"All set," said the teenage girl, her long black hair bouncing a bit as she gracefully swept it over her shoulder, then rested her hand on the old wooden table. There was a hint of worry in her almond-shaped eyes. She wasn't exceptionally good-looking—just an average Southeast Asian girl with white-toned skin. In this place, people often linked lighter skin to more wealth. But what could she do about it? Being the daughter of a wealthy family, she rarely went out except for school or the occasional party, not enough to even tan her skin.
Surveying the table with a critical eye, a satisfied smile graced her lips. "It’s good, right, Lucas?" she asked, her voice tinged with excitement. The table presented a feast, brimming with chicken, beef, salad, and pasta.
Beside her, the boy nodded, his gaze drifting over the spread. Walking over, he brought the water cup to the table, leaving behind a small ring of condensation on the worn surface. “It’s good enough,” he declared.
As the night advanced, the boy suggested, "Let’s turn in, Lucy; we just got back." He covered the food with the lid. "This will keep flies and ants away. Let's get some rest; I'm exhausted."
“Wait! I will just cool it a bit, just in case,” she said, a whisper accompanying her creation of "hail." A flick of her wrist conjured hailstones that danced briefly on the table. “There, that's better.”
As they strolled toward their room for the night, she leaned her head over and whispered, “Goodnight, Lucas.”
"Goodnight." The words lingered in the air, accompanied by the gentle rustling of leaves outside, as both of them lost themselves in the embrace of sleep.
***
February 21, 2029
“AHH-“
A loud sound erupted, jerking Lucas out of his sleep. Swiftly grabbing his Jian, he bolted out, accompanied by Lucy. Her disheveled hair reflected the shock of being abruptly awakened as she clutched her katana.
Together, they raced towards the source of the sound, their senses heightened. What they discovered left them both helpless, and they sighed in shared shock.
“Meri, put the bow down! What are you doing?”
Lucas urgently voiced out as they found John, shirtless with a cast around his neck, lying on the ground, and Meri, her hand on the bowstring.
As Lucas approached, Meri's eyes flicked towards him, her hand tensing on the bowstring. “Sir Lucas, I found some weird food on the table. No one else is here except them. I was watching over them last night so nobody could have put this food here. They might try to tempt and poison us.”
Shocked at her conclusion, Lucas walked over, swiftly placing his hand on her shoulder, a reassuring gesture that sought to calm the rising tension. “Meri, the food is mine.”
Meri, still wary, turned her gaze to Lucas, her eyes holding a mixture of concern and suspicion. The subtle movement in her body language betrayed a readiness for action, her hand slowly easing off the bowstring as she awaited an explanation.
Lucas continued, “I brought it for you, and Lucy helped me set it up.”
Hearing this, Meri lowered her bowstring, and John breathed a sigh of relief, attempting to stand back up.
Lucy stood there, katana in hand, looking at Meri with a slight smile. “Surprise!” she said, handing the katana to Lucas as she walked over and grabbed both of Meri's hands.
“This is our loot from the dungeon last night. There was a lot of food. Lucas shamelessly stole most of it for you and Cale.”
“For me?” Meri asked, looking over at Lucas.
“Yes, Aunty. Lucas and I already ate a lot last night. The food was so good, so now Aunt Meri and Cale can enjoy it too.”
Lucy's voice echoed as she turned her head to the shirtless man whose hands were still tied, looking at them in disbelief.
“You too, John. Call the others too. Today, I've decided to trust you.”
John, still skeptical, furrowed his brow and looked at her in distrust. “Are you sure?” He wasn't entirely convinced that they could trust them, especially after the near-death experience he had while searching for a bathroom.
Lucy looked at him and nodded, then turned to address Meri. “Aunty, you can untie them now. Lucas and I discussed it last night.”
Meri, still uncertain, nodded subtly, her eyes betraying her skepticism as she glanced at Lucas, who caught her expression.
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"Don’t worry, you can untie them. I have a precaution in place if they betray us," he assured her.
With Meri finally getting their confirmation, she walked over to John, whose raised brow showed the lingering effects of being tied up. She untied his hands, revealing red marks on his skin. John didn’t complain; instead, he looked at Meri and then at Lucy, uttering a slow "thank you."
