Chapter 1 | Kai Von Starcrest

As Kai suddenly jolted awake, his heart was pounding in his chest, and the adrenaline was in his veins.

His body tensed up as if ready for battle. His eyes darted around the room, scanning for any threats, but all he saw was the familiar sight of his bedroom. The bed was still messy, the curtains were still drawn, and the sunlight was just starting to peek through the window.

"What in the seven hells…?" He muttered under his breath, trying to make sense of what just happened.

He vividly remembered going for the ultimate move to kill all his brothers-turned-enemies, the First heirs, only for the time to turn back and all his hard work turn to naught.

As he recalled the last few moments, he could feel the weight of his sword in his hand, the heat of the flames he had conjured, and the pain of the wounds he had sustained. But in the next moment, all of that was gone. It felt like a dream, a nightmare that had abruptly ended.

He tried to move, but his body felt weak and unresponsive as if he had just woken up from a long sleep. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were smooth and uncalloused, the hands of a young man.

An inexplicable unease settled over him as he surveyed his surroundings. Despite his formidable strength, he could detect no trace of illusion or deception in the room. Something was amiss here, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"What is happening to me?" Kai wondered, his mind raced with questions and doubts. He couldn't pinpoint how and why he had ended up in this room, all that was replaying in his mind were the last moments on the battlefield.

But, he knew one thing for sure: he was Kai Von Starcrest, the heir to the House of Starcrest, a nobleman on the quest to find the Twelve Tokens.

He got up from the bed, feeling his legs wobble and his head spin. He looked in the mirror and saw a young teen with messy hair and a confused expression. What followed next were a few long moments of silence.

He was observing his own reflection. He had sharp, angular features, with a chiselled jawline and high cheekbones that are accentuated by his pale skin. His hair had a striking shade of platinum blonde, falling in perfectly styled locks that frame his face.

He stared at himself with his piercing, icy blue eyes that would seem to look down on everyone around him, exuding an air of superiority and arrogance.

The mere thought sounded ridiculous. Amidst his perplexity and lingering doubts of the unthinkable, his gaze continued to roam the room and fell upon something peculiar.

The place felt unfamiliar yet evoked a sense of familiarity. The large portrait adorning the wall opposite him was of his mother, but he hadn't seen it in years. The clothes scattered on the floor were not his, yet they seemed familiar and different. The walls were draped with rich tapestries that depicted scenes of epic battles, magical creatures, and intricate spells.

The centrepiece of the room was a large four-poster bed with ornate carvings and sumptuous bedding made of velvet and silk. A canopy of gossamer fabric hung above it, casting soft light from the stained-glass windows.

Standing against one wall was a tall wardrobe made of polished wood and studded with brass fittings. Inside, a multitude of garments hung neatly, ranging from fine tunics and doublets to silk robes and fur-lined cloaks.

A bookshelf filled with ancient tomes, spellbooks, and histories lined another wall, and several reading chairs and a small table for refreshments and some bottles that looked to be medical potions sat nearby.

By the window sat a writing desk covered in quills, ink pots, and parchment. The chair was cushioned and comfortable, with intricate embroidery of the family crest. However, what attracted his attention was an envelope on the desk.

He drew nearer and approached the desk, his hands instinctively reaching out towards the envelopes. Taking one of them in his hand, he examined it closely. It was a large, high-quality, pale white envelope that immediately caught his attention with the words and insignia printed on it.

═─┈─═─┈─═

To Kai Von Starcrest, House of Starcrest

From, Dean Thaddeus Blackwood, Institute of Elemental Combat, Dornian Empire

[Letter of Admission to the Institute of Elemental Combat]

═─┈─═─┈─═

Kai frowned as he stared at the letter. This was not the first time he was seeing this letter. He had come across it, but it felt so long ago and it only made him even more concerned that his doubts may come true.

He opened the envelope and sure indeed, it was an admission letter.

However, what caught his attention and left him stumped was a set of numbers which indicated the year it was.

'Year 4932'

'That was ten years ago….'

'Don't tell me I have travelled back in time…?'

'Did the gods listen to me? Did they hear of my wish before I self-exploded?'

The possibility of it becoming true made his heart beat faster. And the mere thought of having all the knowledge of the future was quite overwhelming.

'If I have really come back to the past… Do I still have my tokens?'

In his past life, Kai had been the owner of two tokens, the Token of Illusion with its unique ability to create illusions and disguises had saved his life on numerous occasions and the Token of Chaos, with its ability to harness chaos mana, a strange type of mana which was lethal to a normal magus but worked perfectly for Kai.

'Although, Token of Chaos gave me a chance to become one of the strongest magus in this realm, and it was also what led to my brothers betraying me…'

Kai narrowed his eyes upon thinking about the betrayal he had suffered.

