Transmigration Into The Beginning After The End

CHAPTER 54 - LET US NOT RUN BUT WALK

LUKE HODGES

Being in the giant floating island was really something I wasn't going to be expecting after some time. 

It was more lively than what I remember, well it's been two years and a half or so. My time as an adventurer was pretty fast and slow. With how many days it would be with me being in a dungeon or even weeks. It was hard to tell until Aya or Alea would tell me after looking for me. 

"Well now. Should I head to the academy?" I slightly said in a low voice, feeling the energy I would have upon entering my high school for the first time. 

The crowd, despite it being night time, was alive like it would be in the morning like the novel would describe it. 

As I walked towards my destination, I replayed multiple lines and scenarios that the novel explained, multiple I had forgotten about while others stayed in my mind. Tessia's rampaged mana signature which granted her later on a higher stage, silver core. And another being the traitor of this academy, Kai. 

I don't remember much but I know his description as per the novel's words. Anything more than that like his last name or blood name is still unknown to me. Maybe I had forgotten?

Lost in deep thought, the only things that came more important were the way I would change the story of the academy and how I would not step in. Like during the invas…ion… 

Strange. It seems that I couldn't remember when Arthur saved the academ…y? 

Maybe I am just tired, right? 

There is no way I would forget things that were from my favorite novel, right? 

A sense of panic and desperation overwhelmed my body as I tried to find an explanation about why I couldn't remember the events clearly. 

"Luke Hodges?" 

My eyes turned to the warm voice that was at the same time soft. Landing on purple-ish mage clothes and a witch hat the same color. Her eyes gazed upon me like some lost child. It had been sometime since I last saw Cynthia Goodsky and the same could be said about her. 

"Hello there, Ms. Cynthia." 

My formalities were top notch even though I'd spent mostly three years as an adventurer fighting her kind, but she didn't know that or had the need to. 

"Why are you here dear? Oh! I take it you ended your adventuring time?" 

"Y-Yeah…"

Cynthia looked around her like if trying to kidnap me. 

Then before I could get going, the director of the most prestigious school here in the continent spoke, "Then how about I show you to your room? Since you are to enter the Academy in days from now, yes?"

***

Upon arriving at the academy and into my room. I couldn't help but notice how I was alone. A bed for only one… Why?

Shouldn't there be another bed? Like I would have a roommate or something? 

I looked at the ceiling with a curious look, pumping my fist up in the air like I was threatening whoever listened to me. "I better not be lonely you hear me!"

With that out of the way, I had other matters to attend to.

"My mana core…"

I slightly rubbed my chest where my mana core resided. I took a clear inspection of my core, understanding the way it felt and worked. It was strange… It had been sometime since I had seen my mana core. In the beginning, I did drool over it at first but then I had to fight Alacryans and that became more important. 

Still, it should be nice to stop once and a while to inspect it. 

Dark orange stage. That was my mana core's stage level and yet my powers and mana manipulation far exceed those who are above me. Not to a Lance level but close enough to be confused by one, well no one knows what a Lance is yet.

Only a matter of time before they get instructed to reveal themselves when they finally decide to release Alacrya's existence. 

Well, it doesn't matter. Training my mana core will be the most important thing to do yet, then as I get my classes, maybe I will improve in my spells as well. 

It all comes down to my determination. 

My point of view changed from the beautiful room I was in to pure darkness. I had to concentrate on my mana, the mana in the atmosphere, and my mana core purification. 

All three things being on one mind was already crazy enough but it wasn't a water cup full to stop me. I was going to ascend stage core whether or not it was cracking. 

For the first few hours, I had trouble combining the mana in the atmosphere into my core, forgetting to purify it until I hit the seventh hour. By the tenth hour, I had already purified every single mana molecule that entered my body, but there was still no action in my core. I had my mana core filled above what it should be and it was leaking mana. My mana veins felt clogged with the very thing that it was supposed to work with. 

Then before I knew it, twenty-six hours had passed. My eyes shot open and everything became clearer. Every single object there was in the room was enhanced with every detail known to man. The threads of cotton and the patterns in the wooden floors made it seem like I was zoomed in like a smartphone camera. 

I felt not only the faint breeze that entered from the small opening the window left. I ignited my power in hopes that maybe that was too upgraded but that was too much hopeful thinking. 

Nothing changed, everything was still the same like before. Yet now, I couldn't use fire or wind. I've been losing my elemental affinities left and right. A single thought of readiness floated around my mind, at that moment, I felt like I knew my future. 

"Maybe I will lose the others as well." I lightly joked, opening my palm and imagining fire and wind, combined into one like a blazing typhoon but nothing appeared. 

I had to accept it. I was going to lose my ability to fight sooner or later. Before I might know, magic won't be on the table anymore and I will be stranded with my swordsmanship before long. 

Walking outside my room and later into the campus, I met with someone who I initially didn't expect to see here too early. 

Both of our eyes met and strangely enough, I was happy to see her for once. 

"Princess–"

"Your back." 

