her feet. Before she could utter another word, a ball of energy flew past her face, harmlessly dissipating into nothing before hitting the wall.


    ¡°Ms. Temul, I understand you''re excited about my class, but I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t disrupt it.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry!¡± Nandi quickly sat down and buried her head in a book to avoid the teacher¡¯s glare. Grish¡¯s gaze fell on the other students in the class.


    ¡°All, you seem to be in a cheery mood today. Is there something you like to share with me?¡±


    Simultaneously, everyone nervously shook their head. The last thing any of the children wanted was a teacher to stop the fight before it could happen.


    Nandi¡¯s gaze nervously switches between Anna and the clock. There were only a few minutes left before the school day ended, and she had no idea how to help her.


    ¡°No, need to be so worried,¡± Anna said, her eyes still on her book. ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid fight.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Nandi almost shouted. She glanced at the teacher making sure he wasn¡¯t listening before whispering. ¡°Caleb is planning to use you as an example for anyone who dares challenge his position.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Anna¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s taking this seriously.¡± Nandi¡¯s mood darkens as she quickly realizes she couldn¡¯t stop Anna. She bit her nail desperately searching for a way to end the fight.


    ¡°!¡± The bell rang through the school intercom, signaling the end of the class and the end of the school day.


    Nandi watched in horror as Caleb and his group of friends headed straight for Anna''s desk.


    ¡°My aren¡¯t you eager?¡± Anna looked up at the blonde-headed boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure you don¡¯t run away from our fight.¡± Anna covers her mouth barely stopping herself from laughing at Caleb¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. Honestly, I¡¯m more concerned about you. Seeing as you like to hide behind your family name, I''m afraid you might call your dad for help in the middle of our fight.


    Caleb slams his hands on Anna¡¯s desk. ¡°Outside, now!¡± He said through gritted teeth.


    Anna shrugged her shoulders and stood up. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Caleb gave the girl a hateful glare before leaving the room. Anna followed behind him three boys trailing her making sure she wouldn¡¯t run away.


    ¡°Anna, I don¡¯t think you understand.¡± Nandi snuck into the group and whispered in her ears. ¡°Caleb¡¯s father not only holds a high rank in the military, but he¡¯s also the most skilled mage in our class. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he receives the rank of Adept in a few years.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how exciting.¡± While wearing a bright smile, Anna patted Nandi on the shoulder. ¡°I understand you¡¯re trying to help me, but if you had a chance to test your limit, would you turn it down?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Nandi fell silent. She understood Anna was frustrated that she couldn¡¯t train like everyone else. But she knew this was more than just a simple fight. The boiling rage emanating from Caleb made it clear that he would do everything he could to hurt Anna.


    A large crowd gathered and followed the small group, eager to see the fight. At some point during the march, Aaron managed to slip through the crowd and catch up to his sister.


    ¡°Aaron, Aaron! Please tell your sister this is a bad idea!¡± Nandi shouted as she violently shook the little boy.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t possible. Mom told me Sis is hard-headed. Once she decides to do something, she¡¯ll do it.¡± Aaron looks at his sister. Happy to see that despite how distant she had been recently; she was still the same.


    ¡°This is your last chance to back out now.¡± Caleb stopped in the center of the track field. The crowd spread out, giving both Anna and Caleb a wide enough space to fight.


    ¡°Sis.¡± Aaron tugs on his sister¡¯s dress. ¡°Please don¡¯t overdo it.¡± While Aaron was glad that his sister hadn¡¯t changed. That stubbornness of hers he was proud of often hurt her. Like the time when she chases a couple of boys away that were bullying him, which results in her collapsing on the ground, unable to breathe.


    Anna pats Aaron on the head. ¡°Save your worries for the person facing me.¡±


    A bolt of energy flew across the field, smacking Anna on the side of the head. Caleb raises eyebrows. The projectile he fired should¡¯ve knocked her off her feet, but it barely tilted her head.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not all talk.¡± Caleb mockingly clapped his hand


    Anna gently shoos Aaron away before turning her attention back to Caleb. ¡°I appreciate the compliment, but all I did was use shell. Don¡¯t tell me you''re incapable of casting such a simple spell?¡±


    Shell is an ancient adjuration spell that Anna casts every morning to protect herself from surprise attacks and assassination attempts. The spell uses the surplus mana that gathers around mages turning it into natural body amour. Normally, it¡¯s one of the first spells a mage learns due to how incredibly easy it is to cast and costs almost zero mana to maintain as the spell used mana from the leyline. The only downside to this spell and all abjuration spells that focus on creating protective barriers is it cuts the caster off from the leyline thus making it impossible for the mage to regain mana while the spell is active.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Caleb laughed harshly as he pressed his two fists together. The air around him suddenly grew heavier. ¡°Of course, I can use such a trivial spell.¡±


    ¡°Good, show me what else you¡¯re capable of,¡± Anna said as she started marching towards Caleb.


