-Chapter Six-

Andrew Black - Part One

A teacup sat brewing next to a windowsill, overlooking an ominous and dark, gray sky. A man stood next to the window, wearing only gray clothes, gazing out at the storm, from within the wooden room.

“It’s a World Collapse. And a Successor has been born. Send one of the Trinity members. Retrieve the Successor at all costs,” he spoke to the silhouette standing at the door.

It nodded, before slipping off out of sight. The man turned back to the Academy buildings, and exhaled a deep sigh.

“So it’s all beginning. Antithese.”

A long fading dream, the fuzzy image of a wide smile spread across a young, faceless girl.

Her hand clutched his close, and her high laughter echoed around Andrew’s ears, like a soothing lullaby.

“Wake up now,” her voice ushered to him. “Wake up, Andrew… Wake yourself up-”

Andrew’s eyes shot open when he heard the high pitched squeal of the curtain being pulled aside.

Sunlight shot into Andrew’s eyes, blinding him and he spun over on his bed, groaning.

“Arghhh. Asahi, what time is it?” he moaned.

“It’s late! Is what time it is! You have ten minutes to get dressed and eat breakfast before we need to get going!” A girl’s voice lectured him before leaving the room again.

Groaning, Andrew lifted him from his bed and stole a glance at the mirror.

Spiky disheveled hair looked back at him in the reflection, and he quickly tried to pull it down before wandering into his closet.

It took him a few minutes to shift into his uniform. By the time he came back out, Asahi was already sitting at the table fully dressed, eating the breakfast she had prepared for them.

A young teenage girl a year younger than Andrew, his friend he’s lived with ever since he was a young boy.

With light blue hair and gray eyes, she was a charming beauty.

“Mmm, thanks for making breakfast, Asahi. You’re making an amazing wife,” he chuckled, sitting down across from her.

“Hmph,” she kicked him under the table, swallowing her food down.

“You better know it. Honestly, Andrew. I’m the only one who can take care of you, hehe,” she giggled at him.

“You’re right,” Andrew answered with a grin. “I would be totally hopeless if you left me.”

They ushered their way down the stairs and out the door, onto the main street into the busy chattering of the city and the growling of engines in cars driving past.

“It’s good we’re not late to school today. My teacher was going to give me my third strike,” Asahi pouted.

“Jeez, you should go without me if it really comes down to it,” Andrew sighed.

“No!” Asahi refuted. “I will never leave Andrew behind. Hmph.”

“Ah, okay…” Andrew chuckled. “Of course.”

The conversation fell silent, and Andrew looked around his surroundings.

This was the route they took everyday to school, but something about it never felt… right.

Asahi noticed his frown and quickly took his hand.

“Whatcha looking at so intensely, dummy?” she asked.

“Just our path.”

“It’s the right one, don’t worry,” she smiled. “You’re bad at directions but I make up for that! Hehehe.”

“Yeah…” Andrew smiled. “The people look busy today as always,” he commented as they passed by numerous people dressed in business attire.

“Hmm…” Asahi glanced around them. “Why the hell are they all in suits? Did something go wrong?” she remarked under her breath.

“Huh?” Andrew raised an eyebrow, catching some of the whispers.

She perked up to him, with a smile and giggle.

“I’m sorry, my dear. It must’ve been very crowded. I forgot, you dislike places too exposed and public. Please forgive me,” she smiled to him. With a click of her fingers, all the people around them vanished.

“Whoa- whoa, wait, what? Where’d the people go?” Andrew asked, spinning circles around him.

“What people?” Asahi asked.

“There were people. Just now… around us? Hold on. Hmm…” Andrew frowned at the empty streets. How odd? He thought there were people, but there clearly hadn’t been any.

“What’re ya talking about, silly? Come on, hurry up. Stop saying nonsense, we’re gonna be late to school,” Asahi pulled him into a slow run down the streets.

“Asahi, earlier, were you trying to say something to me?” Andrew asked.

“Hmm? Oh, I was just saying sorry,” she answered.

“What? Sorry for what” Andrew asked.

“Hmm, well… let’s of things, I guess. But it’s a maiden’s secret, so no prying,” she put her fingers to her lips and winked at him.

“Right… okay…” Andrew laughed as they came to the school gate.

Asahi dropped his hand as they entered, and she gave him a quick hug before breaking off into a run across the courtyard.

“See you at break, dummy!” she laughed before disappearing behind one of the doors and down one of the corridors to her class.

“So young and energetic,” Andrew chuckled to himself, slowly walking to his class.

The same fading dream. A young girl with short blue hair pulling him, her laughter echoing in his ears.

The feeling that he must never lose her overwhelmed his entire being.

He clung tightly to her hand.

“Wake up, Andrew. Wake up. You have to wake up.”

His eyes shot open again, he let out a small groan at the sun attacking his open eyes.

He flinched and looked away, groaning and picking himself up off the ground and against the wall.

