Chapter 2: Surrounding Darkness

"The captivating origin of magic weave has been a mystery in human civilization in millennia. However, through unwavering dedication and the pursuit of knowledge, I firmly believe that our research will unravel its secrets, paving the way for a new era of magic." Behind a podium middle-aged man in his lab coat gave out his statement with conviction.

"As we've just heard from Professor Tomoya, leader of the government research team, the government's decision is to persist in their research on the magic weave's origin despite some criticism from the public.

"I Li Mei Ling, reporting from the research government building. Over to you in the studio, Jih Ye." resonated the sound of the news program throughout the small living room.

The aroma of breakfast travels through the air, emanating from the kitchen where a girl wearing an apron prepares their morning meal.

Her azure-blue eyes remained focused on the task at hand as she tied her long hair into a ponytail that gracefully followed her every movement. Luna relished the time she spent in the kitchen, thoroughly enjoying herself.

In this small, aged house, Azrael and Luna have been living together for nearly four years. The house came into their possession through a kind-hearted elderly lady whom Azrael knew as the seller at the street market.

For two orphans like them, the opportunity to rent such a house at a cheap price was truly a fortunate situation.

Finish serving the breakfast in the living room, Luna made her way to Azrael's room. Standing before his door, she lightly tapped on it. Upon receiving no response for a while, she gently opens the door.

"Akki," she called out in a soft voice.

On his bed Azrael slept soundly with a peaceful expression resembling that of a tired newborn baby. An unusual sight, considering it had been a month since he started being haunted by strange dreams.

Seeing him, Luna's face softened into a tender smile. The boy who protected her since childhood had grown into a fine young man. and despite his occasional unpredictability and stubbornness, he too sometime revealed a side of innocence.

Luna gently shakes his body. "Akki, wake up. Let's eat."

"Uhmm," Azrael slowly awakened, seeing Luna next to him wearing an apron over her white uniform. "Morning."

"Good morning, I've finished cooking," Luna replied, her smile radiating warmth.

"Yeah," Azrael walked to the living room while still gathering his soul, as it was a rare occurrence for him to have a restful sleep in the past few months, without being troubled by strange dreams. "It smells good," he complimented.

In the small living room, they sat on the carpet and dug into their breakfast that place on top of the short table. After finishing their meal, they readied themselves for school.

********

On the intersection road to the school, Theo was waiting for them as usual.

"Hi, Theo!" Luna greeted him cheerfully. "Did you wait long?"

"It's fine," Theo replied with a bright smile.

Azrael asked, "Did Uncle Haru already head to the hospital?"

"Yeah, after dropping me off, Father went straight to the hospital. And he says hi to you both."

Uncle Haru and Aunt Jenna were Theo's foster parents; the former was a doctor, while the latter was a respectable lawyer. Known for their kindness and love, they faced the harsh reality that life doesn't always play fair, and despite their efforts, they couldn't have children of their own.

However, their lives took a fortunate turn when they decided to adopt a child from the orphanage, and that's when they met Theo.

It was love at first sight, and ever since, they have been living as a happy family.

Fate seemed to have played its part, as not all orphans were as fortunate as Theo to find such caring and loving parents. That is why Azrael doesn't want to be adopted, beside in the first place, no couple had ever chosen him when visiting the orphanage.

In contrast, many couples were eager to adopt Luna as their daughter, but she always refused, sometimes even running away from them right after the adoption.

She would hide together with Azrael on the forest, until the couple eventually give up on their attempt to adopt her. This experience solidified their bond, drawing them even closer.

"By the way, the offer still stands, you know. Father says you two are always welcome in the house," Theo said, hoping his childhood friends would finally accept the invitation that had been open for four years.

"And so does my answer. I don't want to be a burden," responded Azrael, while Luna nodded in agreement.

"What are you talking about, Akki? You two are not a burden."

As Azrael remained silent, Theo decided not to pursue it further, well aware of how stubborn Azrael could be sometimes.

As they continued chatting along the way, their conversation mostly revolved around school activities, with a bit of discussion about their expectations for the day of the magic examination.

On their way, Azrael started experiencing his steps faltering, and his vision becoming hazy in front of him. A surge of dizziness overwhelmed him, coupled with a bitter taste on his lips.

A touch to his lip revealed the unsettling presence of dark-colored blood streaming from his nose. 'What's wrong with my body?' he wondered.

Noticing that Azrael was falling behind, Theo glanced back with concern "Akki, what's wrong?"

Before Azrael could respond, he lose his balance and collapsed to the ground.

"Akki!" Luna and Theo exclaimed, rushing to his side.

********

Azrael wakes up in a very dark place, with all his senses going blind.

"Mmph, where am I?" his body only moving faintly, panic and shock start to hit him. It took hour for him to regain himself.

After regaining his composure, Azrael tried to explore his surrounding, only to greet by the darkness, leaving him disoriented and directionless. He starts to lose sense of time.