    ¡°Very well. Just don¡¯t start crying like a baby when I hurt you.¡± Caleb pressed his fingers together in preparation to cast a spell.


    Evocation: Dancing Light.


    A dozen orbs of light manifest one after another around Caleb. Wearing a smug grin, Caleb points a finger at One of the orbs rocketed towards Anna, who tilted her head out of its way. Caleb fired two more projectiles at Anna. She grabbed the energy orbs as if they were solid objects and flung them back at the wide-eyed boy. Utterly shocked, Caleb barely manages to duck. The orbs soared over him slamming into one of the children behind in the crowd.


    Anna stops and cocks her head ¡°Anything you want to show me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky!¡± Caleb screams as he fires his remaining projectiles.


    ¡°More of the same? How boring.¡± Anna raised her hand to grab the spell, but the orbs suddenly changed trajectory and curved upwards.


    Conjuration¡­ Caleb presses his palms together. The orbs merge together forming into a massive fist.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s-¡°The fist slammed into Anna. The force of the impact created blew away the snow, obscuring everyone¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Do you get it now? I¡¯m the strongest!¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. I understand why you¡¯re so cocky now.¡± Caleb¡¯s eyes darted around, searching for Anna¡¯s disembodied voice. ¡°Conjuration is quite a complicated school to learn. But you shouldn¡¯t get ahead of yourself¡­¡±


    A hand tapped Caleb on the shoulder. He reflexively swung his arm in a wide arc, hitting only air. He looked down at his shoulder just in time to see a floating hand disappear. A fist emerges from the mist striking the boy''s jaw, the impact knocking him off his feet.


    ¡°¡­As you can see, I can do it too.¡±


    The mist slowly faded away, allowing everyone to see Anna standing victoriously over the most talented kid in their grade.


    Caleb¡¯s face was beet red, embarrassed that others saw him in such a pitiful state. In a fit of rage, he lunged at Anna. His bloodcurdling scream turned into a cry of pain as Anna¡¯s knees sank into his gut. The blow sap Caleb of his strength. He wrapped his arm around Anna, desperate to keep himself upright.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t he supposed to be the strongest?¡± The crowd muttered to themselves. Just a moment ago, they were all staring at Caleb wide-eyed like he was a celebrity; now, there was nothing but disappointment in their eyes.


    ¡°Hey, are you going to fight back? It started to feel like I''m the bully here.¡± Anna¡¯s cold breath tickled Caleb¡¯s ear, her words echoing through his foggy mind. An image of his father looking down at him disapprovingly snapped him awake. He pushes himself away from her and clasps his hands together.


    Element¡­.


    Caleb thrust his palm at Anna. The rage in his eyes made it clear that this was no longer a fight. The mana gathering around Caleb¡¯s arm erupted into a raging fire.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a spell.¡± Anna grabs Caleb¡¯s hand, interlocking her fingers with his. His eyes widen in disbelief. The flame that licked his arm vanished, and the spell he was about to cast wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°You looked surprised. I guess even all after this time, none of you still can''t see what I see.¡± Anna¡¯s eyes glowed a bright red.


    ¡°To me, every single one of you so-called mages are like children, waving your hands in the dark, utterly clueless as to what you¡¯re reaching for.


    Caleb¡¯s mana flowed straight to Anna¡¯s hand, igniting a raging fire. ¡°H-How?!¡± Caleb dropped to his knees, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Not only did Anna somehow stop his spell, but she even managed to steal it.


    ¡°Fret not, boy; you¡¯re not weak; I''m just better.¡± The fire grew bigger, threatening to consume both Anna and Caleb.


    ¡°I surrender! I Give up! Please don¡¯t hurt me!!¡± Caleb screamed. There was no longer a hint of the arrogant boy. The ball of fire suddenly vanishes. If it wasn¡¯t for the scorching heat that persisted even after Anna canceled the spell. Most would¡¯ve thought it was just an illusion.


    Caleb¡¯s shoulder dropped as relief washed over him, sapping him of his remaining strength. Almost immediately after his body began to relax, he realized that he had begged for his life in front of an entire crowd. His vision became blurry with tears. He buried his head in his arms to hide his shame. Anna patted his back as if comforting a toddler after they threw a tantrum.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I have no intention of taking your little throne. The seat I¡¯m aiming for is much higher.¡±


    ¡°Ah, crap! It¡¯s a teacher!¡± The crowd, who were silently watching the fight, erupted into a panic. A middle-aged man in a military uniform raced across the field. His beet-red face made him look like a demon hunting for his next meal.


    ¡°Everyone! Scatter! He can¡¯t catch us all!¡± One of the kids shouted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Grish suddenly stopped and pressed both his hands to the ground.


    The entire track field began to melt. The fleeing children¡¯s feet sank into a mud-like substance.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong; we were just watching the fight!¡± A young girl cried out; half her body stuck in the mud.


    ¡°And who exactly was fighting?¡± Instantly, over a dozen fingers pointed at Anna and Caleb. Grish winches when he realizes the two kids in his classes are behind the commotion.