She suddenly cutting my words short brought me flashbacks of when she threatened me to not call her that. 

"Y-Yes." 

"You also look tired, did you have a healthy two years of adventuring?" 

"N-Not really, I didn't have a chance to really take a step back and take a breather. However, now I am here at the academy to relax." I scratched the back of my head as I said that. My attentiveness was elsewhere, more specifically, around us. Students and teachers looked at us alike, almost as if we were something else. 

The silence took over us. The princess's eyes weren't everywhere like mine but only fixed on me, well my eyes. 

I couldn't keep eye contact with her, not only because she was the princess of Sapin but also because her awareness is different from the rest of us. 

Kathyln Glayder, her understanding was that of a child, she would only realize her intentions after, maybe three minutes after. Yet she is the most mature person I've ever met in her age. 

And let's not talk about the reincarnated King over there. 

I let out a chuckle in front of the princess. It startled her in a way where she barely jolted. Her expression was unclear whether or not I had lost my mind. 

But, I knew, better than anyone, what they had to go through to be mature. Many lives that were lost and many more dear ones to them. I am not saying that I as well went through what they went through, no, I can never feel that same thing as them. But all I am saying is that I know what they have gone through, I've read it multiple times during my twenty years as Cain Lambard. Before Exams, after exams, during exams. Before my birthday, after my birthday. During class, after class. Before graduation, after graduation, during graduation. I read it and read it, over and over again. The same feeling of me reading it for the first time overflowed my senses. Through the writer's words, I felt the emotions of every single one of the characters, whether they were the main characters or the side characters. Every single emotion that was described in the novel, I felt them. It felt like my own. 

The black haired princess gave me a long and confused look. 

Instead of saying nothing this time, I let, or followed what other characters might do. Mostly on the topic, what would Luke Hodges do?

I let out a smile, a wide and bright smile, like I had just the biggest news brought to me as a good luck charm, like the world was getting better as time passed, like there was no war going on, like it was just a normal life I had been granted. 

I held out my hand towards the princess– to Kathyln and she did the same. I pulled her towards the entrance of the academy, still giving the biggest smile I've ever shown during this life and my passed one. 

And with it, I said, "Let us enjoy our time in the academy! Let's live it to the fullest and appreciate everything around us. Let us not run but walk this time. Take a look and inhale it, because from this point on…"

Her dark eyes widened in surprise and lit themselves like some lanterns. It was awesome to see her make this type of expression towards someone who she had met a couple of years before. 

"We will live our lives like normal teenagers in the academy!" 

Yes… This was what I had wanted to do. Not as Cain Lambard or as The King's Shadow. I wanted to live this part as Luke Hodges. A normal teenager with friends…

*

*

*

I opened my eyes, still dazed from what I had witnessed. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I am." 

"What do you think?" 

"Hmm. Is it really mine?" 

"Yes. There is no denying it."

"Then it seems that my memories of Luke Hodges were… Happy…"

"Do you wish to see the other ones as well master?" 

"There are more?" 

"Yes. To confirm, it was during your stay at Xyrus Academy and…"

"And what?" 

"The war."

"Show me… Show me this version of me which I no longer remember." 

"If that is your wish, I will grant it. However, please note that everything that happens in the memory capsule can't be changed as it already happened." 

"That is alright. I just wish to see this 'Luke Hodges' that people keep talking about."

"As you wish, master. Please take care…."

–ENDING CHAPTER OF VOLUME 3 [ACCUMULATED FATES]--

(Author's Message Below)

AND WITH THIS! VOLUME 3 OF TRANSMIGRATION INTO THE BEGINNING AFTER THE END [ACCUMULATED FATES] COMES TO AN END. IT WAS REALLY A WEIRD VOLUME IF I DO SAY MYSELF BUT IT WAS ALSO A GREAT RUN! 

HOPEFULLY THE ENDING WASN'T TOO CONFUSING AS I TRIED MY BEST TO INCLUDE SOME NEW IDEAS FOR THE NOVEL. THE ENDING OF THIS CHAPTER IS SET INTO THE FUTURE, AND YOUR QUESTIONS MIGHT NOT BE ANSWERED ANYTIME SOON. 

HOWEVER, I WILL NOT REVEAL THE NEXT VOLUME SET IN COURSE BUT THERE WILL BE A SURPRISE WHEN THE VOLUME COMES OUT. UNTIL THEN, PLEASE BE PATIENT AS I TRIED TO FINISH THIS VOLUME THE BEST I COULD WITHOUT IT BEING A RUSHED ENDING. 

STILL HOPE YOU ENJOY!

OH ANOTHER THING, HOW DO YOU READERS FEEL ABOUT A ROMANCE SETTING NOVEL? ORIGINAL WORK BY THE WAY. I MAY OR NOT BE WORKING ON A FUTURE AND MORE PROFESSIONALLY DONE!

OKAY OKAY THIS IS THE END OF MY MESSAGE! 

SINCERELY; GENTLELORD.