Fortunately, a faint glimmer appeared in the distance, blinking from time to time. Without hesitation, he runs toward the light.

As he approached, the light grew brighter, and eventually revealing it source. The light was coming from a dark fire.

However, before reaching it, Azrael came to an immediate stop.

Standing near the fire, a familiar face came into view, an alluring male figure dressed in a white robe that perfectly matched his flowing hair. The man resembled a celestial being. It was none other than the heavenly demon, Jing Qiáng.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Azrael," Jing Qiáng greeted.

Azrael remained silent, standing there with a vigilant demeanor.

"No need to worry. I mean no harm." Jing Qiáng reassured with a warm smile. "You must be confused. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jing Qiáng, or as people like to refer to me, as the Heavenly Demon." He slightly bowed his head.

"Why you bring me here?" Azrael asked.

"I didn't." Jing Qiáng paused for a moment. "It was your own body."

He continued. "From the looks of it, your body has already finished refining the world's mana. However, unlike any other body, yours can't contain much mana from the world. It can only hold a small amount, so when it exposed to more of it, it creates a burden on your body, resulting in you going unconsciousness.

"That's why you're here, and I merely invite you to talk."

Azrael remained vigilant, not immediately believing Jing Qiáng's words. Based on his experiences, he knew that people often concealed their true intentions deeply, so caution was always the right approach in this situation.

"What you want?" Azrael asked.

Jing Qiáng began to tell his story. "In the final battle, I was supposed to die. However, inside the darkness that felt like an eternity, I began to see a light—a small light that gradually grew bigger and became blinding. When I opened my eyes, I found myself under a starry night sky, and my immediate thought was, 'Did I reincarnate?'

"Then all of a sudden, I heard a cry. The sound was nearby. As I tried to look around, I realized my body couldn't move. It dawned on me that the cry came from the body I reside in — your body."

Hearing that, Azrael instinctively took steps back, prepared for any potential attack from Jing Qiáng.

Jing Qiáng shook his head slightly and continued, "Since the body fits perfectly with my soul, it must be a fate for our souls to be intertwined. So, I decided to examine my soul, only to find there was none—only your soul remains. Turns out my soul is long gone, leaving behind only this consciousness. This is the peculiar part, and even more interestingly, as I witnessed you grow up, your body began to inherit some of my past abilities.

"Have you ever wondered why your body heals faster than others? Or how you're able to predict people's attack trajectories? I don't fully understand what happened, but perhaps the right way to put it was that you are my incarnation.

"And this was the reason I invited you here—to offer you my knowledge, which will significantly enhance your understanding of magic, given your body's affinity with my previous one. As a heavenly demon myself, I possess a deeper comprehension of cultivation, or magic, as people say in today's era. With my knowledge, you can conquer the world or simply protect those you love." Jing Qiáng's last words struck directly at Azrael's heart.

Azrael looked directly into Jing Qiang's eyes, suspicion evident in his gaze. "For you, willingly offer all your knowledge, that's too good to be true," he said, keeping his guard up. "What's the price?"

Jing Qiáng's face revealed a charming smile as he continued with a compliment, "It's always a pleasure to talk with a smart one. The price is simple—once you become strong enough, I want you to help me reach my goal."

"Stop talk in circles, what is it?" said Azrael sternly.

"You're not ready yet," Jing Qiáng replied calmly. "When the time is right, you will know."

Since Jing Qiáng doesn't tell the detail, Azrael entered a contemplative state, carefully weighing all his options.

In the world of magic, knowledge served as the essential foundation. Without it, even the most talented individuals would find their potential limited. Relying solely on talent wouldn't allow magic users to ascend to higher levels in this world.

Jing Qiáng's offer was one that nobody could easily turn away from. Even experts in the field of magic would beg for such an opportunity. Cause a deeper and broader understanding of magic could grant an unparalleled advantage in the magical realm.

"So, did you accept my offer?" Jing Qiáng ask.

With all the advantages laid out before him, Azrael made his decision. "No."

Silence filled the air, as the idea of rejecting such a tremendous opportunity seemed perplexing to many.

However, Azrael understood the importance of thorough consideration, especially when the one you're dealing with is the heavenly demon whose true intentions remained unknown.

Jing Qiáng let out a slight smile, acknowledging the difficulty of convincing someone like Azrael. Nevertheless, he recognized this encounter as a good starting point.

The surrounding darkness gradually brighten.

"It seems our time here is coming to an end," Jing Qiáng's form started to blur. "There will come a time when you'll need this power. So, take your time and think through my offer."

"Here, a small gift for you." From Jing Qiáng's hand materialized a little dark energy, it fly towards Azrael and entering his body. Azrael tried to dodge it, but the object moved too swiftly.

He wanted to protest, but everything vanished before he could said anything.

As the light filled the area with a hazy blur, Azrael's head began to spin, and deafening sounds echoed in his ears. The overwhelming brightness temporarily blinded him, while his senses struggled to adjust. Slowly, he regained consciousness, finding himself staring at a white ceiling.

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