Chapter 01

A New Dawn

A gentle yet chilled breeze brushed against his scarred and aged skin as he gazed thoughtfully at the setting sun over the vast horizon. Before him the tragic ruins of a once-thriving city stood still, now abandoned, destroyed and overrun by nature—a silent testament to his failures. The lifeless expanse stretched for hundreds of kilometers, a monument several times larger than any other city that had existed in all of history. As he remembered the city’s former glory, fond yet regretful memories flooded into his mind. The screams from that day still haunted him, his guilt and regret evidence to the fact—could he really have made different decisions to change this fate, could he have stopped this horrible tragedy?

The man stood atop that lonely cliff, feeling the soft and damp grass beneath his bare feet as he stared mindlessly at the ruined city for what felt like an eternity in blissful silence. Casting aside the thoughts that plagued his mind, he couldn’t help but note the lingering burning smell that still remained, and the fresh smell of fire from that fateful day so long ago. Vile, disgusting, horrid, he thought to himself in anger.

Breaking the oppressive silence, he reached into his deep and comfortingly warm pocket. Retrieving a rusted silver pendant from deep within his pocket, the cold metal of its surface against his hand as he raised it toward his face was a clear and stark contrast to the now warmed palm of his scarred hands. As he gazed at the cracked shell, memories he had long buried surged to the surface, vivid and relentless as they pushed to the forefront of his mind.

Holding back his emotions as the memories clouded his mind, he hesitated. Then, after a moment, he softly opened it with an almost inaudible click muffled by the gentle wind. Inside was a cracked picture of the one person he would have done anything for, that he would still do anything for. The image transported his thoughts to another time, filled with her beautiful laughter and the bustling streets they walked together—ghosts of a long lost time, trapped behind his and humanity's fateful mistakes.

Smiling weakly, he walked toward the edge of the cliff, lingering pain in his aged legs surfacing with each step. He stopped and slowly leaned forward towards the mossy ground with his aching arm stretched downward, struggling with all his heart to let go of the pendant as the memories continued to fill his mind. Finally, he steeled his resolve, released his firm grip, and placed the pendant gently onto the damp grass.

“I guess… it’s finally time,” he sighed with relief as he stretched, “It’s been too long. No matter what the result will be, I'll be glad as long as I get to see your face,” he said, his eyes gazing up above at the vast sky. “Even if I don’t remember this moment or the memories I have wanted to forget for too long, or even what I’m about to do,” he mumbled to himself with a scoff, his eyes locked onto the pendant resting on the long grass.

He shook his head. What did he know? The overwhelming complexity of the spell and the wild nature of temporal mana left too many uncertainties. He simply couldn't predict what would happen after he cast it. If he were lucky, it would work as he imagined; if not, it could go disastrously wrong. But this was his last chance—he no longer cared for his life. If he could have another chance, he would take it. And this was a chance, albeit a slim one.

He had spent the last thirty exhausting years experimenting and researching in isolation, trying every possible equation and theory before finally finding the promising foundation for the spell he was about to cast. He didn’t even know if the spell would activate in the first place. It could backfire and just blast his body into tiny pieces, ending his tragic existence in the worst way possible.

He laughed. He wasn’t nervous or scared, so what was he even waiting for? A sign from god? Ha, if god existed he wouldn’t let this horrible sight happen in the first place, he thought to himself.

“Ah,” the man's mouth opened as a heavy sigh escaped his chapped lips, “Is this what a person's final moments feel like?” he questioned, his deep-green eyes reflecting the now dim sunlight as he looked up.

It was oddly peaceful—the soft wind, the setting blazing sun over the horizon, and the soft grass. If it weren’t for the lingering smell of grotesque ash or the memories haunting his mind, he would say this moment was a perfect last moment before his eventful death. Weirdly, even though he knew that even if the spell was successful and that this was his last moment before he ceased to exist, he still felt happy; and for the first time in a long time at that.

The man took one last long regretful glance at the ruins as the gentle, calming wind brushed against his now goosebump-covered skin. All of his hard, excruciating experiments came down to this one spell. If he messed it up, he would die, and everything he had worked for would never become a reality.

