Memories of an Old Life

**WOOHOO long chapter, nearly 3000 words. Hope you guys enjoy**

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The Nova Kingdom isn't known for having a strong military force. It is also located in the north part of the Western Continent. It is the only human kingdom that is located this far north. The closes human settlement is the Issey Empire, which is a week away by horse. The closes kingdom is the Beast Kingdom, but even that is about a four-day journey to the east of the Nova Kingdom.

With the combination of isolation and a weak military presence, Nova Kingdom has become a breeding ground for human trafficking and many other illegal activities.

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Atlas, still unconscious, couldn't do anything to stop these guys from selling him off. The two guys that fought off Atlas, are trying to finalize the sell.

"Come on man, this kid might be ten but he has talent. I am sure he's never been trained, he's from the slums. Imagine the raw power that is hidden within him! You can easily resell this kid to some rich noble that could train him."

"Sure, sure. But how can I take your word for it? You could be lying to me so that you could make a few quick coins from me. Let's meet in the middle with 5 gold coins for the boy. That's the most I can do for now. Once it's proven that he indeed does have talent, we'll have a more favorable contract for you guys in the future."

Even though the guys knew the value of Atlas, they couldn't afford to offend the slave trader. It was rumored that all the slave traders operating in and around the Nova Kingdom had ties to the Eastern Continent, a continent that hasn't interacted with the Western Continent in 10 years. They did not know why the East stopped all communications but they did not want to find out.

After accepting the deal, the slave trader scribbles something down onto a piece of paper and hands it to one of his guards. The guard then ties it to a raven and lets it loose.

"Alright guys, I've let my boss know about your proposal, if this kid really is as strong as you've stated, we will contact you and make a new contract."

After receiving the gold coins and hearing about their potential new partners, the two guys left feeling a bit happier than when they first showed up.

Once the two guys were gone, the slave trader turns around and looks at his two guards.

"Tie the boy up and throw him into the carriage. We've already wasted all morning waiting for those two. We need to head to the Beast Kingdom right away, our contact has informed us that they have the item is ready for us."

The trader heads onto the first carriage while one of the guard ties up Atlas and tosses him into the second carriage, which is attached to the first one. The other guard checks both carriages, making sure nothing will hinder them on the way there. Once his inspection is complete, the three men begin their four-day journey to the Beast Kingdom.

While all of this was happening, a storm was brewing within Atlas. Today was his 10th birthday. He was not expecting any gifts but he was expecting the promised to be fulfilled by the god that met him years ago. Just like he promised, the memories of Atlas' past life were returned to him. Over the span of the four day journey, Atlas remained unconscious, looking through the memories, trying to understand who he was before.

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Atlas was standing alone in an empty dark room. In front of him was a giant tv screen, nothing but static was on the screen.

"Huh? Where am I? The last thing I remember doing was fighting those guys and- ah that's right. They were going to sell me off to a slave trader. Well, as long as the others are safe, I'm okay with whatever happens to me. But that doesn't explain how I got here."

Suddenly the tv began playing a video. On the screen was a baby boy crying in the arms of a man that was kneeling down. In front of them was a Japanese lady.

**Memory Begins**

The memory begins at night, in the middle of the woods. In these woods, a lone mansion could be found. In front of the mansion was a man holding a baby, talking to the woman that just stepped outside.

"Please Miku, please take this boy and raise him as your own. You know I would raise him myself if I could, it's because of me that his parents are gone now. I can only turn to you."

An unidentifiable man was on his knees, begging for the woman, Miku, to take the boy in. The man seemed distraught, shaking and in tears. Miku bent down and hugged the crying man.

"It's okay, don't worry. I will raise him as my own. You know my situation doesn't allow for me to have a family. I'm grateful for this chance. Please stand up, I don't like seeing you like this."

The man stands up and hands the baby to Miku. Wiping the tears away, the man quickly gathers himself and faces Miku.

"Thank you so much Miku. I have to leave right now and track down his parents. I couldn't leave him until I found him a new home. I don't know how long it will take but I can't stay still unless they are found."

Miku only smiles at the man. Her smiled filled with nothing but love and affection.

"Don't worry, we're family, aren't we? I will always help you if I can. Once you find the boy's parents, they can come back here and get him."

The man smiles, "Thank you Miku, I will send you some money to help you raise him. I will return whenever I can."

As the man turn to leave, Miku remembers something and calls out to the man.

