Infinite Recall

'Was it pride?'

'Is that what brought us to this moment? With but a few bursts of air left within my lungs, I now reach out in desperation. In the slight hope that my final words are remembered. I refuse to be forgotten….lost in history and a part of the dirt we walk on. Never again..'

'I see you….'

He didn't. There was nobody in the room but for Dio.

Dio Aethereus, the ruler and Wizard Supreme. Known for his sheer magical prowess, he stood at the pinnacle and led a very dedicated life. At the age of 9, he fought and took down a Wyvern on his own. Which…..wasn't received too well by his parents.

He wasn't just regular strong or talented. In this world of magic and witchcraft, memory served a pivotal role. The runic structure underlying every spell served an important basis in the manifestation of mana. Therefore, recalling the structure in an improper manner would result in the alteration of the spell. 

There was no information regarding the origins of runic structures, presumed to have always been around, mages were simply grateful as they inculcated magic into their everyday life. Every now and then, however, there came along an individual that defied the law of nature. Dio was born with Perfect Memory. It was a rather straightforward boon for a rather complicated man.

What took someone weeks would take him a day or, in some cases, a few hours. It allowed him to broaden his arsenal of spells, something that most people didn't have the luxury of doing. 

Nevertheless, putting aside his power…Dio was known for one other thing. He was ethereal. The most sought-after man whose gaze caused the celestial bodies to tremble. His golden locks of hair, resembling rich wheat fields, gently fell upon his eyebrows, highlighting his rather unique orange eyes. He knew this. He was well aware of his own star forged body and how admirable he was. 

Dio never found love. Until one day, growing up, he accidentally stumbled upon his own reflection while staring at a pond.

'What is that….I hear you…I hear..myself?' It was faint, but there were hints of anticipation mixed into his confusion.

At the moment, he lay on a throne. A very ruler of the whole world kind of throne. With magic circles over a large bronze sphere indicating some sort of spell attempting to be cast. His eyelids continued to grow heavier as the mental conflict grew stronger. He could feel it, there was another presence, someone or something that reminded him of himself.

"….." Any lingering thoughts came to a halt that very moment. That was it. That was the end of the Wizard Supreme. The all-handsome.

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Echoes, lost in the abyss, overwhelmed with sensation. Fragments of conversation, words that seemed familiar but ever so difficult to recall. Where was he? Was he okay? Was he still Dio? 

"Descendants of the Covencut apparently…."

"Poor child…he has no family…"

"Pray that this child finds a warm and loving family…"

He was no longer a child and no longer lived in the same reality as he once did. Azure was grown up now but suffered the same tainted existence. His life on Earth felt meaningless. In a world built on experience and learning, Azure was born with a body that couldn't retain any memories. 

Indeed, a mockery of who he once was. Of what he once amounted to and what he once represented.

It was a struggle; even making it up to high school like he did was difficult beyond measure. He knew his name, remembered to eat food and take care of himself, but that was it. Conversations with people were practically lost in the wind.

His death was close. Azure could feel it. His vision grew blurry as weird shapes and lines began to float, stumbling through the school corridor, he ignored the remarks and looks of disdain.

'Please…' he was desperate to reach his classroom. Every step was louder and heavier than the one before. 

He crashed into the sliding door, peeking through the glass to notice nobody in the room. Regardless, at that moment, he wanted to be alone. He wanted nobody to bear witness of his existence, even in his final moments.

Truly…a mockery of everything Dio Aethereus once was.

"Haaaah…." He plopped onto the chair in the corner, his head slightly banging against the window, and with it a clinking sound reverberated. He could briefly notice outlines of a person appear as his consciousness slowly began to drift away.

That was it. That was the end of Azure Covencut's life. 

Perhaps that was the reason he wished for no company. To prefer to be alone even in his last moments, does that speak of how lonely life was for him? To resort to solitude even in the face of death.

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A warm green light enveloped his body, any semblance of pain now replaced with a fuzzy and cozy feeling. Was it contradictory because there was warmth? Or was it because magic never existed on Earth? If Azure could remember, there would be hope in seeking such answers.

They say that at the very end of our lives, everyone is faced with a bright heavenly light. Except in his case, it was green. His body was overwhelmed with feelings he had never experienced before.

He could hear voices. His senses weren't developed yet, so it was natural he couldn't comprehend them clearly. Mustering all his strength, he managed to pop an eye open. His infantile gaze fell upon a woman whose embrace he lay in.

'P..pretty….'

Pretty she was. With kind green eyes that acted like a dam holding back a flood of love and affection, he felt her gaze inject within him a deep sense of belonging. His tiny fingers scrabbled towards her hazel hair locks. She wore an expression of satisfaction, contrary to her flushed and exhausted state. He felt a sharp pain looking at her; what a sin it was. To put such a kind woman through the pain of childbirth.

At that moment, he felt something else. Calloused and rough hands that clearly understood what it meant to struggle. Was this world cursed? Why did everything feel so warm? Why were battered hands giving him such comfort?

"He takes after his mother…" the man said with a tone so gentle that it could melt a cold-blooded killer's heart. 

"He's curious like you…" the woman chuckled weakly as she looked at the baby's wandering eyes. 

"A cute little boy," an old woman's voice echoed in the room as she took me from my mother's embrace and stared deep into my eyes. "Gah, a naughty one as well, peeing all over me!"

"Haha...sounds just like you, Drake," another voice spoke. It belonged to Drake's father, Azure's grandfather, Theo. "He looks a lot like Luna; actually, he looks exactly like you, Luna. Congratulations!"

"Father" Drake said as he hugged Theo, "come on now don't embarrass me in front of my child.."

"Put me back, you miserable wench! I demand to be back with my mother! You stupid cow-looking witch, curse you!" he screamed at the doctor, at least that's what he intended to convey. It was amusing, considering there was no way for anyone to understand him.

"GOOHGAAHGOOOG, GOOOHGAH,"

"Woah, isn't he a wild one," Drake replied as he took the baby away from the cow-like doctor. Immediately after, the crying and wailing died down, almost as if the goal was to get away from the doctor.

"Aren't you a cutie? Oh yess you are, oh yes you are," Drake whispered as he swayed slowly.

'Well, this is better than the doctor,r so I guess I won't say anything,' he thought to himself. There were things shifting inside him. He felt his fundamental being change slowly but surely.

Theo gestured to the old doctor and whispered something to her, making her smile and step out of the room. The next second he muttered, "Veil," a translucent dome began to take shape, covering everyone and everything in the room.

Drake walked over carefully and left the child in his mother's embrace, a green light instantly enveloping his body. It was absurd! He found it ridiculous that magic existed. There was simply no way! Rebellious thoughts were soon put to a halt as the light grew stronger, taking away any energy left and instantly putting the child to sleep. 

An interesting fate that rejected magic at birth but came to grow so fond of it over time. He was all grown up now, unaware of any lives he'd led before this. The young boy stood tall and proud. His parents were overjoyed as they named him after the Forgotten King, the Wizard Supreme who had ceased to exist.

"Diooo!!!" Luna screamed as she quickly set the table. "We leave soon! Don't you dare spend any longer in front of the mirror!"