After I had fallen from the depths of Heaven, I found myself reincarnated a thousand years later into the body of a baby, my spawn point being straight out the womb.
The name I was given, Lucio Sombra.
However, I was not the only one born at that time, a baby followed right after me, a twin sister, Luna Sombra. When I was first born, I struggled when allowing my parents to feed me.
"Here comes the choo-choo train!" My mother, Ximena Sombra, would say while trying to force a spoon into my mouth. "Bababa!(Get away from me, woman!)" I'd yell at her, even biting her finger so she'd leave me alone.
But she never did.
When I was five, I activated what this world calls the "SkyFall System." It was entirely unrelated to the system I found in Heaven, which I have yet to see appear again.
Every human on the planet that gets granted the system, will receive it between the ages of five and twelve. Once chosen, you have to choose a class and depending on which one you chose, specific categories get a higher-level cap than others.
There's a total of seven classes. The mage, warrior, alchemist, hunter, berserker, assassin, and healer classes. There are also six base stats. Those being vigor, mind, endurance, strength, dexterity, and intelligence. Every class get's their own unique stat, such as mages getting arcane, berserkers getting bloodlust, and assassins getting aura.
That's why, before I chose a class, I had to make sure of my other capabilities. I realized that I still withheld Aeonis and Mirage's Mask. The problem was I didn't know whether or not I could grow them on my own. Also, Mirage's Mask only stored aura and arcane.
After formulating many theories, I came to the conclusion I could essentially "level" them up on my own. However, depending on what class I chose, I could speed up the process. Or I could choose a class that didn't relate to those two, to further balance myself.
In the end, I chose the assassin class. This world is a war-ridden planet, nearly every country in the world in some sort of conflict. Intrigue is most important. And power was not a problem for me.
My father, Miguel Sombra, who has been a bigshot in the medical world since before my birth, walked in when I chose the assassin class and screamed at the top of his lungs. "Holy shit! Ximena," he ran out of the room, "our baby's flying!"
However, the most important part of all of this was my twin sister and I's eighth birthday party. She too activated the SkyFall System and immediately after, I recognized something within her. Her soul was not human, but that of an angel's.
The night of that day, I conjured a knife from my inventory, and held it to her neck, "just who the hell are you?!"
"L-Lucio?!" She silently cried out, holding her blanket up to her nose, "you're scaring me!"
"Don't play games with me. I see your soul, what was your previous name?"
Her face, once marked by fear, transformed before my eyes. The widened eyes narrowed into a predatory gaze, and the pallor of terror gave way to an icy, calculating composure.
She threw the blanket into my face and kicked me back into my other bed. Once I got the blanket off my face, she stood above me, her palm facing outwards at me, a small tip of an iceberg aimed at me, the room turning into a freezer.
"You just awakened your system, though?!" I sat with my ass glued to the wooden floor.
"Like you alluded to, my soul is not that of a human, but of an angel."
"Is that so?" I stood up, and fazed my hand through my chest, whispering to myself, "Aeonis, your form is my will."
Utilizing Aeonis, I transformed it into a short-sword and got ready to swing, "You will te-"
"Wait!" She ceased all magic, putting her hands in the air, "did you say Aeonis?"
"Uh, yeah? Why doe-urgh" She practically tackled me to the ground, "hey, that's cheating!"
"Uriel, it's me!"
"W-What?" I looked into her eyes, tears of delicacy fell onto my face, yet my face remained shocked. She continued to tear up and placed her forehead onto mine.
"Impossible…" My eyes began to swell up and a faint laugh filled my lungs, "Raph?"
Later on, we gravitated to the rooftop, captivated by the starry tapestry. Her eight-year-old form, an imposing presence, stood in stark contrast to my small, slender frame. Our distinct hair echoed familial roots—hers mirroring our mother's fiery glow, flowing generously, and mine, reminiscent of our fathers, adhering to the simplicity of a buzz cut.
Up there, even though we were siblings, caught up on things that happened. She told me after our battle ten thousand years ago, she awoke in the body of Luna Sombra, as my younger twin sister.
"But what about the magic?" I asked, the stars reflecting off my eyes.
"When we were six, you remember how I protected Kevin from those thugs?
Kevin, born to Julian and Martha Baker, our parents' intimate friends, holds the title of an incessantly bothersome youngster. Astonishingly, he has retained an unchanging appearance since our childhood. As of this conversation, his stature was unremarkable, and he carried an average weight, boasting a brown comb-over.
"Hmm, I'm pretty sure I remembered you and Kevin getting your assess whooped?" I held a puzzled face, stroking my chin as I tried to remember, only to be met with a threatening gaze.
