Chapter 1: Awakening in Chains
"My head really hurts..." Tesha Amar's first thought upon waking up. It felt as if her head was splitting, hurting so badly that it seemed as if her skull was about to crack apart.
As her consciousness cleared, she realized she was in what seemed like a prison cell. Her body lay on the cold stone, while her hands were bound by the coldness of the shackles. Opening her eyes, she surveyed her surroundings.
What filled her vision were the barred door and the rough stone walls. Through the door, two human silhouettes with slight leather armor could be glimpsed. Not one of them bothered to spare a glance toward her direction.
Feeling the biting cold from the floor, Tesha realized that her body would not be able to bear lying down much longer. To avoid catching a cold, she struggled hard to get up in a hurry.
At that moment, she felt a sharp pain lancing through her head. The pain was sudden and brought with it a flood of strange memories. Tesha Amar's eyes rolled back as she fainted.
"Imnant... Imnant! Wake up..." Tesha Amar heard in her daze and couldn't help but open her eyes.
"Is this... reincarnation?" She still clearly remembered the piercing bullet shot, one that was impossible to survive with the holed lung. On top of that, this type of enclosure was considered an ancient antique in her old world and would definitely not be used.
After organizing the new memories in her mind, Tesha Amar gained some insight into her body and this world.
This realm was in an era similar to the European Middle Ages. But there was something more to this world than that, the presence of a mysterious force. The presence... of magic.
The original owner of her current body was called Lyanna Glenoha, and she was the daughter of a minor noble. She had been tested to be gifted with the talent to become a Magus, and as such, her father, Viscount John Glenoha, had pulled strings to allow her to become a magician-in-training, an acolyte.
The horse carriage that she was traveling toward the magic academy had been ambushed, kidnapping Lyanna, thus getting to the present moment.
The one who had woken her up was a large, burly man. His fingers were like iron as he nudged her awake, the cold stone floor beneath intensifying the chill in the air. Tesha's first impression was of his weathered face, revealing lines of stern determination.
Seeing that Tesha had awoken, the man placed the food near her and turned to depart.
As the burly man turned around, Tesha seized the opportunity, swiftly winding the chains of her shackles around his neck until he succumbed to suffocation, collapsing in silence. The lifeless thud alerted the other guard outside.
She swiftly retrieved the knife from the pocket of the fallen corpse. Sprinting to the other guard, Tesha caught him off guard, expertly piercing his stomach and decisively ending his threat.
Taking the keys to her shackles and freeing herself of them, now able to move more freely. She takes the leather armor of the second guard for he was more of her body stature.
Even as she began equipping herself, another sharp pain jolted through her head, and another scene appeared in her mind's eye.
She was in a dimly lit room, with the hoary old shelves lining the sides filled with a sense of antiquity. The surroundings were chock full of dust.
Under dim light, John Glenoha solemnly passed her a ring, saying, "Lyanna, my dear daughter, this is our Glenoha Family's heirloom, a promise from a Magus. Your grandfather had once helped an injured Magus out, and in return, he gifted him this ring.
"This ring is a promise. If any of your grandfather's descendants had the gift of magic, they could use this ring to enter a magic academy for free! I give this to you, now, in hopes that you can be the pride of the Glenoha Family and uphold our legacy..."
"The ring!" Tesha Amar's eyes narrowed, and her right hand subconsciously moved to her chest.
As her hand touched her clothing, she could feel a solid underneath; the metal ring was still there.
Heaving a sigh of relief in her heart, she thought to herself, 'Phew! Either those guys didn't recognize this as a treasure, or there's a restriction of sorts. Either way, thank goodness this wasn't snatched away.'
Tesha Amar was a hitman in her former life, and the very mention of such a mysterious force as magic filled her with a desire to learn it to increase her arsenal of techniques.
Furthermore, she didn't want to return back home because she had lost such an important proof of entry.
Although she had taken over this body and even its memories, she was still very different from the original Lyanna. Her family members, who had spent years with her, would easily be able to tell the difference. If they mistook her as being possessed by a demon and perhaps begged one of those mysterious Magi to investigate, it was extremely likely that she would be found out.
'However, if I can enter a magic academy, I probably won't return for at least several years. By that time, any changes in behavior will be written off as par for the course. Magi are known to be strange and eccentric. At that point, it would be strange if I hadn't changed at all, not if I had!'
As she contemplated her next moves, Tesha realized she needed to deal with the evidence of her escape. Dragging the lifeless bodies to the darker corners of the cell, she worked swiftly, ensuring no traces of her struggle were visible.
Suddenly, a pair of footsteps were audible from the stairs. Quickly assessing her options, Tesha hides in the shadows and keeps an eye on the approaching footsteps.
The dungeon was eerily silent as Tesha focused her heightened senses on the approaching threat. The steps drew nearer, echoing through the cold, damp corridors.
With a quick scan of her surroundings, Tesha spotted a loose stone in the cell wall. An idea sparked in her mind – a hidden passage, perhaps? She moved silently towards it, her movements deliberate and silent.
The approaching footsteps now resonated with a sense of urgency. The guards, likely realizing something was amiss, quickened their pace.
Tesha's mind raced as she assessed her options. The stone, when pushed, revealed a narrow passage leading into darkness. Without hesitation, she slipped through, leaving the concealed entrance ajar.
As the guards burst into the cell, confusion painted across their faces, Tesha navigated the concealed passages with the skill of a seasoned infiltrator. The network of hidden corridors became her ally, guiding her away from her captors.
Her pulse quickened, a mix of adrenaline and the thrill of outsmarting her pursuers. The echoes of the guards' frustrated shouts faded into the distance as Tesha expertly maneuvered through the labyrinthine passages.
Freedom beckoned at the end of the hidden maze. Tesha emerged into the cool night air, her senses heightened, and her body ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
The moonlight bathed her in its soft glow as Tesha Amar, the escape artist, disappeared into the shadows, leaving the dungeon behind.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
HALOGEN
HALOGEN Hello readers! This is my first serious attempt at doing a web novel, and it was a rather fun process. It made me respect the work of other writers more, as this is quite a challenging process. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable. In any case, I hope it was to your liking, and I wish you a great day!
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