Chapter 1. The Unforeseen Beginnings.

  The lone boy who had lost his mother and younger sister in an unknown accident currently lived with his father in what became of the United States of America. After a war that lasted 30 years, called “The Second Great Mag-Tech War”, it left most of the world in ruin. North American countries wanting to save stability reformed into “North American Federation” in the year 2060, five years before he was born. Coming back to the boy, you could say he was a side character, not popular, not outstanding, not the best nor the worst. An ordinary person that existed in countless numbers across countless worlds... The boy's name was Kael Riggs, a 16 year old boy who attended highschool... He lived in a world where such things as "Mag-Tech" existed, an ancient technology left by long extinct civilization that was supposedly completely ecological and free of external problems and issues that fossil and nuclear fuels provided... But he always wondered what powered such mag-tech, what was the fuel and secrets behind it? The flourishing cities, areal weather control, predicting and preventing natural disasters. It all was allowed by "Mag-Tech". But what was powering it? What was making it run? Who made it? But his concerns were of little concern in the grand scheme of things as his father had woken him up from his sleep. His father was a retired soldier that served under the US flag during the Second Great Mag-Tech War, and worked as an office worker, and made a decent living paycheck. Basically all of Kael's life was ordinary, he wasn't special or had the "main character tropes". But as much as he wanted to sleep he had school to attend. His father, as energetic as ever barged into his room with a grin or his face, already planning on waking up his son.

  -"Yoooo wakey wakey kiddo, you'll be late for school won't ya? Remember what i told you, school is the most important chapter of your life... Besides when you'll finally bring some girl home? You know I am slightly concerned about Riggs' bloodline hahaha."

  It was a pretty much everyday thing that his father has done, although Kael was already growing more annoyed with each day... He understood that it was his father's way of coping with the tragedy of the past, so he sucked it up everyday because not only that, but his father was his only remaining family member he had left.

  -"Give me a break dad... You know I barely sleep, the assignments are fucking killing me... Especially when my school got into the 'Mag-Tech' programme... They're basically butchering us with that stuff and I can't think about anything but that."

  His father hearing his son's grudge against the school and the way he gets bombarded with assignments made him feel slightly uneasy. He wanted to say that his son is doing his best as he himself does, but he couldn't let his own son see his weak side. He just couldn't allow it to happen, he thought that if he showed his own weaknesses to his son his own child would think he is weak, unworthy of being a father to him. He wanted to speak out his mind, but not today, not this time. After a silent minute or two passed he finally spoke up.

  -"I know it's hard Kael, but always remember, your own old man had to go through the same stuff and some extra... Maybe not as extreme as now because Mag-Tech was still hardly understood and wasn't as much related to the public eye so I could say you have a chance you cannot waste. So get your sorry ass up and stop whining because, i Xavier Riggs ne-"

  As he was about to finish speaking his son interrupted him, with a grumpy and seemingly annoyed voice he said.

  -"Never gave up, yea yea i know old man you never gave up... Ehhhhhhhhh"

