Drake Helkar's point of view.
"I need to hurry… Immaterial!" Those were my words before my body became intangible, allowing me to pass through the tearing claws of the Rock Bear, a monster that appeared on the outskirts of the Southwestern desert of Flock.
"GRUAAARRGH." It roared fiercely, trying to distract me as it saw me closing in on it quickly.
It's over, with this one, it'll finally be 20. I thought, smiling, before activating Immaterial again when I saw its swift attacks.
When the Rock Bear was finally close to me, I activated Deflagration after touching it with my left hand, managing to release an absurd amount of fire that completely engulfed it, thermally fracturing it with the help of a strong kick that I landed afterward.
Excellent, now I can go home. I thought, feeling exhausted, as the converter in my left wristband absorbed part of the mana from the Rock Bear, generating a small light that went unnoticed under the intense sunlight hitting the area where I stood.
When I get home, I swear the first thing I'll do is take a hot bath. I thought, imagining that moment before extracting the reddish magic stone from the remains of the monster, and moving away to the place where I had left my travel companion.
Many years had passed since Angelica's departure, of which I had heard nothing after our strange but memorable farewell.
Now I found myself near Brumenwent, a town about five days of continuous travel from Birton, all thanks to Ness, one of the family dragons who shortened my journey.
The days outside Birton had been very lonely and strange for me, because since I had memories in this world, I was mostly at home, around it, or if I was outside, I was always with someone.
"It's time to go." I said to Ness, before mounting his back and giving him commands through mana waves over his body.
Ness, sensing what I wanted, began to move his wings, swiftly rising above the clouds.
Let's see, if I spent two days finding and killing those Rock Bears, I should have seven days left to return, since, if I recall correctly, the deadline Kadian gave me was 15 days. I thought, before lying down on his back, looking at the blue sky.
"15 days... That was the deadline he gave me for the second test of my Augury." I said, exhausted, before taking a short nap on Ness's back.
A few months ago, my parents, Kadian Helkar and Irisha Helkar, informed Zoe and me that they would soon depart for the Kingdom of Clifland, something we both had known for several years. At first, I was surprised by the sudden news, but after processing it, I accepted it, since the idea of being alone was something I needed to find the other fragments of Bernal, which was my main mission in this world.
After informing us of that, they announced that in a few months, my Augury would begin, something like a final exam within our race consisting of 5 different trials, testing our skills and thoughts, or something like that, Zoe had said a while ago when I asked her what it meant exactly.
In these last few months, my parents had remained somewhat distant, as they were preparing for their trip in addition to organizing my Augury, making my only support my reliable sister Zoe, who was now shorter than me in height, because although she was 52 years old, she barely looked like a 15-year-old, while for some strange reason, I appeared a bit older than her.
When I awoke from my short nap, I noticed I was still in the air, but with a more yellowish horizon, as the sun was beginning to set.
I-it's still a while before nightfall. I thought, yawning, seeing how the sandy ground I had walked on a few hours ago was replaced by a greener one.
I suppose I can use this time to think a bit. I said to myself, recalling various things until a doubt came to mind.
Now that I remember, I wasn't able to directly ask my parents what would happen if I failed this test. I thought, imagining that possibility with an ironic smile. Well, since I hardly saw them before the first trial, I completely forgot to ask. Although I suppose nothing bad will happen, after all, the worst that could happen is they'll make me keep training, something I obviously wouldn't do, since I have to go after the other Fragments of Bernal.
The journey back home was exciting because I could enjoy the beautiful landscapes, unlike the trip to the Rock Bears' territory, where I only focused on getting there quickly.
After several days of traveling, I had finally arrived in Birton, just before the sky had completely darkened. As I got close enough to home, I could feel the mana of my master and sister, the person who had taught me almost everything I know about magic, swordsmanship, and other things.
"I'm back, Zoe!" I shouted from above, commanding Ness to be careful while landing so as not to destroy the garden we had at home.
"You sure came back quickly." Zoe commented, once I had climbed down from Ness's back along with a small cloth sack. "That's right, I was so fast that I made it a day before the deadline." I said with a smile as I moved away from Ness, making the huge dragon cross his arms before lying down on the grass.
