1 Chapter 1 Hill Valley
The flames rose high on top of the majestic building, the sky was red, and birds flew overhead. The sound of screams and cries was very painful, filled with piles of people piled on top of each other to form a mountain. A pungent smell hit my senses.
I realized I was in a familiar place. For a moment I noticed something strange. My hands were tied to the two poles on the right and left, and the chains that were wrapped around my hands were difficult for me to break.
But what was even stranger was that a beautiful woman was approaching me. The woman was indeed very beautiful, she had a sharp nose, green eyes, and purple hair tied in a ponytail, leaving only long strands. Those green eyes had no warmth at all, but a sharp look that held a burning grudge.
"You are an obstacle to the world order I wish to create. The gods and demons are on my side. With you dead, there is no obstacle for me to restore this chaotic world!" The woman raised the shining sword blade and swung it directly at my eyes.
I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the worst.
But nothing happened, only a scream came out of my mouth.
I woke up from that nightmare, a dream that always haunts me. I felt cold sweat soaking my pajamas. The dream seemed real, it was the umpteenth time I had dreamed, the same dream. All the dreams seemed real. I don't want to relive this nightmare.
A rooster crowed in the morning. There was no need for me to continue my disturbed sleep, as the sun began to shine in the sky, illuminating the small district in the valley. Hill Valley is a district that lies in a valley and is flanked by high hills. Hill Valley District, the outlying district of the royal capital, a backward region.
I decided to get off the rotten mattress, which was not only rotten, but also so hard that it made my body ache. Leave the room and walk along the house. There's no need to go downstairs because my house is small but not too shabby.
I come to the kitchen, which is connected to the bathroom. My mother's name is Anna Agathias, she is a forty year old woman, her worn clothes are very faded. They are no longer white, but a faded color.
Her blonde hair was tied up, her blue eyes were the same as mine. The woman was busy stirring the soup in the pot until she noticed my arrival.
"Morgan, before you leave for Academics. Mom made your favorite venison soup. You better take a quick shower or Gisella will finish it."
"Yeah, I'll spend it all and you won't get a share, bro." The thirteen year old little girl came out of the bathroom, her hair was the same blonde as mom's, but the same length as mine, and she tied her hair up just like mom. At that moment, Gisella was rubbing her wet hair with a towel and smiling mischievously at me.
I didn't hesitate to hit her in the face with the towel I had brought with me.
"HEY!" Gisella was annoyed.
I was quicker and went into the bathroom before I saw Gisella's terrible anger. I quickly took a shower with water coming out of the pipe and falling into a large bucket, splashing my body until it was wet. I took off the clothes I was wearing. The icy cold water splash touched my skin. It was very cold, but I was used to bathing in ice-cold water.
Where I live is in the southern valley, where the air is quite cold. The water in the pipes is not very big, so I have to use as much water as possible for bathing, because water is very limited.
After showering, I wore long black pants and a shirt that looked very dull. Get out of the shower and dry your wet hair. Mother, with the help of Gisella, had finished arranging the food on the table. Father came in from the back door, carrying a bow, arrows and a bag with his work equipment, which was placed against the wall.
"Dad, you hunt outside, don't you go to the mine?" I asked the man with the thick black hair.
"Of course not. We can't eat if we don't hunt outside. But Dad didn't go to the mine today." The words my father spoke were very flat and seemed to have no enthusiasm for life.
My father's face looked scary, with mustaches on his face that had never been shaved. His long black hair looked messy and never neat. Gisella and I each inherited something from our father and mother, like my long hair, which is blond but shiny and smooth, unlike my father who looks dull, but I have blue eyes like my mother. Gisella's blonde hair is the same as her mother's, but her black eyes are not the same as her father's.
My father's name is Jim, whether it's his real name or not. My and Gisella's last names use the last name of my mother's family, the Agathias clan. Because until now I didn't know anything about the father figure who decided to hide something from us. Gisella and I were still little, until I grew up. Of course, I was no longer a little boy, but a sixteen-year-old teenager who looked at him with questioning eyes.
But Father always ignored my gaze and turned it to something else. I overheard my father talking to someone who had seen him recently. He said something I didn't understand, "Father left the Clan Noble and abandoned them," I had no idea at that time. But now I want to know my father's background. Every time I ask directly, there is always an argument.
Hunting animals was just a sideline for my father, besides hunting, my father worked in mining. Just working in the mines, producing coal, and exchanging the proceeds of that coal for a few coins could not possibly cover our needs for the next few weeks.
Not wanting to argue with my father any longer, I joined my mother and Gisella at the dining table. I ate a piece of deer leg and sipped the steaming soup. It was really delicious, and as the soup slid down my throat, I could feel the warmth spreading through my body.
No need to wait long for breakfast. I have to get to Hill Valley Academic right away if I don't want to be late.
I put on my leather shoes and jacket and looked at myself in the mirror. A teenager who is sixteen years old. With bright blue eyes, white and red skin, not because they are mixed, just because the air in the Hill Valley district is foggy and cold, making my white skin a little red. My long blonde hair was tied into a simple ponytail. At least my appearance isn't too bad.
I follow the village towards the town at the bottom of the valley. Several pedestrians pass by on the descending footpath. Some are heading for the forest above the valley, others are carrying their hunt to the town below. I could see from the hills that the residential area down there was a small town and was still part of the Hill Valley District.
The Hill Valley Magical Academy, a not so big building, was located in a small town surrounded by valleys. The nameplate itself looked rotten, and some of the letters were covered in moss.
A loud knock on my head made me turn to face the perpetrator.
"Always comes earlier than anyone else. Morgan really is the hardest working student in Academics."
The girl with the braided hair smiled at me, showing a row of clean white teeth. He wasn't very tall, just at my shoulder level, but his arm muscles were strong enough to hit my head with just enough force. Despite what I saw, the girl's wrist was small but very strong.
Lyra, she is my best friend. Lyra and I have been friends for a long time, from when we were little to when we were teenagers. Lyra lives in the North Valley while I live in the South Valley, but that doesn't stop us from being friends. Because the North Valley and the South Valley are still within the Hill Valley district.
We entered an old building, every window looked dusty. There were only twenty students, including Lyra and me. There were only five classes, we walked into a fairly large classroom, but there was dust everywhere.
"It's so dirty. Looks like we need to clean this classroom, no one has come in yet. They'll definitely come later today." Lyra took a broom from behind the cleaning supplies cabinet. The girl's face looked annoyed, as if she wanted to beat up whoever had upset her.
"Just leave it. Professor Lupine will punish her," Lyra said, tightening her grip on the broom and turning it into a sword. I chuckled as I carried the duster.