    ¡°You mind explaining to me what you two were doing?¡± The teacher easily walked through the thick mud he created toward the two troublemakers.


    ¡°I was just showing a kid his place,¡± Anna said in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°¡­¡± Caleb kept his eyes on the ground. Too ashamed to look the teacher or anyone in the eyes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so embarrassed, we can talk inside.¡± Grish pulls the two kids out of the mud and carries them to the academy ¡°Oh.¡± The teacher stopped and looked at the other children, still stuck in his spell. ¡°Don¡¯t think any of you is off the hook. All of you are in just as much trouble.¡±


    Dozens of golems made of mud crawled out of the quagmire. The children groan in disappointment as they are carried to the principal¡¯s office by the golems while Anna and Caleb are dragged back to their classroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed in you two. Both of you are mages in the advanced classes. You should be setting an example for the other kids, not getting into a petty squabble. So why were you two fighting anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The two students said nothing, letting heavy silence fall over the classroom. Caleb kept his head on his desk while Anna looked out the window.


    ¡°Anna, tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, and I don¡¯t like repeating myself. Ask that boy over there if you want to know more.¡± Anna said without ever taking her eyes off the window. Grish rubbed his temple to keep himself calm. Anna¡¯s haughty attitude and lack of remorse was starting to get to him. Knowing his anger would boil over if he kept talking to her, he turned to Caleb, still looking down at his desk in shock.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to talk to your parents.¡±


    ¡°What, why?!¡± Caleb jumped to his feet, nearly knocking his chair down. Grish looked at the boy, barely stopping himself from saying, ¡°Oh, so you can talk.¡±


    ¡°Someone has to tell them what happened, and since I¡¯m your homeroom teacher, it''s best if I did it.¡±


    ¡°Could you please not tell my dad what happened.¡± Grish would¡¯ve normally turned him down, but seeing fear in his eyes and how badly he was trembling, it looked like the kid was pleading for his life. It didn¡¯t help that Grish knew how obsessive Callen was over maintaining his family image. He couldn¡¯t imagine how he would react when he found out that his son got into a fight and lost it too.


    ¡°Listen.¡± Grish ran his hand through his thinning hair, thinking of how to respond to the terrified boy. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t say anything, over a hundred people saw that fight; he''s going to find out. Don¡¯t you think it''s best he heard what happened from your mouth instead of someone else?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t answer the question. The little boy staggered backward, falling into his chair. Anna, who was silently watching the exchange, spoke up. ¡°Do you have a way of contacting Aiden?¡±


    Grish cringes when Anna calls her father by his name. But it didn¡¯t surprise him. Grish didn¡¯t know much about Aiden, but from what he heard from others, he was a man who cared more about his career than his family.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Grish spoke slowly, waiting for Anna to plead like Caleb. But to his surprise, she looked back out the window and said, ¡°Proceed then.¡±


    Grish stared at the girl unable to figure out what was going through her head. The anger he felt vanished early. Instead, he started to feel pity for the two kids. Both of their fathers care more about their status and jobs than their children.


    At least they have parents. Grish thought. Most children in the academy were snatched from their families and forced to learn magic.


    "Anything for our blessed Lady in Jade." The teacher muttered to himself to steel his wavering resolve. He stepped outside the classroom and pulled out his phone. The two kids sat silently, listening to the teacher talking to someone just beyond the door.


    After a few minutes had passed, Grish stepped back into the room. ¡°Your parents will be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Anna''s eyes widened. After trying to reach Aiden for days, she didn¡¯t think he would come or even care. Her surprise melted into a soft smile which caught Grish off guard.


    The blue sky turned a pinkish orange. Anna watched with disinterest as teachers and students scattered away from the school like ants fleeing from a destroyed colony.


    As she idly wondered what she should ask Aiden. Someone lightly rapt on the door. Anna¡¯s eyes shot towards it, expecting it to be Aiden. Instead, to her disappointment, it was a man with platinum blonde hair and far too many facial piercings.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Z took a step back, disturbed by the utter disappointment on Anna¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the man I wanted to see.¡± Her words were icy cold. Z froze in place; a single tear fell as a memory of a girl rejecting him the same way resurfaced in his mind.


    ¡°That, that really hurt.¡± He said to Anna, only to realize she had already left the room, her footsteps echoing down the empty hall. Z turned to chase after her but stopped when his phone started vibrating.


    When are you coming home? We need to talk.


    ¡°Goddamnit, Aiden, you owe me one seriously.¡± Z silently curses himself as he reads the message on his phone. Reluctantly, he put it away and chased after Anna.


    ¡°Anna, wait!¡± Z grabbed her shoulder; and held her in place. ¡°I know you want to see your father, but he¡¯s busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure he is,¡± Anna said, not even bothering to hide her frustration.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve known your father for a while, in fact, we even went to the same academy.


