I held a sigh as I walked aimlessly around the academy ground. I wasn’t one to regret my decisions– not even the most ridiculous ones. But right now I was in deep thought about why I had taken that course of action against Thomas.

‘Why did I do something like that?’

After exiting the dungeon and completing the second main event, it took me a while to calm down.

But when I came to be, the first thing that came crashing in to my mind was Thomas’s horrified, paled face.

The joy I felt when seeing the desperation on Thomas’s face, the fear which instilled his heart, the agony he felt. The more I looked at him the more I wanted to destroy him, tear him apart, kill him.

But... those were not my emotions! Not my wish! Not my choice.

I had once felt that rage vividly – when I saw Jiwoo’s memories–, as if it was my own.

But not mine at the same time. This body still, sometimes, felt foreign to me. As if it is mine but not.

My gaze landed on my surroundings, where I saw bustling stalls, civilians walking through the academy ground, enjoying their time here.

But it felt insignificant to me.

Just as I stepped forward I felt a sudden vibration on my wrist. Pulling my left arm upwards, I tapped over my watch once and it displayed an email.

The email had the information about the side event game in which I had been selected.

‘In an hour,’ I inwardly said as I looked through the information on the event. The event was to be held in an hour.

There was also the location mentioned in the email about the side event; where it was to be held.

“The battle facility,” it was the place where formal duels between the students during the tournament and the side events were held.

So I picked up my pace and after a twenty minute walk, I reached the battle facility.

It was just as big as the arena in size, the exterior was eye catching with a subtle white colour, which made it look comfortable to the eye.

I stepped inside and I saw the interior.

A whistle unknowingly escaped my mouth, as my eyes landed on the inside of the facility. Expensive sofas, the clean white marble floors, adorned with beautiful black rugs. The LED light beautifully illuminating the inside.

I walked for about twenty metres and then took a sharp left turn to reach the waiting rooms.

Right now, my mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts, the course of action I took against Thomas. This body, which made me fell those unnecessary emotions, the system which was still a complete mystery to me.

It felt as if I was being kept in the dark on purpose.

I could somewhat understand, that there might be influences of this body’s previous owner still remaining, but why?

The same with the system? It hid many things from me! Being it the question marks on the different sections or when it stopped me from looking at those individuals in the memories.

I...

Thud—!

After taking another step forward, I bumped into someone and stumbled on to the ground.

I haven’t been paying attention to my surroundings, with all the thought crashing into my mind one after the other.

I lifted my head, and saw a woman, who I had bumped into.

I got up from the floor and extended my arm forward to help her up.

“I’m really sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” I apologised.

She grabbed my hand and I helped her on to her feet.

Gasp—!

I heard a stiff gasp escape the woman’s mouth as she lifted her head and I focused on her features.

Her brunette hair falling down to her waist, her amber eyes displaying a subtle charisma. She wore a well tailored white suit, coupled with a knee long skirt. Her dark skin-tone only adding more to her beauty.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She looked to be in her late fifties or early sixties, but there was not one wrinkle present over her face.

But I saw a tear trickle down her cheek, I let go off her hand and again apologised.

“I’m sorry, but are you hurt by any chance?”

She cleared the tear drop and with a warm smile looked at me.

“No, I’m alright, some dust just got into my eye,” she said, as I saw her lips tremble.

But there was a subtle sadness displayed in her beautiful amber eyes. I was confused seeing this.

“Either way, be careful next time, Seo Jiwoo,” she said with her crisp voice.

I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it and then after a second or two opened it again and spoke, “you know who I am?”

“Yes, I did see you fight in the open tournament, and I don’t forget people’s faces and names easily,” she said. “Either way, you should be going to the waiting rooms, I presume?”

A dumb question on my side, I knew I had caught some people’s attention during the open tournament.

I nodded my head and spoke, “ Ah yes, but, I’m sorry again for bumping in to you ma’am.”

Then with that she left and I continued my walk to the waiting rooms.

***

The moment I had touched the boy's– Seo Jiwoo’s– hand, I could see, no, feel it.

After our little exchange, I left and was on my way to the lounge where Seth and Mikhail were waiting for me.

I clasped both of my hands, which were now shaking, as a weird chil ran through my body.

‘It was him!’

Just as I inwardly said, I felt a tear trickle down my eye.

The moment I had touched his hand, my ability subconsciously activated and I saw, no, felt it.

