Kurt

The duchess laid down, I took a pill to recover my stamina. I sped down the foyer on my way to Tarion.

Explosions?

I heard multiple. Around The city. I saw the corridor where hundreds of men ran into after their duke. I looked at the door leading outside. I busted through the door to do what my master- Tarion would always do, put the people first.

Tarion

Fire. Dust On my face. Ash filling my lungs.

110 points to mana capacity.

I pulled and twisted the air as I walked the streets, sucking away the fire’s oxygen.

There was a child's cry within a house set ablaze by an explosion. Without hesitation, I ran into my hell. I pulled a door off the bolts and the smell of cooked meat met my nose. Memories swirled my mind and vomit rose and splattered on the hit floor. I stood.

But found myself still on the floor.

I couldn't move. Poison and Disease mean nothing to this strong body, yet I breathed the hardest I ever had. I tried again and only tears sizzled on my cheeks. I heard their cries again. I hit my legs.

Move move MOVE MOVE MOOOVE!

And I stayed. A day of such happiness, the day of my return, to my home and my loved ones ended with my family treasure stolen, my brother and best friend being taken and… Shame was all felt as tears fell like a rainy day in London. Shameful was all I was.

“Tarion!!” A familiar Voice. From under my arms, I was dragged out of the burning house and in my stupor of shame I said. “People… in there…”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Kurt addressed me like he hadn't seen the most embarrassing moment of my life and immediately turned back to fight the fire with his ice. Out of hell, I could finally breathe.

I wiped my face off with sweat and tears. “Shit shit shit.” I break the ground with each swear. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, you fucker.” A good slap to the face woke me up and I crouched with mana around my boots. “A job needs doing.”

All points to mana capacity.

I leapt to the sky.

Kurt

With a mother's hand in mine and her child on my other arm, I brought civilians outside covered in soot.

“Your Grace!” I shouted in the chaos as people scrambled to safety.

Stone cracked and he flew like an arrow into the dark sky. Overflowing with mana, his Grace hovered by the clouds. As if conducting a choir, thunder Clapped at the raising of Tarion’s arms.

“Mummy, Mummy! Rain!”

A droplet fell on my nose. More on my hair. Then a shower fell on the city like the god dropped a bucket of water from the land above.

“Rain rain rain!” I put the laughing child down To dance in the rain. A mother kneeled caring not for wet knees. She knows just like me that we are witnessing something otherworldly.

Something holy.

A man with such power and presence can cry like a babe.

A pure soul.

Tarion

I allocated most of my points in mana capacity and I summoned rain to fall onto my city. I stretched my Mana field wide till I could feel the energy taut. Meridians burned. Circles turned like never-ending beyblades and my gut stung. I pressed on with arms up wide, praying to the heavens for more rain. More strength.

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And it was gone. Mana, my will. Everything. Gone.

Like a puppet cut off its strings, I floundered in the air falling to my death. Eye went heavy. Slowly closing. The final curtain drew down on my Second life.

Wake up.

I blinked.

I sat up in shock with a body that felt too light in a room I recognised well. The creeks of swinging sandbags echo in the empty hall. Hardwood floors, worn in by thousands of hours of shadow boxing. A cage lay in the middle. Where I spent my younger years and spilling my sweat and blood in practice. I got off the bench and walked toward the hexagon ring. A man sitting on the bloody mat with crossed legs. The liuen of strikingly sharp crimson eyes looked at me and then at the ring that surrounded him.

“Where is this?” He asked in a deep confident noble voice without a hint of an accent. That voice. I have heard it somewhere.

“My old gym,” I answered. “Came here every day until I made a mess of things.”

“By killing someone.”

“It was to avenge my Brother-! FUCK!” I rubbed my head. “Enough useless questions. Who the fuck are you? Those cryptic notifications are yours, right? And the black power, my changes…” His long ponytail bounced as he nodded.

“All me. Although I am limited, I tried my best to help you. However powerful souls cannot inhabit a vessel without sacrifice and I am not ready to make such a choice and neither are you.”

“Powerful Souls… because I am Tarion-”

“And Edward.” I didn't think hearing my old name could frustrate me this much. My gym, my room, my name and my first sin. How much of my memories has he seen?

“Ask away. I and time are limited.”

“Where are we?”

“Limbo? A mind palace? The higher dantian? Unsure. But I do know the ones above made this. I feel their words. They protect us, they need us. Especially you.”

A small smile snuck on my face. “Me? So I was brought here for a reason.”

“Yes, Edward. And it is the reason you surmised. To protect her. To protect this world.”

I felt assured. The doubt in my brain was quelled. My purpose was true.

“What happened in the future?” I asked.

The man with the cage finally showed a human expression. A sad one.

“Kyros. The Betrayer. He who sought power beyond himself unleashed a greater evil that he couldn't control. And the world suffered for it.” the liuen stood up, regal, eastern clothes of black gold and red flapped in the wind. A wind from where? He walked to the fence. Up close, I can see the constitution of a martial artist. Not as large or tall as me but not any less impressive.

“You know of the other timeline, but unaware of how bad things will get.”

I agreed. “In the world I am from, I read about this world in the story of Kyros and Venessa, ending with the wedding.”

“Mm.” The liuen looked to the corner in thought. “Explaining in detail would take too much time, but you have a task. If you are willing.”

I stepped closer with determination. “Always.”

“Good…In this ‘story’... become its main character. Replace Kyros. As the hero of mankind and in Vanessa's heart. Make sure you become the head of the excursion into the northern lands and solve the cursed problem without his help.”

Her screams for Kyros echoed in my mind. “Is that all?”

“Pompous bastard.” The liuen smiled. “Of Course, it's not all. You fared well against the tiresome Vel. His magic kept me quiet, so he underestimated your strength and guile. But Vel was weak. A ninth circle. But a runemaster ninth. A true warlock, a combat mage would have incinerated the colosseum, melting everything into lava. A true warlock like the black man of the southern lands you met.”

I knew. I knew I was lucky.

“To face the troubles ahead, you Must be stronger. You must conquer your fear.”

Fear? What a ludicrous thing to say.

“I fear nothing, no one.”

“Why lie when I saw all.”

The space began to fade, and my home away from home began to vanish away.

“When sleep comes we may meet again, Edward.”

“Tarion,” I said with a stricter voice than I wanted.

“Mm. Are you sure?”

Blackness consumed all but me and the ring and I asked. “Dragon. What's Your name?”

The liuen smiled like he heard a joke. “You already said it.”

****

Eyes open. Candles hung from wooden chandeliers of the Cathedral. A cardinal stood over me with mana pulsing in waves over me.

“Not a sight I want to ever wake up to.”

“You welcome, Your Grace,” Zeb said snidely. “Happy to save your life.”

“Is she…”

“Well. She is well.” Kurt walked up to the pew I laid on. The aftermath of the fire still dirtied his usually pristine uniform.”But the city is not.” I take a fresh shirt from my captain. “Orders?”

“I… will… I don’t know.” I hold my head. “I just don’t know.”

My captain- no my friend put his hand on my shoulder. “We fight back till Maise becomes yours.”

Fight… I gripped my fist, nail dug deep into my skin. That I can do. Fight back harder for all I have lost.