    ¡°And? What does his past have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a lot like you!¡± Z exclaims. Just like you, your father used to get into a lot of fights. And just like you, everyone looked down on him because of his bloodline. You don¡¯t see your father because he is constantly risking his life and taking on dangerous missions to right the wrong his ancestor did a thousand years ago. He does all this so that you can live a normal life.¡±


    Anna chuckles amused by the exposition Z vomited. ¡°He¡¯s doing all this just so we can live a better life? I wonder about that.¡± Anna stared through Z, gazing at the distance past.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± A woman rushes down the marble hallway toward the emperor. ¡°My lord! My lord!¡± The woman cried out. She threw herself at Abaddon tightly wrapping her arms around him. Her breathing was haggard, and her reddened eyes were moist with tears.


    It was strange; The woman¡¯s voice rang so clearly in Anna''s head yet she couldn¡¯t remember what the woman looked like or even her name.


    ¡°Our son! He¡¯s been gravely injured in battle!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Abaddon looked towards the double doors ahead of him. Caring more about the upcoming meeting than whatever she was saying. He freed himself from her grip, but she quickly latched onto his cloak.


    ¡°Please! ¡°She begged. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll recover if you talk to him!¡± Abaddon sigh. He could¡¯ve easily pushed her away or called some of his guards to take care of her. But he felt that would only make her more annoying to deal with later.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll visit him after the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The woman releases her grip, her vision becoming blurry from the new tears forming.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Was all Abaddon said as he continued towards the meeting.


    Anna couldn¡¯t remember what happened after that, but she assumed she didn¡¯t keep her promise as she couldn¡¯t even remember what her son looked like.


    ¡°Do you see Aiden as a friend?¡± Anna asks as she refocuses her gaze on the man in front of her.


    ¡°My best friend!¡± Z proudly pounded his chest with his fist.


    ¡°Then tread carefully. If he¡¯s anything like me, like you said he is then¡­¡± Anna¡¯s voice trails off. She continues to walk down the hall, her warning echoing in her head.


    If he¡¯s anything like me, he only sees his ambition. Everything else is either an obstacle or a tool to be exploited.


    .


    .


    .


    Caleb watches as night slowly envelops the city, his ears tormented by his teacher¡¯s obnoxious snoring. It didn¡¯t surprise him his father hadn¡¯t come yet. He always prioritizes his career over his family. And for the first time, Caleb was glad he did.


    How could I lose to a sick girl? The question tormented Caleb for hours. She must¡¯ve cheated; how else could she have won?


    The door to the classroom suddenly opened slightly. Caleb¡¯s heartbeat quickens, afraid it''s his father. Instead, it was the head of a brunette woman he never met before. The woman¡¯s eyes scanned the room, eventually locking onto the sleeping teacher.


    ¡°Who are- ¡°


    ¡°Shh?¡± She placed her finger on her lips. Wearing a mischievous grin, she slips out of her heels and tiptoes into the room. It was a strange sight; the woman exuded a mature aura from her well-endowed chest to her black skirt, which showed off her long legs. Yet she was sneaking around like a kid, trying not to wake her parents up.


    The woman''s hips smack into a chair. Caleb freezes in place as he watches the chair fall to the ground. The noise echoed throughout the room; thankfully, Grish¡¯s snoring drowned out the noise. As he relaxed, it dawned on him that somehow, he got sucked into the woman¡¯s antics.


    ¡°I guess nothing can wake him up.¡± The woman chuckles. ¡°Caleb, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yea, who are you?¡±


    The woman simply smiles at the nervous boy. ¡°My name is Jeze. There are a few things I like to ask you.¡±

 Chapter 9: Bloodline Hunt (6)

    Chapter 9


    Bloodline Hunt: Part 6


    The Unclaimed Land is a vast land that lies just beyond Whitehorn¡¯s mountain. It sits between Haos and Orgo, two nations that have been at war since the start of the Celestial War. It earned its name due to being a wasteland filled with snow-covered ruins of a once-thriving civilization.


    Distance gunshots rang throughout an abandoned city just a few miles from Whitehorn¡¯s mountain. Two men in gas masks race through a crowded parking lot. Their only light source was their goggles, illuminating the world in a murky green hue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it! Where did it go?!¡± one of the mercenaries yelled


    ¡°Keep calm, Eli. We¡¯ll find it. Just keep your eyes open.


    The two mercenaries continue moving past the row of cars, their trigger fingers twitching at the slightest sound.


    ¡°There!¡± One of the men quickly turned and blindly sprayed a stream of bullets at a car. A shadow leaped off the vehicle, diving deeper into the darkness.


    ¡°Shit, where did it go?!¡± The two men press their backs against each other, frantically scanning their surroundings.


    The air around the duo vibrated as a helicopter flew overhead, its spotlight burning away the darkness, unveiling the creature.


    At first glance, it appeared to be a giant wolf. But the more they stared at it, the more wrong it looked. Something primal inside their mind screamed at them, telling them that the thing before them should not exist.


    Pale human-like limbs jutted out from the black matted fur that covered its entire body. The nose at the tip of its snout twitches angrily. The creature opens its bloodly maw to reveal a mixture of human teeth and fangs haphazardly lining its mouth.


