Everything was dark. The blood stuck onto my body trying to drown me. It felt familiar. Too familiar. 

“A chosen one cannot truly be the chosen one without being reborn into their final form, what lies in front of you is one chapter of the universe find the others if you choose to restore order,”

It was the same sentence I heard in the darkness. But nothing was piecing together. No matter how hard I tried to escape this river of blood it wouldn't work.

My sweat from my attempts to escape was swallowed by blood as they dropped off me drenching my white clothes now dyed red.

“Aura…my descendant…my chosen one…my champion,” The voice called out… the sentence was strangely familiar…Aura. A name I haven't been called in years. 

“I remember that sentence but from a different person…who are you and what do you want from me?” I called out looking around before I was finally submerged in the blood.

I should have been dead from drowning. I shouldn't be able to breathe but I could. I looked around to see nothing but blood. But there was something else. A book.

“Aura…my descendant…my chosen one…my champion…my ke..” she didn't finish the sentence but simply let the current flow push me toward the book. It was the same book this time no one was holding it but instead, my birthmark shaped like a book simply glowed. 

When I touched the book I couldn't deny that I struggled holding it with the mana pressure so great flowing through my veins. But I didn't die. 

I looked at the book cover and there were two girls, one with black hair and one with white…just like me and Aster from my past lives. I felt my memories of my past life… glueing back together slowly…I remembered how I died but why did any of this matter…was this still a part of the trial? 

And just when I thought about that the book opened. 

Chapter 1 - The origin

Long ago, there was darkness and light. They were twins but in the middle of them was earth which the two took care of and eventually humans gifted the two with a name… selene for the light and Nyx for the darkness. They were content and took care of Earth and the beings on Earth.

But they couldn't prevent the age of magic. One day, earth and a spiritual planet crashed together making one new planet. Nyx and Selene tried their best to help with the millions of deaths and newfound powers and creatures. Eventually, over the years, the two were not needed to help since humans had their magic. They became bored so they went into a deep slumber until the first time in centuries a royal couple begged the two for an heir so with both their powers nyx and Selene gave them a daughter named Gaia blessed with formidable power and with deep connection to spirits. But over time the humans forgot about the two and they were angry that they were only seeked out for their powers. 

Angry, the two took over again. Nyx controlled one side and Selene controlled the other. However, their greed grew and they became tyrants making humans' lives miserable until one day the six wizards fought them.

 For centuries ending with the two powers were mostly sealed into books and against magic, they couldn't do much. So they went to Gaia now the queen and guardian of the earth to claim their champion or in other words, her children which a fraction of their power lay …

What is this…where was the rest…what was going on? 

“While I chose to repent and serve Gaia…Nyx chose to try to find a way to get back her powers and was eventually sealed but awakened by the ritual,” The voice spoke.

“For the first time in aeons there were twin descendants of Gaia which meant even one child had the power to help her reclaim the all-sixth book sealing of our powers…greedy for power your twin sister also decided to help her and set her spirit loose…sensing this I had to protect you and reawaken your true soul by reincarnating you…Descendant of my beloved Gaia…the chosen one Aura you must save humanity find the other books”

“I save humanity?” I questioned sceptical

“You are the only one…”

Before I could say anything more I found myself in my bed inside my bedroom…It was just a dream? A strange one…But it felt so real.

“Nolly ya sleepyhead get up!” Mother shouted. Did they find me unconscious outside the forest? I was going to get the yelling of my lifetime.

“Ma before you start lecturing me I didn't mean to-”

“Huh, why would I lecture you? Did ya do something bad anyways go fetch me the herbs to freshen the place up for the morning,”

What did she mean by morning? It was the evening and close to the return of the conscripted one. 

“What it the afternoon,” I corrected but she simply threw the herb basket at my bed while walking off. 

So it was just a dream…

The day was hectic trying to prepare for a festival when you're used to funerals but I liked it. Peaceful unlike my previous life. 