Suddenly, his wrinkled face went cold, and his expression turned more serious than ever before. He focused everything he had on this moment, clearing his mind and forcing the memories to the back of his mind. He began letting his six senses run wild. He clasped his hands together and began absorbing an unimaginable amount of natural mana within a one-hundred-meter radius, an amount countless mages from the past would have theorized impossible. His hands moved rhythmically in an almost robotic motion for several moments, and his chapped lips slowly prepared to chant a small whisper. Tensing his muscles and stopping his hand movements to a halt, he spoke.

“Time Manipulation: Reversal.”

BOOOOOOOOM

A deafening explosion resounded. The ground surrounding him began shattering and disintegrating into nothing more than minuscule atoms not visible to the human eyes. Reality and space cracked, as rifts begun forming in the air around him. Suddenly, before the shockwaves and the aftermath of the monstrous spell could affect him, his vision went dark.

The sounds, smells, the pain and the sensations he felt disappeared. He felt his rapidly mind begin to change, as the memories he long regretted began to vanish. He hesitated as he tried to claw at them and hold on, but it was all in vain. The memory of studying restlessly, the memory of his first kiss, the memory of losing everything he loved—each began to fade one by one.

Watching each of his priceless, yet somewhat regrettable memories fade as he were unable to fight, he felt himself being pulled toward something entirely alien to him. He instinctively tried to resist, but it was futile. Realising he couldn’t stop whatever phenomenon was happening to him, he finally relaxed his exhausted mind and stopped resisting. He could finally rest.

He didn’t know where he would arrive when he reached whatever it was that was pulling him in, but he could feel that it wouldn’t be him anymore.

In his last moments, he remembered everyone and everything he loved one last time, everything that led him to cast that seemingly impossible spell. The last thing he ever felt was anger, regret and sadness. But there was also another powerful emotion, another feeling. It was hope.

Finally, he was gone. He was now nothing of what he was before, an empty shell of his previous self. Unknowingly, as his existence faded, the black void shifted and turned intertwining past and present, leading him toward a new time. Toward a new dawn.

*

BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ

The alarm blared loudly, unnoticed by the young teen wrapped in his warm, soft duvet. Oblivious to the world, he snored on, undisturbed. The second ring of the alarm, louder this time, jolted him awake.

His eyes shot open, a look of sudden realization on his sleepy face.

“Shit!” he shouted.

He sat up hurriedly, reaching for his watch on his bedside table. Unplugging it from the charging cable and placing it on his wrist, he checked the time, simultaneously praying that he hadn't slept in. Upon realizing he still had plenty of time, he sighed in relief. He was about to sink back into bed for “just five more minutes” when his mom’s cheerful voice called from downstairs.

“Finn! Your breakfast is ready!” his mom shouted.

Finn groaned loudly. “Yeah, yeah. Coming Mom,” he mumbled.

He forced himself up and out of bed, shoving his duvet aside. He stumbled over his messy floor to the bathroom to clean up. Anyone seeing his rough, unkempt state would guess he either barely slept or slept too long; they’d be entirely correct with the latter of course. He then cleaned himself up and got dressed in a plain white T-shirt and comfortable black trousers suitable for long travel. Checking himself in the old cheap mirror hanging across from his bed, he saw that his hair was brushed forward neatly and his eyes no longer looked as though he was an undead.

“Good enough,” he said, content with his appearance.

He spun around, checking his messy room for anything important he might have forgotten. Noticing he hadn't made his bed, a cheeky grin flashed across his face. He fixed his posture, closed his eyes, and formed a unique symbol with his hands. He began chanting in a whisper—not in his native language, as a mystical green glow radiated from his hands, illuminating his surroundings. A soft breeze generated from thin air and began speeding towards his bed, it then weaved itself through his bedsheets and duvet, tidying them up almost instantly.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Finn chuckled giddily, happy the simple chore spell was available to almost everyone—it was honestly too useful for a lazy guy like himself. After checking his room once more, he nodded and moved toward the corner where a small brown suitcase awaited him.

He had thought about it the night before, knowing how grumpy and lazy he would likely be in the morning, would he be able to pack his suitcase in time? Ha, of course he wouldn’t. Shrugging to himself like it was normal, he grabbed the suitcase handle and sauntered to his bedroom door. He opened it confidently and headed downstairs, his suitcase thudding behind him with each step.

