Alden felt a terrifying aura engulfing the academy, but he chose to ignore it, as if nothing were amiss. His face radiated genuine satisfaction and happiness. "Alright, time to live the easy life in my own academy. But before that, let's fix up my room," he said, a cheerful smile gracing his handsome face.
Alden strolled through the magnificent academy corridors, his steps light as he headed towards his room. However, a soft sob interrupted his progress. In a dimly lit corner, a girl seemed to be the target of bullying by other students.
"Ugh... there's bullying already. And I just set foot in the academy I painstakingly created," he muttered with a heavy sigh. His eyes narrowed, a cold gaze fixed on the perpetrators.
A pang of pity struck his heart as he watched the girl being treated unfairly. Without hesitation, Alden approached, his expression turning serious. "Hey, leave her alone. You dare disturb my peaceful, easy life," he said in a firm tone, his voice echoing through the silent corridor.
The guy leading the bullying turned around, his gaze angry and dismissive. "Who are you? How dare you interfere in our business. Do you even know who we are?" he said arrogantly, sneering.
Alden sighed, trying to suppress the anger that was starting to ignite within him. His foot moved to stomp the ground, a sudden movement that confused the students.
"What are you doing? Trying to act tough?" one of the students mocked, his laughter echoing in the corridor.
The moment Alden's foot struck the ground, a strange tremor ran through the entire corridor. The ceramic floor began to creak, and the ground started to shake violently.
"What's happening to the ground? Why is it moving?" they cried out in panic, their faces paling with fear.
"Relax, we're just going to take a short trip around the Earth. Only ten seconds," Alden said calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips, but his eyes radiated a clear threat.
The guys who were bullying the girl became terrified and started to cry, begging for forgiveness. Meanwhile, the girl who had been the victim looked at Alden with admiration, her eyes sparkling with hope.
"Why is this girl looking at me like that? Crap, I forgot I'm still in front of the students. This is bad," he muttered in his heart, his heart pounding.
Before the shaking had stopped, the girl mustered her courage and touched Alden's hand. His soft touch slightly startled Alden. "Thank you. I won't tell anyone. My name is Alda Fitriana," she said with a sincere smile, her eyes looking at Alden with gratitude.
Hearing that name, Alden fell silent, freezing in place. The name sounded familiar, but his memory was hazy, as if shrouded in a thick fog.
"Wait... could it be you're from the Fitriana family? The greatest family in history, the ones who defeated the demon king single-handedly?" he asked enthusiastically, his eyes radiating intense curiosity.
"Ah, so you know about our family. I thought no one remembered us anymore," Alda replied, smiling happily, her cheeks flushing red.
The guys who had been bullying Alda were shocked to hear that conversation. "I thought your family had disappeared from this world," they muttered in disbelief, their faces pale.
"Indeed, our family has always been in hiding," Fitriana retorted. She muttered in her heart, "So he's Alden, the legend from the past. And also... my destiny," her heart pounding as she looked at Alden.
Alden noticed Alda's intense gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is this love at first sight?" he said, feeling a little uncomfortable, but there was a hint of curiosity in his heart.
"Eh, sorry. You look a lot like my father who died defeating the demon king," Alda replied sadly, tears welling up in her eyes.
After ten minutes had passed, the ground stopped shaking and the students who had been bullying collapsed limply, sprawled on the floor. Just as Alden was about to continue the conversation, the bell signaling the return to rooms rang loudly, breaking the silence and startling him.
"Ah... crap, I wanted to chat longer. Are you a student here?" Alden asked disappointedly, his expression showing regret.
"Sorry, Kak (Brother) Alden, I'm not a student here. I have to go," Alda replied, her expression regretful, but she tried to smile.
Alden felt sad, something was missing in his heart. The cheerful expression on his face vanished, replaced by a deep sadness. Fitriana crouched down, looking at Alden's face with a gentle gaze.
"If we're destined to meet again, I'll tell you everything... everything I wanted to talk about earlier," Alda said, her voice soft, but full of conviction.