  His father upon hearing his own son's frustrated tone of voice and evident grudge frowned and wanted to scold him that instant. But he didn't want to, instead he took a deep breath, calming himself down and walking out of his son's room leaving him with his own thoughts. Kael laid back in bed thinking again how the school was basically making him work as a mule. But now that wasn't the time for sulking or thinking about such stuff, he needed to get ready and head out to school. As he got out of bed and changed into his school uniform he walked out his room and to the kitchen expecting his father to be sitting there waiting for him to eat breakfast again like the old time's... But today he was disappointed again, his father left early for work, it was strange because he usually would wait a while for Kael even if he had to go early, he only left a warm meal for his son, a normal piece of scrambled egg and a note regarding the dinner, the time he would come back home and everything else that Kael already read countless times by now. But there was something difficult about the note today, instead of it ending on the usual ordinary and boring stuff it had an extra something to it. But Kael, expecting the same usual note, crumbled the piece of paper and threw it out not noticing the extra detail his father left in the note. After he finished eating he quickly went to the bathroom brushing his teeth, shaving his early facial hair and doing basic skin care routine. Something once again everyday and normal that basically everyone has done, after all his grades are ordinary, his school is ordinary, his life is ordinary... Everything about him was ordinary, the only difference was his interest in Mag-Tech. After doing his basic daily morning routine, he headed out to school. He usually walked there since it wasn't that far, around half a kilometer walk from his home. It took him a couple of minutes to get there by foot, but if it was bad weather or anything else he took a bus or if he started early his father would drop him off at school. When he arrived at the school a big banner was posted announcing to students and passers by that the school was accepted into the "Mag-Tech Programme". Seeing the banner, something inside Kael made him uneasy, his muscles got ready to go into fight-or-flight, he didn't understand why or for what... But he had to hold back, he was an ordinary student and a person overall, such an outburst, was after all out of the ordinary for him so he decided to hold in these feelings and walk towards the main school building. The school was divided into five separate buildings with four of them being taken up by the high school and the remaining building being a preschool. Both institutions had the same principal, same teacher and often the same past or future students that decided to stay in the "Eden Academy", as it was the school's name. It also had a separate division of university that many high school graduates attended. But this was now of little concern to Kael as he had to attend his own classes. He was barely recognised in his class by both his grades and personality, but nevertheless he was still able to make a couple of friends amongst the people in his class. But one thing always bothered him, a threat of sorts. It was his own classmates, a boy called Artyom Zlodeev who recently moved into the city and started attending his school and got assigned to his class. He was the popular stereotype, athlete, blue eyes, blonde hair, the same type of person you’d find on old soviet propaganda posters. Girl's wet dream and guy's image to look up to, however Kael hated him for seemingly unknown reasons to himself, instinctually you could say. Artyom took a quick liking to Kael and wanted to make him stand out more and more, constantly pushing the boy out of line to try to make him steal the spotlight. Kael hated such treatment from his classmate as he didn't want to stand out, because if someone found out about his past, about his struggles, it could be used against him and lead him to a dark place which he didn't want to fall into. He needed that ordinary life, he needed to stay out of line, for him it was out of the question. But for Artyom? It was stupidly naive and pointless, he knew Kael was hiding something, so him trying to make his classmate stand out was a part of his plan for Kael to reveal his true self, his past and plans for the future. As Kael arrived at his classroom he went to sit at his desk waiting for the class to start being greeted by some friends and classmates. But when he sat down, his own "threat" walked up to him with a friendly smile waving a hand to him. For Kael, it was an immediate danger that he preferred to avoid, but since he had no choice, he had to welcome the danger with unwanted open arms. As Artyom approached Kael's desk he sat on top of it grinning from ear to ear staring at Kael. Without breaking his smile he said to Kael.

  -"Yo what's good Riggs? Still brooding over some stuff and not willing to come out and show yourself out here?"

  Friendly, almost too friendly and obnoxious tone of Artyom fueled Kael's frustration even more, he wanted to tell Artyom to "shut the hell up" but he held back. Such a thing would ruin his image of trying to stay ordinary, it would put his very own existence at risk of being exposed to everyone, and everyone finding out about his past. He had to suck it up again no matter how much he didn't want to, he had to for his own safety of ordinary life. After a short silence from Kael he finally responded to Artyom's antics.

  -"Morning, Zlodeev... Everything's as usual, and mind toning down a bit? I'm still slightly sleepy and you being loud and obnoxious isn't helping with that..."

  He said it with a bored and slightly frustrated tone, as if letting Artyom know to go away and leave him alone. But the boy didn't let his classmate have his way so easily, he needed to show this guy, this seemingly normal and ordinary guy to the world's spotlight and make him stand out and be unique. But before he could do as such the school's bell rang announcing the start of classes. Artyom knowing that further pursuit of his ordinary classmate could result in his punishment for unruly behaviour decided to let it go for now and returned to his own desk. The first class was a newly made class sponsored and funded by the mag-tech programme that the school participated in. "Mag-Tech History", it was meant to teach the students the past of the mag-tech, how it was uncovered, put back into motion and similar stuff. Most of Kael's classmates were completely indifferent to the class and decided to quietly chat amongst each other or pass notes to each other discussing their after school activities. Kael on the other hand was incredibly invested into the lesson, soaking up the topic like a cloth would do the same with spilled water. After the class ended Kael seemed to remember the extra thing left on the note by his dad, however he couldn't recall what it exactly was as he didn't read it all and then crumbled the note throwing it away. As Kael was lost in thought two of his, you could say best friends approached him, Yuuto, a half-japanese boy that was slightly younger than Kael and was rather socially awkward, and Adam, he was slightly older than Kael and matched Artyom in popularity. Three completely different personalities that got along with each other extremely well due to their shared past experiences, and their promise to help each other out in need no matter how hard and dangerous it may be. The first one to speak up was Kael.

