Chapter- 21 reminiscence

As night began to fall, we emerged from the hidden passageway. 

Gazing towards the horizon, I beheld the sun's fading silhouette. 

A stunning array of colors displayed themselves, a vivid mix of golds that melted into the warm oranges framing its edges. 

This spectacle cast an ethereal glow for any observer 

In the southern sky, two moons circled the planet gracefully. 

tearing my gaze from the breathtaking scene, I turned to Eugene who was following Gilead. On his side rested the wind sword Wynny— a slender rapier nestled in an exquisite black sheath adorned with silver trims. The weapon's true power resided in its capacity to summon the wind spirit king Tempest, provided the wielder possessed sufficient magical input. 

As we made our way through the estate's forest, I inhaled deeply, the air enriched with mana thanks to the nearby artificial leyline. This leyline, a product of skillful manipulation of the mana currents deep within the earth, had endured for over three centuries. 

In our silence as we returned to the estate, I bid farewell to Eugene upon reaching the main hall. 

Turning to my father, I spoke up. 

"Father, I'm heading to my chambers," I announced. 

"I'll have an attendant alert you when the banquet is about to begin," Gilead replied with a warm smile before departing. 

'It was funny to watch Edward faint while attempting to analyze the necklace' Gilead chucked at the thought

After the brief exchange, I made my way to my bedroom, navigating the familiar maze of corridors until I reached the third floor, where an attendant awaited me. 

"Master Edward, are you preparing for the banquet?"

"Yes, Haisley I am" 

"Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"Nothing as always, just ensure that no one enters my sleeping quarters while I'm inside."

Nodding in compliance the attended stood by the room entrance

Entering the large bedroom I nestled Azphel on my oak wood desk.

Looking towards my bed with a wry expression I felt my eyes slowly droop and my head fuzzy. 

Walking towards the grand bed rested in the center of my furnished room. I rested on the footboard of the bed before, elevating my left foot to rest upon my right thigh. I removed my shoe from my foot, threw it to the room's corner, and repeated the same process for my other shoe. 

Unbuttoning my top garments, I unfastened the coat and folded the garment and placing it on my nightstand. 

Un-tucking the sheets of my bed I crawled in 

Soon the soft embrace of the cushion enshrouded me. A silky blanket covered me from the chest down. 

Finding a comfortable position I soon relaxed drift off into a slumber 

****

Life - 0

"AJ, wake up! You have school!" Julianna yelled.

That voice broke through the fog in my mind.

"Okay, okay! I'm getting up, just cut it out!" I grumbled, pulling my sheets over me as I turned.

"Typical," my sister remarked, walking over to my shelf. She grabbed the biggest stuffed animal and whacked my side with it.

"Wake up!"

Jolted awake from my sleepy state, I snatched the stuffed toy and shot back, "Get out of my room! …please."

"Breakfast is on the table. I need to shower," she replied, realizing it herself.

I nodded in response, reaching for my black-framed glasses, their lenses scratched from regular wear and tear.

As I climbed out of bed, I stumbled and fell.

Crash!

"Ow!"

Rubbing the sore spot on my head, I let out a yawn and shuffled toward my closet door. 

With a pop, the suction released as I opened it.

I rummaged through my closet and picked out a red and black checkered flannel, layering it over a black long-sleeve shirt, and grabbed a pair of jeans.

Leaving my room, I headed downstairs and entered the dining room, where I spotted my second sister, Arianna.

Noticing she was the only one there, I chose an empty seat on the opposite end of the table and started eating my eggs while ignoring my little sister due to my lingering sleepiness.

I lifted my wrist to glance at my watch—it read 7:00.

'Looks like I have 30 minutes before the bus arrives.'

Fifteen minutes later…

As I stepped out of the house, I lingered in the doorway for a moment, taking a deep breath to brace myself for the next eight hours ahead.

Looking down, I noticed a toad making its way toward some nearby brush, oblivious to my presence.

With a smile, I settled myself in front of our garage, enjoying the cold, hard pavement beneath me—it was a grounding reminder that I was alive. Glancing toward the house next door, I saw a car pull into the driveway, and a man stepped out before disappearing inside.

I checked my watch and remarked, "Looks like that mystery guy showed up again at 7:16." Observing my surroundings and marking the time had become a strange yet comforting routine.

After a few minutes of tranquility, I shifted my backpack in front of me and unzipped it to find something. After rummaging through it for a bit, I finally found what I was searching for: 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- vol-11', a manga series my friend had recommended.

Flipping to the first page, I dove into the story, eagerly absorbing the contents until—

Shriek!

The bus had pulled up.

With a quick motion, I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulder and walked down the driveway to board the bus.

"Good morning, Mr. Kermit," I greeted the driver.

He barely glanced my way and simply asked, "Bus pass, please."

"Yes, sir," I replied, retrieving my small white laminated card featuring my photo and info, which I handed to him.

He looked over it briefly before returning it to me. "Find the first available seat."

I chose to ignore his advice and plopped down next to my friend Van.

"What's up, Van?" I greeted with a wave.

"Not much, you?" he replied.

"I'm good, I'm good," I said, as we chatted and exchanged manga and anime recommendations.

I pulled my laptop from my backpack, logged into it and loaded up an episode of an anime I thought would be amusingly awful.

"Have you heard of the anime Arifureta?" I asked.

"I have, but I haven't watched it. Why?" he responded.

"I'm about to start an episode if you want to watch," I offered.

"It better be decent," he warned.

Two episodes later…

"What the heck did I just watch?" he exclaimed, bewildered.

I couldn't hold back my laughter at the look on his face, pointing and chuckling. "Man, I'm sorry! I just had to show it!"

Hearing our ruckus, the bus driver barked from the front, "Shut the hell up back there!"

Finally, we arrived at school.

_____________________

Author- may have used an actually interaction with my friend :}