Chapter 15 - Hall Of Rebirth

*Briiiiiiiing, Briiiiiiiiing,* The bell rang, at last, the torturous combat lessons taught by Sophie Mirabelle who had everyone begging for their lives ended. Trainee battle mages said to be the best out of the Academy could not keep up with her pace, no one, from the strongest martial artist to the most powerful mage in the final year couldn't even dare to compare themselves to her. Despite the constant arguments brought forth by the student council to lower the difficulty, the Director did naught but laugh at the prospect of the supposed elite sorcerers in training to stoop so low as to beg for mercy in face of true talent.

*Huff, Puff,* "I-instructor, classes are o-over," The student council president pointed out as Sophie was lost in thought.

"Over already? Very well, you may leave, after running around the gymnasium for five laps."

"As you wish ma'am," Everyone simultaneously shouted.

"Piers, don't you think Instructor Sophie is acting a bit strange today? Her training isn't that hard considering yesterday." A girl wearing glasses with her hair in a ponytail asked.

"I think you're right, thanks for pointing that out, now let's get back to running." Piers Clyfford, the student council president, an above-average student in both academics as well as combat. People refer to him as the Thunder of the South or the unnamed prodigy. His mastery over the wind and fire elements easily makes him an SS-rank. To top it off, over the years of special training he had to go through as a child, said elements were forced to combine, thus making him the first artificial hybrid.

Within three minutes, Piers completed the laps faster than his comrades, girls loved him and boys admired him, the perfect student

"Instructor, I'll be leaving now," Ignored, Piers casually walked by as Sophie's conscience floated miles above, in the sky.

*BANG,* Back in the changing room, frustrated, the president punched a locker, "Why do you keep on ignoring me Sophie Mirabelle, am I that insignificant to you?" As he stared at himself thanks to the mirror he kept, the only thing reflected was his rage and anger, a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The murmurs gradually increased in intensity signaled Piers to pull out his perfect boy persona. With a smile, he greeted everyone and began to converse as if nothing happened.

"This feeling, my heart aches, the symbol on my neck burns, I-I have a bad feeling." Anxious, she headed to Josiah's office, speaking to him when things got tough was the only means to help her find an answer.

"Isn't that Staxius? Thank god he's here, I need to apologize for the way I've acted." With a smile back on her face, without a care in the world, she dashed towards the ambulance.

*Splash,* The sound of bones breaking, organs tearing itself apart, blood spraying turned everyone's stomach upside down. It was Staxius, he self-destructed. Everything happened so fast yet in the instructor's mind, it felt like an eternity, she witnessed the possibly last moment of her beloved brother. Graciously, as if a petal falling onto the ground with the wind who carried most of the burden, her apprentice's body fell.

With her eyes wide open, she made her way inside the hospital. A doctor as skillful as Jona got him inside without any time left to spare. Outside, stood amidst a pool of blood was Autumn, bloodied and smelling of iron, she was still in shock.

"I-it c-can be, t-this is all my fault, S-Staxius…"

"Don't cry, he actually winked at me before his body broke… he w-winked." Autumn spoke softly in a monotonous voice. Her face showed no emotions yet she cried, the sound was deafened by her throat as it fought with itself to keep her calm, a single tear shed, her mind began to breakdown.

"Don't hold back, I'm here."

"Staxius Haggard, why do you wish to leave such amazing people for the sole purpose of seeing the death reaper?" Seeing both Autumn and Sophie shed tears for him, Undrar was more than a bit perplexed.

"Why waste breath and tears over one such as myself? Haven't I told them that I'm not human, emotions, fear, sadness, such worthless waste of breath. I can't bear to see this farce any longer, Undrar please take me to the hall of rebirth."

"As you wish young master," With a snap of the fingers, a portal with a devilishly red and black color opened up. Flames darker than the abyss, close to invisible for the n.a.k.e.d eye, it was something breathtaking. Overjoyed by the idea of finally meeting the one who called him his prodigy, our hero stepped in without fear for repercussion.

"Most people who see the Void Flame often try to run away; it pains me to forcefully snatch their soul when a second ago they were still alive. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Isn't this portal supposed to teleport us to the hall of rebirth?" Staxius asked after two hours of walking.

"Why do you ask, that portal was mere but a door with artistic flair, not to brag but it was me who personally designed it." Undrar chuckled.

"…" Annoyed, the only response he got was the death stare.

"I meant no disrespect, fine, the true reason we are walking is due to the fact that you haven't died yet. People who are instantly transported had to have died first, but in your case, I've only extracted your soul and not taken your lifeforce. Your mortal body should recover just fine in three months' time."

"THREE MONTHS?"

"Ahh, don't worry about it, one day in this realm is like a month for you, if you want to return to your mortal body, we have to wait for it to heal. Three days in the hall of rebirth doesn't sound that bad does it?" Undrar asked rhetorically.

"Let say if I train here for a full day, will all the acc.u.mulated experience and training get transferred to my mortal body?" Staxius asked, his mind began working at a rapid pace.

