Given a Second Chance (Hiatus)

Fighting For A Chance

When Alice had touched a particularly sore spot on my back, I gave a slight flinch. She hurriedly rubbed my back soothingly.

"Do you have to be so harsh on her," Alice asked disapprovingly.

Alex shrugged. "It can't be helped; the competition is only a week away. This was what she had requested, right Camille?" He smiled knowingly.

Clenching my teeth, I returned his smile, wanted, once again, to slap him. Once was apparently not enough. It will never be enough.

Fortunately enough, Felicity spoke before I could start formulating a plan to do some serious harm to this "Prince".

"Alex, you were the champion of the weaponry faction last year, correct?" She asked, her eyes glittering in awe. Funny enough, Alice seems to not mind Felicity's minor crush on Alex. They even get along greatly now. Alex, on the other hand, not so much.

He gave an awkward but polite nod, gulping down his tea. "It wasn't much. My opponents were quite strong, I just got lucky, that's all." Felicity sighed admiringly at his words.

Curious for more, I continued the conversation. "So, what happened?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It was a draw. The battle lasted an hour, but neither of us was willing to yield to one another."

"Us?"

"Yes. I think we all know him. The champion of the magic faction last year was Michael. The Prince of our Kingdom."

XXXXX

I was laying in my bed, thinking. It's a little weird that I had met the 2 strongest guys in the school within the first few days of my arrival. But no matter. Perhaps I had lost against Alex, but if I could reveal my powers, I am certain I could defeat Michael. Probably. 

I rolled around the soft mattress, anxious for the events tomorrow. I gave a light gasp of surprise when the back of my head came into contact with something hard. Oh yeah. I had forgotten all about the book because of all the things happening the last few weeks. Before I knew it, the competition was tomorrow. Perhaps it was because I was anxious, but I decided to pull out the ominous book, making sure my doors were locked before doing so. 

I took a seat, moving around and trying to get comfortable. I ran my fingers along the brown patterned cover. This book had to be centuries old, yet its condition was better than pristine. I slowly opened the cover, my heart racing at the anticipation.

To my surprise, I could read the words inside. They were in latin and coincidentally (not because it would be very convenient for the author), I took 4 years of latin in high school. Which also means I only understood forty percent of the of what the book was saying. But from what I could read, it looked like a journal. It read:

If you're reading this, it means we have won. But it may also mean that I have died, as I would never let the horrors that I had experienced ever occur again. But I can't take it anymore. I have to tell someone, even if it's a piece of paper. I won't tell you my name because that is of no importance. I won't exist anymore in a few years. So let's begin.

5 years ago, the Demon King was summoned. No one knows how, or even why as our worlds had always been separated since the beginning of time. But the effects were devastating. If it had just been the Demon King, perhaps we could have dealt with it. However, the arrival of this beast also came with other monsters. Terrible, terrible creatures. They had no physical form and instead, took over the corpses of those who had already died, becoming the undead. The eyes of their bodies had changed, becoming darker and empty. We called them, the Inanima, for soulless. 

Thousands died. There was no discrimination between women, children, or men. A wave of hysteria spread, as we were unable to kill the Inanima. But after a few years, a group of heroes rose to popularity. They had found the Inanima's weakness. Weaponry and Magic were ineffective separately, but together, as found in nature, the group was able to kill these monsters. We had taken our first step towards victory. 

I skipped a few chapters, as most of the content was about the endless suffering of the author. 

Unfortunately, as the number of Inanima decreased, so did the number of demons the King summoned. The only way for the survival of Earth was to defeat the Demon King and seal him forever. So I was called by the group of heroes. They needed a magician. Specifically, a magician with the affinity of light. I say with great sorrow that I was not summoned to fight. I was the sacrifice. 

After all the years of violence, I had no choice but to accept. Because within the deaths of this war, I had looked on as my closest friends and family died while I stayed alive. I will not let others mourn for their loved ones like I did. So I accepted. Tomorrow we will commence the mission, invading the Demon King's castle. Few have succeeded. But perhaps we will. 

I stared at the book, horror in my eyes. I could not believe what I had just read. This was never mentioned in all of the history books that I had read. The Demon King? Inanima? A world where all races lived together? No. It was like all of this had been wiped from history. 

My hands were shaking. Was this the future if the elf had succeeded? An inexplicable fear crept onto my back. I can't. Not today, when the competition is just around the corner. I'll think about this later when my mind is clearer. Placing the book where it was previously hiding, I snuck under my covers, preparing for a restless sleep. But I couldn't help but feel something was coming. Something big.