With excitement, I started telling her some details about my journey, until when we entered the house, I found Kadian standing in front of the stairs leading to the entrance of our home.
"Welcome, Drake, come to the living room." Kadian ordered after pointing towards it with a sharp gaze. "Yes, Father." I replied nervously, taken aback by his directness, before heading inside our house.
How strange, he doesn't seem surprised at all that I arrived a day early. I thought as I headed to the living room.
Upon entering, I found Irisha, my mother, sitting on one of the sofas we had. "I'm so glad you returned safely, Drake." My mother commented cheerfully before inviting me to sit next to her.
After my odd welcome, I started reporting what I had done during my trip, then opened the sack I had brought with me to show them the reddish magic stones that only the Rocky Bears had inside them.
Kadian asked for the sack to examine it, and after doing a count, he declared that I had passed the second trial. "Well done, Drake, now go get some rest, because you'll need it; your third trial of the Augury will be tomorrow." He said, briefly glancing at Zoe for a moment.
Satisfied with the results of the trial, I thanked my parents before heading to the second floor of our house. Once upstairs, the first thing I did was grab some clean clothes from my room, then take a long bath with plenty of hot water, just as I had been dreaming of for the past few weeks.
After spending more than two hours in the bath, I decided to get out, hearing a loud noise outside our house just as I opened the bathroom door. Huh? Seems like they're just taking Ness to his cave.
Without paying much attention to it, I headed to my room, only to find Zoe sitting on my bed, her gaze fixed on Ness as he moved farther and farther away through my window.
Zoe. I thought, noticing her worried expression, barely visible in the faint moonlight.
"Zoe, what are you doing here?" I asked, drawing her attention and making her turn to look at me. "Come in, Drake, I want to talk to you." She replied, lightly patting a spot on my bed with the palm of her hand.
How strange, she looks more worried than she's been since my Augury began, I wonder what happened. I thought to myself, slowly approaching to turn on the Luminorb in my room, a magical device that served to light up rooms with magic, something like a magical lightbulb in the ceiling.
Thanks to the light, I noticed that she was wearing her sleepwear, making me swallow hard before sitting down next to her.
Now that we're older, these nightly visits feel more awkward every time… I thought nervously as I waited for Zoe to say something. Though, it's also true I don't expect anything strange from her, because after all, I trust her. She's become closer to me after helping me so much over the last decade.
"Drake, the truth is, I'm worried about tomorrow's trial because I'm not sure if you're ready for something like that." She said, breaking the silence that had settled between us. Ready? Could it really be that difficult?
"Don't worry, Zoe, I'll overcome any trial that comes my way." I said confidently before standing up to pose like the statue of an ancient hero, causing a smile to form on my sister's face.
"Hahaha." She laughed sweetly, making me wonder what was so funny. "No matter how much you grow in height, it seems you'll always be the same fool." She continued, confusing me even more.
"Wait, what do you mean by fool?" I asked, a little annoyed, before Zoe motioned for me to sit down again. "Sit down, I want to tell you some things about my Augury, because maybe they'll help you."
What? Now she's willing to tell me? I thought, recalling the times I had asked her about it and how she always refused. I wonder what's changed now.
"Alright." I replied, sitting next to her and focusing on what she was about to say. "As you know, I went through my Augury over ten years ago, and unlike yours, mine only lasted a few days since Auguries are different tests for each member of our race. These trials are organized and defined by the leaders of the family and race, so in our case, mine were set by Mom and Dad, who designed them specifically to evaluate me." That's true, at that time, our parents seemed very busy, so this was the reason.
"The first trial I went through was a test of knowledge, where they made me answer several written and oral questions about logical reasoning, history, culture, and magical sciences. Something similar to what you did." She commented before continuing. "The first trial almost always measures knowledge alone, and the second measures strength and skill against monsters. For my second trial, I had to hunt all the monster leaders around Birton, something that can be simple if you take your time, but I was only given a day to accomplish it."
