How it all started (Re-make)

A/N: Recently I decided to remake the story from the first chapter, so for those of you who have just read this chapter, please refrain from reading the next chapter, because the storyline will be diverted. Please be patient until I update the second chapter. :)

(I will add the word (Re-make) to the chapters that I have finished)

~~~

"Please, just hold on a little longer. Medical help will be here soon," Avan Ironhart pleaded, cradling his best friend Fawwaz's weakened body amidst the wreckage of the academy building.

"Haha... I think this is it," Fawwaz weakly remarked, his body bearing a large, fatal wound, blood pooling around them, indicating the severity of his injury.

"Don't say such things!" Avan's voice trembled with despair and sadness as he held Fawwaz's hand, desperately channeling his aura, despite knowing his healing abilities were limited to minor wounds. He clung to hope, praying for a miracle to save his friend.

"Why did you do that? It would be best if you hadn't sacrificed yourself to save me. We both knew I could withstand the attack. Why were you so careless?" Avan questioned, tears streaming from his golden eyes.

"...Why is that? I don't understand either, but knowing the assumption that you would be injured, my body moved on its own," Fawwaz replied weakly. Despite his critical state, he felt no negativity, finding solace in his best friend Avan grieving for him.

"What the hell kind of answer is that? Do you think sacrificing yourself will make me happy? You better hold on until help comes or I'll never forgive you," Avan retorted, his voice thick with emotion.

Hearing this, Fawwaz smiled faintly. Memories of his 17 years flashed before him. Born into a renowned family known for its exclusive magic, Fawwaz was ironically unable to inherit this magic, constantly overshadowed by the success of his older sister, Emmeline.

These circumstances left Fawwaz with few happy childhood memories, instead filled with the stress of living up to others' expectations.

Growing up, Fawwaz learned that he had a beautiful fiancée, Olivia. Seeing a picture of her for the first time, it was love at first sight, and he held onto the hope of a happy life.

However, his hopes were shattered when the engagement was unilaterally broken off by Olivia, for reasons deemed reasonable by both families. Fawwaz felt powerless in the face of this decision.

These hardships molded Fawwaz into someone who despised the life he led. When he finally entered Althoria Academy at the age of 15, he found himself once again overshadowed by the achievements of his older sister, who became the student council president.

Feelings of inferiority and resentment towards those around him drove Fawwaz to the brink, leading him to collaborate with the Cult in a plot to destroy the Academy.

However, his plans were thwarted by Avan. Instead of condemning Fawwaz, Avan showed compassion and extended a hand of friendship. It was the first time someone had accepted him for who he was, a gesture that changed Fawwaz's world forever.

From that moment on, Fawwaz vowed to change. He no longer blamed others and accepted his weaknesses, striving to become a better person so that he could stand proudly as Avan's friend. The most memorable years of his 17-year life were the last two, spent with Avan.

With a smile, Fawwaz reflected on his choices, finding solace in the knowledge that he was doing the right thing.

"Avan... it seems my time is running out... please listen to my last request..." Fawwaz's voice was weak, his strength fading rapidly. Avan nodded, already aware that Fawwaz's condition was beyond saving. He squeezed Fawwaz's hand tightly, silently promising to fulfill any request.

Struggling to speak, Fawwaz gathered his thoughts. Blood loss had left him weak, his vision blurred, and each word burned his throat.

Just as he was about to speak, the sound of several people approaching caught their attention. Fawwaz glanced weakly and saw Olivia, Emmeline, and several Empire troops arriving at the scene.

"Avan, what happened? Are you hurt?" Olivia rushed to the two of them, her concern evident in her voice. Avan shook his head, indicating he was fine. Olivia then turned her attention to the dying Fawwaz.

Seeing Fawwaz's condition, Olivia was shocked, unable to believe what she was seeing. Unlike Olivia, Emmeline, Fawwaz's older sister and fellow Third Eye owner, held back her tears upon witnessing her brother's condition. She refrained from approaching further, knowing that Fawwaz's death was imminent as his blue eyes gradually faded to gray. Respecting Fawwaz's decision, she stayed back.

Observing this scene, Fawwaz smiled weakly and turned his gaze to Avan, locking eyes with him.

"Avan, promise me..." With the last of his strength, Fawwaz grasped Avan's sword, pressing the blade against his palm and drawing blood. The crimson liquid coated the blade before vanishing, seemingly absorbed into the sword.

"Carry this sword until the end of your journey. That is my last wish," Fawwaz pleaded.

Though unsure of what was happening, Avan concealed his confusion and simply nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I promise. I will carry this sword until the very end of my journey."