How could someone stay sane after going through such adversities? How could someone endure such heart wrenching pain? How could someone see so much death and still keep a hold of their sanity?

Any person would have gone insane. I felt his emotions, many of them, but the most preeminent emotion I felt was that of rage. A rage which I had never seen or felt. A rage which could rip the sky, tear the earth, destroy everything in it's wake. But still shackled by a facade of stoicism; barely.

If it had been me, then I would have lost my sanity long ago.

The ramped emotions and the bursts of pain I felt in those memories, it was... painful, no, suffocating, excruciating, endless and unbearable.

“He’s suffered so much,” I said in a low whisper. My lips trembled as I spoke. My mind couldn't comprehend what I had seen.

I felt all of the energy in my body leave and I felt lethargic.

I knew he was different, different from the rest. There was something about his mana, his will, he himself, which made me think of him as an anomaly the moment I laid my eyes on him. But I had never imagined it could be something like this.

But after today, I am now sure, he was the one that I had seen in my dreams. I couldn’t see his face properly in my dreams, but now everything made sense.

But I only felt a fraction of his pain. A fraction of that memory which my ability allowed me to see. Not entirely what he had gone through. Like small pieces.

I stopped in my tracks and leaned against the wall on my right. The cold touch of the wall felt refreshing. It made me distracted for a moment from those memories.

I felt like my knees could buckle at any moment, my body was still shaking, I felt cold sweat on the back of my neck. My head felt like it could explode right now. I had never witnessed something like that.

“H-He...,” I still couldn’t put my head around what I had seen.

He had regressed back in time, he had done something which was impossible, even now when mana is eminent in our world.

‘But... I couldn’t see his present nor future...,” my mind was right now in a blur, I didn’t know what to think, to focus on which piece of the memory I had seen.

My ability allowed me to take a quick peek into a person’s mind, see their life– past, present and future–, but barely.

Only a fraction!

But I couldn’t see his’.

I couldn’t see nor tell what he was thinking.

It felt like a veil had stopped me from looking into his mind. Like a destructive force, stopping me from looking any further, telling me, if I went any further I would be devoured by that same destructive force, forcing me to stop.

But it only allowed to take a small glance at his memories.

I took quick breaths as I felt my heartbeat quicken, when I tried to remember that despair. Which now clawed at the back of my throat.

“Miss Laurena...” I heard a feminine voice coming from my right.

Her voice jolted me out of my thoughts. I locked those thoughts deep within my heart. I took a deep breath and after calming myself down, I turned in her direction and spoke.

“Yes...”

She wore a black suit with her wavy black hair cut short to shoulder length and she wore a pair of sunglasses.

She approached me and respectfully addressed, “Headmaster Samuel sent me to look for you, he and Mr. Mikhail are both worried that you have not returned yet."

I nodded once and then stepped forward.

She followed me from behind and soon we reached the lounging area where Seth and Mikhail were.

Samantha stepped forward and opened the door for me.

“Thank you,” after thanking her I stepped inside and saw Seth and Mikhail, looking in my direction.

But without returning their gaze, I walked towards the sofa and sat down.

To my right, Seth was sitting and in front of me was Mikhail.

“Are you all right, Laurena,” Seth asked. Worry laced each of his words.

I turned my head towards him and replied, “yes, I am fine Seth, you don’t have to worry.”

But Seth wasn’t one to be easily convinced. He looked at me with concern in his eyes.

“Are you really okay, Laurena? You look pale?”

I leaned back in my seat and with a warm smile replied, “ I am fine, and it’s only your imagination, I’m perfectly fine.”

But to be honest, I wasn’t.

I had several questions in my mind! Why did I suddenly see that? Who was Seo Jiwoo, really? Why couldn't I see his future or present? Why only a fraction of his past?

But I knew that thinking about something which cannot be answered is useless.

“Is it due to your ability?” Seth asked.

I was surprised by his assessment over me. After having known each other for such a long time, he could read me like an open book.

But I stayed silent this time, not rebuking his words.

“Oy, Sam, if something was wrong with her, she would have already told us, don’t you think so?” Suddenly Mikhail spoke. His words sounding as care free as ever.

Seth cocked his head towards him and spoke, “yeah, you’re right, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Mhm... its fine.” I replied with a nod.

Then I saw Mikhail point towards the hologram which floated in front of us. “ It has started.”

There I saw three students with their weapons held firmly in their hands, on the hologram.

The side event's game had now began.

“The monster hunt”