"Wait, Zoe, did you really manage to do it in just one day?" I asked, cutting off her words due to the curiosity I felt. "That's right, I was able to do it thanks to my Phantom Mirage ability, which I had learned a few days before my Augury, and to be honest, that gave me a great advantage since our parents didn't know I had learned that ability." She responded, moving her hair to one side so I could see the rune on the back of her neck, the same one she had shown me several years ago.
Wow, I think if they asked me to do the same, I wouldn't be able to pull it off. I reflected before Zoe continued with her words. "Well, Drake, more than just telling you what I was able to do, I wanted to give you some advice for tomorrow, since our parents told me about what your test will be about, and—"
"Really? Why didn't you say so earlier? Tell me what it will be, please!" I responded joyfully before Zoe asked me to keep quiet by placing her index finger in front of my mouth. "Let me finish," she said, moving her finger away. "For tomorrow's test, they will take you outside the house, I don't know exactly where, but you need to prepare yourself, since the third test is usually one to measure your mental and emotional strength."
Wait, mental and emotional? Are they going to put me in a desperate situation? I thought to myself, confused by Zoe's words.
"So before you sleep, make sure to meditate a bit, to be at peace with yourself before tomorrow's test." She said finally, before standing up and walking in front of me.
"I'd like to help you with more information, but I can't, as that would go against the purpose of your Augury." She continued before leaning in to give me a kiss on the forehead.
Huh?
"For good luck." She said finally, leaving my room.
"..."
Darn, I don't really know what to think right now. I joked to myself, unconsciously staring at the door with a dumbfounded look. Does she know me that well? Because it seemed like she could read my intentions, answering my doubts before I even asked her.
Confused, I decided to follow my sister's advice. "Well, if tomorrow's test is a mental and emotional one, I guess the best way to prepare would be to think about the things that bother and scare me."
With that mindset, I began thinking about several things while refining the mana within my mana heart, making time pass quickly.
I continued like that until, amidst several thoughts, a doubt crossed my mind. That's right, why do I feel so calm knowing what Kadian and Irisha are planning to do? Why am I not worried or anything like that? Do I not care what might happen to them if they return to the Kingdom of Clifland?
When I learned about my family's past, the forest incident hadn't happened yet, so I didn't give much importance to Kadian's words because I hadn't yet seen death with my own eyes, something that would change a few years later.
I know they are the strongest people I know, and it would be very strange if something bad happened to them, but even so, not being worried about their well-being seems really foolish on my part. I told myself, cutting off my meditation before standing up and heading to my bed. Wherever I am in this world, I'll make sure to stay in touch with my family, as it's the least I can do for everything they've done for me since I was born.
Determined, I prepared to sleep, taking advantage of the few hours left before sunrise.
…
Upon opening my eyes, I immediately got up, alert to prepare my clothes and weapons. I got ready in silence, washing my face before going downstairs from the second floor. As I was going down, I noticed the rest of my family was waiting for me at the entrance.
"Ready?" Kadian asked with the same strong and challenging attitude he always had. "Yes, father." I responded, nodding, before watching as they opened the door to go outside.
Once outside, they told me we would go to the Kiosk my father had built a couple of years ago, a weathered wooden structure with thick pillars supporting its raised roof in the center.
Surprised to know that the place Zoe referred to wasn't far from home, I followed them in complete silence as I tried to focus on what was coming. Upon arriving, the Kiosk was completely covered in vegetation, something beautiful yet a bit eerie, as it was very early and there wasn't much light due to the branches of the trees surrounding us.
Climbing up the few steps of the Kiosk, I noticed that, besides the white wooden benches, there was a black metal chair in the middle, with chains placed near the arms and legs to restrain the movement of whoever sat in it.
Wait, don't tell me…. I thought before Kadian invited me to sit in that strange yet familiar seat, one I had seen in old war movies where it was used to torture people.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the situation I found myself in, I sat down, only to notice in more detail that next to my metal seat were some trays, along with various herbs and other metal utensils.
"Very well, now that you're here, we'll begin your third test." Kadian continued once Zoe and Irisha positioned themselves around me. "This test is about demonstrating your mental strength because, thanks to the herbs you see beside you, we'll induce you into a sleep while also making you ill. This will cause your body to feel weak and defenseless." I don't like where this is going.
