Chapter 2

  It Starts Like This: Part 2

  A shooting star streaked across the heavens, painting a bright white trail along the path it took. for a moment, those who could see the dazzling light stopped to withe ephemeral dispy. One soul, particur found themselves utterly mesmerized by the light, as if the et was being them.

  [Wake up my beloved, it’s time to begin again.]

  A fn voice reverberated iheir head like a bell. Each echo fshed a memory that did not belong to them yet strangely felt familiar. Memories of war, memories of the Celestials, and memories of a maddening ambition.

  The rush of memories abruptly stopped as a snowball smacked the side of their head, knog them off their feet.

  “Are you okay, honey?” A small and pudgy woman rushes up to them. Breathing heavily, she turned around and shouted. “Aaron apologizes to your sister!”

  A little boy shyly peeks from behind the woman. “I’m… I’m sorry.” The little boy’s voice was so small it was nearly inaudible.

  The people before them were strangers, yet somehow, they reized them.

  “Who are you? Where am I?”

  “Anna?” The woman worriedly reaches for them. They quickly backed away from their grasp “Anna, are you o-

  “Shut up!” They screamed as they ran away towards a house that should’ve been unfamiliar, yet somehow, they knew all too well. They threw their shoulders at the door, expeg it to be locked, but it flew open, sending them face-first into the ground.

  “Anna?!” The woman screamed as she raced towards them.

  “No… that’s… not me…” They said iween wheezes. They only ran a short distance, but their legs were already wobbly, and their lungs felt like it was on fire. They used the remaining of their strength to stumble their way around the house.

  “But if that’s not me, then who am I?” They dug through their mind, desperately searg for their identity.

  So, call yods! so that I, Abaddon, may spread my glory to the heavens!”

  A memory of an emperor deg war on the gods themselves flooded their minds.

  “Abaddon? That’s right; I’m Abaddon, the emperor of The Shatter Realm!” Abaddon proudly shouted. He g the open door o him that he somehow knew led to the bathroom. He could feel his heart beating faster when he saw the mirror. He took a deep breath and stepped into the bathroom to get a better look at himself.

  He sighed in relief when he saw his familiar ruby pupils and bck hair. Relief quickly gave way to horror as he noticed his unique feature was on someone else’s face. Abaddon jumped back from the mirror. The refle backs away, too, equally as fusing.

  A little girl with sickly pale skin looked back at him through the mirror, mimig his every move.

  “What is this?!” Abaddon roared. He quickly covered his mouth, realizing his voice sounded a few octaves higher.

  What’s happening? What kind of spell is this?! Abaddon’s mind raced with questions. His chest tightened as he tried to make sense of the reality in front of him.

  “Anna!” The tiny rotund woman busts into the bathroom. Her face pales the moment she looks at Abaddon.

  Abaddon tried shooing the woman away, but the words refused to e out. He dropped to one knee, his vision blurry, his mind hazy and distant.

  “Oh god! Anna, you o breathe!” The woman screamed, but even her voice sounded distaually, everythi dark as Abaddon's sciousness slipped away.

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  .

  When Abaddon came to, he found himself in a dark room, fatigue weighing his body down. Light spilled from the hallway into the small crack of the room. A faint whisper came from behind the door, but he paid no attention to it.

  “I guess it wasn’t a dream.” Abaddon mumble. He didn’t bother examining himself. Just one look at his tiny hands was enough proof that this wasn’t his body.

  “I guess it’s a good thing I’m exhausted.” While still looking at his hand, he let out a pitiful ugh. Abaddohat he probably would’ve had another panic attack if he had any energy. Uo move properly, all he could do was analyze his situation.

  This body's name is Anna. Abaddon thought to himself, recalling the woman screaming the name. How did this happen? Did someone cast a spell on me? Does such a spell eve?

  Abaddon looked back at the st thing he could remember; his raid on Sedna’s holy nd, Adlivun. Typhon rampage on the naval fleet, the battle on the beach, and the arrival of the three celestials. All these memories came ba intricate details, along with something else.

  There’ll be aime, my dearly beloved.

  Abaddon sat up and franticly looked around the dark room for whoever had just spoken to him, but the only thing he could hear was the creaking of the wood and the howling wiing on the window.

  Was that a voice? Or a memory?

  “Sis?” Abaddon's eyes locked onto the bed oher side of the room. A little boy’s head emerges from underh the b. Abaddon immediately khe boy’s name was Aaron, and it was this body’s little brother.

  “Are you okay?” Aaron’s voice quivered. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  Abaddon turns his back towards Aaron. “Don’t you start your military training tomorrow? You should get some sleep.”

  “O-okay.” Aaron slips baderh his cover, embrag the warmth and darkhat was quickly ripped away from his sister.

  “Wait, yoing to the magical academy?!” Abaddon ripped the b. fused and cold, Aaron hugged his body and looked up at his sister, whose crimson eyes pierced through the darkness.

  “Y-yea, I don’t want to, but they say mages have no choice but to join the academy.”

  “You’re a mage?” Abaddon examihe boy more carefully. Invisible, formless energy flowed around his body. A moment after firming the kid was a mage, it dawned on him that he still could see mana. An ability only his bloodline should have.

  Is it because I took possession of this body? Abaddon once again fell deep into thought.

  “Um, sis? I have my b back?”