As I walked around the village taking a break from my endless duties. I saw Edith. Near the forest crying… But it was a dream, what was going on?

“Edith don't go any further, I got you a new pink ball!” I yelled trying to make her come here, thankfully she did but I felt something ominous coming. 

As we went back to the village I spotted a few high-quality carriages near the entrance of the village with a crowd. They were back much earlier than expected. I quickly rushed toward the entrance with Edith my thoughts on the dream fleeting. Liliana and Winter were back. 

It was crowded around the port; the happy murmurs and worried parents were the only thing you were able to hear. That was until a shriek overshadowed them. There was a body I quickly let go of Edith pushing through the crowd. 

Liliana and Winter both changed so much but their clothes were covered in blood while my sister was sobbing next to a body. Brian. 

“According to the Academy rules trying to flee the academy will result in a public execution of the criminal in their hometown by their fellow comrade Winter and Liliana!” The soldier called out as Liliana stood there looking grim and Winter didn't show a trace of emotion. 

“However since there was a large sum of criminals from this village after the execution whoever mana test has a grading below 3 shall be sent to the rehabilitation camp!” The soldier finished putting away the scroll he was reading from and when he did there was uproar in the crowd. With parents lunging forward to attack and ending with them dead to people trying to run away getting trampled on. 

I wasn't sure what to do. But my eyes fell on my sister as she held a dagger with a cold smile and tears falling onto Brian.  I knew what she was going to do. I had to stop her. 

“POLLY!” I screamed, leaping onto her, and snatching out the dagger.

“What do you think you're doing!” I yelled as I slapped her face trying to wake her up. 

“We are all going to die,” she muttered lifeless 

“We won't you hear me? We'll find mother and father and run,” I declared as I grabbed her hand running away. Left and right people were being detained and dying. I just had to escape. We can make it out. 

“POLLY! Nolly!” Father and mother called out with father holding his axel and mother with her crossbow.

Without a second thought, I ran toward them dragging Polly beside me.

“Thanks stars you two are okay,” Mother cried inspecting us both. 

“We'll have to take the forest route out we don't have time to pack,” Father explained in a whisper serious

Father tied an anti-monster rope that hunters used around our arms. 

We crawled under the bodies of people we once called friends slowly so as not to get caught.

Things were getting quieter…They were rounding up. I glanced back briefly to see dead bodies with villagers tied up. I was turning my back on them. We got up and quickly ran as I fell on a body and when I saw the body I felt like my stomach was doing backflips. 

Edith. Her body from her face to her body was dismantled. One of her gorgeous brown eyes was missing while she lay on the floor like a ragdoll.  My knees dropped. I was running away. A chosen one running away? It never felt right in my first life either. I felt more like a puppet with a toy they called power because I was always safe. Even now I was dishonouring the villagers by hiding under their bodies. I didn’t need to save them. But I couldn’t stop my tears from falling. They were the people I cared about for the first time that wasn’t...Myself

But if I was somehow the so-called chosen one. Where was the power to save the people I cared about? 

“Nolly…we have to get a move on,” Father stated, avoiding eye contact with Edith’s body.

“My foot is stuck and I’m a bit tired…I can’t go inside the forest even with the rope. I'll take the long way around and I promise to meet you guys,” I said, struggling to push out the words. Father looked at me with disbelief he opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t say anything, probably also on the verge of breaking as he carried Polly on his back and mother slowly losing her mind. He simply mouthed “I love you”. Walking into the forest.

I hugged Edith’s corpse, closing her eyes. At the same time, something inside of her glowed red coming out of her like a glowing ball. “I'm scared, I want my mother,” something whispered that sounded like her. It was strange but she was scared. “It's okay, you can rest now and go find your mother,” I whispered in a soothing tone. The ball turned white and disappeared. She was gone. As I turned back to the village there were so many glowing balls of different colours. I had to go back. 

“I found a girl,” a male voice shouted.

Suddenly I felt something shocking my whole body. Everything went black.