First day

"He died in his sleep, plagued by shame and humiliation..." Michael was in his room, getting ready for school, he kept muttering to himself as the memories were getting clearer and clearer. "I understand why he would feel that way, but to end his own life..."

The old Michael, in a moment of weakness, after yesterday's day altercation with a group of kids, what they said and what they did, was the last straw. He snuck a bottle of pills into his room and gulped down a handful before going to sleep.

*Sigh*

"He thought he was alone, he thought his father sold him out for money, and his trust in the closest person to him broken, made him make a decision he later regretted" Michael kept muttering as he clenched his palm into a fist. "He regretted his actions later on, but it was too late" He remembered how the old Michael attempted to call for help, but found no energy to do so, how his body went numb, how his eyes watered as fear gripped his heart, his only option is to wait for death.

"At least he went out without pain.. unlike myself" Michael's trauma from his past life was still present, luckily, this world, in this era, has not discovered nuclear energy, as the understanding of nuclear physics and the harnessing of nuclear energy has not emerged yet, that is if this world followed the same laws as his old one.

"Rest in peace, Michael, I will do right by you" Michael looked in the mirror, at the frail boy looking back at him as he made his promise.

"Michael, hurry we're going to miss the carriage" a high-pitched cute voice yelled from outside his room.

"Coming!" He yelled back and started to change his clothes.

When he snapped out of his trance, he found himself in a small and tidy room, eating a slice of Warm bread with a generous smear of butter accompanied by perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and plump sausages. The aroma enchanted him as he finished his meal quickly with a satisfied smile.

From his memories this was not a common meal, he guessed that his mother prepared it because of what happened earlier.

"Do you like it?" His mother asked.

"It's delicious, thank you Mom" He replied. "Yes, thank you Mommy" His sister gave her a thumbs up.

Going through old Mickael's memories, he knew that his family didn't have a lot of money, especially while putting both their children through school, although Bratfurd Academy was not a very expensive school, it still cost too much for the average family, their parents were barely able to pay the fees by living frugally and working overtime.

To let both their son and daughter attend this academy, all expenses at home were cut to the bare minimum, their parents didn't buy new clothes or jewelry, and all the money was invested in their kids. Even the money thrown at them by Hugo's family was all used to pay for their tuition and debts.

"Michael, go to school and don't fight with the other kids, work hard and get into a good college, then and only then will you manage to stand for yourself" His father advised. "And you Lisa, stop reading those stories all day, school is your priority"

"But Dad, they're not just stories, the mergers and the pathways are legends!!" Lisa spoke with excitement. "Today's article is from a reporter that saw mergers in action, they even talk about a pathway I haven't heard of before, the..." Lisa stopped talking midway after her father hinted at her. She turned her head to look at Michael.

"Sorry" she said reluctantly. Usually, this was when Michael would get angry and glare at her before starting an argument, but she saw none of the anger, she even saw curiosity.

"It's ok Lisa, don't worry about it anymore" He looked at her and smiled. Lisa was wearing a knee-length dress with a high neckline, complemented by a functional apron or pinafore. Her hair was neatly tied back with ribbons, she'd don sturdy boots and a bonnet. The thing that caught his eye the most was the glowing silver pin on her chest with an engraved image of a butterfly breaking out of its chrysalis. This was an indication that she was a first-year student at Bratfurd Academy.

'Mine is an image of a butterfly in full bloom' He remembered as he looked down at his uniform. He doned a buttoned-up shirt, knee-length trousers, and a waistcoat, paired with sturdy leather shoes.

The siblings both had above-average appearances, one of their major highlights being their sky-colored eyes and void black hair. Lisa looked cute with a minor amount of freckles on her face.

Michael was not able to absorb all of the information from the memories, but he was slowly digesting them as time went by.

After the siblings helped clean up the dishes, they swiftly gathered their bags. After saying their goodbyes to their parents, they pushed open the creaking door, greeted by the brisk morning air. Stepping onto the cobblestone path, Michael beheld their modest abode nestled along the bustling roadside, framed by quaint houses adorned with flower boxes and chimneys puffing gentle plumes of smoke.

"Oh well, let's take it step by step, adjusting to this new environment is of the utmost importance" Michael muttered to himself, raising his arms to stretch. Seeing his skinny arms a helpless smile appeared on his face.

"Come on weirdo, let's get going" Lisa said before she started walking ahead.

As he started following her, Michael took in the bustling scene. Men in tailored suits, women balancing baskets of groceries, and children darting about. Nearby, an old woman pushed a trolley of produce, while horse-drawn carriages clattered past.

Soon enough they reached the spot where a carriage awaited them, adorned with the emblem of the academy, a kaleidoscope of butterflies on its polished wood gleaming in the morning sunlight. "This carriage looks odd," Michael muttered, casting a curious glance at its elongated frame and ornate trimmings. "I guess this is what this era calls a school bus!" He muttered again, chuckling to himself.

"Stop talking to yourself, you're freaking me out, Michael!" Lisa whispered to her brother as they climbed into the carriage, sitting next to each other at the back.