"We won. That's all that matters." She held her legs up to her chest, hugging them. "Anyway, after that, a weird notification like-thing popped up in front of my face. Uriel," she turned to me, pointing her own thumb at herself, "I got my own unique system."
"WHAT?!" I yelped, quickly covering my mouth as I hoped I hadn't woken up our mom and dad. "It's called The Index System." She hooted.
"But that's not as impressive as what you did, huh?" She continuously elbowed me.
"What do you mean?"
"You threw the entire world into a new era after you crashed down, didn't you? Not just is your tattered wing in the Museum of Valoria, but you started a new calendar. The Epoch of Sovereignty."
"Over a thousand years since my death," I looked into the city, it looked exactly as it did when I looked through the window with that old man. "Yet, it looks the exact same. How is that possible?"
"We both know what this world focuses so much on. The war budget for all countries makes it nearly impossible for anyone to advance the technology in this world. Not to mention how magic takes care of nearly everything here."
'Where is it, old man?'
**************
YEAR 1437 ES
This place was the very incarnation of Heaven. Yet, it looked like Hell.
A chilly wind brushed against me, the ceaseless clacking of feet creating a haunting rhythm. The wind, a relentless force, never wavered, leaving my eyes dry and weary. Every ounce of warmth had been pilfered, the trenches standing as the solitary shield against the unforgiving cold.
Stores were filled with people. The streets were too. Many things are heard on the streets and many spoken.
"Have you heard? The redbird tribe was massacred!"
"What, really? Then what about their heir?"
"Kaya Redbird? She's one of the kids of wonders, I'm sure she's safe."
A kid of wonder. It's been fifteen years since I took my first breath on Avaloria, the name of this planet. On this planet, I was born in Amerith, which is like all the other countries and kingdoms of this world. An imperialistic one.
In those fifteen years, I found some very interesting information. In fourteen-fifteen, the Queen of Merania died in childbirth. Her son, Hans Lehmann, son of Heinreich Lehmann, and heir to the throne.
Just prior to his birth, every system possessing humans received a notification.
[Seven Children of Wonder shall each be born a year apart.]
Many were confused, but upon his birth, another notification filled the world.
[The first child of wonder, Hans Lehmann, has entered Avaloria.]
Since then, he and the following six children were praised as prodigies.
However, not all of them were so fortunate as to be heir to a throne.
The sensation of growing felt odd. In Heaven, angels are created automatically possessing a mature soul, and our bodies grow neither older nor younger from our first appearance.
As of now, my height is measured at 5'10" (177 cm). A middle-parted hairdo with loose curls defines my look, but it's my uncommon leafy eyes that often become a topic of conversation within societal norms.
Although, it isn't in the sense that people hate it. Rather, it's just that the color is rare.
Before me, my home. It stood as a time capsule of an era marked by Art Deco elegance. Its exterior, adorned with meticulous craftsmanship, featured a porch draped in ivy, where the subtle creak of a wooden swing echoed whispers of the past.
Using my key, I opened the door and walked in. "What took you so long!" I felt someone poke my cheek. My younger sister, Maria Sombra, struggled to even poke my cheek. Her eyes gleamed with an amber-brown intensity, capturing the essence of precious resins in a sunlit glow.
"Didn't you catch wind that Lorenzo is back home?"
'She talks like all the other adults.' I chuckled.
"Sure did," I said, giving her ponytail a playful tousle. Its darkness matched my own hair. "But where's Alex?"
"He's with Lorenzo, duh!"
"Maria," I stared past the hallway into the backyard, like steel, my eyes were devoid of warmth. "Have you chosen your class yet?"
"Mom and Dad said to choose alchemist or healer. That way I could help Dad in the shop…"
"But?"
"But I want neither." She ran into the living room and grabbed a newspaper, pointing at the title.
"Amrith's Day of Justice: Corrupt Officials Sentenced, shackled by the Chains of Accountability" The title read. "What does that have to do with your class?"
"I wish to be a journalist!" She flipped through the pages, a bright smile plastered on her face, "and Luna told me that the hunter class would be best suited for that."
Truthfully, since coming to this world, I have not been as sociable as Luna. The social norms were things she understood. Not me. "Well, it's entirely up to you my little sister. If you believe the hunter class is your calling, then go for it."
Walking past her, I walked into the backyard, where both my brothers were.
Lorenzo, the eldest among us siblings, six years older than myself, boasted an athletic build that conveyed disciplined strength. His military uniform accentuated his physique with crisp lines. Black, curly hair framed a face adorned with determined features, while brown irises reflected an unwavering resolve.