Hearing Finn's not so silent approach, his mom came over to the bottom of the stairs to greet him with a warm, loving smile.

“Good morning dear,” she said softly, ruffling his neatly brushed hair with her soft, tanned hand. “Your breakfast is waiting for you on the table.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he replied, trying to fix his hair.

They made small talk as they moved through the corridor toward the kitchen, where Finn took note of the old pictures hanging on the wall. Why does she still keep portraits of him? He doesn’t even come home anymore, Finn thought to himself. They eventually arrived at the kitchen, where Finn’s breakfast lay waiting.

Finn smiled with a small amount of regret at the sight of the oat porridge on the table. When was he ever going to tell her he didn’t like it at all? Since she loved making it for him almost every morning, he had always been happy to eat it—even if he found it barely edible. He simply couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth.

He took the seat opposite his mom across the table and began digging into his breakfast. He found that the silence was nice, as his mom watched him eat with her head resting on her palm. After a while, she broke the silence with a question.

“You excited for your big day?” she asked with a cheery grin.

Finn thought for a second, placing his spoon into the bowl. “Yeah… but also kinda nervous,” he said, lowering his head. “Honestly, I don't even know if I’m ready…” He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his neck.

“Mhm,” she nodded, leaning forward and giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I’d be nervous too. But you’ve got this, Finn. You’ve been preparing for this for years!” She smiled confidently. “You’ll be fine, I promise.”

Finn smiled weakly. She was right. What did he have to worry about? He’d been dreaming about this day for ages, he surely wasn’t going to let his preparations be in vain. “Thanks, Mom. I feel a bit better now,” he said.

“Well, I’m glad I could help, even if it’s just a bit.”

Finn finished the rest of his breakfast as they continued joking about how nervous Finn was. They both found that It seemed to help him calm down, so he didn’t mind. Once he finished his breakfast, he thanked his mom for the food then took the empty bowl and placed it into the sink. He then reached out and pressed onto a small rune under the silver faucet, channelling a minuscule amount of his mana into it with only a thought, activating an “automatic cleaning” system. To this day, he still had no clue how it worked. Obviously it was magic, but the complexity of the rune seemed insane to him.

He watched the water weave through the dirty dishes effortlessly with wonder in his eyes, it wasn’t the first time he watched this process with awe. The dishes quickly washed themselves, shocking I know, and the room was left in an awkward silence. Now that he had time to think, a certain lingering thought made Finn angrily clench his hands into tight fists.

Finn’s shoulders slumped, as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. “What was his excuse this time?” he asked, his tone tinged with anger and disappointment.

His mom's cheery expression changed suddenly as her mouth hesitated to open. She clearly knew who or what he was referring to.

“He- He said he was busy,” she paused, taking a small weak breath, “He said they has something to look into, and that he couldn’t make it home… in time,” she said as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Finn bit his lip and shook his head. This wasn’t the first time his father had missed something important and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. If he tried to remember the last time he had seen his father for more than a couple of hours at a time, he would say that he couldn’t. He always had an excuse, whether it be work, or something else entirely. He could have asked for a break from work, even if it was just for a day, but he didn’t. He could tell his mom was losing hope, she missed him dearly.

At this point Finn truly believed he didn’t care for him much anymore, he barely knew him after all, but his Mom? He couldn’t forgive him for neglecting her. Moving away from the sink, Finn slowly sat back down where he had sat when he ate breakfast. Opposite him, his Mom still fidgeted restlessly in her seat. Finn, realising that he had made her uncomfortable, he face-palmed.

“Mom,” Finn reached across the table to touch her hand. “I’m sorry for bringing him up, I just wanted to know if there was a real reason, cuz… y’know..”

She finally looked up and nodded slowly. She was about to say something before she shook her head as her expression began to change.

“I have a gift for you,” she said, forcing a small smile. “It’s not much, but I put some money into your bank account, and I hope it can be of use to you in the capital,” she explained softly.

Finn’s eyes opened widely as he quickly got up, meandered around the table, and leaned toward her for a hug which she accepted willingly. He was genuinely grateful, he knew she didn’t make a lot and likely put a large amount of her money into his account.

“Thank you so much, Mom,” he whispered.

“It’s okay dear, I’m just glad I could help you achieve your dream,” she replied as small tears began to form in her eyes, before leaning away and staring him directly in the eyes. “I can comfortably say that you will spend the money sensibly, right?”

