1 Prologue
'So this is it?
This is how my life comes to an end?'
If heaven is bright and gives strong sense of comfort and security to one, then Raine is entirely sure that he went on the total opposite end. Everywhere is dark and suffocating, his body feels as if floating, feet barely touching anything.
"Is this hell?" He asked himself.
Raine Trevor-Wolzkbin lived a shitty life. He is sure of it. Right now, he can't help but close his eyes, reminiscing every painful memory he can think in his mind.
Since young, he had always been reckless. He, himself knows. He had never seen his father and he was told his mother died the day Raine was born, the ones who took care of him was his parents' relatives who would always look at him as if he was a pest. He had an older brother who never acknowledged him. He grew up in a cold home—if he could even call it like one. He was pressured to be something beyond his capabilities, ignored by his family, and locked out from the warmth any other child had felt.
He found himself in an orphanage at a young age of 7, where he met several types of children, some even just like him. He felt what they said was 'family' and even though they are not blood related, they cared most for each other.
His family broke up as the children started being adopted.
One by one, his brother, sister, his best buddy—they faced him with their backs, last farewell spoken in quiet whispers. Not long after, new children got into the orphanage as well. Only the new ones are mean—they bullied him, mocked him, even more so treated him like trash the moment he finally started emitting magical powers. With the fact that not everyone can have magic in that world.
Growing even older, he had nowhere to turn to. Then a day came when he was finally kicked out from the place. He was only 11 then. He scraped, begged, worked—so poor, and his companions were the beggars in the streets.
With his arduous life, he met his father at the age of 16 where he was immediately recognized with his face the same features as his mother. Growing like 'him', a Rema*. Those of the third gender in their world, male who could give birth and are rather common. Although the case, Rema's are treated rather a bit worse than women and worst than of men.
His life blooming into a total turn—he donned the most luxurious brands of clothing, owned treasures, bathed in riches, and lived in fame. Only that he was still looked down upon.
His father married to a new family when he was still a child. He even has a step-brother and two step-sisters who are older than him. His step-mother clearly showed disgust and the familiar touch of abuse returned, shunned him away, placed him to the smallest dwelling the family owned.
He worked himself again. He attended lessons to improve knowledge, practiced dances and everything, music, poetry, wife duties; he cooked, cleaned, corrected his posture—all to show how he can be accepted by them. And yet he was still nothing but a bastard, a scum in their eyes.
He still attended parties and nobles' get together events where he found the son of the King and Queen, Crown Prince Kode Vieno Wolkzbin. Enchanted by his handsome looks and gentle approach to any other guests there, Raine fell. And it went harder and deeper.
His infatuation made him begged to his father to be tied to the prince due to the fact that his father is a close friend of the Royal family. With the agreement from the King, the Queen grieved by having to give away her son whom she was hoping to be with the other noble Rema, Yrro Hersberg, and Kode's first love.
The event only made things worse for Raine's life. Treated coldly and ignored by his husband, embarrassed by the royal family, mocked by the nobles, his hatred bloomed. Yelling he done no wrong. At the second year of their marriage, Raine got pregnant with a son whom they named Rozel. Only the two parents did not perform their duties well. Raine was constantly busy of proving himself that he neglected his child, Kode always on duty with ruling over the kingdom and taking care of affairs from far away countries. He always made sure to see Rozel though, even just once or twice a month.
After Rozel turned 5, Rileen came into their lives, the royal babysitter and the friend of Raine's step sister Amanda. Rileen touched the young child's heart, being there for him, taking care of him, it did not take long until they became close while the two couples grew even further apart. The Wolkzbin issued divorce and it drove Raine to anger, almost madness. He will never divorce his husband. With one night, the issue gotten bad and another problem arisen when a group of unknown cult caused massive destruction around different kingdoms—even their own, Kingdom Avagro.
It was to revolt, as others said. It was greed. It was to overthrow the kingdoms all over the world.
It was madness.
And in that madness, Rileen took a chance of making a move with Kode stressed and drunk. The night left her pregnant and after it was found out whose child it is. Raine killed her. A wielder of magic that mirrored Death.
With the disasters led to another issue, Raine was pressed charge of murder and being one of the cult. He did not utter a single thing. Not a part of the cult but their ways of slaughtering reminded him of his son's horrified face. Blood splattered all over the fair, smooth cheeks.
He is sentenced with death and got beheaded the next day.
In a slow, painstaking manner. His thoughts called out to him and asked him. 'Was he ever happy at all? Did he live a life of no light? And so, regrets came, numbing his bones.