The rooftop was his favourite napping spot in times of dire need. Overlooking some of the city, it had a nice breeze and good scenery.

“What time is it?” he wondered, looking at his watch. Oh, he’s napped for too long.

“I should get back to class…”

He looked forward and took a step forward when he noticed someone standing on the roof with him.

He looked up at the short, light blue hair and familiar height.

“Asahi? What are you doing here-…?” he froze as she turned, her eyes a light blue matching her hair rather than gray.

Standing in the centre of the roof, almost ethereally, gazing off into the distance, the look on her face was a solemn one. Cold, and devoid of feeling. It was not Asahi.

But she felt familiar.

She noticed him, before taking a step toward him.

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Was she the girl from his dreams? Andrew asked himself in shock.

She came to a stop a few metres away from him, before her firm, blue eyes locked onto his brown eyes.

“It’s well made, it really is,” she told him.

“W-what is?” Andrew asked in bewilderment.

“Hmm?” she tilted her head at him. “The city. Were you not the one who made it?” she asked.

“What-? Me? What nonsense are you spouting? How could I have made this city?” he asked.

She stared at him in complete confusion.

“Listen, who are you?” he took a step toward her. “You look a lot like someone I know.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“I do?” she asked. “Sorry, but I don’t think we ever met. More importantly, how come you’ve forgotten everything?” her voice was filled with curiosity.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

The door into the rooftop suddenly slowly opened, and a familiar silhouette climbed the stairs and stepped out onto the roof.

“Andrew? How come you’re not in class? And I couldn’t find you anywhere, to think you were here,” Asahi sighed in relief when she saw him.

“Asahi…” The name fell from Andrew’s lips.

“What’s wrong, Andrew? You look pale…-” Asahi’s eyes suddenly narrowed as she came around the wall and saw the other mysterious girl across from Andrew.

“Oh…” her voice from shocked to low and foreboding. “Oh dear.”

She stepped out, but remained a distance away from Andrew and the stranger, eyeing the both of them.

“You…” the mysterious girl narrowed her eyes. “You’re the administrator of this world.” She conjured a staff and placed it at her side, with a large flashing gem attached to the end.

“It’s a nice city, but please stop it’s maintenance at once,” she said to Asahi.

“Oh dear…” she sarcastically snorted, before looking to Andrew.

Andrew stared at the staff in bewilderment.

“Oh hell, things just got really weird,” he backed away. “Asahi, are you related to her?” Andrew asked her.

“Hmm? Oh, I still haven’t been exposed yet? Jeez, Andrew, you really can be so dense sometimes,” she sighed.

“I will kill the host if you do not retract this city,” the mysterious girl said staunchly.

“Hmph,” Asahi stepped forward and shrugged smugly. “Sorry. You’re right that I am the administrator, but I can’t retract this dimension. I am limited to only internal regulation. Only the person who commanded me may retract this barrier.”

The mysterious girl pointed her staff at Andrew, who exclaimed, “What the hell is going on here!?”

“Well, Andrew? What will it be?” Asahi asked, as she turned to face him.

“What do you mean?” he asked, holding his hands up at the staff pointed at him.

“You are the host of this world, and you are living in a dream. Do you choose to wake up, or remain asleep? If you choose to wake up, I will wake you up, and you will have left the dream. I will no longer be by your side, and you will be alone, at the mercy of this woman. Or, you can choose to remain asleep. You’ll forget everything by the time you wake up tomorrow morning, and I’ll make sure to send this woman down to hell, like she was never here in the first place. What will it be?” Asahi asked Andrew, who stared back at her intensely.

Some sort of feeling he’s always had, something always scraping at him. A feeling that something was amiss.

“It all makes sense… Asahi, you were fooling me all this time?” Andrew asked her.

“I only did what you asked me to, Master,” she answered, smiling at him.

“I don’t remember telling you to do this?” he refuted.

“Of course not. Because you also asked me to seal away your memories.”

“What…?” Andrew uttered in shock.

“If you choose to look at the truth, I will awaken you and unseal your memories. Your life will drastically change, just so you know,” she chuckled.

“I…” Andrew looked to the mysterious girl. She continued to gaze adamantly at him. “I want to wake up.”

Asahi clasped her hands together.

“Great. You better prepare yourself.”

A series of magic circles appeared from around Andrew, enveloping his body.

“Wait, wait, Asahi. Can you tell me about that look?”

“You mean my form?” Asahi asked. “Oh, yes. This is something made from your memories. I wonder who it’s of…” Asahi glanced at the mysterious girl. “The real one.”

“Someone from my memories? Will I find out who it is?” Andrew asked.

“Hmm… who knows. Well, you should prepare yourself for other things. I’m starting now. Master, we won’t meet after this. So I just wanted to tell you… all the times I spent with you was very fulfilling. Wherever you wound up, I hope you are happy. Enough for the both of us. Goodbye.”