    ¡°!.!.!¡± Even the creature¡¯s roar sounded wrong, distorted, as if it were screaming through a broken microphone.


    ¡°Woah! what the fuck!¡± Horrified, one of the men tried to back away, slipping on a piece of metal. His gun flew out of his hand as he fell. The creature lunged at the downed man. The frightened man deftly pulled his handgun out of his holster and fired several shots. The bullets phase straight through the beast as if it didn¡¯t exist. But that idea was quickly debunked as it leaped on top of him.


    Another gunshot rang through the streets, followed by the beast letting out a weird, broken cry as a bullet pierced its side. The creature staggered off the soldier, blood spraying from its wound.


    ¡°Regular bullets don¡¯t hurt him! Only magic or objects imbued with magic can.¡± The other soldier screamed. He kicks the rifle back to the fallen soldier while pushing forward, unloading his entire magazine into the beast. The bullets tears into the creature''s body; it opens its mouth wide; instead of a scream as they expected, it fires a blast of light. The two men dived out of the way. The beast took advantage of the situation and dived into a nearby building.


    [What is happening down there?! Eli! Kai! Are you okay?] A concerned woman''s voice came from their radio.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine! The creature fled into a building. Should we pursue?¡±


    [No, wait till backup arrives. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for any movement overhead.]


    ¡°You hear that, Eli? We¡¯re pulling back for now.¡± The older soldier offers his hand to the younger one.


    Eli smacks the hand away and tears his mask off. He let out a relieved sigh, happy to feel the cold air on his sweaty face. He brushes through his ginger hair, the creature he saw still fresh in his mind. ¡°What the hell was that, Kai? Did you see that?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw it, shot it too. Because of that i''m probably going have a rough night tonight. Those fuckers always give me nightmares."


    You saw one before? What the hell are they?¡±


    ¡°First time you fought one, huh? Aren''t you lucky? That is what we call spirit."


    ¡°I thought spirits were like little fairies that occasionally attack humans like bees.¡±


    In fairy tales perhaps. In reality they¡¯re monsters made entirely of magic. And unfortunately, that¡¯s about all we know about them, well, other than the fact that, for some reason, they have a hate boner towards humans. And if too many gathered in one place, they can cause irreparable damage to the leyline and when that happens well¡­¡± Kai gestures to the dead city around him. ¡°¡­You get this.¡±


    Eli''s eyes widen in horror. He took a step back to fully exanime the ruins. He thought all the destruction was cause from a batlle between two celestial armies.


    "Terrifying isn''t it? Over a hundred years ago, these lands once belonged to a country called Kalm. It was a small country but was incredibly popular due to its having a large number of spirits sightings. Back then, people saw them as exotic creatures, a beautiful wonder of the world, but that quickly changed one night when Haos and Orkos suddenly received an SOS from Kalm. Both nations sent their armed forces, believing the other country was attacking. When the two armies arrived, what they saw horrified them.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± What the hell did they see?!¡± Eli leans forward tightly, hugging his gun.


    ¡°They found nothing. It was as if the people of Kalm simply up and left their home. Hence why the tragedy called ¡°The Calm.¡±


    ¡°The whole country vanished.¡± Eli''s face pales. ¡°How do we not know more about these creatures? They should be the main priority, not Orkos.


    ¡°Hard to study nigh incorporeal creatures that appear out of nowhere and disappear upon death.¡± Eli''s face grew paler as he learned more about the threat they faced. ¡°There are few theories, though.¡± Kai continued.


    ¡°The main theory is that spirits are the souls of creatures from the Lost Age, the era before the moon shattered. Another theory is that spirits are the offspring of the Father of Monsters, Typhon. Some people even believe spirits are shards of the fragmented moon searching for a way to make itself whole.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think?¡± Kai sat down on some rubble, thinking about Eli¡¯s question. ¡°I-¡°Kai stopped hearing the sounds of footfalls approaching them. A man with glowing crimson eyes leaped over the car, dashing straight towards the soldiers.


    ¡°Another spirit!¡± Eli raises his gun, and Kai quickly pushes the barrel away. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s a friendly.¡±


    ¡°Has the target moved?¡± Aiden grabbed the radio off his waist, paying no attention to the two soldiers.


    [No movements detected. The creature is still inside.]


    ¡°Keep me updated.¡± Aiden puts the radio back on his waist and walks past the soldiers as if they weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the rest of the reinforcement?!¡±


    ¡°I''m enough.¡± Aiden said as he continued his march towards the building.¡±


    ¡°I guess break time is over.¡± Kai lets out a sigh while adjusting his gas mask. Eli reluctantly followed behind the two. ¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously not okay with this, are you?¡± Eli whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯re mercenaries, Eli. I can¡¯t recall the last time I got a mission I was ¡®ok¡¯ with it. Just pray the pay we get after is worth it.¡±


    Eli looks up at the dark stone structure looming over him. He let out a sigh while putting his gas mask back on. ¡°No way it¡¯s worth it.¡± He grumbled.