  -"What's good guy's, the class was quite interesting wasn't it? I mean it still probably is only a sliver of the true history of Mag-Tech but still, it was interesting as hell considering how much mystery shrouds that stuff."

  Upon hearing Kael's opinion Yuuto got slightly excited and nodded, Adam on the other hand seemed slightly uncomfortable and was quite skeptical towards Kael's enthusiasm about the topic. After a while Adam finally spoke up.

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  -"Kael, mate... I know you're enthusiastic and all about the Mag-Tech stuff and all, but aren't you slightly overjoyed? I mean I get that it's interesting, I myself am quite interested about it but you know what happened... My dad after all..."

  After this Yuuto's and Kael's enthusiasm died down. They knew that Adam's dad seemingly left him and his family behind to continue his research about mag-tech and its many secrets and speaking loudly and joyfully about mag-tech brings up not necessarily wanted feelings in Adam's mind. Yuuto, seeing his friend's distress said to Adam.

  -"Adam, we all know what has happened... But c'mon, lighten up a bit. If you keep holding onto that you'll burn out and your dream of joining the Mag-Tech research team to find your father might flop. Try to share some enthusiasm with me and Kael, okay?”

  Upon hearing Yuuto, Adam nodded slowly, appreciating his friend's sober way of thinking and wanting to put him back on track with stuff. As the trio joyfully conversed about various topics, the inevitable topic of the after school activities came up. Kael hoped that his friends would want to spend some time with him as an ordinary group of friends. But unfortunately, his ordinary plans were shattered by their seemingly "ordinary" stuff, the first one to speak out was Adam.

  -"Sorry mate, me and Artyom already got plans together to play some basketball after school and then maybe go eat something together or hang out in general. I don't understand why you don't like him so much? He's a nice guy, you should open up more, you know?"

  Upon hearing this Kael was stunned for a bit, not being able to say anything. He didn't want to say straight up that Artyom was a nuisance to his seemingly ordinary way of life and didn't want the boy's antics of him trying to make him stand out. Since it would endanger his own sense of self being the ordinary and not standing out persona. Before Kael said anything Yuuto chimed in with his own plans on after school activities.

  -"Sorry Kael but I also have plans... Yuki and I... Uhmmm how to phrase this... Uhhh hahah... We're well... Going out together on... You know..."

  Before he could finish his plans Adam stood up with shock etched on his face, after all Yuki was seen as "school's princess" unmatched beauty and elegance. Best grades, best behaviour and similar. For someone like Yuuto to strike a date with her was like a one in a million chance of happening. After a while Adam started laughing and shaking his friend's shoulders.

  -"HAHAHAHAHA YOU CRAZY BASTARD! SEE!? I TOLD YOU WITH KAEL, JUST GO AND ASK HER OUT, DIDN'T WE KAEL!? AND NOW LOOK OUR LITTLE YUUTO IS GOING ON A DATEEEE HAHAHAHAHA!"

  Kael, seeing his friend's enthusiasm, smiled and chuckled slightly, even though these three had completely different personalities and likings. They always got along, always helped each other... They were brothers from different mothers, after a little bit more of yelling and shaking by Adam he finally calmed down releasing Yuuto and sitting down still being happy and chuckling to himself about his friends predicament. After everything settled down both Yuuto and Adam turned to Kael. Without being asked the obvious he already knew the answer.

  -"I guess I'll just go home then, I have nothing else to do besides that. Besides I'm going to study for that math test next week, after all failing from math would be the worst thing that can happen, ehhh you two are lucky bastards if i do say so myself. But I'm not quite sad or disappointed about my own predicament as well."