"What is the child's name?"

"Atlas… his parent's named him Atlas."

**Memory Ends**

After the man says that, the video cuts out, leaving Atlas alone in the room with just his thoughts.

"Miku… I remember now, she raised me in the orphanage that she ran by herself. The man however, I don't seem to recognize him, he must of never came back like he said he would."

The memories came rushing in like a waterfall. Miku raised him as her own. Homeschooling him in the morning and in the afternoon, she would allow him to play with the other kids in the orphanage. He was friends with everyone but he considered two of them to be his best friends.

The boy's name was Hardwin and the girl's name was Emilia. They were only a year older than Atlas, so they got along together very well. Unfortunately, when they both left the orphanage, they both disappeared. They were reported missing after they didn't show up or call into work for a month. The police could not find them afterwards.

With more memories coming in, he eventually saw a memory that took his breathe away. He eventually had a girlfriend. When he came across the memory of her, the tv once again turned on. On the screen he saw himself and the girl he loved.

**Memory Begins**

Walking in the orphanage's garden, a girl with beautiful brown hair could be seen accompanying Atlas around. Even though both of them seemed calm, Atlas was mentally preparing for his confession.

"Hehe, Atlas! What are you doing silly. You've seemed to have been lost in your thoughts lately. What have you been thinking about?"

The girl, Liza, leaned into Atlas' face. She was so close to him that he could smell the perfume she had on.

Atlas, flustered, could feel his face begin to burn. Worried that Liza would see his blushing face he quickly turned away from her.

"Uhm… its nothing. I've just been thinking about my future."

Liza, squinted at him. With a playful smirk on her face, she leans into Atlas' face again and begins to tease him.

"Hmm, is that so? What have you been thinking about? Moving out? School? Your future SPOUSE?"

Liza emphasized the word spouse, almost as if she had some sort of expectation. Atlas of course, caught onto this. Realizing that this was the perfect moment, he gently grabbed her hands, looked her in the eyes and said,

"Liza, I want to tell you something serious, so please listen to me,'

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he continued on,

"Lately, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. When I wake up, you're the first person I think of. When I go to bed, I catch myself wondering if you think of me as well. Some days, I wish that I could just lay by your side and talk with you all day. You always make me laugh with your silly antics... What I think I'm trying to say is that you're an amazing person and that I wish for you to become my girlfriend."

Atlas was so nervous that he just started spitting out whatever came to him first. But he didn't stop there, he was daring enough to add one more thing at the end.

"If possible! I would want to marry you as well!"

That's right, young Atlas asked a girl out and asked her to marry him in the same confession. Liza of course, knew that Atlas liked her. It didn't matter though, she also liked him but she wanted him to make the first move. However, she was not expecting a marriage proposal as well. Liza, takes her hands back from Atlas and covers her face.

"AHH! You dummy! How could you ask me to be your girlfriend and wife at the same time?!"

Atlas suddenly realized what he said, he slowly looked up at her. All he saw was her red face and eyes peeking through her hands. She also looked at him at that exact moment. When their eyes met, they both quickly looked away from each other.

Liza then shyly holds onto Atlas' hand, she then quietly whispers to him,

"Of course, I'll be your girlfriend, it took you long enough to say something and the question about marriage… I want a proper proposal from you again, okay? Make it special alright?"

Atlas just nods his head shyly.

**Memory Ends**

Once the tv turns off, Atlas stands there, staring blankly at the tv. After a moment, he begins to search through his memories, wanting to find out everything about Liza, determined to find out what happened to her before he died. What was waiting for him was not what he was expecting. The tv turns on once again,

"NO! NO! I DON'T NEED TO SEE IT ON THE TV PLEASE! PLEASE!"

But his words could not be heard by anyone. All he could do was cover his ears as his memory began to play on the screen.

**Memory Begins**

When Atlas was 17 years old, he was doing his usual morning grocery run. While buying the ingredients for Liza's favorite meal, he suddenly felt the urge to rush back to the orphanage. Choosing to believe in his instincts, Atlas pays for everything and rushes back home.

When he got home, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. But all he could see was the literal hell that welcomed him. The place he called home, the place Miku raised him, the place where he made his first friends and the place where he found his love was engulfed in a sea of flames. All he could hear was the scream of everyone inside.

Atlas hopped out of his car and ran towards the front door. Grabbing onto the door handles, he begins frantically trying to open the door. The door however doesn't budge. Now desperate, Atlas begins kicking at the door, all the while cries from his friends and family began to die down.

