Alfonso's half-closed brown eyes stared into the air as he recalled his past.
It was 16 years ago that he died from a terrorist attack in Afghanistan. He was a 26 year old german soldier at that time when he and four of his brothers in arms were cought in an explosion from an suicide bomber. Everything happened too fast for them to react as the suicide bomber drove his car into them before blowing it up. Alfonso felt conflicted when he recalled the event that lead to his death. He hoped that his brothers in arms somehow managed to survive the explosion but at the same time didn't want them to live for the rest of their lives as cripples...
He had just died even entering the darkness for a while...It was a bizarre state he found himself in as he was surrounded by darkness, he would occasionally wake up for a few moments seeing, hearing things before the darkness claimed him back...
Alfonso was caught inside that bizarre state until finally suddenly waking up completely, finding himself alive inside the body of a 4 year old child. It didn't take him long to realize that he had somehow transmigrated with his past life memories intact.
He had a lot of time as a child to think about everything, accepting his death and resolving himself to move on. It wasn't easy to take that hurdle as he was already being plagued by depression in his past life. But time heals everything...well he was somewhat overwhelmed but Alfonso was sure that he would do much better this time as someone who got a second chance to live.
But he was soon shocked by what he discovered.
He ended up in the same city he was born in his past life but...
Alfonso was transmigrated on Earth but it wasn't the same, it was the year 2104. He speculated that he was either reborn into the future or it was a parallel world very similar to Earth or maybe both? He learned from the people around him that he was an orphan who was being raised in an orphanage.
Alfonso didn't notice the difference in the beginning, everything seemed normal until he heard the adults around him use unusual terms in their conversations.
Words like 'Abyss', 'Monster Wave', 'Zombies' and 'Slayers' were said. It confused him for a period of time. But time helped as he began to piece things together through the conversations from the people around him.
His half knowledge was then finally completed after entering school.
It turned out that Earth went through an apocalyptic disaster in the year 2020 that was later called "Abyss Terror". Strange black holes appeared at the same time throughout the whole world, shocking the thriving human civilisation. Strange monsters poured out from those black holes. Those monsters went on to slaughter humans or infect them with a never before seen disease that turned many people into zombies. A world war erupted as the armies from all nations began to fight against those monsters and zombies whose numbers seemed to be endless...
Alfonso was pulled out from his deep thoughts as he noticed the mood in the classroom change. His gaze wandered over towards the image that was projected on the white board.
It was the image of a colossal monster flying through the sky. The only thing that Alfonso could compare it to was Godzilla if Godzilla was its little child...
Even the biggest skyscraper in the world was only half as big as its tail...It looked like a fusion between a crocodile and an eel. Alfonso couldn't believe how such a being could exist and even fly despite not having wings.
His teacher showed different images of such beings before taking a deep breath, "These are Behemoths, they showed up only once 96 years ago, changing everything. These Behemoths devoured nearly all of humanity's mass destruction weapons before they could be used against the endless waves of monsters coming out from the Abyss Gates. They immediately crushed the top nations of that time period, bringing doom over humanity. You all know that humanity was facing extinction at that time if the Elementals didn't descend to stop the Abyss Terror." Explained his teacher with a stiff expression.
Alfonso frowned, he understood why his history teacher Mr. Becker was so tense when talking about the Behemoths. It was simply a miracle that humanity survived until today despite facing such terrible beings...
It was thanks to the appearance of the Elementals who fought and suppressed the Abyss Terror that humanity survived. But the damage was already done, the world had changed forever and humans weren't the apex predator on Earth anymore...
The concept of nations ceased to exist, humans lived now behind the walls in major cities. Alfonso found it strange that only major cities somehow made it through the Abyss Terror. The teachers said that it was because of the help from the Elementals but Alfonso was sceptical, he had been living inside Dortmund for 12 years but had never seen an Elemental or heard of someone who has bonded with one...
Alfonso half listened to his history teacher until the class was over.
"Remember that tomorrow will be the most important day of your lives, I know that many of you have most likely already decided what to choose but be sure to think one last time about it tonight..." Shouted Mr. Becker to them before they could leave the classroom.
Alfonso began to think about it when he felt an arm wrap around his neck.
He looked at the grinning Niklas, "What is there to choose? We will become Slayers, right Fonsi?"
Alfonso was about to answer when an annoyed voice came from behind them, "Stop your nonsense Niklas, Alfonso is one of the top students this year. Several teachers have already confirmed that he can enter the Governing Board of District 3 after graduating tomorrow! He won't throw his life away to become a Slayer."
The two of them turned around to see the blond haired Marlene shift her glasses as she glared angrily at Niklas.
Alfonso sighed, he was tired of her antics. It was true that he was one of the top students that would graduate tomorrow but that was only because he was a transmigrated person who understood the importance of education...Marlene was a classmate with near perfect grades. He suspected that she was tasked to influence him into joining the Governing Board the next day...
He shook his head, "I won't join the Governing Board Marlene, its not for me."
She gritted her teeth after hearing him, "You really plan to become a Slayer with this idiot? Do you really want to die so fast? You will waste your intellect Alfonso!"
Nik showed her his middle finger before dragging Alfonso away, leaving behind a frustrated Marlene.
"How could she ever understand us?" Muttered Nik annoyed.
Alfonso patted the back of his little brother, as the two of them walked through the rough streets of Dortmund to return to the orphanage they both lived in.
They both threw their bags to the side of the room they shared, Niklas saw Alfonso change his clothes into his worn out training clothes.
"Will you run again? You really never skip training Fonsi..."
Alfonso only shrugged, asking if he wanted to join him, which Nik refused as he wanted to be well rested for their grand day tomorrow.
Alfonso pushed the hood of his hoodie over his head as he left the orphanage, jogging through the streets of Dortmund.
This part of Dortmund he lived in was called District 3 and was where the poor lived, District 2 was for the middle class and District 1 for the privileged clans. He was used to the people wearing poor clothes, walking through the streets like they had lost their souls...
The people simply ignored him, they all had their problems thus not noticing him jogging with his eyes closed under his hood. Alfonso kept jogging, never bumping into someone or something while running, he could see despite having his eyes closed.
It took him 15 minutes before he arrived at the abandoned area of District 3 that was full of ruined factories, only stopping running when he entered a huge hall filled with junk...