Chapter 9: A New identity

Midnight had settled over the world, the stars above twinkling in a vast expanse like a constellation of diamonds. The sky, with its breathtaking tapestry of celestial art, seemed almost too serene, too perfect. Below, the quiet fields stretched endlessly, with the occasional flicker of distant lights dancing momentarily before vanishing into the darkness.

At the heart of it all stood a grand pavilion, its stone walls absorbing the pale moonlight, casting an ethereal glow over the landscape. 

The building itself, imposing yet beautiful, exuded a sort of quiet power, as if it had existed there for centuries and would continue to stand long after the world had forgotten it.

Within one of its many windows, a young man stood before a mirror, staring at his reflection with a detached calm. His black hair, streaked with strands of silver, framed his face in a way that was almost artistic. His sharp eyebrows and long nose gave him a regal, handsome air, but it was his eyes that stood out the most. Carrying a deep jade green and brimming with a cold indifference which seemed to suck in everything around him. 

The silver-white robes he wore were issued by the healing pavilion, but they did little to shield him from the thoughts swirling in his mind.

In his right hand, he held a dull pendant, its once gleaming surface now lusterless, the eye engraved within it emitted a faint, oppressive glow. For a long while, he stared at it absentmindedly. 

There were no immediate answers to the questions plaguing him. 

It had been his family's heirloom and had been with him ever since he was a child, a gift from his father to shield him from the world's relentless hatred. After all, devils weren't exactly the most welcome guests in polite society. In fact, they were hunted with more fervor than demons, which was saying something.

Why? Well, that part had always been a bit of a mystery. People loved to throw around words like "harbinger of destruction" and "bane of the world," but Alaric had always found the whole thing a bit melodramatic. 

Sure, cursed children had a bad reputation of growing stupidly strong and a good number of them had the habit of going insane because of all the corruption they wielded, but were they really that much worse than the demons who laid waste to entire regions like every other Tuesday?

The world seemed to think so, and so, Cursed children were purged on sight. Killed by even their own families most of the time. 

That's just how messed up it all was. 

The universe had a way of dealing cruel honds without explanation. Devils just happened, like thunderstorms or bad luck. Nature, in all its glory, had seen fit to create them, and society had decided they needed to be wiped out at all costs. 

Alaric never asked to be born this way, but life had never been about choice, had it? 

All he could do was survive, and for a while, the pendant had made that possible. And as long as he wore it, no one could detect the nature of his being. Even when he wasn't wearing it, the damn thing left a mark, like an invisibility cloak that never quite faded.

And it had one last secret: a final lifeline he never fully understood, not until the day he died anyway. 

But all tricks wear thin eventually. Despite everything, the empire he had served so loyally eventually figured him out. They laid a trap, and the Angel made damn sure he wouldn't leave there alive.

But no one ever expected the pendant to interfere.

In his final moments, the medallion wasn't done with him. It pulled him back from the brink, dragged his soul into a new body, forced breath into lungs that weren't his and gave him a second chance.

If you could call it that.

Because the pendant didn't stay behind.

It followed him into this life too, but not as a protector anymore. No, now it was something else entirely.

It lodged itself in his mind, waiting like a patient predator. 

Heh, who would've thought.

He let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.

From savior to executioner. The medallion certainly had a twisted sense of irony.

'I mean, it's a cursed artifact anyway…' he sighed. 

'At least it still retains its core ability though, this'll really help me blend in a bit more naturally now.''

He muttered with faint satisfaction, feeling the faint pressure of something blanketing over him. 

At this point, Alaric's mind was clear. He could fully grasp the memories that now resided within him.

Beyond his own identity and past life, he now carried the memories of the young man whose body he had taken. Luther Kingsley. 

He remembered the boy's thoughts, his outlook on the world, and the choices that had driven him from his family manor to the academy.

The boy's life had ended the moment he was struck down, and Alaric's rebirth began the moment he woke from that fatal 'slumber.'

"Poor kid."

Alaric thought, reflecting on Luther's short, unfortunate existence.

He also recalled the strange visions from his time in limbo, though even now he preferred not to relive them. Each attempt to remember made his head throb. But as time passed, he realised that he didn't even have to remember those memories, because he ended up conveniently forgetting everything piece by piece, now only so little remained, as if his mind got rid of the memories in order to protect itself. 

Taking a deep breath, he turned away from the pendant, trying to push the memory aside. There were more pressing matters to deal with.

Like such Eldrynn Academy, which was the institute under the Marlowe Empire, where he currently resides. 

"Starting tomorrow, I'll probably have to start attending the academy."

He murmured, feeling helpless just thinking about it. 

Even if he wanted to leave and pursue his own path, the world outside was far too dangerous for someone lacking power.

"Strength is the deciding factor, so I'm gonna need to bide my time, gather resources, and grow before making any bold moves. The academy, while not ideal… I suppose it is the safest option for now."

The wild lands outside were filled with beasts, natural disasters, and lawless humans. It was a harsh and unforgiving world. Alone, he wouldn't survive a week. Worse still, as a cursed child, he had no place in the world. He'd be killed on site wherever he went. 

Attending the academy, and blending in as Luther Kingsley, would allow him to grow stronger in secret. And when the time was right, he would leave. 

The pendant, though no longer the powerful artifact it once was, still retained its primary function: hiding his true nature. As long as it worked, he could use the boy's face to gather strength and prepare for the future.

But first, he had to be admitted into the academy. 

His gaze shifted downward, toward his navel, where his core resided. Specifically, he peered at a certain mass of energy swirling within it. 

"Tier one… I could work with that."

He smiled, peering in deeper. 

'First order of business,' he thought, 'is to assimilate this spell into my core.'

Despite all he's been through, he still didn't completely 'own' the spell still in the core yet, and the deadly game changing ability he used back at the ambush had already faded into nothingness. He'll have to use his Ether to gain permanent control of this spell if he ever wanted to cast it. 

He focused on the task ahead, pushing aside thoughts of the past. The academy, for now, was his only option. And if all went according to plan, it wouldn't hold him for long.

Though he couldn't help but frown while peering into it his core a bit longer. 

"This core though… feels incomplete…"