"Can you guys hear me? Hello! What happened?! Liza!! Are you okay??"

Crying out, he runs over to the closes window. Taking off his shirt, he wraps it around his hand and breaks the window. Jumping through, not caring for his body, he begins to run around the burning building. Looking around, he could only find the burned bodies of his friends.

After searching on the first floor, he runs up to the second floor, luckily it seemed as if the stairs haven't been badly damaged. Running around, he kicks in every door, searching for anyone who could still be alive. What greeted him behind each door was the smell of burnt human flesh. Still worried since he hasn't found Liza or Miku, he kept on searching.

Coming to Miku's room, he felt his soul leave his body. Miku's body was still there, untouched by the flames. Her chest had a gaping hole in it. Next to her was another burnt corpse but he knew who it was. It was Liza… The promise ring he gave her was still on her fingers.

A cry of agony was all Atlas could let out as he desperately tried to revive the already dead Liza.

After a few moments, Atlas seemed to have come back to his senses. Looking down, all he could do was try to stop his trembling hands. Once he got it under control he tries to process everything that has happened so far.

Miku seemed to have been killed by someone but her body was left untouched, while Liza and the others seemed to have been burned alive. He could not understand what was happening. The mansion seemed to have been burned to hide the evidence but he couldn't understand why someone would do this. While lost in his thoughts, the mansion began to crumble. Not having time to recover Miku or Liza's bodies, he jumped out of the window from the 2nd floor and dragged himself away from the building.

It was later reported that the fire was accidentally started on the first floor and burned down the entire building while everyone was asleep. The police said it was an unfortunate accident that could have been prevented. Atlas however, saw everything inside. He refused to believe it was an accident.

For the next six months, Atlas bombarded the police, asking for answers. Telling them over and over again that there was no way it was an accident but no one took him seriously. After the six months, the case was officially closed. Atlas fell into depression and disappeared.

10 years later, in a little unnamed town. The town drunkard could be seen walking around. Everyone in town knew he was crazy, whenever anyone approached him, he would mumble and grumble about a fire. That man was Atlas.

After Atlas disappeared, his life went downhill. He rented out a small room with the small fortune left by Miku. Laying alone, the memories of that day continued to haunt him. At first, he would distract himself by watching anime, watching documentaries or gaming but eventually, the feelings he was hiding from found him. He began drinking to suppress whatever feelings he had. Soon after, he became known as the town drunk.

While he was walking around intoxicated, he walks towards on coming traffic. What happens next is what you would expect. Atlas was killed instantly when he was hit by the cars, on his dying face, he had a peaceful smile.

"Finally, I can die in peace. Maybe I could apologize to everyone before I'm sent to Hell. There's no way I would be allowed to enter where they went. It was my fault... At least I can see Liza one last time before I'm sentences to an eternity of torture."

**Memory Ends**

Just like how Atlas was suffering in those memories, the real Atlas was struggling to accept the final memories of his last life. He couldn't believe what he had become. Instead of spending his final days in happiness and bliss, he accepted the despair and suffering. Atlas' reality began to blur together, he had forgotten that he was unconscious in the real world and that he was currently in his own mind. Looking around, Atlas was searching for anything that would end his current misery.

What he didn't know was that Kai knew something like this would happen, so he had imprinted a calming spell onto Atlas' memories so that he could relax after he saw everything. Thanks to Kai's spell, Atlas finally calmed down and began to wake up in the real world.

"No matter what, I will make it back to my world, find those who killed Liza and everyone else and make them all pay."

Those were his final thoughts before he woke up again.

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Waking up, Atlas could feel his arms restrained. He observed his surroundings. He was tied to the front part of the carriage. In the back were some barrels and what seemed to be someone else restrained. Before he could see who was imprisoned with him, he hears the slave trader and his guards.

"Alright, we'll rest here. It hasn't even been half a day since we left the Beast Kingdom. You two go set up for the night."

"Yes boss!"

Atlas hearing the conversation, begins to think up of a plan to escape. He looks over to see if the other person could help him escape as well. He was sure that they were also sold off to these guys. He quietly approaches the other person.

'Oh, the other person seems to be a girl, probably about a year younger than me. Poor girl, sold off at an age even younger than me.'

When he tried to shake the girl awake, he was shocked and scared at the same time.

"Liza! Is that you?!"