— "My dearest."

— "What..."

What just happened... First I was stabbed with a sword from my back to my stomach but when I look down, nothing is there. I was in a dark room with a black dome. What the hell happened. My eyes quiver in confusion. How did I end up here? Who is she? Where am I?

The place I'm in is ominously white. It feels like time stops in this place. Seriously, where am I?

— "My world."

She... Replied without me asking. Could she hear what I'm thinking? That can't be right... Can it?

— "Let's talk. Have a seat."

As soon as I blinked, the white space transformed into a familiar place, it was Ms. Florenza's manor. The dining room.

I reluctantly sat down adjacent to her seat.

— "What do you see, my dearest?"

— "A familiar place. A familiar dining room."

I could feel my body move without my commands. I'm talking to her as if I'm comfortable with her even though I'm not.

— "*Chuckle* I do not want to further make you uncomfortable. I hate making people talk like this. It feels... Off. Don't you think so, my dearest?"

I just nodded. I didn't know what to say...

— "Why am I here?"

...But somehow, I managed to muster the courage to ask her a question.

— "Why? Because I chose you. I chose to protect you. Without me, you wouldn't have met them and you wouldn't have been able to live."

An image plays out in front of my face. It was the future of what would have happened to me and Leo if she didn't interfere. I was supposed to be dead.

Another image plays but it was when I was fourteen. It was would happen to me if I didn't encounter Ms. Florenza.

A third image pops up in front of me. But this time, it was what would happen in the future. My future... But it's blank. Nothing is playing out. It's just pure-white.

— "Why so surprised, my dearest? Dead men don't have futures. But luckily, you aren't technically dead. I just tricked death itself to make it seem that you died, and in return made you fateless. Not bound by strings that control your next action."

Somehow, I felt relieved. I don't know why. I don't have any reason to be relieved at all. I don't know if I should be scared that I don't have a fate. I don't know what would happen next–not that I already know anyway.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

— "I want you to live however you want. And if you ever die, I will bring you back to life..."

Her voice started to fade along with the white space as colour seeped back in my view.

"Over... "

Her voice gets quieter.

"And over..."

And quieter.

"And over again. I will always be your Lida, Owe...."

And at last, I open my eyes to see that the young man that had stabbed me is bound in dark chains, unconscious. I look down to see that there wasn't any sword pierced through my stomach but instead a hole in my clothes.

The chains were coming from the random direction of the young man and came from floating runic texts.

I Look around to see Leo panting. I'm guessing he had fought the young man whilst I was... Somewhere.

What's weird is that I'm standing and in front of me is... A green crystal emanating a soft glow. It had dark runic text floating around it. It quickly disappeared after I gained consciousness.

— "What happened, Leo?"

— "What happened? You mean you didn't know what you did? Are you serious?!"

He was a bit angry and annoyed at me for asking that. I didn't know why.

— "So you're telling me. You healed yourself, summoned your mana crystal, used your magic to knock him out and tie him, and you didn't even know about it. Is that what it is?"

Leo tapped his foot repeatedly whilst looking at me impatiently.

— "Well... I didn't know what happened."

— "Let's just get out of here and talk about it later."

We both walked out of... A hole busted from the wall.

— "You also did that. And yes, we're going to talk about this as well later."

We walked through it and sure enough, it led outside. But I'm forgetting something... My carriage.

Whilst I was thinking, a loud voice came from ahead. And when I listed my head to look at what it was, it was a young woman commanding a line of guards. She holds a magic tome in her left hand.

— "...Get to your post–"

Before she continued, she glanced at us and saw that that we had escaped.

— "Get those two!"

As soon as she commanded the guards, Leo's ears perked up and took a stance and the same crystal with floating runic text as from the cell manifested in front of him.

— "And I'm guessing you don't know how to use magic, huh, Owens."

— "I-I have no idea..."

My voice quivers because I am frightened from the menacing guards getting closer towards us with drawn weapons.

— "I want you to close your eyes and imagine a crystal slowly forming. And also make it quick, Owens!"

Leo was in a rush because the guards were picking up their pace! I need to hurry or else I'll die–

— "I'll bring you back to life."

Those words echoed in my mind as I closed my eyes. I could remember her worlds well like they were fresh in my mind–Wait! This shouldn't be the time for that!

I then imagined a crystal forming in front of me and when I opened my eyes, sure enough, there was the same green crystal that was before me when I gained consciousness.

I then look at Leo who is standing still, keeping the same stance.

— "Ra Fulgur!"

Zap!

— "Gah!"

The guards yelled in unison

Lightning struck the guards that were approaching Leo. They suffered great damage. Only one guard was kneeling down in pain from the lightning strike.

Some of the runic text that was floating around Leo's crystal was gone and the light of the crystal was slowly going out as it slowly made more runic texts.

Leo looked at me happily as if he didn't just zap guards in an instant.

— "That's how you use magic!"

But before Leo could celebrate his victory, the young woman stepped forward from the bodies of unconscious and near-dead guards. She has a furious expression on her face. She was flipping pages on the magic tome on her left hand as she walked towards us both.

— "You should probably do something now, Owens. I've shown myself off and it's your turn!"

— "Why me? You barely explained how to use magic!"

— "You both aren't going anywhere!"