A familiar ceiling

BOOOOM

The storm raged on as the sea ferociously crashed into the opening of the crevice. I saw myself in a far younger body and unfamiliar clothes as a familiar fear of death and self-hatred washed over me.

"Hurry, Your Highness! This way!" A woman, her figure concealed by a billowing brown cloak, shouted above the roaring wind and rain. Strands of her disheveled blond hair whipped in the stormy winds as she urgently beckoned me to follow, her golden-brown eyes brimming with a desperate determination.

As 'I' hurried towards her, I noticed a large open barrel resting near a cliff, its back turned to the storm's fury. The woman swiftly lifted me into the barrel, and just before sealing it, tears streamed down her face like a broken dam, her eyes no longer filled with resolve but with a mix of sadness and compassion.

With trembling lips, she said, "No matter what anyone says, live. Live your life your highness."

She mustered all her strength to seal the barrel shut and pushed it off the cliff. As it rolled into the sea that hopefully carried me away, I felt true gratitude, yet I struggled to speak her name out loud. The weight of my emotions, the fear, the gratitude, and more that I could not recognize all seemed to choke me, making it impossible to utter a single word. I struggled to call out to the only one who saw me as a child and not a monster to be slaughtered. But then, with one last bit of gratitude, I called out to her even though I was probably too far for her to hear.

"Rosa."

"I appreciate the forwardness, but we aren't quite close enough for nicknames." My eyes jerked open to a voice becoming all too familiar, and I realized I was back in my tent.

I saw Hela leaving my tent, and she added, "Get ready. We have much to discuss." Yet, for some reason, I couldn't help but see Rosa's face overlap on top of hers.

'Other than their beauty, nothing is similar between the two of them, yet why do I still see Rosa on her?' I shook my head clear of these unnecessary thoughts as I put on a fresh set of clothes and equipment placed on the end of my bed and started to make my way to a large area in the middle of the camp, where I saw Hela.

As I got closer, I saw the Einherjar - the soldiers - training and lightly sparing against each other, with the older and more experienced facing off against the younger ones who looked like they arrived fresh off the front lines.

As if detecting my presence, Hela said, "This batch of Einherjar is pretty good. They are full of vigor and a sense of duty for Asgard, but many let their excitement blind them. It is important for them to reflect on their mistakes while the veterans can still help them learn. After all, what I am looking for is not suicidal maniacs who jump to certain death but valiant Berserkers who don't let the fear of death limit them."

She then turned to me and conjured a great sword. As she continued, "Let's see what you have learned," she slammed the great sword on me.

I gritted my teeth in frustration as I dodged to the side and drew my axe to push the sword further away. She then taunted, swinging the great sword horizontally, "Is this all you have to show after that flashy explosion earlier?"

I gritted my teeth and used the axe to block the strike, but the momentum blew me away, and I felt one of my arms break. Yet, all the pain brought out of me was the same frustration I felt against the fire demons as a similar heat bubbled up in my chest and then spread all over my body. The heat filled me with strength as I felt it mending all my injuries, including my broken arm, as I felt myself grow taller, grow larger, and grow stronger.

I countered the next swing of the greatsword and charged in for a large overhead chop. In response, Hela smirked, dismising the greatsword in smoke. She grabbed my arm and used the momentum of my swing to flip me on the ground. With her boot at my throat, she stated, "Looks like I can make a warrior out of you after all."

With growing frustration at the quick defeat, I wanted the heat to make me stronger, yet all it did was cause a shimmer of heat to appear around me. Hela pulled me up and started walking back towards the training grounds. I sighed at her and followed. I relaxed as I had already accepted that, at this point, she was still stronger than me. Surprisingly, as I relaxed, I felt the heat dissipate, and I felt myself deflate back to my normal form.

As if detecting my questions already, Hela spoke, "What you used in this spar was your Aesir magic that you properly awakened in that explosion. It is instinctive and potent, awakened at different ages, but can be drawn out in incomplete forms through uru weapons."

She then pointed out and called forward three of the new batch training and said, "Your training will progress with my potential Berserkers, Arne, Bjorn, and Yrsa at 'night' without the magic and then train using your magic's revitalizing properties to fight during the 'day.'" She continued with a teasing smirk, "Let's see how long that resolve of yours lasts, 'mighty' Escaor," and continued to instruct the three. She pointed out as I realized that in the training schedule she set for me, there was no time for sleep or rest.

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A/N: I am back with a super-duper rare back-to-back release!

I am still conflicted on how to write the training arc so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Other than that, I'll write how the story flows.

You didn't think that the MC was instantly going to have full mastery, did you? Heh, he needs to suffer more for 'character development' before he gets truly strong.

Anyways, this time's fanfic recommendation is:

The Novel's Extra Nobody by Alfir.

One of the best fanfics based on The Novel's Extra and follows the lore with excellent character development and pacing. It currently has over 200 chapters and is on Webnovel for anyone considering checking it out.

Tell me your thoughts!