Alden looked up, gazing at Alda with intense curiosity, his heart pounding. "Could it be about... but aren't you not allowed to tell anyone?"
"For Kak Alden, it's okay. I feel comfortable with you," Alda replied, smiling gently, her smile warming Alden's heart.
Alden smiled, a smile that made Fitriana's cheeks flush red, her heart racing uncontrollably.
"Alright, I have to go to my room. If we meet again, tell me everything," Alden said, his voice full of hope.
"Okay, Kak Alden."
Alden ran towards his room, waving his hand at Alda while smiling. Alda returned the wave, her smile holding sadness, but she tried to be strong.
"Goodbye, Kak Alden... or maybe I should call you ***. Alright, let's go home... to Mama," she said softly, tears dripping down her cheeks.
Suddenly, Fitriana vanished from the corridor, disappearing like the wind, leaving Alden with a deep sense of curiosity.
---
At the Door of His Room
Alden stood in front of the magnificent door to his room, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself. A sense of curiosity surged in his chest, making him eager to see his room. He touched the cold doorknob, his heart pounding.
"Hopefully my room isn't too bad," he muttered, hoping his room would suit his tastes.
When the door opened, his eyes sparkled, his mouth opened wide in amazement. His room was luxurious and beautiful, exceeding his expectations. The walls were decorated with ancient paintings, and the furniture was made of high-quality wood, intricately carved.
"Damn, my room is amazing. Hopefully the other students' rooms aren't more luxurious," he said while flopping onto the soft bed. The faint scent of lavender pricked his nose, calming him while also making him suspicious. He sensed an oddity in the aroma, as if something were hidden.
Alden gazed at the ceiling of the room, which resembled a palace, decorated with paintings of angels and deities. His heart was filled with tranquility, but there was a slight sense of unease gnawing at him. He closed his eyes, feeling a sudden drowsiness washing over him, as if some magical force were pulling him into the realm of dreams.
"Why do I feel like sleeping? I usually never get sleepy. Maybe it's the effect of my easy life," he muttered, trying to find a logical explanation.
Alden drifted off to sleep, but suddenly he felt his soul being pulled somewhere, as if an invisible cord were drawing him out of his body. He floated in the darkness, not knowing where he was headed.
---
The Modern World
Alden woke up to the dazzling sunlight, his eyes feeling sore. He was instantly shocked to find himself lying on a busy street, surrounded by skyscrapers and bustling traffic.
"Where am I? Why am I suddenly here? Wasn't I just in my room? Was I kidnapped?" he said confused, his heart pounding. He tried to remember what had happened before, but his memory was hazy.
Alden got up, his body feeling weak and sore. His eyes were fixed on an ancient palace towering in the middle of Seoul, contrasting with the modern buildings around it. A dark and terrifying aura emanated from the palace, making his hair stand on end.
"What is that palace? Why is there a palace in the middle of Seoul? And why am I here?" he muttered, a mixture of curiosity and fear swirling in his heart.
As he stepped closer, he heard a cheerful voice from behind him. A little kid was looking at him with a wide smile, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Dad, are you super strong? Mom said you're stronger than all the other gods in the multiverse," the kid said innocently, oblivious to Alden's confusion.
"Why does this kid know I'm so strong? Could it be his Mom told him?" the man next to the kid muttered, smiling gently.
Alden was shocked to hear that conversation. A sense of curiosity drove him closer, wanting to see the faces of those two people. However, suddenly his head felt like it was being stabbed with thousands of needles, causing him to groan in pain.
"It hurts... why does my head hurt so much? I just want to see their faces. Am I not allowed to know?" he said, tears starting to fall down his cheeks.
Alden fainted from the unbearable pain. His soul seemed to be pulled back into his body, leaving the mysterious modern world behind.
---
Back in His Room
Alden woke up with a gasp, his body drenched in sweat. His heart was pounding, as if he had just run a marathon.
"Who were those people? Why am I so curious about them?" he said confused, trying to calm himself.