  Upon hearing their friend's honest opinion, Yuuto's and Adam's shoulders slumped a bit, they knew Kael tried to stay as ordinary as possible due to that incident from the past. But they sometimes thought that their friend was taking it a bit too far. After thinking for a while they both sighed, they knew nothing would convince Kael to change his plans about after school activities since that was literally the only thing their friend had to do after school, as the silence etched for a longer while the school's bell rang again signalling the start of another class. As the classes went by, time flew quickly and chats got livelier, but there was something that nobody expected. Suddenly the school's announcement speakers turned on and the students could hear the principal's voice booming through them. The principal's excitement was clearly distinguishable in his voice as he spoke the announcement trying his best to hide the joy that was radiating through him.

  -"My dearest students, teachers and facility staff, as you may or may not know our school. The Eden Academy got recently accepted into the 'Mag-Tech programme'. But that isn't the thing i wanted to announce, the thing i do want to announce is that next week our school will have the privilege of being shown one of the most recent discoveries amongst the 'mag-tech' research team. And this being two ancient black swords that date back thousands of years, the deciphered sentence etched onto the swords reads ‘The Dual Cursed Swords of Darkness' which is probably the name for such ancient swords that predate many major events in modern history."

  The announcement made everyone freeze in their ways, seconds passed as the eerie silence spread amongst the school, such an announcement was shocking to everyone. Such things would normally be presented in the university division of Eden Academy, but the high school? It was unheard of, as the first people started to go back to what they were doing, the silence still stretched. Nobody knew what to do or what to say in the current moments that pass amongst the students and facility's staff alike, such an announcement would come down in the school's history. However, although Kael was shocked as others he was happy on the inside, his fascination with Mag-Tech seemed to outstretch its hand to the boy. As the last school bell rang, students started packing their stuff up and heading either to have fun with their friends after-school or go back home to study, eat and rest. Kael was no different, he quickly packed up, said his good-byes to Adam and Yuuto and went on his way back home. However in the exit to the school stood his classmate that Kael always despised for trying to make him stand out and be in the spotlight more often even though Kael didn't want to. He knew there was no chance, he had to make an exception and step out of his ordinary life this once. Before him stood Artyom Zlodeev, the only person Kael despised with all his being. The only person that wanted to bring Kael out of his ordinary life, the only person that saw through him and wanted him to open up to everyone despite Kael's tough battle to keep himself hidden and ordinary. As Kael approached him Artyom said to him.

  -"Hey again, Riggs? Wanna go home together? We can pick something up to eat on the way and chat about this and that, what do you say about this plan, Kael?"

  He said it with an almost too friendly smile and tone which infuriated Kael, he had two choices. Accept or reject his classmates advances towards him. Kael wanted to ignore him and shove him away to go to his house and eat dinner with his father in peace, when he approached Artyom further and tried to pass him ignoring his classmates advances he suddenly heard a female whisper, it was soft and warm. Some could even imagine the look of the woman based just on the voice. The word he heard was.

  -'Don't you dare...'

  When Kael turned around he saw nobody, he was alone there with only Artyom before him. But he swore on his dead mother and sister that he heard someone, it was unmistakable, he heard a voice telling him to not do something. But there was nobody, which infuriated Kael even further. He wanted to scream for the supposed prankster to come out, but it'd ruin his ordinary image, the image he built over the years of hardships and trials that fate presented him with. After a while he took a deep breath trying to calm down, he wasn't going delusional from his studies, he just couldn't accept the fact that he may be hearing things, the voice was too real almost like there was the woman standing next to him whispering into his ear. After an eerie quiet moment from both of the boys, Artyom was the first one to speak up.

  -"Riggs? Everything's alright? You look like you saw a ghost or heard something. You're sick or what? I mean you're pale as fuck and you look rather shaken? Did you eat something or what?"

  But Kael didn't react, he was still thinking about the female voice. He just couldn't shake off the fact it maybe was something that was either his own hearing faulting him or him slowly growing delusional, he wanted to know what the voice meant by "Don't you dare...". He needed to know what the voice meant, he needed to know what he shouldn't do? He shouldn't ignore Artyom? Or he shouldn't accept his proposal? That thinking made him quiet, he cut himself out from the outside world to think about this. After another moment of eerie silence Artyom finally grew frustrated by his classmates' lack of response to his questions and finally decided to do something about it. He snapped his fingers next to Kael's ear to snap him out of his own entranced state, bringing him back to reality.

