Authors Note: Although the prologue doesn't play an important role in the main story but it does play a part in shaping up our protagonist .I would recommend reading it to understand the Protagonist better.
________________________________________
The life that Hadrian Grace lived seemed always so different from the people around him.It was like he was the only human being and others were just puppets pretending to be one or maybe he was the puppet living in a world crawling with humans.
He was born a curse.Afterall,he was the product of a r@p3 that his mother suffered at the age of merely 17.Livia was coming back from school when a bastard decided to take advantage of her.This incident traumatized the poor soul but it only got worse when her own parents were against her getting an abortion or filling a case against that bastard.They were probably more worried about what other people may think instead of supporting their own daughter at the time when she needed them the most.
She might have been scared but she still gathered courage and filed an case against that man.She fought the case alone and even got that scum to be imprisonment for all his pathetic life.
She later rented out an apartment and moved out from the place she once thought as home.There were countless time she thought about ending her life but that would mean that she allowed someone as pathetic as that scum to ruin her life and that didn't sit right with her.
Although she had the option to get an abortion but she didn't as something about doing so didn't feel right to her.She thought maybe it was her wanting not to be alone even if it was a baby.
She named the baby boy, Hadrian, after a Roman emperor, Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, who was known for his literary pursuits and more famously the Hadrian wall.
Hadrian was a curious monster as her mother would often say.He was curious of all sort of thing that he deemed interesting.He would spent his time trying all sorts of things like him first time swimming which nearly caused him to drown, flying which was luckily just him just jumping from the table and falling flat on his face and then crying saying it was the table that pushed him,to even making a bulb from potato that ultimately blew up after pressing the switch.
Hadrian's nature to constantly hurt himself doing crazy stuff,often caused Livia to worry about his well being.She needed him to divert his curiosity to something safe.That's
when she introduced him to the joy of reading.To live and experience the life of various characters and to also gain knowledge from them.
To say that the plan was a succes was an understatement at the least.She remember the wide smile he gave to her after she bought him a book for the first time.After that Hadrian constant self harm became non existent and finally Livia could relax and not worry about her son 24/7.
"Mumma,Why do these Heroes in the book not give up even when there's own life is on the line?",It was a question that Hadrian asked Livia oneday out of the blue.
"Cause if they give up then the story would just end my dear child and no one wants to read a book like that",Livia replied not giving it much thought.
"Nah it can't be so simple,there must be a reason as to why they go beyond there limit and stand up despite the hardships",Hadrian said quickly believing that there has to be a deeper meaning behind all those struggles.
"It's because there are times when we must face our fears even if we think everything's lost.The heroes don't fight for themselves,they fight for the weak who can't fight themselves.Its not about whether they can win or not but what matters is they fight so that no one else has to."—Livia stopped for a moment before continuing —"Hadrian remember not every battle is to won,some are those that we must fight even if we lose."
Hadrian opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.There were still some questions he meant to ask but it could wait as he didn't wanna pester his mother any longer.
Now that he thought about it when was the first time he had seen his mother cry?Ahh,Now he remembered it was when those useless grandparents of his died.He never met them as his mother cut ties with them after that incident and honestly it was better that way.From what he remembered they died of a car crash when he was 10 years of age.Although,he didn't cry, but his mother sure did at their funeral. He also remembered the question he asked her that day.
"Mumma,Why do people have to die?",Now that he thought,it was probably the first time when he started to question the concept of life and death.
That question had surprised his mother as she didn't think that he would ask her this question.Although,she was still shaken up from her parents death,she decided to answer it.A answer that was so simple yet so complex to him.
"Everything that has a beginning as to meet his end either naturally or by some sort of disaster.A neverending life may sound grand but at the end of the day it's just a curse that forces you to experience losing something dear over and over through the cycle of eternity.And also those who fear death have never really lived their life to the fullest,my son,hope that satisfies your curiosity",her mother would reply still managing to bring a small smile on her face to light up the tension in the air.
He then recalled how his teenage years passed,how he made some really good friends at school and colleges but ultimately lost contact with all of them.He recalled that one time a girl proposed him and then apologised as she had mistaken him for another.That incident caused him to cough out a laugh.
How is it that his life took a complete 360 on the span of a week.
He was one week into the month of December when life suddenly decided to fck him over.
His mother was hit by a car was how the week started.
He rushed at the hospital not caring one bit about other stuffs.He quickly managed to get to the ICU where the surgery was taking place.He came to know it was a drunkard who was driving and was now currently in police custody.
He was unintentionally tapping his foot like crazy unaware about it,as his mind and heart raced.Today was supposed to his birthday but why does it feel more like a hell day.Today was the day he was going to take her out to dinner as a form of thanks and this happened.Fck it all was what he thought back then.