Hearing Avan's promise, Fawwaz smiled. He turned his gaze towards the darkened sky, the somber backdrop to the tragic event unfolding.

As Fawwaz's vision dimmed and his senses faded one by one, he uttered his final words with a sense of peace. "I don't regret my life."

With those words, Fawwaz's journey came to an end. Silence enveloped the onlookers, devoid of any immediate reaction or outward displays of emotion.

The falling water bore witness to Fawwaz's passing, a silent tribute to his life and the journey that had now concluded.

.

.

"Wait, what's this?" Fawwaz, a high school student sharing the same name as a character in the anime "Dawnfall," exclaimed as he watched the latest episode.

"What's the point of building up characters just to kill them off in 9 episodes? Are they sane?" he mused aloud.

"Dawnfall," a recently popular anime with millions of overseas streams, was about to air its final episode of the first season, culminating in the death of supporting character Fawwaz Nor Everglen.

"Ah, I'll see how other fans react on social media," Fawwaz decided, opening his smartphone to browse through certain forums.

User98113: "But really, why would they build up a character so enthusiastically only to kill them off in 9 episodes? Is the studio in a hurry?"

Demonking12 replied to User98113: "No, from what I know, this anime is an adaptation of a light novel, and in the novel itself, Fawwaz's death is like this. Even in the novel, he only has 3 chapters for his introduction."

Theonewhosleep replied to Demonking12: "Wow, what was the author thinking? Did he hate his own character?"

Seeing that the majority of fans had complaints, Fawwaz chose to end his activity.

"Haa... I watched the anime because I have the same name as Fawwaz, but seeing his death made my motivation to look forward to the second season disappear," Fawwaz sighed, feeling disappointed.

As embarrassing as it sounds, Fawwaz's motivation for watching Dawnfall stemmed from sharing the same name as one of the supporting characters.

"I'd better review the material for the upcoming class," he decided, turning his attention back to his studies.

Fawwaz, a high school student living in a third-world country, harbored dreams of studying abroad due to the state of his country. He dedicated himself to studying, missing out on the typical joys of youth. As a result, he lacked knowledge about entertainment.

However, his life took a surprising turn when he miraculously got a girlfriend. His friends couldn't help but wonder what good deeds Fawwaz had done to attract such luck.

As Fawwaz was engrossed in his studies, his smartphone suddenly rang. The screen displayed the contact name "Luna."

Fawwaz paused his studies and answered the call. "Hello, Luna."

"Fawwaz, what are you doing right now?" A soft, feminine voice emanated from the smartphone speaker, revealing the caller's identity to be a woman.

"I'm reviewing the material for next week's class," Fawwaz replied.

"Ehh, isn't that boring?" Luna asked.

"Well, I'm just killing time until bedtime," Fawwaz explained.

"Why don't you just call me if you want to kill time?" Luna suggested.

"Ehh... isn't that kind of motive not the right thing?" Fawwaz hesitated.

"No, I don't mind if you want to spend time talking to me. I am your girlfriend after all," Luna reassured him.

Hearing Luna's words, Fawwaz fell silent, feeling embarrassed by her sudden openness.

"Mou, say something. I feel embarrassed if you're suddenly silent," Luna urged.

"Ah, I'm sorry. It's just that I was a little surprised by your words just now... ah, of course, in a good way," Fawwaz stammered.

Having a girlfriend was a new experience for Fawwaz, and he found himself navigating unfamiliar territory.

"Ah, by the way, did you watch the last episode?" Luna changed the subject.

"Are you talking about Dawnfall?" Fawwaz asked.

"Yes, yes, it is. Have you watched it yet?" Luna inquired.

"Yeah, I just finished it not long before I started studying earlier," Fawwaz replied.

Their conversation continued, revolving around discussing the episode, from the reasons why they watched it to their impressions as the first season came to an end.

"I told you, the reason I'm watching isn't because I have the same name as the supporting character," Fawwaz insisted.

"Yeah, I mean, even if that's true, that reason isn't too bad, is it?" Luna replied.

"Of course it's bad. It's like calling myself a narcissist," Fawwaz countered.

The conversation between the couple continued late into the night.

"Fawwaz, the point is you can't forget about our date tomorrow. Make sure you wake up before 10 a.m., got it?" Luna reminded him.

"Sure, I'll make sure I wake up at 8 a.m.," Fawwaz promised.

"Yeah, that's better. And one more thing..." Luna trailed off for a moment, sounding uncertain.

"I love you,"

Fawwaz fell silent, his heart racing. He tried his best to remain calm. "Yeah... me too... I love you," he replied, feeling a rush of emotions.