    Aiden kicks the door open, pushing aside the chairs pressed against it. The two mercenaries move into the building, entering a wide reception area. A broken chandelier lay in the center of the dusty floor. The desk that greeted everyone who stepped into the building was smashed to the ground.


    ¡°Clear!¡± Kai exclaims.


    ¡°A bit too clear.¡± Eli kneels, carefully examining the ground. ¡°That thing was bleeding when it fled here; shouldn¡¯t there be a trail?¡±


    ¡°Spirits don¡¯t have blood,¡± Aiden spoke up. "They''re beings are made of pure magic. What you saw was it mimicking a living creature.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we didn¡¯t hurt it?¡± Eli ask.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s been injured. But if we don¡¯t move fast, it¡¯ll regain its strength too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be quite hard to do, boss,¡± Kai said as he pulled a map out of the smash desk. ¡°Looks like this is a hotel, a huge one at that. Seven stories high, it¡¯s going to take a while to find it.¡±


    ¡°Then we should split up.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eli¡¯s eyes snap to Aiden, unsure if he heard him correctly. ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t say split up. Have you ever seen a horror movie?¡±


    ¡°No, and the situation will only worsen if we don¡¯t find it quickly enough.¡±


    ¡°But-¡°


    ¡°Eli¡­¡± Kai grabs Eli¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Best not argue with a professional. Let¡¯s check the upper floors.¡± Still holding Eli¡¯s shoulder, Kai dragged him down a hallway while Aiden headed down another hall alone.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Aiden¡¯s crimson eyes glow faintly as he marches through the quiet corridors with confidence, as if he had been here before. The invisible trail of mana the creature leak, led him to a destroyed dining hall. He could vaguely sense the beast was somewhere close. In the distance, he could hear metal colliding with each other.


    Without a hint of worry, Aiden march past the overturned tables and chairs towards a metallic door in the back of the dinning hall. The door creaked loudly as Aiden opened it, but the sound was drowned out by pots and pans clanging together. The spirit snarled as its fang dug into slimily gray meat that expired a century ago. The spirit spat the meat back up. Frustrated, it threw the spoiled food into a corner with all the other rotted food it tried to eat.


    ¡°Human food will never be able to satisfy you. After all, you don¡¯t even possess a stomach.¡± Aiden said as he stepped into the kitchen. The spirit leaps away from the voice. It lowers its posture, preparing to pounce like a terrified cornered animal. However, Aiden didn¡¯t sense a hint of fear. The only thing he could feel was rage-no, it was deeper than that. Somehow, almost instinctively, Aiden could feel the spirit¡¯s malice and how it was not only aimed at him but towards all of humanity.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Aiden felt a spirit¡¯s animosity towards humanity. And yet every time it caused him to stop and ponder what these creatures were and why they loathed humans. The thoughts last merely a moment before Aiden shuts that quizzical part of his mind down as his senses heighten to their zenith.


    Sparks of magic flew from Aiden¡¯s hand as he rubbed them together. The sparks erupted into roaring violet energy that coated his arms.


    Evocation: Hallow Edge


    After casting a spell, Aiden hunches forward while holding his hands close to his face to protect it from danger.


    The spirit lowers itself further to the ground. Its muscles bulge to the point it looked like it would burst from its skin.


    ¡°!!! The spirit let out a howl and leaped, but not towards its prey; instead it jumped onto the wall. Immediately, the creature kicks off the wall, leaping towards the ceiling. Using its incredible agility, it bounces off the walls and ceiling like a ball, gaining speed with each bounce.


    Aiden tightened his guard while tracking the creature, which quickly became nothing more than a blur. After gaining enough speed, the spirit finally lunges at Aiden.


    Aiden digs his feet into the ground to stop the creature from knocking him off his feet. The spirit unleashes a barrage of attacks with its claws, all blocked by Aiden¡¯s magically imbued arms.


    ¡°!!!¡± The spirit let out a frustrated howl as it winded its arm back to rip through Aiden¡¯s guard and throat in one swing.


    Aiden took advantage of the small gap in the creature¡¯s defense and threw a right straight into the spirit¡¯s gut. Aiden¡¯s fist effortlessly bore through the spirit¡¯s stomach like a drill. The blow would¡¯ve sent the creature flying, but Aiden quickly grabbed the spirit¡¯s arm and pulled it in for another punch this time aimed at its chest. Blood splattered all over Aiden¡¯s body as his hand sank into the spirit¡¯s body.


    The spirit opens its mouth instead of spitting blood, as Aiden expected. The creature fires another radiant blast. Aiden ducked out of the energy beam¡¯s path. Still holding the spirit¡¯s arm, Aiden threw the creature at the wall. Immediately, Aiden dashed towards the spirits and kicked its head into the wall. The weakened old wall cracked from the force. Aiden pulled his leg back and kicked again, sending the creature through the old drywall.