  -"Jeez Riggs... What happened? Why are you so quiet right now? I was talking to you for like a minute and you just stood there lost in thought. So coming back to the topic, are you going or not?"

  Before he could say anything, he felt chills run on his back… He suddenly felt as if he was choked, he wanted to scream, but it felt like was underwater. A cold sweat ran down his forehead, he could swear someone or something was choking him, no, drowning him at that moment. After a while of such experience the female voice spoke again, this time more demanding. It sounded like it was nearly frustrated at Kael's lack of response to Artyom.

  -'Accept it, boy...'

  After those words Kael felt like he snapped back to reality, he quickly took deep breaths and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Artyom suddenly sensing that something was wrong walked over to Kael grabbing his arm to support him. He looked at Kael's face seeing something unnerving about it, he thought he said something bad that made Kael trigger something to have such a reaction. After a while Kael said to Artyom.

  -"I'll... Ehhh fine I'll go back home with you, but on 7th street I split up and go back home my own way, fine?"

  Artyom hearing his classmates' words quickly brushed off the thoughts of what may have happened to Kael and smiled nodding approvingly of Kael's statement. He finally did it, got his always ordinary and self closed classmate to open up this bit more and go back home with him. He felt both joy and unease from what just happened moments ago. After Kael finally calmed down, Artyom looped his arm around Kael's shoulder much to his disliking. But he tried to brush it off as he had way more important things to think about, especially how to keep his ordinary life intact and what the voice is exactly. Is it his friend or foe? His ally or enemy? Something or someone trying to help or ruin his ordinary life? As they approached the 7th street, the one Kael and Artyom agreed they'd split ways. Kael said to Artyom.

  -"You... You didn't hear it did you...?"

  Artyom was confused by his classmate's question, hear what? Who? When? He wanted to say something, anything to Kael but Kael seeing the shocked expression on his face brushed it off and said something else.

  -"I see, well this is where we split Artyom... Have fun with Adam, after all you agreed to play basketball with him, didn't you? Well he's my friend too, best friend even, try not to damage him too much will ya...?"

  Artyom nodded approvingly. He still felt like he was missing a piece about Kael, that something wasn't right. He still thought about what Kael meant by hearing something or someone... Or whatever the hell it was, in his mind he thought Kael just got triggered by something that made him react in such a way. He just felt as if he couldn't brush it off, that eerie feeling that something was missing in a major part of the puzzle made him quite confused. After a while he finally spoke up to Kael.

  -"Yea yea don't worry, I won't hurt Adam at all, at least I'll try to... He's yours and my best friend, I wouldn't forgive myself if I hurt him, either accidentally or on purpose. And Riggs, try to take care of yourself, will you...? I know you dislike me and all, but take at least this piece of advice."

  After this Artyom went on his way to the basketball court to meet up with Adam. Kael stood there for a moment before taking a deep breath and starting to head back home. The mysterious voice and Artyom's advice lingered in his mind, he felt like the voice might be connected to Artyom in one way or another. But he didn't know exactly why, this was the first time he heard the voice when speaking to Artyom for some reason. He decided to brush it off for the time being, he had to study for math's test after all and the presentation of "The Dual Cursed Swords of Darkness" that were recently discovered in Mag-Tech had his mind rushing with thoughts about what were they and if they were connected to either the voice, Artyom or anything at all in general. He just knew that someone paved the way for him and he was walking it whether he liked it or not. But for now it was just his feeling that could or couldn't be correct, but he felt like something was wrong about everything that happened today. That he was missing pieces in a major puzzle, but that was to worry for another day. He suddenly remembered the note left by his father and it's extra content that wasn't usual, he thought it was maybe something like extra chores or anything amongst the line of those, since his father usually said such things to him after coming back from work. But the extra content on the note also didn't let him think clearly, he was definitely missing something grand that his father wrote about in the note and what it could possibly be. Knowing his father, it could be anything ranging from basic chores... To having unexpected guests over…