It was not long before the ICU gate opened and the doctor came out.
"Tell me she is okay?Tell me",Hadrian basically shouted as he grabbed the poor man by his shoulder and gave him a shake.
"Sir please calm down!I know it's hard for you but you must not loose your calm and think about the things I am about to say",The doctor responded trying to calm him down which it did.
"I am so for showing such an unsightly sight but please understand that fck—"Hadrian was finding it hard to speak when he was on the verge of breakdown."How is she?",he managed to somehow speak up.
"I won't sugercoat it but she doesn't have much to live probably a hour at most or few minutes at least",The doctor replied grimly with straightforwardness.
Hadrian recalled how his brain had shut down at that moment.If he was not wrong it took him a few minutes to regain his composure and after getting permission from the doctor did he went inside to see his mother for the last time and that too in such a horrible state.
"They say that you can die any minute now mumma", Hadrian managed to choke out those words as he looked at her.She was bandaged head to toe only leaving her nose and mouth where the oxygen equipment was.
"Hadrian, my beloved,it's a loss that I couldn't be with you any longer but do know that this the end of my life,not yours,so please don't waste it mourning over the past",Again her mother said something that was hard for Hadrian to follow.
"How do I do that,you are the only thing that matters to me and if you are gone than what am I supposed to live for?",He questioned her as he agonized and grieved at what would be soon lost.
"Yourself,your life begins when you open you eyes for the first time and ends when it closes for the last.Life won't stop my child,you will meet people that would once again give you meaning and the will to live.So till you meet them please live",She said as she took her final rest.
The Life of Livia Grace ended at the age of 38.
The next few days were hell for Hadrian.He had to organise a funeral and bury her mother in a coffin.He did it and also met some nobodies that tried to console him and also trying to say how they were reletad to him but he could careless.
"It looks like now you are all on your own huh,Grace",The familiar voice spoke up.It was, Lance ,a classmate and friend of his back in middle school.
Lance had now grown to similar height as him,6ft 1 inch.He also had similar black hair but while Hadrian liked to keep it short,Lance had grown his a little shorter than his waist.He too also had a fair complexion and a black eyes that seemed bright as compared to Hadrian's full ones.He wore a black coat and had an umbrella covering him from rain,it was just now that Hadrian realised it was raining but it didn't matter .
"I am surprised to see that you even knew what was going on with me?",Hadrian presented his doubt without beating around a bush.Only a handful of people who his mother had a little bit of connection were informed.He never informed his still in touch friends let alone someone from middle school.
"Oh well ,The doctor who tried to save your mother was my father and he mentioned about how he failed to save the life of woman who had a son who looked similar to me,so I dug a little deeper and got your name,so I came to give you my condolences,Grace,Does this satisfy your curiosity?",Lance said without missing a beat like he was prepared to answer this specific question.
"If that's all, then well you can excuse yourself,as I accept your condolences",Hadrian wanted to dismiss Lance so that he could drown at his grieve a little longer.
"Hadrian,Do you believe in life after death?",
It took a moment for Hadrian to register the question.And before he could even say how ridiculous the question was,Lance disappeared.
And now here he was a day later lying on the ground bleeding out after suffering a fatal blow from a knife and then reminiscing about how his life had been up until this point.
He couldn't remember how this happened,it was all so blurry in his mind that his head hurt like crazy just trying to think about it.
"CRUNCH,So Hadrian have you thought of the answer?",He looked around and so Lance still in the same outfit walking towards while he crunched a lollipop.
"A life after death,what's the fun in that?",That was what Hadrian believed."Once you know the struggle of life,you have to be a madman to want to live again",He finished with a blank look.
"What of life in a world far more harsher than this but also more rewarding too"—Lance gave Hadrian a odd look before continuing —"Would you consider it if the reward for doing so would be anything your heart desires?",Lance continued to ramble until he sat next to Handrian and looked him in the eye searching for his answer.
"Tell me did you fall from the head when you were little, by any chance?",Hadrian said concerned about Lance's sanity.
"I certainly did",Was not the answer that Hadrian guessed.
"I am not joking tho"—Lance continued this time with a grave look—"I forgot to mention you are the one who is being transmitted to a new world and also no,you can't refuse",Lance finished not giving Hadrian a chance to voice his opinion.
It's wasn't long before everything faded away and the life of Hadrian Grace came to a ,tragic for others but fulfilling to him , END.
Lance looked at the lifeless body at the ground and sighed.
"Troublesome,let's hope this time I don't mess up and the soul shatters to pieces while transporting",Lance raised himself from the ground and stretched his body.
"Absolute Authority:anima transmigrationem", Lance's voice echoed throughout the area as a lightning stuck Hadrian's lifeless corpse.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------