Alden got out of bed, his legs feeling weak and shaky. He walked to the window, wanting to get some fresh air. He opened the window, feeling the cool breeze caress his face, carrying the scent of flowers and damp earth. His heart felt calmer, but the sense of curiosity still lingered.
"Why do I want to live an easy life? It seems the universe won't allow me to," he muttered, realizing that his destiny might be bigger than he imagined.
Alden gazed at the setting sun, radiating beautiful orange and red hues. Slowly, the sun disappeared behind the horizon, replaced by the moon and stars twinkling in the night sky.
---
Somewhere Far Away
Far away, Luciana, or better known as Code Name Gabriel, was staring at the horse-drawn carriage that was taking her to the academy. Her heart was pounding, eager to meet Lord Alden.
"What does Lord Alden look like? I'll find out soon," she muttered, her cheeks flushing red as she imagined their meeting.
Luciana stretched out her hand and released her light magic, the power given to her by Lord Alden. The light shone brightly, illuminating the darkness around her.
"I will bring light and hope to this world. I will also search for the ancient artifacts that Lord Alden desires," she said with burning determination, her eyes radiating conviction.
As Luciana was about to rest, she heard a voice whispering in her ear, startling her awake.
"Luciana, wake up. This is your first mission, find the second member for Astra Octavius," Alden said through telepathy, his voice sounding firm but gentle.
"Is that Lord Alden?" she muttered, her heart pounding. "Yes, Lord Alden. I will find the second member for Astra Octavius."
Alden cut off the telepathy. Luciana was stunned, her cheeks flushing even more. "Why does Lord Alden's voice sound so... handsome? Could it be Lord Alden is actually handsome?" she said, imagining Lord Alden's handsome face.
Luciana's horse-drawn carriage was almost at the academy. However, neither Alden nor Luciana realized that her guild was already famous, even though it wasn't obvious, they were being watched from afar, ready to attack at any moment.
---
Epilogue.
In the modern world, a little girl was fighting with her friends. She was almost crying, tears already welling up in her eyes.
"Even though I don't have a dad, I have a Mom. And Mom said my Dad is a great person," she said sobbing, trying to defend herself from her friends' taunts.
The kids who were bullying her were taunting her even harder. They were yelling from the top of the school roof, pointing at the little girl with contempt.
"Yeah right! Your Mom is weak, so your Dad must be weak too! Your powers probably suck!" they mocked, their laughter echoing throughout the schoolyard.
The little girl clenched her fists, anger burning in her chest. She really wanted to retaliate, but her brother stopped her immediately.
"Enough, Little Sister. Don't destroy the world. Remember the promise you made to Mom," her brother said sternly, but with affection.
"Sorry, Kak (Brother) Gavin. I forgot," the little girl replied, tears dripping down her cheeks. She knew she had to control her emotions, in order to keep the promise she had made.
"Hey, how dare you guys bully my little sister," a teenager suddenly said, appearing in front of the little girl.
In front of the little girl, a teenager who was already in middle school stood gallantly. He was Alden Gavin, a young man who was famous around the world for possessing an EX power that surpassed human comprehension. The aura of his power radiated strongly, making the kids who were bullying his sister tremble with fear.
"Crap, it's Gavin! Run before we get killed!" the kids who were bullying yelled, then ran away with their tails between their legs, leaving the little girl and her brother behind.
"Kak Gavin, have you ever seen Dad's face?" the little girl asked sadly, her eyes looking at her brother with hope.
"It's okay. Someday we'll definitely be able to see Dad's face. Because of that, train so you can see Dad's face," Gavin replied smiling gently, wiping away the tears on his sister's cheeks.
The little girl and Gavin gazed at the bright sky that was decorated with white clouds, hoping that someday they could meet their great father.
Who exactly are the little girl and Gavin? Who is their father that they long for so much? And who is Gavin's older sibling who has seen their father's face? This mystery makes the readers even more curious and wanting to follow their story.
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Chapter 5 Completed