    ¡°Agh.¡± The spirit coughed violently, blood pouring from the two gaping holes in its chest and stomach. The spirit crawls towards Aiden with wounds that would¡¯ve instantly killed a human, hatred still burning in its eyes, it opens its mouth to fire another radiant light, only for its lower jaw to fall off.


    ¡°Oggh!¡± The spirit let out a distorted howl as it reached for Aiden. Its hand flopped to the ground and dissipated into nothing. Its legs were the next to fall apart. The spirit¡¯s body crumbles away like dry clay. Even its blood evaporates into nothing as if the spirit¡¯s existence were an illusion.


    It was only after the spirit¡¯s entire body vanished did Aiden finally allowed his body to relax. He reached for his radio and said, ¡°Target down. Moving to the next area.¡± He put the radio away before anyone could respond and returned to the entrance. The radio crackles to life just as Aiden is about to leave the hotel.


    ¡°Aiden, you¡¯re needed back at Whitehorn.¡± A muffled voice said over the radio.


    ¡°Repeat that.¡± Aiden stopped, confused. They were in the middle of an operation, and Aiden''s job was to assist anyone who was engaged with a spirit. If he left now, it could result in casualties.


    ¡°Someone is waiting for you back at base.¡± Aiden¡¯s confusion turned into curiosity. Only someone who held a high rank in the military or had friends in high places could pull a soldier out of an active operation.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Aiden said. He exited the hotel and was immediately blinded by the helicopter floodlight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the base. I¡¯m running low on fuel anyway.¡± The pilot said over the radio. The helicopter landed on a nearby building. Aiden took one last look at the city before heading towards the helicopter.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to return to the base, which also acted as an academy for mages in training. Even up here, high in the sky. Aiden could easily see which side was the academy and which was the military. The front of the enormous structure was decorated with colorful banners that still welcomed the kids to the school, while the military side had barbed fences to prevent civilians and other prying eyes from getting close.


    A wide black road covered with snow stretches from the base to a tunnel drilled into the mountain. Once upon a time, the tunnel was used as a trading route between Haos and Kalm. Now it¡¯s solely used to send soldiers into the Unclaimed Land.


    Two armored vehicles were traveling up the roads toward the tunnel. Aiden figured they would probably back up the people he left behind in the Unclaimed Land.


    Aiden hopped out of the helicopter the moment it landed. He looked around, expecting someone to escort him to whoever called him back. However, no one paid any attention to him -no to be more specific, everyone was actively avoiding him. He could feel dozen of eyes on him, each gaze filled with contempt as if he was sole cause if the world misery. Aiden shrug the glares off him, alreadly used to the treatment as he dealt with it his whole life.


    ¡°Ah, Aiden, there you are!¡± Callen approached Aiden wearing a strained smile. ¡°Can we talk for a moment? ¡°Before Aiden could respond, Callen grabbed him and pushed him between two vehicles where no one could see them. ¡°I always knew your bloodline was cursed, but I didn¡¯t think the curse started so early.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aiden looked at Callen, confused. ¡°Your daughter.¡± Callen hissed. ¡°She embarrassed my son in front of the entire academy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. I¡¯ll have a talk with her.¡± Aiden¡¯s voice rang hollow in Callen¡¯s ears.


    ¡°And when was the last time you even ¡®talked¡¯ to your kids? Everybody here knows you¡¯re using your children for your own personal gain. Why else would you allow your sick daughter into this academy?¡± Callen¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as an idea entered his head. ¡°Did you order your daughter to fight my son to sully my reputation?¡±


    ¡°Seems like you care more about your reputation than your son. I wonder what will happen to your poor child if he fails to meet your expectations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Callen snarled.


    ¡°And how is my family any of your concern?¡± Aiden snapped back. He grabbed the hand digging into his shoulder and pushed Callen back.


    ¡°¡­¡± The two mages silently stared at each other, the rage emanating from each other was almost palpable.


    ¡°Oh, are guys comparing dick sizes?" A man wearing a skull-shaped helmet approaches the two mages. The words ¡®Mage Bane¡¯ were sloppily painted in the center of his body armor. ¡°If you don''t mind can you guys take your rough housing somewhere else." The heavily armoured man ask. You mages tend to make a mess of things when you fight."


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Callen turns his ire toward the approaching man.


    ¡°Deckkan. Leader of the mercenary band you hire.¡± The man said, his voice heavily muffled by the helmet.


    ¡°Know your place, merc, and leave.¡± Callen brushed past Aiden towards the man. Deckkan and Callen were around the same height, yet it was obvious Callen was looking at him like a lost child. All it would take is a single spell. A mere flick of his wrist to crushed the man before him.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware of my place. Your academy hired me and my men, which means we¡¯re comrades, equals even. At least until they stopped paying us.¡± Callen opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he felt something cold pressed against his stomach. He looked down to see the barrel of a handgun.


