Something jostled my shoulders, shaking me awake. As I swatted at it, trying to push it away, the shaking persisted, growing more insistent. A voice, distant yet familiar, pierced through the darkness that enveloped my consciousness, as if calling me.
"Lu-"
"Luke!" the voice grew louder. "Luke, wake up!"
With a jolt, my eyelashes fluttered open and I found myself face to face with a figure I knew all too well. My head pounded and as I sat up, I asked groggily, "William? What are you doing here?"
Confused, I tried to make sense of my surroundings, but as my gaze traveled around the room, I realized that I was not where I had expected to be. My body felt different too. I was back in my own skin, as Luke, not Lucas. I ran my hands over my body, checking each limb to make sure it was all still there.
"Luke, are you alright?" William asked, concern etched on his face.
I looked at my younger brother with a mix of confusion and disbelief. "What day is it?" I asked him.
William's eyes went wide and he looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "It's hiking day, of course," he replied, puffing out his chest. "Don't you remember? You were the one who told me to wake you up early for this. How could you forget your own plans with me?"
I winced at the mention of the hike, my head pounding even harder. I looked over at the calendar on my desk and saw that it read July 14th. I was supposed to be dead today, but the fact that I was breathing and in my own room suggested otherwise. Was it all just a dream? I wondered, trying to figure out which version of reality was the truth. Before I could dwell on it further, William grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.
"Come on, we have to make it to the top before sunrise!," he exclaimed, tugging on my arm and pulling me to my feet.
The darkness of the pre-dawn hours clung to the earth like a cloak, muffling the sounds of the waking world. I decided to waive off my earlier confusion as I followed William up the famous hiking spot, a hill not far from our home.
Actually, on the day before, I had indeed asked William to join me on this hike to celebrate his acceptance into one of the top law schools in the country. In general, William and I would always embark upon a hiking retreat whenever there was cause for celebration or a matter of grave import to discuss. It was a sort of tradition that we had pledged to one another ever since we were teenagers.
Though our relationship was sometimes contentious, marked by his clever but plentiful sarcasms as well as my tendency to ruffle his feathers—we, in fact, had never truly been at odds with one another. Despite being three years apart in age, we were like two tightly wound strands of yarn. Our bond was unbreakable. Some might have considered it strange since we both had contrasting personalities. But for me, William was the light that illuminated my path, while I was the shadow that supported him from behind.
"Luke," William's voice called out, yanking my thoughts back to the present.
"What is it?" I inquired, my gaze fixed on the treacherous path before me as I placed each foot carefully on the rocky, jagged outcroppings, using my climbing sticks to find purchase and push myself higher up the steep incline.
"It's about that book," William grunted, his breath coming in heavy gasps as he climbed alongside me. "It's all true. Every last bit of it."
I froze mid-step as William's sudden, cryptic words reached my ears, gazing at his broad back in confusion. As I struggled to decipher the meaning behind his words, he stopped and turned to face me, the orange glow of dawn casting a harsh light over his features. But even the usually picturesque view behind him seemed ominous in that moment, as if warning me of some unseen danger.
"But you were wrong about Lucas. He never wanted to follow in Richard's footsteps or ingratiate himself with those aristocrats. He certainly never intended to kill his father."
I saw a hint of sorrow in his blue eyes as he looked at me, but I couldn't understand why he was bringing up the book now.
"William, what are you talking about?" I chuckled awkwardly. "Did the book drive you crazy?" I tried to joke, brushing off his nonsensical words.
"No, I was there, Luke," he said, his voice low and grave. "I was there when you died."
"What—"
"And as for the hero," he continued, his voice laced with bitter irony, "I was wrong about him. He was ■■■■■."
I felt a sense of foreboding wash over me as his words were drowned out by a strange, persistent buzzing sound. A sharp pain lanced through my head, and I groaned, pressing my palm to my temple.
"Luke, you're the one they need," William spoke, his words cutting through the air as I stumbled and lost my footing.
Desperate to catch hold of him, I reached out my arms. However, before my fingers could even brush against his arm, I was violently shoved from the side by some unknown force. At the sudden impact, I tumbled past William and eventually hurtled down the hill towards the ground below.
As I tumbled to the ground, I caught a glimpse of William's expression, etched with despair. Through the billowing clouds, I saw a shadow looming beside him. A sinister figure whose twisted grin seemed to mock my fall. Simultaneously, a surge of horror coursed through me as I plummeted to the earth. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to be offered as a sacrifice by someone's wicked plans. I had hoped for a different end, but it seemed that fate had other ideas.
◈◈◈
In a remote unknown realm, three stellar soulweavers gathered between the myriads of luminescent rivers of time to discourse their stratagem and machinations that held great importance. While eluding Alea’s and Deta's divine unyielding authority, they had been hiding in the isolated realm for thousands of Stea years, secretly biding their time. Since the event of Cataclysm, they had been treading with great caution executing their master's convoluted plan using their modicum of wisdom granted by their omnipotent creator, to keep it away from the prying eyes.
“Shall fate change its course or return this time?” hummed One.
“Oblivion. The universe seeks that man through if it’d be true that he is a master of all or none,” Second hesitated.
Third concluded, “Aye, his purposefulness shall pay its debt ultimately. We need him.”
"We've failed before. Will it succeed?" One spoke.
"Fate will determine everything," Second replied.
"As will time," Third concurred.
The three continued gazing upon the stars, suspended in the fabric of time and space. Each one represented the soul of a mortal, under their watchful gaze. Amidst the endless array of stars, one in particular shone with an enigmatic, shimmering light. A soul beyond price, with the power to shift the balance of power in the divine realm.
◈◈◈
Reina had been following her master for some time, after she caught sight of a white puppy cradled in his arms as she went about her morning tasks. Intrigued, she crept along, ducking behind corners and buildings, wells, and bushes as she trailed Lucas to the entrance of the arena.
The sight of the adorable puppy brought a sparkle to Reina's eyes. She had a great love for all things fluffy and cute, and couldn't resist the temptation to follow her master secretly. She even dared to hope that he might allow her the opportunity to care for the puppy herself. As she watched from a distance, she saw Lucas greet the guards at the entrance to the arena. After a brief conversation, one guard rushed inside, leaving her quite puzzled.
Moments later, a few guards and the arena's keeper emerged from the entrance. Reina was perplexed at the unfolding situation. It was the first time she had seen Lucas take the initiative to practice in the arena. However, it was strange that Lucas had entered the compound alone and even stranger that he had done so with only a single puppy by his side.
After Lucas entered, Reina waited behind a large maple tree outside the arena. As the time ticked by, her boredom grew, causing her mouth to involuntarily gape in a yawn as she fiddled with a stick she found on the ground. When she scribbled some writings on the dirt, a sudden low shriek jolted her awake by surprise. Her head turned and she stood up from the ground with anxiety filling inside her. It was the voice of her master, Lucas, coming from inside the arena.
Alarmed, Reina sprinted into the compound, following suit after the guards that rushed in to investigate. Upon entering, she was unexpectedly met with the horrifying sight of Lucas, shirtless and bleeding from the mouth. In shock, she stumbled back a few steps as she gazed upon his slumped body.
"Someone call for help!" One of the guards shouted, urgency clear in his voice.
When she regained back her composure, Reina lifted her skirt slightly without a moment's hesitation and hurried towards the main building. As she ran, her mind raced with worry for her master's well-being.
"Master, please be alright," she pleaded, her footsteps pounding against the ground as she searched for George for help.
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