Alexandro, the youngest among us at the age of ten, stands out as the brightest mind. Unlike most humans, he wasn't granted the SkyFall System. Despite his lack of physical stature, appearing like a twig and half my size, his intellect shines. All his luck must've gone to his brain as he possessed a large noggin', his dark, uneven eyebags being all a person could see due to his untouched and animal-like hair. His green eyes, softened by the glasses, peered through like a gentle veil of moss.
"Well, well, if it ain't my kid brother!" Lorenzo swung his arm around my neck, "Seems you're catchin' up in years, ain't ya?"
"So, they've thrown you a bone, huh? Well, don't get too cozy. Word is, Luna and I are next on their recruitment list for that damn academy." I ducked out from his headlock, rubbing my head in annoyance.
"Well, that just tickles me pink! No more fussin' with greenhorns gummin' up the works in the command." He began stretching his arms, "You and Luna, a pair of real whiz kids, fit right in the military groove."
"I-I agree!" Alex interjected, his words tumbling out in a fast-paced stutter. "Lucio, you and Luna truly are strong. Lorenzo reached level four hundred by the time he was fourteen! Luna is close to that, and while you haven't hit level three hundred, you clearly possess a good tactical mind and great individual skills."
A sudden breeze made my hair stand, Lorenzo running to pick Alex up into the air, "hahaha! Well, I reckon, Alex, maybe I'll have to mold you into a strategist, eh?!" He exclaimed.
"Please no." Alex calmly rejected as Lorenzo continuously tossed him into the air like a toddler.
As the duo frolicked, chasing one another in playful abandon, I gracefully swiped my finger through the air. Suddenly, a luminous and translucent blue screen materialized before me.
[Name: Lucio Sombra]
[HP: 121,500/121,500]
[Level: 243/676]
[Vigor: 15/75]
[Mind: 20/125]
[Endurance: 35/125]
[Strength: 33/75]
[Dexterity: 82/125]
[Aura: 15/75]
'Hmm,' I thought, looking into the top right corner of the screen.
[Current quest: Kill Matteo Alder]
[Reward: Unknown knowledge regarding 'The Seven Children of Wonders']
Matteo Alder, the CEO of Alder Pharmaceuticals, and the company that rivals dad's company, Sombra Innovations, which has greatly downsized due to most of his spots being closed down. The last one my dad owns is here in Windsor, Amerith.
'Again, another influential figure.' I sighed. 'Well, no better time than the present.'
Without even uttering a word, my body turned into camouflage, "hey, where's Lucio?" Lorenzo asked as he held Alex in a chokehold on the ground.
"..."
I jumped the fence and began walking away from the house. Still camouflage and in the neighborhood, I unknowingly bumped my head into something.
'Invisible…Tch.' As I pivoted, Luna came into view. Unlike when we were younger, her hair turned light brown, kissed by strands of copper meticulously trimmed to frame her chin, accentuating her brown eyes that had an earth-toned glimmer, hinting at the warmth of sunlit soil. A bit shorter than me, her gaze aligned with the level of my chin.
"Where are you going, Lucio?" She asked.
"So, you've improved that much, have you? Not needing a chant or any sigilcraft." I undid my camouflage, revealing myself to her. Although, it's apparent she already knew of my presence.
"Planning to give Mom and Dad another round of heart palpitations, eh? This habit of slippin' out on the sly is spiraling out of control, my brother."
"Do you hear yourself?" I began to criticize. "You're even beginning to sound and speak like them. We aren't humans, Raph."
"We are now. We were born into this world. We were given a chance at something we've never had before. To be a part of a family. I'm grateful for it, and you should be too."
"Grateful? Nothing has changed! I thought this planet would be different like the old man made it seem, but it's nearly identical to Heaven! All we've known since our creation was war. And this place is no different."
I walked back and forth in a line, maintaining eye contact with her, "when I found out you were also reincarnated, I thought it'd be like old times…but you've changed too much."
She responded with a large sigh, aiming her palm at the ground, a chair of pure ice created as she sat on it, "even before I died, you were so overdramatic," a brittle laugh before she continued. "The biggest difference from Heaven and here is the opportunity. Change is beautiful. I was given an opportunity to live in this world, a second chance at living."
"Surviving."
"True or not, I owe it to both that 'old man' you speak of, and our family to at least act like I belong. To try to belong."
"Whatever, I have things to do."
"Gonna kill another person?"
"It's a quest, Raph. I'm an assassin after all."
She stood up from the chair, wiping her pants off, "fair enough. Try not to get caught, yeah?"
Feeling the barrier disappear, I waved off to her, and went on my way.