"Additionally," Kadian continued, "your mother will use electricity magic on the back and front of your head, which will cause illusions. All of this combined with the other herbs we'll give you will make the illusions feel like something similar to nightmares, but very realistic. The test will consist of overcoming all of that because if you can overcome your fears, traumas, and other things you'll see and feel within yourself, your body will respond against the stimuli we're giving you, causing you to wake from the illusions. By the way, there's a time limit for this test. If you don't wake up within the next 18 hours, we'll wake you up ourselves, and you will fail the test."
So that's why Zoe was worried last night…. I concluded after hearing all of Kadian's words.
Feeling a bit nervous about what might happen, I nodded to my father, indicating that he could begin the test.
Zoe, following Kadian's orders, began to combine some herbs, then crushed them using water and wind magic, creating a greenish-purple liquid that she poured into a wooden cup. As for my mother, she grabbed the metal utensils that were there and began carefully placing them on my head, knowing that if something went wrong, there could be consequences for my brain. All of this while Kadian adjusted the chains around me.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting something like this; I guess my parents take these tests very seriously. I thought before grabbing the cup that Zoe handed me with my still-free left hand.
Gathering courage and bravery, I drank the strange mixture that tasted like grass with a sour note. I hope this doesn't give me a stomachache later.
Once I drank the mixture, I handed the glass back to Zoe, then I started feeling dizzy, as if the whole world began to spin. Kadian started saying something to Irisha, something I couldn't hear very well because the sound I perceived became very strange, and it gradually faded away until it was completely gone.
My vision started to darken, and my body began to feel numb, something like when a person faints, losing almost all control of their body.
Everything felt less and less, and before I was completely unconscious or asleep, the last thing I felt was a little electricity running through my head.
This feels... familiar. I thought with difficulty.
The darkness I saw felt cold and lonely, this feeling persisted until a white point of light appeared in front of me, quickly growing before revealing Zoe's young face, carrying a baby Drake in her arms, in the middle of the sunny desert that greeted me when I arrived in this world.
What's happening to me? Is this, this is...
Everything felt strange because, without reason, it was just the two of us, walking to an unknown place until suddenly Kadian and Irisha appeared, accompanying us.
"Look at them, they continue on their path with an impostor among them." Said a voice by my side, a voice I recognized almost instantly, one that accompanied me for more than 27 years, a voice that once belonged to me.
Turning quickly, I saw the me from my past life, that young engineer I used to be, the one whose life was taken by a road accident.
"They seem happy, all because they think they're raising their own child." He said again, making me turn to look at my family, but as I did, the scene had changed, it was now nighttime, and everything was dark, but not so much that I couldn't see anything.
In the middle of the dark desert, I stood with my current body, confused, not knowing what to do, and surrounded by complete darkness that overwhelmed me until a pillar of light emerged in the distance, from which a man walked out. That man was Bernal.
"Meeting him was the worst thing that could have happened to you, because to him, you're just a tool, a lackey who's being used, because in fact, maybe he's not even dead like everyone thinks." My past self said again, with so much hatred in his words that it made me doubt some things. "You're nothing but a puppet!"
I remained confused by his words until I remembered the good times I'd had with my current family, with my parents and my sister, making the atmosphere change to a happier one where we were all gathered in my garden, sitting on the grass and laughing at Kadian and Zoe's jokes.
I don't care if he's using me, because even though I didn't set the conditions for being in this world, I was able to be reborn thanks to him, something that allowed me to experience many moments with these people, with my family. I replied, making my past self fall silent, and then we both watched several happy scenes from my childhood, where I had fun, enjoyed, and loved being with my family.
Feeling joyful, I felt time pass quickly as I watched the things I had achieved so far, making me feel proud, until I recalled the scene where I met Angelica, and everything projected in a darker way, making me feel uncomfortable for a moment.
"Ever since you met her, you've lied more to your family, to the point where you didn't care about disobeying your parents and losing their trust." He spoke again, making me nervous at that suggestion. What? What are you talking about?
"They don't trust you anymore, even though they're pretending they do now, so imagine what they'll do when they find out you're not really their son."
