POV: Aldric Leywin

  “I think Art and Al should have a mentor.” My father said. It had been two weeks since me and Arthur had awakened. We had been practicing with father, he had let us run and taught us mana manipution. Arthur had gotten it right away, but I had struggled first because I had to find an equilibrium between suppressing the curse and controlling mana. Even though I could now suppress the curse but I still felt that soothing cold energy beckoning me to just give in, let go and turn all to ash. I tried to ignore it but it was always present, every moment of the day, reminding me that I was never save, I could never truly live the life I had wished for.

  “This decision concerns both of you, what do you want?” My father said looking at me and Arthur. I looked up confused since I hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation and now my mother and father were looking at us.

  Before I could say anything Arthur spoke up. “We could try first meeting the tutor and let them see if we need to be tutored or not, right Al?” He looked at me expectantly. I didn’t know the prospect of meeting new people frightened me, I was already struggling keeping calm with my own family, how would it be with other people? In my first life the people I met were either staff members or people I had to kill and the idea of meeting new people just felt so wrong to me. I felt a memory resurfacing— a man crying as his face slowly rotted away, I tried to ignore it, as sweat started to form on my face, I clenched my hands and slowly breathed in and out, trying to calm myself, trying to calm down.

  “Right.” I nod trying to sound excited but my voice comes out sounding hollow. Arthur looks at me and raises an eyebrow but stays quiet. My mother looked reluctant but agreed and told us we would be heading out to Xyrus tomorrow.

  POV: Aldric Leywin—The next day

  Mother, Father and Arthur were packing up all their things, they were ughing and talking with my brother, Arthur was always energetic and confident, something I never could copy. I had thought that awakening my mana core would make things easier, but it didn’t, I could always feel that soothing cold energy calling out to me, it was always there in the back of my mind, reminding me that I could never be like Arthur, that I was cursed, a pgue. I always had to use part of my mana too suppress it, but I didn’t have enough mana too fully suppress the curse so it was always there at my finger tips, but couldn’t effect the world, I curled my hands into fists and held them close to my body. I shook my head, I just needed to get strong enough to fully suppress this curse, then I could be like Arthur, I could hug my mother without fearing her falling apart in my arms, I could live without that fear. I looked up seeing my family was almost done packing all they’re stuff, they were smiling and as I looked at them I thought to myself, maybe I could also be part of that, all I needed to do was get stronger and that was what we were going to Xyrus for.

  My father expined to us that we would travel to the grand mountains to use a teleportation gate that was situated there we would be going with his ex party members the twin horns.

  Helen Shard: Female augmenter, specializing in magic archery

  Adam Krench: Male augmenter, main weapon is a spear

  Ange Rose: Female conjurer, specializing in wind magic

  Durden Walker: Male conjurer, specializing in earth magic.

  Jasmine Fmesworth: Female conjurer, specializing in speed with dual daggers.

  We reached the inn they were staying in. My father hugged his ex party members and then turned to us.

  “Fels, I want you to meet my two sons, Arthur and Aldric. Go on introduce yourselfs.” He said pushing us forward.

  Arthur confident as always stepped forward and introduced himself. “ Hello my father has told me great things about his fellow Twin Horn member. Thank you for traveling with us to Xyrus. We will be in your hands.”

  “ Your sure he’s you’re son Rey?” Adam says looking at Arthur. It was my turn to speak now, I looked up, “ Hello, my name is Aldric.” I simply state, I had tried again to sound excited but it came out as nothing but a hollow whisper.

  Adam looked at me and smiled, “ Well nice to meet you Aldric.” Suddenly I was picked up, I stiffened at the unexpected contact, but quickly tried to hide it. “Aren’t they just too precious.” I recoiled and looked at the woman who had picked me and Arthur up, she had blond hair and green eyes that seemed to droop slightly. She looked at me worriedly since I had suddenly recoiled.

  “Is every thing okay?” She asked. “ Oh he’s just shy.” My mother said smiling at me. I tried to smile back, but I was struggling to hide the discomfort I felt, the sudden contact had confused me and the fact that it wasn’t any one of my family members made it difficult to contain the panic. Meeting these new people was confusing and I felt extremely uncomfortable, but maybe that’s what I needed to finally be more open, like Arthur.

  POV: Arthur Leywin

  After meeting up with the Twin Horns we all got ready and packed our things onto the carriage, I watched Jasmine Fmesworth, she interested me, she didn’t speak much, like the others and was also younger than the rest of the Twin Horns. We got into the carriage, which were pulled by a mana beasts called Skitters, giant lizards that were cssified as D- css mana beasts. The carriage started moving.

  During the ride I got to hear some story’s that the Twin Horns had experienced, adventuring was unlike any job in my past life as King Grey, they explored dungeons, fought mana beast and did all sorts of things that would have sounded ridiculous in my old world. I also noticed that my brother, Aldric, was even more reserved than usual. Aldric, he looked almost exactly like me except those hollow grey eyes, he had always been different, he always seemed distant and every time my mother or father would hug him I could see him stiffen, he also had the habit of keeping his hand near to his body like they would burn some one. After he awakened his mana core, it got better he still didn’t talk much, but when my mother hugged him he wouldn’t stiffen, although I could still see a little tension in his eyes. He had also started trying to talk more, it made me happy to see my twin getting more open. I hope he will get more open and maybe talk to me more.

  By Nightfall the distant mountain range seemed to have doubled in size. How big were these mountains? Needles to say I was excited to get out of Ashber. We eventually found a spot to set up camp, a fire was made and a couple tents pced around the fire. We sat down around the fire and the Twin Horns and my parents started talking about they’re adventuring days, Until Adam sat next to me and nonchantly said,” I heard your pops say that you two were some genius mages… so have you two awakened?” He looked at me and Aldric.

  Not knowing how to respond I look over at Aldric, who is sitting a little away from everyone else, he just looked at me with those hollow grey eyes. So I just decided to go with the truth. By now the some of the other members of the Twin Horns had gotten curious.

  “ Mind if I test them, Rey?” Adam asked, looking at my father. My father exchanged a look with my mother, but he seemed to trust his old comrade. “Ok, but I haven’t taught them how to fight yet so be careful and they have to agree.” He looked at me and Aldric.

  I thought about it and it didn’t seem like a bad idea, maybe it wasn’t the best idea since three year olds can’t usually wield a sword, they can barely even walk, but I didn’t really think about that. I looked over at Aldric and to my surprise he also gave a slight nod of agreement. ‘What is he thinking? I thought he’d decline.’ I was surprised but also suspicious, ’what three year old can even use a sword?’ Of course I didn’t count, since I had been King Grey before being reborn. ‘Could Aldric also be reincarnated?’ I thought about it, but although it might be a possibility it didn’t change much and I still wasn’t sure. ‘ I just have to see how he fights.’ I thought to myself

  Adam got up from the log he had been using as a seat and looked around until he found a stock that seemed to satisfy him.

  “Okay let’s start with you first Arthur, let’s see what you’re made of!” He said looking at me.