After exchanging declarations of love, silence fell between them.

"Um... just don't forget about our date tomorrow, alright? Good night, Fawwaz," Luna said softly.

"E-eh, ah, good night-" Before Fawwaz could say more, Luna ended the call, leaving him feeling bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"What's wrong with her, easily saying that she's my girlfriend, but suddenly showing that cute side? It's really not fair," Fawwaz mused to himself.

With his mind distracted, Fawwaz decided to head out to the convenience store, intending to buy dinner and clear his head.

When he arrived at the convenience store, Fawwaz skillfully picked up some fast food and left as soon as his business was done.

"Duh, didn't I buy too much?" Fawwaz muttered to himself as he walked along, carrying a plastic bag filled with a lot of food. While strolling down the street at night, he noticed an old man on the side of the road.

"I think I can share the food with the old man," he thought to himself.

Approaching the old man, who had the stature of someone with bleached hair and wrinkled skin, Fawwaz didn't hesitate to offer his extra food.

"Excuse me, old man. I have some food here. Although it may be a little cold, it is still edible," Fawwaz said kindly.

"Ah, thank you very much, young man. This old man hasn't eaten anything since yesterday," the old man replied gratefully.

"Then please, take this too," Fawwaz insisted, feeling compassion fill his heart as he intended to share some of his food with the old man. In the end, he gave almost all of his food to him.

"Well, I can't eat too much, and tomorrow is a date. So I can't eat too much," Fawwaz rationalized to himself.

"Thank you, really thank you, young man. With this much food, this old man can share with others," the old man expressed his gratitude.

"Ah, sure. Well then, I'll be going now. Don't forget to eat it," Fawwaz replied, smiling warmly before continuing on his way.

As Fawwaz was about to leave, the old man called him back.

"Ah, young man... please take this," the old man said, pulling out an item from his pocket. It was a pendant in the shape of a four-leaf clover.

Fawwaz hesitated, not wanting to accept anything from the old man. "Old man, there's no need to bother. I didn't expect anything in the first place," he replied.

"No, no. Think of it as payment for your kindness. Please, take it," the old man insisted.

Reluctantly, Fawwaz accepted the pendant and put it in his pocket before bidding farewell to the old man.

"Young man, may good fortune be with you!" the old man called out from a distance.

Fawwaz briefly turned around, waving his hand in acknowledgment, before continuing his journey into the night.

With most of his groceries given away, he was left with only one onigiri and some orange juice. Finding a nearby park, Fawwaz decided to sit down and finish his meal.

As he ate, he opened his smartphone to check social media, but his attention was soon drawn to a video interview with the author of Dawnfall.

Presenter: So, a lot of fans have been wondering why you decided to kill off the character Fawwaz in your story?

Author: The truth is, Fawwaz's presence became an obstacle in my storytelling process. I created his character on a whim, while I was intoxicated. I honestly don't know what I was thinking at the time.

Presenter: Hahaha... so you're saying he was created against your will?

Author: You could say that.

Presenter: You also mentioned that Fawwaz was disruptive to the story? Could you elaborate on that?

Author: Yes, when I consider the storyline, no matter how I approach it, his narrative potential overshadows everything else. Leaving him in the story would have made it less engaging.

Presenter: So, you mean his potential power was too strong?

Author: You could interpret it that way.

The interview continued, delving into the author's thoughts on the anime adaptation.

Fawwaz, reading the interview, couldn't help but feel sympathy for the character. He himself had faced similar feelings of being unwanted, striving to escape his past by studying abroad.

"But now I have Luna."

The presence of Luna had transformed Fawwaz's outlook, with her becoming his world.

"Maybe I should bring Luna too?"

Filled with plans for the future, Fawwaz made a decision to return home.

As he waited at a traffic circle, Fawwaz received a message from Luna.

Luna: Fawwaz, I see you're online. Are you asleep yet?

Fawwaz: No, I went out to buy some food.

Luna: How many times do I have to tell you not to go out at night? You should have ordered food online. What if something happened to you out there?

Fawwaz, enjoying teasing Luna, replied:

Fawwaz: Well, I couldn't sleep after hearing someone's romantic words.

Luna: Wh-what?

Even without seeing her face, Fawwaz could sense Luna's embarrassment, and he reveled in it.

Luna: Anyway, make sure you go straight to bed when you get home, and clean yourself up first.

Luna: I'm really excited about our date. How about you?

Before Fawwaz could reply, the traffic light turned green. He chose to delay his response and began crossing the street. Suddenly, a bright light approached rapidly.

"Wh-what?"