    ¡°Rune Engraved Rounds, by the way,¡± Deckkan said as he cocks his gun. ¡°Expensive, but damn good at humbling monsters and even mages like you.¡±


    Callen looked at Deckkan, his visage hidden behind black opaque glass. A tense silence fell over the three, quickly broken by Callen''s defeated sigh. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll settle this later.¡± Callen turned to Aiden. Anger still burned in his cold blue eye. He grabbed Deckkan¡¯s shoulder and pushed him out of his way.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re cool, right?!¡± Deckkan shouted at Callen¡¯s back. Callen silently glanced at him before walking away. ¡°Shit, I guess I got to sleep with one eye open tonight. You¡¯re welcome by the way.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help,¡± Aiden said coldly.


    ¡°Man, you mages are so self-important,¡± Deckkan sighed. ¡°I get it. If I had the power to shoot energy beams out of my hand, I probably be a cocky asshole too.¡±


    Aiden walked away as Deckkan rambled to himself. ¡°Hey, ass. Your contact this way.¡±


    Aiden stops. ¡°You¡¯re my guide?¡±


    ¡°Course I am. You think I save you out of the kindness of my heart.¡± Deckkan laughed as he walked away. Aiden silently followed the mask. The bland gray hallway became vibrant as they stepped into the Academy portion of the building. The walls were decorated with banners and art of birds breaking free from their birdcage. The two men gave off an intimidating aura that forced the children and even some teachers to give them a wide berth.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re married,¡± Deckkan said, breaking the awkward silence between the two.


    ¡°Yea,¡± Aiden answered curtly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the lady¡¯s man? You should be careful, though. There are a lot of men out here starving for relationships. They would be furious if they found out you¡¯re drowning in pus- ¡°Deckkan stopped, realizing there were still kids around him. ¡°-In woman. You get what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Aiden stared at the man, unsure of what he trying to tell him. Deckkan responded with a defeated shrug and rapped on a door. ¡°Enjoy your date.¡± He said as he walked off.


    ¡°Come in~¡± A woman¡¯s voice dripping with seduction came from within the room. Aiden looked at Deckkan¡¯s back before opening the door. Immediately, the smell of lavender hit Aiden¡¯s nose upon entering the room. A wisp of smoke floated around the nearly empty room. A well-endowed brunette wearing a warm smile sat behind a lone desk in the center of the room.


    ¡°Ah, Aiden. Have a seat.¡± Jeze gestured to the only other chair in the room. Aiden obediently sat down.


    ¡°My name is Jeze. I¡¯m a reporter. I was hoping you would-


    ¡°I never heard of a reporter who can pull someone out of the battlefield. Who exactly are you?¡±


    Jeze¡¯s smile hardened for a second. ¡°I just told you I¡¯m Jeze, a reporter, and to answer your second question, you¡¯ll be amazed at what you can do when you have the right connection.¡±


    ¡°And who is your connection?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Jeze said with a teasing smile. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± She leans over her desk as if she is going to whisper in Aiden¡¯s ear.


    ¡°The Celestial Trinity,¡± she said in a hushed tone. Aiden leaned back in his chair, expressionless. Jeze''s smile faded, disappointed in Aiden''s lack of reaction.


    ¡°And what does the Celestial Trinity? What with me and my family?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you already know that answer, silly. Your bloodline has a habit of causing rebellions.¡±


    ¡°My family has been serving Eris for decades. How can you still think we¡¯re capable of betrayal?¡±


    Jeze laughed at the question. ¡°If you had a dog known for biting people hands, would you ever let it off its leash?¡± Jeze said with a mischievous grin. She looked at him, searching for any cracks in Aiden¡¯s stoic expression.


    ¡°My, you¡¯re a tough nut to crack,¡± Jeze said with a hint of disappointment. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Your records show that this country put you through hell, yet you still did so much for it. You even volunteered in an operation to destroy a labyrinth. Quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Anything for our blessed lady in Jade,¡± Aiden said, his voice cold and hollow.


    ¡°Anything you say?¡± Jeze leaned in toward Aiden, excited. ¡°What if your beloved lady wants to harm your children?¡±


    ¡°If that is what she desires, then it shall be done,¡± Aiden said quickly and with resolve.


    ¡°Are you sure? Are you really willing to let the Celestials hurt your family, even after everything they put you through?!¡± Jeze leaned in even closer, her face flushed with excitement.


    ¡°The Celestial are gods. Their actions are beyond our understanding. If they want to harm my family, I¡¯m sure it is for a greater cause.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The room went quiet. Jeze silently scans Aiden for a moment before taking a deep breath. ¡°You''re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Aiden nodded his head.


    ¡°My, such loyalty. I guess my job here is done then.¡± Jeze grabbed her laptop and headed for the door. ¡°To think the bloodline that once opposed the Celestials would obediently follow them now, I wonder what your ancestor might think of you.¡± Jeze gave Aiden one last teasing smile before leaving the room.


    Aiden leaned back in the chair, Jeze last words echoing in his minds. He didn''t care about his anscentor think. The only thing he care about, the only thing that matter to him was his mission.