The final bell tolled, marking the end of another day at the prestigious Dicaux Holistic School. I was right in the heart of the capital city, Meta, the hub of education and technology on Theia. Students spilled out of the grand entrance, their youthful energy blending seamlessly with the rhythm of the metropolis.

Dicax Holistic School, a symbol of knowledge and refinement, soared proudly with its sleek glass exterior and soaring architectural design, serving as a testament to Theia's unwavering dedication to technological progress. Within its halls, the eager voices of ambitious students resonated, their footsteps harmonizing with the gentle hum of electronics that permeated every nook and cranny.

Amidst the bustling crowd, I searched for Prince Omega, the Emperor's son and my own brother. Considering his outgoing nature, he was probably surrounded by a crowd yearning for his attention.

"Hey, Delta!"

I scanned the area, searching for the source of the voice. It was a female voice originating from my left side. While I wasn't exactly unpopular at school, I tended to keep a lower profile compared to Omega, deliberately avoiding getting too close to his social sphere. There were even instances when our opposing viewpoints led to clashes.

"Ah. How are you, Phoebe?" I replied to the voice, finally spotting its owner at the base of the stone staircase, just in front of the grand entrance. She was of average height, with the stone railing reaching up to her midsection. Nevertheless, her auburn hair and bright eyes added to her charm. Beside her stood another girl with long, curly black hair, to whom I gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, reciprocated in kind.

"Doing well, thank you! Where's..." Phoebe's sentence was interrupted by a sudden burst of artificial lightning in the street, causing her to startle. I remained unimpressed, having witnessed the trick on multiple occasions. The surrounding crowd, however, appeared captivated.

"Delta of Theia! Phoebe... and the lovely Ophelia!" Omega's proclamation drew attention, and he gestured toward the black-haired girl, who responded with a soft chuckle to his theatrics.

"Omega, they should take you in one of these days..." Ophelia remarked as the crowd began to disperse. Now, the four of us stood, partially blocking the staircase in front of the school. Omega, Phoebe, and I were first-year students, whereas Ophelia was in her second year. We engaged in conversation for a few minutes, touching on various mundane topics. Omega's demeanor, however, revealed a distinct interest in Ophelia that he did not extend to the other girls he entertained.

For some reason, the entire encounter seemed off, like I had been through this before. I tapped my nose, a signal for Omega. He understood, pairing Phoebe and Ophelia and sending them off together.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you, Omega?" I backed away from him, losing control of my impulse. There was something completely off about the situation, and it wasn't the typical Deja Vu.

"Delta, relax, did something happen back there with them? Were you into Ophelia too? Aw dude..."

He began to approach me, but I once again felt around for the coin in my pocket. This time, it was there.

"If you're really my brother, you'll tell me the truth."

"12 hours have passed."

He took another step, but I didn't understand what was happening yet. What did he mean? As my hand slowed, he began his approach faster. I jutted for the coin, ripping it from my pocket and tossing it up. I crossed my arms, using my own latent energy to pull off the same trick I did back at the bar. I amplified the current produced across my body, my left arm having a positive charge and my right arm being negatively charged. The resulting current creates a magnetic field, which sends the coin ripping through its opponent when fired at the correct time. My arms forming the pseudo-railgun, I took aim at Omega. His approach only hastened, forcing me to send the coin ripping through his skull.

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

I dropped to my knees. I began to have trouble telling the difference between having my eyes open or closed, tears obstructed my vision. I decided that my eyes were better off closed for the moment, pounding on the cold concrete.

"ET CETERA!"

My voice echoed throughout the warehouse. I felt the concrete once again, I had broken free of his control. I once again felt my injuries, doing my best to heal the small wounds. While I wasn't great at it, my father once showed me that it were possible to accelerate cell regeneration by utilizing one's own internal energy. Though, I also hated using it. If my father were correct, it'd also probably accelerate my aging. Not that he was around enough to care.

"His original plan was to murder Omega, and that would never happen with me around. Typically fabricated realities like that have an escape condition, and I was lucky enough that Et Cetera made it as easy as killing Omega. Smart, really, but Omega would never lie to me. If he didn't want me to kill him, he would've convinced me not to. He provoked me on purpose, ha. What a guy."

I took another moment to collect myself, then made my way over to the door I had initially entered through. I examined the dent in the steel that the coin had left, then scanned the ground for it. I was able to retrieve the coin, which was odd since I had given it to Bixby already. Eager to escape, I pocketed it and proceeded forth. There was a chain that would lift the giant steel door, powered by a motor. Or, what was left of a motor. Et Cetera most likely took the liberty of smashing it to prevent me from escaping. Refusing to be defeated, I jumped, grabbing onto the chain. I climbed it, causing it to begin to lift the giant door. I jerked on the chain, forcing the door to finally reveal the massive clearing.

It was almost the same as before, but I felt like I could see clearer. It was probably just because it was 12 hours later, making it about 3 P.M. instead of 3 A.M.

"Et Cetera is already at the palace. If Epsilon doesn't know he's there, he really might be able to sneak attack him--!"

I had no choice but to run West.

****

I approached the staircase of the palace, still relatively bloody from my initial battle. I marched up the stairs, having no energy for anything greater than a march. My march turned to a brisk walk as I moved across the glistening tile of the grand palace of Meta. I approached the throne room, which was beginning to look more and more like an office with the amount of clutter that Epsilon amassed. Most of it was papers. I assumed some from angry citizens, a couple from Dalus Cosmo regarding treaties with the Cosmos Rangers, and maybe a letter from my dad. That one was in his hand, his reading glasses in his other.

"Delta, you've seen better days kid. Don't tell me that was my son's doing?"

From behind Epsilon, I saw him again. His purple eyes stared directly into my soul this time. I couldn't see his face somehow, it was still behind some sort of veil. I saw his eyes, and his nose, and his mouth, which had one finger placed upon it begging for my silence, but I didn't see his face. Or rather, his expression didn't add up to a face. Nonetheless, I was stunned whether I wanted to be or not. Epsilon's mention of Omega only fed to the fire burning in my chest as I met Et Cetera's gaze.

"Delta?"

Epsilon's expression quickly changed from curious to serious. He didn't move an inch, taking no more than an instant to assess the situation.

CRAACKLE!

Right before Et Cetera was about to strike, Epsilon delivered an electrifying elbow to the center of Et Cetera's chest, causing him to recoil. The wall behind him was cracked, catching my eye. Was there something behind the wall?

"You people..." Et Cetera's voice forced me to shelf the idea, there was no time. He flocked to the side of the room, my gaze following him, but not Epsilon's.

"I sensed a disruption in my electric field. You mean to tell me there was a breach and nobody noticed? Ridiculous..."

Epsilon looked around the room, keeping his guard up. I stayed close, Et Cetera circling us. He seemed to sustain serious damage, the blow ripping through his ninja clothing and leaving a singed mark on his now exposed chest. When he reached the side of the room with the window, he leapt out, making a run for it across the top of the palace.

"This is obvious bait, if he wanted to get away, he could do it." I told myself, debating whether or not my awareness of the trap was enough to stave it.

"Don't bother chasing him, we can find-"

Before Epsilon could finish, his voice riddled with genuine concern, I burst through the window after the assailant. I had found myself following Et Cetera once again, though, not out of curiosity, but out of desire.