  “Sure.” Abaddon tossed the b on Aaron’s face, ahe boy broke his tration. Abaddon stumbles back to his side of the room, kig away the toys that littered the floor. Still fatigued, he flops down on his bed. Far too many questions pgue Abaddon’s mind. For the sake of sanity, he decided to focus on one problem at a time. The first is learning where he’s at. The girl’s memories told him he was in a city called Whitehorn. A city with a strong military presehat sat at the edge of Haos. A try that worshipped Eris, the Uered.

  “Eris?” Abaddon mutter. The thought that the goddess might be alive and be one behind his current form terrified him.

  It’s too dangerous to be ignorant about my current situation. I need answers now. Abaddon thought. An academy fe sounds like the best pce to get answers.

  Abaddon figured it would be impossible to break in, especially in this body. But thanks to Aaron, he now khat mages could walk through the front door.

  Until I figure out what exactly happeo me, I’ll have to blend in for now.

  tent with his current pns, Anna closes her eyes, finally allowing her exhausted mind to rest.

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  “Stop moving!” Anna barked at Aaron, who tio squirm awkwardly.

  “B-but it feels tight,” Aaron whined.

  “Have you taken a look outside?” Anna points towards the single window in their room. Ice covered the surface of the gss, making it impossible to see outside.

  “If you don’t dress properly, you’ll get sick.”

  “B-but I ’t breathe,” Aaron whined as he reached for the scarf. Growing mitated, Anna smacks his hand away.

  I ’t believe I have to do a maid’s job. Anna ches her teeth, barely able to hold back her growing anger.

  “Is he ready, Anna?”

  “Check for yourself.” Anna quickly shut her mouth, realizing she had let out some of her anger out. When Abaddon woke up this m, he decided to pretend to be Anna. Thankfully, their personalities were somehow quite simir.

  Anna took a deep breath to quell her rage. A short and plump woman steps into the room. Anna khe woman’s name was Olive, and she was Anna and Aaron's mother.

  Anna looked at the incredibly pin woman, disgusted she had to pretend to be her daughter.

  Unaware of her daughter’s thoughts. Olive beamed with joy when she looked at her son. Aaron wore a dark greeer and bck pants, the colors of the academy. “Oh, you looked so adorable!” Olive squeezed Aaron hard enough that Anna started to think she was trying to crush the kid.

  “Mom,” Aaron pushed his mother away. He kept his eyes on the floor as he spoke. “Do I really have to go to the academy?”

  The question wiped the joy off Olive’s face. As much as she wao say, ‘No, you stay.’ She couldn’t. The room fell silent as Olive searched for a way to cheer her son up. While Olive tio ponder, Anna pces her hand on Aaron’s shoulder.

  “I’ll e with you.”

  “Really?!” Aaron's eyes lit up. Still deep in thought, Olive looks at her daughter, just now realizing she had her winter coat on. Instantly, she snaps out of her stupor.

  “Anna, you ’t go.”

  “Why not? I’m a mage too.”

  “But…” Olive paused, searg for the right words. Anna knew she would talk about the ailment that pgues her body and how she bcked out yesterday.

  “It won’t happen again.” Anna proudly bumps her chest causio cough. “I’m fine.” Anna mao squeeze iween coughs.

  “Why did you have to be so cute?!” Olive lu her daughter, hugging her before she could react. “I want to say no, but I just ’t.” Frustrated, Olive squeezed Anna like she was a stressed doll.

  “So, sis e to school with me!?” Aaron hopped around the room excitedly. It was hard to believe that just a moment ago, he was depressed about going to the academy.

  “I’m afraid that’s not for me to decide. That decision belongs to your father.”

  Aaron froze in pce. His cheery expression instantly darkens, and the room seems to grow colder. Anna took advantage of the sudden tonal ge and slipped from the grasp of the woman who nearly suffocated her.

  The sound of the front door opening and smming shut caused everyone in the room to flinch.

  “Oh, that must be him.” Olive quickly hopped to her feet. “I’ll see if he’ll let you go. Just make sure your brother is fully prepped. Your dad doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Olive rushed out of the room with such desperate energy that for a moment, Anna thought she was about to front a robber.

  Anna knew very little about her father. What she did know was that his name was Aiden, he was a high-ranking mage, and he rarely came home.

  “Anna, you think dad will let you attend the academy?” Aaron looks up at his sister. A mixture of hope and fear was evident in his eyes. Reflexively, Anna pats Aaron’s head.

  “Don’t worry; he’ll have no choice but to let me go.” Learning from her past mistake, she smiles at him instead of bumping into her chest.

  “Go where?” Both Aaron and Anna jump at the sound of the voice.

  A man in an olive-green winter coat steps into the room. Anna stares bnkly at the man's short bck hair and eyes, which glow a deep crimson. It was like she was looking at a mirror.

  “I heard you bck out again.” The man’s voice was dry and monotone. “Didn’t the doctor tell you not to overexert yourself?” The man steps closer to the two children, allowio get a closer look.

  After Abaddon calmed down, he quickly noticed the differehe man's smooth face, bsp;the withered skin and scars that e from quering nations for decades.

  Then that means… Abaddon trembled at the realization she came to. She tried to find another reason, but in the end, there was only one ao the mystery before her.

  This man is my son.