“Wait! Asahi! What do you mean!?” Andrew called when he suddenly was entrapped into the Mana circles, subduing him and forcefully plunging him into a deep, endless black.

The Mana circles unravelled from around him, like a cocoon opening up, and Andrew floated forward into the darkness.

Before him, floating in the nothingness was a small, glowing crystal. He reached for it, and it’s light enveloped him, sucking him up into it, completely embraced in it.

World Collapse. A term commonly known by Magicians. When a sudden outburst of Mana results in the atmosphere of its vicinity corroding.

It is an unsurvivable catastrophe that ends in the space collapsing and folding down on itself.

Normally, Magicians cannot even reach close to enough Mana to affect the atmosphere itself.

Andrew lived a mediocre life, no particularly outstanding talents. He was content, living simple days.

Until that changed one day.

It was only in the middle of the street. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Andrew was on his way home from school when he suddenly felt his Mana rise.

Unable to settle it, he gasped as he keeled over on the side of the road.

The ground first began to cave away, until windows shattered nearby. Shockwaves shot out from around Andrew, shooting through the city, and the air began to show cracks of pink and blue.

It continued and he was unable to stop until finally, it all went bang and disappeared.

By the time he woke up, only he remained. The city around him was decimated, corpses lay strewn all around him. His Mana bustled with life within him.

“What the hell is this…” he mumbled when a book appeared in the air before him.

It flipped open to a page, short words written in it’s pages.

“What the fuck is going on here?” he growled.

“Master, I am a manifestation of your will. What is your wish?” it read.

“What the fuck does that mean? What the fuck is all of this!?” he yelled, and it quickly flipped pages.

“I will carry out your any wish. Destroy your enemies. Destroy this world. Or create this world. Restore this world.”

“What? Then… if you can do that…” Andrew looked around him. “Make it as if this never happened!” he demanded.

The book flipped to another page.

“Beginning calculations of autonomous Magic.”

Andrew watched on in suspense when the book began to glow and morph.

The light changed into the form of a girl, before it descended to the ground again and the light faded, revealing a young girl with short blue hair and gray eyes, smiling at him.

“Nice to meet you, Asahi. I am the form created from your greatest desire. I will now begin conducting Master’s wish.”

She waved her hand in the air, drawing a circle.

Suddenly, around them, the world began to appear and roughly attach itself together, hundreds of kilometres around them.

“Master, what do you wish to do with your memories?” she asked him.

“I… want to forget that this ever happened,” he answered.

“Very well. Asahi will make sure Master lives a happy life!” she smiled cheerfully at him.

He visibly relaxed at her assurance, before smiling.

“Ha… thanks…”

She simply smiled to him.

“Have a nice dream, Master.”

Andrew woke up, looking at the destroyed city around him. Buildings charred black, dried blood and rotting corpses littered the streets endlessly.

“I… did this?” he asked in shock.

The mysterious, short, blue haired girl stood across from him, gazing at him intently.

“It was a World Collapse. You are a Successor.”

“How could I have possibly caused a world collapse. What do you mean, I’m a Successor?” Andrew asked her, frantically looking around him when he found a book lying on the ground.

The same book.

“…Asahi…” he ran to it and picked it up, flipping through the pages.

But they were all empty, save for the final page.

“Enjoy your dream.”

“That book took your Mana to construct an artificial personality. It’s ability to mimic a human was phenomenal. It would’ve needed to take incredibly precise coding and control,” the girl mentioned as she approached him.

“What I don’t understand is… why she looked so much like me.”

“I don’t know… she wasn’t in my memories. I don’t know what she-… it, was talking about,” Andrew responded. “I took the lives of an entire city. Millions of people.”

“Nothing could be done. Because you’re a Successor,” she said firmly.

“Again, what is that?” Andrew groaned in frustration.

“Successors are Magicians unique to others. They possess far more Mana, enough capable of causing a wide-scale World Collapse. They are rare, powerful, but hard to come by. Your existence is like… a unicorn,” she breathed.

“W-why did I cause a World Collapse? Will it happen again?” Andrew asked.

“When you firstly awakened as a Successor, your sudden increase in Mana pool will have caused the World Collapse. In the future, if you cannot control your overly explosive power, I believe the same will happen.”

“How can I control this?” Andrew asked her.

“Hmph,” she smiled, and he felt her smiling face looked familiar. “You

have two solutions. Learn to control your power, or sign a life contract with another person, so they can act to anchor your Mana pool, leaving you with only half of your Mana. With only half of your Mana pool, it’s much less likely to cause a World Collapse,” she explained. “Come with me. I will bring you to somewhere that can help you.”

Andrew swallowed looking at her outstretched hand.

For a long time, he stared at her hand, processing how unbelievable his life just turned.

“…Alright, I’ll go with you.”

He took it, and she pulled him up the step, smiling and leading him down the city road.