He walked away as Meri followed. "I will check on him and call the others," she declared, still harboring distrust toward John, evident in her cautious steps.
Lucas sighed, making his way to the table of food. He lifted the lid as he shot fireballs at the food to heat it up.
“Lucy, let's check.”
"Check what?"
"The things we got from the man. Let's check them out together. Loots from another tier one human like us shouldn’t be that bad."
Lucas emptied his pouch, a bit of a hassle since he had to make space by removing some of the stolen food. On the table lay an assortment of items – the man's necklace, ring, and bracelet. Lucas grabbed the appraisal magnifier and held it up.
"Oh, those things," Lucy finally understood upon seeing the magnifier.
Lucas nodded, bringing over the items, and a series of notifications appeared.
---
Name: Hauh Amulet
Rank: Legendary
Abilities:
[Rewind]: Return back in time to 24 hours ago. (1 use/year)
---
---
Name: Hauh Ring
Rank: History
Abilities:
[Rewind]: See 24 hours into the future. (1 use/year)
---
---
Name: Bracelet of Forgiveness
Rank: Narrative
Abilities:
[Rewind]: Revert a lifeform into its earliest state of being. (1 use/month)
---
“What the hell?” Lucas voiced out, his eyes scanning the three item descriptions in silence.
“Are you seeing this?” he continued, shock evident in his voice as he glanced at Lucy, whose mouth mirrored his own wide-open astonishment.
Lucy could only express her disbelief in silence, staring at the seemingly ordinary accessories she had acquired from striking some lunatic with her heel.
"One legendary-grade item, one history-grade item, and one narrative-grade item," she muttered in disbelief.
Unlike their robes, which were impractical in their country without snow and volcanoes, these items could be utilized immediately. Despite the confusing description of the bracelet, Lucy couldn't divert her gaze from the ring and the necklace.
“No way…” Lucas couldn’t help but voice his thoughts once again, the weight of their newfound treasures sinking in.
To catch a glimpse into the future or rewind the hands of time by a day—each ability possessed its own value. Yet, nothing seemed more invaluable than the power to return back in time. Lucas comprehended the weight of the "legendary" rank attached to it. Oddly enough, the person they acquired this incredible item from was a rude individual prone to hallucinations.
“Let's keep this inside the pouch for now,” Lucas suggested, a sentiment to which Lucy readily agreed. Such a valuable item shouldn't be worn casually. To rewind time meant possessing the ability to redo any action without consequence and simply return to normalcy.
The cooldown time may be a year, but essentially, this was a second chance at life—something anyone would kill to have.
“That guy would kill to get it back…” Lucas muttered as he stowed all the items away.
“Let's just hope we never meet him again. I don’t think he knows where we live,” Lucy responded. For now, their only recourse was to pray that the lunatic wouldn't find them anytime soon.
Lucas nodded, pocketing the pouch with a sigh. "Alright," he said, attempting to lighten the mood, "Let's just forget about that for now. Yeah, let's just forget it." He muttered to himself, although his mind still lingered on the items. Lucy could only nod slightly as she walked over to sit on a chair. "Yeah, let's do that."
The air carried a weighty mixture of luck and excitement, yet an underlying gloominess lingered. The realization struck—they had stolen from a formidable individual to possess such items.
Interrupting the heavy atmosphere, the opening of a door heralded a new moment. "Miss, I brought all of them here."
Lucy's gaze shifted, and in walked Meri, accompanied by three men and one woman. The woman was someone Lucy knew. "Good morning, Belle," Lucy greeted.
Belle, still apprehensive in the presence of the woman who had frightened her just a day ago, weakly responded, "Good morning."
For now, they were more like prisoners of war than friends Lucy had befriended. All they could do was follow Uncle John and Meri, with the woman overseeing them. Jeremiah and Kristian, their hands now untied, looked emaciated and worn from their night of captivity.
Lucas, devoid of pettiness, observed their almost emaciated and somber faces. It was his first time seeing the two men Meri had confined in the storage room. "I've decided to trust you for now. Do not disappoint me," he said, gesturing to the food on the table. "Eat these. It's a small apology for starving you. However, considering you were with the group trying to kill me, it's not your right to demand my forgiveness."
Upon hearing his words, though happiness flickered across their faces at the prospect of food, the two boys solemnly nodded. "Sorry," they muttered.