Two Months Later
The past sixty days had been a whirlwind of careful observation, hushed inquiries, and painstaking efforts to recall the intricate details of a future that no longer existed. I tread carefully, ensuring my actions did not raise suspicion. It was a fragile balance—learning from past mistakes while adapting to the uncertainty of this new timeline.
I trained harder than ever, forcing my young body to remember what my older self had mastered. My muscles screamed in protest, but I welcomed the pain. If I was to prevent the catastrophe that awaited, I needed strength—more than I had in my past life.
And now, the time has come.
The Annual Coming of Age Ceremony was upon us.
The great hall brimmed with tension as the heirs of our clan gathered before the Matriarch and the council of sub-family heads. Draped in ceremonial robes, we stood side by side—symbols of our family's legacy, each of us prepared to prove our worth. At the center of it all stood my brother, Stef—the rightful heir, my twin, the one I had failed to protect in my past life.
I gritted my teeth, feeling the weight of foreknowledge pressing against me. I wouldn't let history repeat itself.
"Today, you step beyond the walls of comfort and into the depths of the unknown," my mother's voice echoed through the chamber. "The dungeon does not favor the weak. Prove your strength, or be forgotten."
The ritual was brutal. Each year, heirs aged fifteen were sent into the Verdant Abyss, a treacherous underground labyrinth filled with deadly creatures and trials designed to separate the strong from the dead. Not all who entered returned.
Stef and I exchanged a glance. He was as confident as ever, blissfully unaware of the fate that had once awaited him. I clenched my fists. Not this time.
The Descent into the Dungeon
The stone passage leading into the Verdant Abyss swallowed us whole, torches flickering dimly as we advanced deeper into the darkness. The walls pulsed with an eerie, unnatural energy. I felt it immediately—the shift in the air, the unseen malice that slithered through the shadows.
I tightened my grip on the blade at my side. I knew what was coming.
The trials began swiftly. Packs of shadow beasts emerged from the abyss, their crimson eyes gleaming in the dim light. The heirs fought valiantly, some succeeding, others faltering. I kept close to Stef, feeling any creature that strayed too near. But this was just a test—a prelude to the true danger.
Then, it happened.
The torches flickered and died. Silence, thick and suffocating, settled over the cavern. A chill ran down my spine.
A scream.
Then another.
Figures cloaked in darkness descended like wraiths, their blades swift, their movements precise. The assassins had come.
Stef barely had time to react before one of them lunged for him. My body moved before my mind could process. Steel met steel with a deafening clash as I intercepted the strike meant for my brother's throat.
The force of the blow sent me staggering, but I adjusted swiftly. My instincts—honed through a lifetime of war in my past existence—kicked in. I spun low, driving my blade into the assassin's side. He faltered, but not enough.
They were relentless.
Two more figures emerged from the shadows, their weapons aimed at Stef. Panic surged through me. I wasn't strong enough. Not yet. But I had one advantage—knowledge.
I reached deep within myself, grasping for something I had yet to fully awaken in this life. My mana. It lay dormant, untouched, waiting to be called upon. I closed my eyes, drowning out the chaos. I had done this before. I could do it again.
A spark ignited within me.
The air around me crackled, the cavern alight with a sudden surge of energy. My body burned with raw power as tendrils of shimmering blue light wove around my limbs. Time seemed to slow. I could see every movement, anticipate every strike.
The assassins hesitated for just a moment.
A moment was all I needed.
I moved faster than I ever had, blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. The first assassin fell before he could react, his throat sliced clean. The second barely had time to register his comrade's death before I drove my blade into his chest.
The last turned to flee, but I wouldn't allow it.
Not this time.
With a flick of my wrist, the mana coursing through me surged outward. A spear of pure energy erupted from my palm, impaling the assassin mid-stride. He crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Silence.
Stef stood frozen, staring at me in shock. Around us, the surviving heirs watched in stunned disbelief. I breathed heavily, the adrenaline still surging through my veins.
I had done it. I had saved him.
But this was just the beginning.
I met Stef's gaze and offered a smirk. "Try not to die, brother. I can't always be here to save you."
He exhaled a shaky laugh, tension breaking slightly. "You're insane."
I sheathed my blade. "You have no idea." were the last words i could utter before feeling the intense pain of mana relapse. My vision was fading as my brother ran towards me in an attempt to catch me, I was relieved that I was able to save him. Before my consciousness left me I heard the hastened footsteps of the knights there and then my relief was complete.
The game had changed. The future was no longer certain. And I would make sure that this time, I would be the one to dictate fate—not the other way around.