Why does it feel like she’s threatening me? Finn joked internally.

“Of course,” he said with a firm nod. “I wouldn’t betray your trust like that Mom. You know me.”

“That’s good,” she replied with an approving nod and smile.

Finn noticed her mood had finally improved after the hug, and he was glad.

Silence overtook the room once again as Finn glanced at the silver watch on his left wrist to check the time. Noticing that it was almost time for him to leave he frowned slightly, he wanted to spend more time with his mom.

“Hey, Mom. It’s almost time for me to leave,” he sheepishly said.

She shook her head and smiled, “Don’t worry about me dear, today is about you after all,” she paused. “You spent so long dreaming of today, why even think about an old woman like me?” she joked.

Finn’s eyes opened wider, How did parents always know exactly what you were thinking about? Must be some kind of magical phenomenon, Finn noted to himself. Finn nodded as he stood up from his seat, and grabbed the handle of the small suitcase. He walked over to his mom and couldn’t help himself as he reached for one last hug, his eyes tearing up as he felt her warm embrace for the last time.

“You better message me almost every day, or I’ll be sad, y’know,” his mom said, still holding him tightly.

“I will, Mom, I promise,” he responded, his shaky voice tinged with sadness.

They held onto the hug for a while, it would be rather awkward if anyone else was in the room, but they felt it was perfect. After they finally broke the tight and warm hug, Finn walked over to the door and said his final goodbyes, still wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes.

Taking a deep breath and steeling his resolve, he reached for the door handle, the metal texture feeling surprisingly cold. He collected himself for the final time before swinging open the front door and stepping out into the bustling street. Waving back toward his mom, who stood alone under the door frame with tears in her eyes made him feel rather guilty, but he couldn’t spend more time with her, he was finally on his way to achieving his dream.

As he took more steps out onto the street and took several glances back at his mom, he felt a weird sensation wash through his body, making his heart skip a beat. Stopping for a second and looking back, he shrugged and shook it off as he saw the door slam shut behind him. It was probably anxiety, he thought to himself.

The blazing sun shone brightly on the street, the morning air crisp and cool against his skin. The street was already bustling with activity as people hurried off to their work or school, the sounds of their chatter and footsteps filling the air. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the nearby cafe, mingling with the scent of the blooming flowers from the corner garden. Finn could see a young lady attending to the flowers, using simple water-infused spells to bring life to the flowers. A single set of flowers caught his eye, which was the glistening yellow roses that the lady was carefully attending to. Pretty, he thought.

As Finn made his way along the sidewalk, he passed rows of quaint houses with colorful front doors with freshly trimmed hedges. The sunlight still filtered through the leaves of the trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement. Various birds chirped merrily on the branches above, adding to the lively symphony of sounds that filled the air.

Occasionally, Finn would nod in greeting a neighbor or exchange a greeting with a passerby. The familiar faces of the neighborhood brought a sense of comfort amidst the whirlwind of emotions swelling up inside him. Today was a day of new beginnings, of stepping into the unknown, and he couldn’t help but feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

He passed by his old school, with warm memories flooding his mind. They taught him most of what he knew and even the basics of magic. That’s when he found his passion for magic and decided he wanted to become a magician. He wouldn’t be happy with only having access to a limited amount of spells, he wanted to know and cast them in all their beauty.

As he approached the intersection, the traffic light changed to a bright red, and he waited patiently for the signal. He could see the entrance to the train station waiting for him across the road, its sleek glass façade glinting in the morning sunlight. The faint hum of the hover trains arriving and leaving the station reverberated through the air, a constant reminder of the journey that awaited him.

Finally, the light changed to bright green, and Finn stepped off the curb, joining the stream of pedestrians making their way toward the station, ready for their unique and personal journeys. The click-clack of his footsteps echoed against the ground as he crossed the street, his suitcase still rolling closely behind him. With each step, he felt a sense of anticipation building in his chest, driving him toward his goal and the next chapter of his life.

As he arrived at the train station entrance, Finn took a deep breath, steeling himself for the adventure that called for him. With one last glance at the familiar street he was leaving behind, he pushed open the glass door and stepped inside, ready to embark into the unknown.