-Bang

A truck, speeding down the road, collided with Fawwaz as he crossed, hurling his body violently toward a nearby electricity pole.

"H-Hey, someone's been hit!"

"A-what? Someone calls for help, hurry, call the police!"

"AHHHHHH"

Hysterical screams erupted from bystanders on the sidewalk, their voices echoing in Fawwaz's ears. It took a moment for his brain to process the gravity of the situation.

As Fawwaz lay there, his body broken but his mind strangely clear, he contemplated his fate. There was no pain, only a buzzing in his head that hinted at a possible brain injury.

"Is this it? Was my life doomed from the start?" he thought bitterly. Despite what his friends believed, he couldn't shake the feeling of being cursed.

But as resignation settled in, thoughts of Luna pierced through the haze. "What about Luna? Our date... She was so excited."

In his fading consciousness, raindrops brushed against his face, a cruel echo of someone's tragedy. "Isn't this how it happened to him? Are our fates intertwined?"

With a final surge of awareness, Fawwaz's vision dimmed, and his life slipped away. His last glimpse was of his phone screen, where Luna's worried messages remained unanswered.

Luna: Fawwaz, please answer me. What's happening? Are you okay?

But there was no reply. Only silence, as Fawwaz's 17 years ended tragically, leaving behind unanswered questions and shattered dreams.

.

.

"Where am I?"

Opening his eyes, Fawwaz found himself in a spacious medieval-style Western room. Attempting to rise from the bed, he discovered his body felt unusually heavy, impeding his movements.

"What happened? Wasn't I just... dead?"

Surveying the opulent surroundings, Fawwaz found himself caught between disbelief and acceptance.

"Okay, I need to stay calm. I just died, so is this... the afterlife?"

Dismissing the notion as too fantastical, Fawwaz leaned towards a more rational explanation.

"No, this can't be the afterlife. It's too real for that."

As he pondered, his attention was drawn to something wrapped around his head.

"A bandage?"

With effort, he managed to sit up, his vision expanding to take in the luxurious room around him.

Just as he began to contemplate the idea of reincarnation, he noticed the door creak open, admitting a maid into the room.

She had long wavy hair, the color of emeralds, framing large eyes of the same captivating hue. With a sharp nose and milky skin, she seemed like a representative of Miss World from Eastern Europe. Seeing her, Fawwaz was momentarily stunned, but it appeared the maid was even more surprised by his awakening.

"Ah, young master, you're awake!"

Approaching with a happy expression, she skillfully picked up a bowl of soup from the nearby table and offered it to Fawwaz.

"You must be hungry, right? Please eat first."

Fawwaz, taken aback by the unexpected situation, hesitated briefly, but the maid, paying no mind to his confusion, proceeded to feed him the soup with practiced ease.

Reluctantly accepting, Fawwaz didn't want to arouse suspicion. Once the feeding session was over, the maid inquired about his condition.

"How are you, young master? We've been very worried. You've been unconscious for three days."

Because the maid was quite talkative, Fawwaz gleaned a wealth of information from her. Identified as Selena, she served as one of the maids in the mansion where Fawwaz found himself. According to Selena, the young master she referred to was none other than Fawwaz himself, the second son of the Duke of Everglen's family. The accident she mentioned involved Fawwaz falling from a horse, resulting in a serious head injury.

"So I'm very happy to know you're awake, young master Fawwaz."

Fawwaz was taken aback by the mention of his name by Selena.

"Um, Selena, did you just say my name?"

Selena's expression shifted to one of surprise upon hearing Fawwaz's question.

"Young master, are you experiencing memory loss?"

Fawwaz feigned surprise at Selena's statement.

"It seems that way. I don't remember anything since I woke up."

By pretending to suffer from amnesia, Fawwaz hoped to avoid suspicion regarding his reincarnation.

"This is a serious matter... Oh, about your question. Yes, I did call your name. Your name is Fawwaz Nor Everglen, the second son of the Everglen family."

Fawwaz was stunned by the name Selena mentioned. It was still fresh in his memory: Fawwaz Nor Everglen, a character who met his demise at the end of the first season of the Dawnfall anime.

"Selena, could I have a mirror, please?"

"Ah, of course."

Selena promptly retrieved a mirror from the desk drawer nearby and passed it to Fawwaz.

Taking the handheld mirror from Selena, Fawwaz wasted no time in examining his reflection. Staring back at him was the image of a young teenager, possessing features that could be described as handsome. His snow-white hair and eyes as blue as the summer sky left no doubt about his identity: Fawwaz Nor Everglen.

"This is... Driving me crazy."