Chapter 3- Childhood friend

It had been only two hours since Ceaser was reborn in this world of fantasy, and here he was, locked in a cell, waiting for his trial which would happen tomorrow.

He wasn't given medical attention or any food. Just dragged by the wrist and forced into the four-by-four jail.

His crime? Summoning a Soulless.

This world works on soul energy. And those beasts who don't possess a soul and are just shells of their original form are called Soulless.

Those beings are not from this world, but randomly they appear here and there. And there is a known ritual to summon it as well.

Soulless beings do not possess sanity and they are majorly driven by blood lust for any living being that carries Soul Energy. And summoning one of those creatures near an Academy which was filled with soul energy users...

Indeed a crime worth being punished.

But did Alex summon that beast? No, he didn't.

Alex is a rage-bait character who helps in the character development of Alex's childhood friend who is one of the main heroines of the story—Celestria Evelyn Stormveil.

The Princess of the kingdom and someone who became the reason behind Alex's death.

No, she didn't conspire against him. Rather, she is the reason why someone else made an enemy out of Alex.

So yeah, she is problematic.

For now, Alex was focusing on regaining his memories since, without them, there could arise a bunch of problems. Although he has started to regain some of those memories, the process was slow.

'Agh...my shoulder...' Rotating his hand around, he tried to regain his mobility somehow.

He had a bunch of injuries, but because of the procedure they follow with every criminal in this academy, they couldn't have healed him or fed him a potion.

'Tomorrow the headmaster will arrive...' Fortunately, from what he has read, the headmaster of the Soulforge Academy is a rational and kind man.

And Alex knows who the real person was behind this incident...

"Alex..." Suddenly someone arrived before his cell, and without looking at her, he knew who it could be.

"Cela..." Alex heaved a sigh and got up before turning towards the person.

There stood two people and one of them were his childhood friend.

The seventeen-year-old had long, flowing, golden blond hair that reached her mid-back. Clear aquamarine eyes oozed with innocence, and currently, the emotions she held in them were a concern and slight suspicion.

Beside her was her roommate and someone Alex knew; his memory told him that the girl was named Alicia or something.

'Ugh, these memories are taking ages to restore...'

The girl finally uttered, "How did all of this happen?"

Alex's heart was beating loudly, maybe a reaction to the fragment of the previous owner's soul that remained. However, the current Alex didn't have any inclination to behave just how the original would have.

"Agh!" Just as Alex was about to reply, Celestria shivered and looked towards her behind.

"What happened?" Alicia asked, to which Celestria shook her head and mumbled,

"I felt...something....forget it." She redirected her eyes toward Alex and urged him to answer her.

"How did you end up at the same place where that ritual happened?"

"I was tricked, Cela." His quick response made her eyes widen,

"W-What did you say?" She asked in disbelief. She trusted her friend. However, Alex had been acting weirdly for some time now. And there was evidence that suggested that around the site where the ritual took place, there was no one except for Alex.

Not to talk about, she saw the book of dark rituals in his bag yesterday.

"Yes, I am being framed here. And I know exactly who is the one behind this."

Celestria frowned deeply and asked, "Who?"

Alex indifferently answered, "Your dear friend, Edric."

Celestria's eyes widened upon hearing that name, and so did Alicia's.

Edric was not only her good friend but a very kind and honest-hearted person. Because of his recent achievements in cross-school competitions, he has gained popularity, and everyone in the academy knows how helpful that person is.

"How can you blame Edric like that? Are you out of your mind?" Alicia asked him in a raised voice; shock and annoyance written over her face.

Alex didn't bat an eye at her and kept his gaze affixed to Celestria.

The blond girl lowered her head, and her fist remained clenched.

With her shoulders trembling, she spoke through gritted teeth, "....I didn't believe them...."

Alex raised his brows but remained silent, and allowed the girl to continue,

"I didn't believe any of them...when they said that Alex always antagonises Edric because I am paying attention to someone else other than my childhood friend."

"I always told them that they don't know what kind of person my best friend is. Alex can never think like that. That, Alex, is a good person...."

Looking up, she looked at him with her eyes moistened and growled, "Do you know what Edric said when he heard I am coming to meet you?"

Curiously Alex asked, "What?"

"That I should always keep believing in my friend. He said that even if I also start suspecting you, then who would be there to support you? And you...you are blaming such a kind person? Disgusting!"

Inching closer, she uttered in a heavy voice, "I was wrong to not believe others when they warned me about you. You are and always have been a cheap-minded bastard who only knows how to stab others in the back."

Alex lazily heaved a sigh, hoping that this would end as soon as possible.

Seeing him not responding, Celestria stepped back and told him, "Regardless of what happens tomorrow, let's pretend we don't know each other."

"Fine by me." Alex shrugged.

Alicia was completely baffled by that reaction; however, she didn't want her friend to stay here and shed any more tears.

Holding her shoulders, Alicia urged, "Let's go, Cela. The more you stay here the more you will get hurt."

Seeing them finally leaving, Alex waved at the girl's, before heaving another big sigh and grabbing his little belly.

'Fuck...I am starving...'

Going back to the small bed, he laid down. Tomorrow is gonna be a big day.

----------**---------

A/N:- Add the story to your collection.