The scene shifted to another where we were all inside the living room, and for some reason, I was bent down on the floor, my head hitting the ground, begging for forgiveness, for not being their son.
Intrigued by what would happen, I kept watching until, receiving no response from Kadian or Irisha, the me projected in the vision raised his head, but as he did, Kadian grabbed him by the clothes, lifting him roughly, making his feet leave the ground.
"You're trash for lying to us like that." He said with anger, before delivering a strong punch to the abdomen that sent my body, my current body, crashing through the wall of our house, sinking me into the ground of our garden. Then Irisha lifted me off the ground, pinning my arms behind my back, preventing me from moving.
"Please, have mercy, I never intended to deceive you." I said with the little air I had left in my lungs from the blow.
Feeling disheartened and in pain, I saw through half-closed eyes as Zoe walked over to where I was, before mercilessly stabbing me in the heart. "But you did, Christopher, you deceived us, and that will never be forgiven."
After seeing how they treated me and called me by my old name, I felt terrible, broken, to the point that I started to believe that it was really happening. Forgive me... Forgive me.
"That's what will happen, because all lies are revealed, sooner or later." My past self said, showing a smile at seeing my face.
"..."
Y-you're wrong, I know they might get upset or ask about what I'm talking about, but I also know they would never do something like that to me! Because they love me! Whether I'm their son or not. I retorted, unsure of my words.
"Foolish and empty words!" He responded, shouting, causing me to be confused by his sudden change in tone. "You don't know how much I hate it when you say everything will be fine! As if everything were that simple! As if everything would go the way you want!" He continued shouting, showing his true personality, and his true feelings.
"..."
"You're just an ignorant fool, one who changed because you chose to grow up in a bubble, instead of going out and facing the nature of this world."
What!? What the hell are you talking about!? I've always wanted to learn more about this world! I retorted again.
"I'm talking about this, look closely." He responded again, calm, causing the atmosphere to shift once more.
Confused, I observed the scene I was now in, and after watching it for a while, I recognized it, sending a chill down my spine.
"That time you tried to explore the world on your own, lying once again to your family, something that caused your friend's death, Paul's death."
Shocked by his words, I looked much more closely than I remembered, as Duriel approached Paul and killed him in front of me, splattering his blood on my face.
No, no, nononono. That's not true! I DID EVERYTHING I COULD!!! I screamed at my former self, before feeling my heart start to beat heavily. I… I… I did everything I could….
"YOU DISGUST ME! TRYING TO JUSTIFY YOUR MISTAKES AS ALWAYS, NEVER FACING THEM!!" He shouted, suddenly stopping to cry.
"JUST… just like that time we killed Nia, our little sister…." He continued, before vanishing, leaving me alone once again.
For my part, upon hearing his words, I felt the world around me start to lose color, as I began to recall in detail the accident that marked my previous life, one I had with my little sister, something I wanted to overcome back then, but never could.
Seeing all the images of how she died because of me, made my heartbeat grow more and more, to the point where I fell to my knees, overwhelmed by the emotions I was feeling.
…You're right, it was all my fault, for not knowing how to handle things, for lying, for deceiving, and for letting myself be carried away by my desires. I thought weakly, barely conscious from the emotional burden I felt all over my body, before finally collapsing onto the dark ground.
And now… What am I supposed to do? If I'm the cause of the misfortunes of the people around me. I reflected, letting myself be consumed by a darkness that began to engulf me more and more, until a small light appeared in the distance, a light that grew along with some shouts coming from the outside.
"—eact Drake… React, do it please!" Zoe shouted, whom I began to see little by little as I opened my eyes, waking from the illusions.
"Finally, you woke up." Zoe said again, hugging me tightly.
Feeling extremely weak, I noticed it was already nighttime, making me wonder how much time had passed, until a sigh from Kadian brought me back to the present.
"Pack everything up, he didn't make it."
Joshua_Goose: Thank you for reading the chapter, I'm just writing to apologize for the delay, as I was sick for several days. So, as compensation, I'm giving you this longer chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, because with this, Drake's bubble has finally burst.