His head rolled down, completely cut off from his body.
And his story ended.
--
"Hah! What bullshit." Raine clicked his tongue. He can still feel the suffocation deep within. There is nothing but void wherever his eyes may land, soon, he deflates into a somber mood. Curling into himself. His body now being scattered into a glowing ball that looks a lot like fire, dark and red.
"So where do I go now?" He sighed. "Nowhere?" The silence grew, then turned into echoes of voices. Whose? His.
A small sparkling light turns brighter in front of him as now it took a form of floating ball, jumping up and down.
"Hi."
Raine would quirk an eyebrow if he had one. Spoke to him with the friendliest voice, sounds funny for being guided to his own demise. Then again, Raine figured how scary friendly and smiling people could be.
"Uh... Are you here to fetch me and burn my soul?" The ball stared at Raine, as if tilting its head. "I am here to give you a chance."
A chance.
...
"PFFFFFT—HAHAHAHAHAHA." Raine laughed loudly, the word itself is a joke. "Chance. Someone like me don't deserve one, why would you even suggest that, silly ball."
"I'm Aster." The ball's voice sounded as if smiling.
"Nice to meet you, Aster. I'm Raine. And a great sinner." Raine feels his own voice sound cheerful as well. Smiling.
"And no, it wasn't a joke if you think it was. I am giving you a chance. Really. To make you live 'your' life. Just a beat of time reversed in a moment." Raine hums, just observing Aster explaining softly. "Yeah uh... Why? Like that was my fault. I lived a life. It wasn't good. I had all the time to rethink and redo it? But I didn't." Raine doesn't want to be even more pathetic. Even with how much the offer sounds tempting, he had a brain—well now he doesn't know if he still have one, and his mind taught him even for the last seconds, he done the greatest wrong he could.
"You are very interesting. Anyone would be willing already even with the first offer." Aster said, voice not dropping a single softness or gentleness from it. "It sounds more like absurd if you'd ask me. And why me? There are those who deserve them more."
Silence follows. Aster thought deeply then beamed. "Why? Everyone deserves a chance." Raine can't have this right now. "That's bullshit. No. Not everyone deserves a fucking chance especially when they are dead already. Regretting them is what's left." Aster felt great solemnly.
"Just please erase me." Raine whispers.
"You're mourning." Aster pointed out.
"And what of it? I can mourn at least, right?" Raine clicked his tongue.
"You can have your revenge." Raine feels a glint, then dimmed. "I don't deserve that either. I mean, practically I hate those around me and though the offer is tempting... I'm quite exhausted. I would very much love to rest and go on in peace." Aster nodded solemnly.
"Your son will die. I mean, everyone will die."
Huh?
"Why?" Then Aster showed what could happen. There is havoc and fire. Dead bodies piling on top of each other. Soon, there is nothing left of the kingdom's beauty.
"What happened?" Raine's soul constricted.
"Those who destroyed the place happened. I believe they are called 'Exitium'. They collected the magical keys of different realms. Placing all those together in a weapon or a medium caused all these. Soon your land will fall into barren."
"Why are you telling me this?" Raine doesn't trust the explanation, there must be a catch.
"You said that you can only regret. Then will you save your family?" Raine groaned in frustration. "You really don't want to give me up, do you?" Aster giggled which earned a 'tsk' from Raine.
"Then I have to..?"
"You can start by telling authorities about it. But since the keys are scattered it would be very difficult to handle or find." Aster supplied. "Then how about collecting all of them?" Aster lit up brightly.
"That could work. But forging them into a weapon or something is very dangerous." Raine nods. 'How can keys become weapons though?'
"How many keys are there?"
"The ones near your kingdom are about five keys." Aster spread out images of the keys. Different keys in different realms.
"God. But I just want to go rest. Or maybe fix my relationships with my baby and husband." Aster chuckled. "You can do that too. There is someone I would lend to you. To help you."
"What happens after I collect them?" Raine questions. "I don't know. The one who leads us can answer that. Then, I guess you can collect all 5 first, I believe the question will be answered."
Raine hummed. "Okay. So uh... Bye? This feels surreal. I don't think it's true."
Aster chuckles softly. "Bye bye. Be happy this time."
--
Raine wakes up with a gasp.
-----
A/N:
Rema is a rather from my own imagination. Rema's are those male with uterus. They don't exactly have a certain body type or appearance just that they are men who can give birth. Commonly known Rema's are those with effeminate features though. But buff, lean, handsome, or whatever Rema exists as well. Our Raine has soft and feminine features because he followed after his mom with the same features as well.
