In the hallway that connects the two buildings, the sound of steps can be heard reverberating throughout the hall decorating the serene hallway with its sound. With sunlight slowly hiding beneath the horizon, Edna walks alone with a book on her chest hugging it with both hands.
Edna stood by the window as her head was occupied by the person, which became a hot topic around the academy.
In her head, she thought, 'The person who caused a commotion,....'
'Erik isn't he?'
After Edna picked up her staff, Erik caused a commotion. Another high-grade staff got chosen by students, and the one who picked it was Erik. A boy had already caused uproar in the entrance exam by answering only the first three questions that were supposed to be unresolvable.
'The one that he picked is Nightingale, my former staff,....'
Nightingale, Edna's former staff before regressing to the current timeline. A powerful staff that enhances her magic output tenfold. She used it until the very end. A world engulfed by dark flame, and a scene where the corpse piled up as high as a mountain.
The sky was deep crimson, and agonised screams reverberated through the continent. A colossal figure loomed, its head reached the sky, casting a dark shadow over the land. With each roar, a terror was instilled in the one who heard it, a chilling reminder of the chaos that was unleashed. The air crackled with dread, heavy with an ominous atmosphere that could make the soul shiver as if the world itself held its breath before the storm.
Edna closed her eyes, her world fading into a blur as memories surged like a relentless tide. The horror of that day clawed her mind, engraving itself deep within her soul, becoming a stain that eternally haunted her. A chill swept through her, prickling her delicate skin and sending shivers racing down her spine as she tried to escape her nightmare.
"Haaaah,....." she sighed.
For her, Erik's presence is an anomaly. An unexpected variable that comes altering what she already knows.
Is this okay? A nagging voice in her mind whispered. Or should I eliminate him?
To survive the impending catastrophe, she is determined to do anything to change the future that she sees with her own eyes.
A chill penetrated her skin, giving her a small shiver, trembling from the uncertainty of the future yet to come. Is he a regressor? Thought her.
Turning away, she felt the weight of her decision pressing down on her. Each step towards the dormitory becomes heavy as uncertainty coils around her.
On the other hand, inside a dormitory room. Erik sat on the couch with both hands connected and stuck it on his forehead. In front of him, on top of the table, there's a short staff that he got from the succession ceremony, the Nightingale.
"That damn, Damon thingy,..."
After all the playable character picks their staff, Damian, the one who makes a commotion also begins to pick some high-grade staff. But the staff didn't recognize him and Damian bounced off to the back. Pushing Erik and making him lose his balance and accidentally grabbed Nightingale.
"Damn it, once the staff has been picked, you're stuck with it,....." Erik exclaimed.
Nightingale may enhance magic output but, just holding it siphons away the wielder's mana-like drainage.
"Edna makes it look effortlessly," he continued. "Because her traits let her regenerate mana faster than it drains."
"But, me,.....?"
With a sigh, Erik says, "I am doomed, this thing gonna bleed me dry"
Slowly, Erik raised his head, locking his sight on one spot.
He mumbled, "....Sigrun,"
He thought, Is it already her second run?
There was a small chance that the game generated a story where Edna picked Sigrun, a staff specialised in buffing the wielder's or the target that the wielder aimed. A staff that didn't have anything related to magic itself besides the capability to support.
With a small voice, he says, "When it's still a game, one time I have encountered this route,...."
"Route that Edna was already aware of the future that loomed," continued him. "The regressor route."
With the fact that Edna is already aware of the future, Erik intends to team up with Edna. Revealing the truth, to stand side by side as comrades in arms. But when he stood up, his world turned upside down. His breath came in a ragged gasp, each inhale struggled as sweat trickled down his arms. As he tried to walk, he dropped on his knee and collapsed.
Darkness looms around him, obstructing his view and sense. His hands shivered as he leaned against the void. Within the unbalanced world, he walks forward. Just as despair began to threaten to consume him, a warm glow emerged before him.
As he approaches, a figure comes into view, sitting on a chair with a battered cape and armour that tells the tale of his journey. But the faces were blurred, shrouded in a veil of jet-black ink.
Who? a voice whispered into his mind.
There are many questions inside his head, but before he opens his mouth a a sharp pain shoots through his head, impaling him from within. He staggered, teetering on the verge of his consciousness. The figure shifted, lifted his hand and pressed his index finger in front of his supposed-to-be mouth as if telling Erik to shush.
As Erik tried to resist, he collapsed for the second time. As he regained consciousness, the world swirled around him and a sharp, pulsing pain throbbed inside his head.
Slowly, crimson liquid dropped to the floor. Came out from his entire face, and a warm sensation wrapped around his head. His sight was blurry but slowly it returned to normal.
'Is this some kind of restriction....?' He thought,
'....So, I can't tell someone else about my circumstances?'
But, this body's mental strength is good. Thought him.
"I believed I had already strong mentality but, Erik's body is different," he mused.
"A normal person would be out cold for days after experiencing that,"
With weary movement, he wiped his face. Cleaning all the blood on his face and then climbing into bed. Slowly the fatigue caught up to him, and he began resigning himself into the dreamscape.
The class was solemn, as all the cadets silently took notes and listened to the professor, Edna, however, found her focus drifting. She glances to the side, looking at the person who seems aloof and far from her side.
How can I make sure that he is a regressor? As such a question appears inside her head, she propped her chin with one hand. Her eyes slowly drifted away from the person and looked far outside the window.
When her focus slowly began to fade, a sound woke her up and began to glance towards the professor.
"I believe the introduction is enough for today," he said, his voice shifting to one of authority.
"Now, let's head to the field,"
As he walks toward the classroom entrance, he says, "Take your staff and meet there in 30 minutes,"
After the professor left the entrance, the students began to prepare. Putting away their books and bringing their staff, one by one left the class.
"Come Edna," said one of Edna's friends.
"Ah, yes, wait for me,"
Maybe this is the right opportunity to witness his combat ability, she thought.