Although the possibility of them still being with him was slim, Kai saw no harm in trying. He moved his left hand to summon the Token of illusion and with the right, he tried to call forth the Token of Chaos.

Nothing happened.

With a wry smile, Kai once again turned his attention to the admission letter.

'Looks like I will have to get the Tokens back.'

Since he didn't have the tokens with him anymore, the Tokens were back to where they were before he found them.

And that meant, he would have to accept the admission invitation, because the Token of Illusion lied within the Institute of Elemental Combat.

'It's ironic considering I was angered the last time I received the invitation letter, but now I can't wait to rejoin the institute.'

'This whole deja-vu feels so strange…'

In his 'previous life', Kai had lost his cool upon receiving this letter because the Institute of Elemental Combat was a unique magic school.

It was a military institution.

While many young magi aspire to be accepted into the school, particularly those from humble backgrounds, for the scions of noble families, receiving an acceptance letter could spell the end of their ambitions to become the next head of their family.

'And the person who orchestrated all this to push me out of the way…'

– Knock! Knock!

A sudden knock on the door pulled Kai from his thoughts.

"Dear, have you woken up?" came a voice from outside. Kai furrowed his brow at the familiarity of the voice, but beckoned the person inside nonetheless.

"Yes," He replied.

The door swung open to reveal a voluptuous woman with a calm gaze and noble attire stepping into the room. Her well-coiffed hair is elegantly styled, and her makeup is applied with precision, giving her a flawless complexion. She was impeccably dressed even though she wasn't wearing any formal gown.

Her eyes landed on Kai and her lips curled into a smile.

"Happy birthday, Son."

The words surprised him more than the arrival of the person who was uttering them.

"My birthday?" Kai frowned.

"Indeed," The woman walked closer and stood in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she gazed at Kai from head to toe and then with a smile, she added, "My son has turned sixteen today."

'Ah yes, it's year 4932, I forgot.'

Kai pursed his lips and staring back at the woman, he replied, "Thank you… mother."

The woman was Lady Lysandra. Kai's mother. Step-mother to be exact.

She slightly narrowed her eyes at the visible hesitation in Kai's words, but didn't mind it much.

"Since it's your big day, I want you to wear the best clothes you have and come down to the Main Hall by evening. There will be a lot of people waiting for you, and I am sure you will make your father proud today."

"Hm? Why?" Kai was taken aback by words. He had just woken up and didn't quite remember the events of the current time but it dawned on him what his step-mother, Lady Lysandra, was referring to as she replied with a frown on her face.

"What do you mean? It's your sixteenth birthday, we will have the Elemental Ascertainment Ceremony tonight…" After a pause, she asked with a visible trace of worry upon seeing his state and confused expression, "Are you alright, Kai? Did you take your medical potions?"

Kai pursed his lips at the mention of the medical potions, and nodded his head after a few moments of silence.

"Good boy," Lady Lysandra's frown relaxed, "Now get ready, and don't be nervous. Whatever the results be, your father and I will always stand by your side and you will always be my dear son."

'Yeah, sure.' Kai remarked sarcastically in his thoughts but made a smiling expression outwardly and nodded.

Lady Lysandra chuckled, "Finally, and here I thought you had forgotten how to smile. I will go now and get ready myself too. There will be a lot of important guests, so I will also have to look my best."

Just as she was about to turn, she noticed the letter in his hands.

"What's this?"

Taking the letter from his hand, she went through it and a deep frown appeared on her face with a trace of anger.

"Who sent this?!"

"I don't know," Kai nonchalantly shrugged, "It was on my table when I woke up."

Lady Lysandra narrowed her eyes, "This is unexpected."

"Yes," Kai nodded.

Noticing his dull response, she glanced at him, "Are you not angry?"

Kai put on a thoughtful expression and shrugged once more, "I'm speechless."

Lady Lysandra pursed her lips and then letting out a sigh, she returned the letter to him.

"Don't worry, my dear. I'll take care of this matter and talk to your father about it personally. I can't let them send any of my precious sons to that institute of brutes! But for now, you just focus on taking your medical potions, okay? We wouldn't want anything to happen to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to."

Without waiting for a response, she left the room with heavy steps.

Kai stared at her back and then looked down towards the letter.

'If you were genuinely angry, you would have taken this letter and burnt it to crisp. And I'm sure you were more surprised by my nonchalant reaction than by this letter.'

Shaking his head, he put the envelope back on the table, and then his gaze moved to the small table near the bookshelf. On the table were some refreshments and the medical potions vials.

Without thinking, Kai strode over to the table and grabbed the bottles. He knew what he had to do. With a determined look in his eyes, he marched over to the plant pot near the window and emptied the potions into it.

'No more poisons.'