"Hypothetically yes it should work, screw hypothetically, I say it will work, so train as long as you want here, the aging process won't start until your soul combines with the other counterpart."

"Staxius Haggard, we have arrived at the hall of rebirth, home to the death reaper otherwise known as the god of death. Take it all in my young master, one day this all will be yours to govern."

The moment the door opened, a glimmering golden shine practically blinded the unsuspecting hero, the place was immense, in the middle it had a big globe, it lit up every few seconds. You had people or otherworldly creatures running all over the place, a golden bird flew above head. The sky was blue, just like earth, however it was artificial, it felt like home.

"Close your mouth young master, you didn't expect this place to be so beautiful, did you? Let me guess you were expecting skulls, fire, and blood." Undrar teased him.

Embarrassed, Staxius vigorously shook his head in an attempt to deny Undrar's accusation.

"Hold up a second, Undrar, I've only heard your name but who are yo..."

Brown hair which faded into a beach blonde, a face as perfect as a flawless diamond. A smile that could topple over the whole population, she was absolutely resplendent. Her figure was so graceful that it seemed to be divine, on her back a pair of wings which complemented her gothic dress, a vampire.

"I've fallen in love," Staxius casually spoke out.

"Me too," She pulled out her tongue.

"It's finally great to see you Undrar, the bringer of death, a name which doesn't suit your look at all.

Put a halo on your head and I'd have been convinced that you are an angel."

"Are you trying to flatter me?"

"Not really, I'm only speaking my mind, however, something gravely troubles me."

"Speak your mind."

"Aren't you supposed to be a dragon, like the one on my neck?"

"About that, hmmm, aren't you ashamed to ask such a pretty lady as me to reveal her secrets."

"If you're talking about shame then try someone else, I called you pretty once but don't let that go through your head."

"Must you be serious all the time?"

"Yes, if allowed the slightest opportunity, I might fall in love despite having no emotions."

"Surely you jest." Her cheeks went from white to red.

"I only speak the truth because a lie will only be an insult to your beauty."

"Keep this up and you might make a demi-god fall in love with you, young master." Her tail, hidden

by her legs, began to wiggle.

"Let's keep the pleasantries and trifling for another time, why don't you show me around, Undrar."

"Very well, follow me, I shall give you a grand tour of my master's domain."

"Hook, line and sinker, emotional control works with demi-gods too, father you truly were a

genius." Little did Staxius know that dark arts wasn't working in the hall of rebirth, with years of manipulating and controlling other people as well as himself, Staxius without noticing began to acquire that skill all by himself. For it to work on a demi-god was unforeseen even by its creator.

Staxius Haggard truly was a genius at his craft, the best the world had yet to see.

The tour lasted about four hours, from the judgment room, as the name implied, people are judged to be reincarnated either as humans or animals, their soul traveled from dimensions to dimensions as different beings to finally end up as Eternals. It was the last journey a soul had to undergo before having the ultimate choice to whether start again as a human or try and attain divinity. It is said countless numbers of great figures in history have tried attaining divinity but ultimately failed and had to transfer all their knowledge before disappearing into the void. To the hall of fame, a place where every person who has served their purpose in the betterment or destruction of humanity were listed there.

"Souls have only two options after being reborn so many times to either start over or try and attain divinity, both choices force them to forgo their lifetime's work and mastery," Staxius spoke as they headed for his bedchambers.

"This is the way it has worked since creation itself; we can't bend the rules even if we wanted to. The things previously mastered in a past life are transferred as talents to their current one. The soul is like a memory bank, after gathering so much knowledge, one has to wipe it or destroy it. A memory bank which is filled isn't useful for anyone." Sophie answered his not so obvious question.

"At last, we have arrived, you will be staying here until you leave, feel free to roam around, as I said, this place will be yours one day, make yourself at home."

"One question before you leave Undrar."

"Make it quick."

"Are you included in that package?" With a quick wink, he left.

"Work hard and who knows, maybe one day." She laughed.

"The hall of rebirth, what an interesting place, I've basically solved the mystery about what comes after death. She said souls are eternal, divini… Wait, what about me? Did my soul somehow pass the test of attaining god-rank? I wonder who I was in the past, maybe a hero or a demon lord. Who am I kidding anyway, I probably was just some assassin who got killed, some questions are better left unanswered. I rather enjoy my last and final life."

"Man, time passes so slowly here, hard as I may try, I can't fall asleep even if I wanted to. I did see a library, stocking up on random facts is a good way to learn."

With his hands on some books about forgotten and ancient magic, Staxius spent all of his time learning, practicing the old techniques. There were also teachings about how the very fabric of the universe functioned. Knowledge is the greatest riches that a man could ever hope for, Staxius knew that fact better than anyone, hence the obsession with always learning.

"Instructor, wake up, it's time for class." A gentle voice broke Sophie's nap, it was Piers.

"Hey there Piers, or should I say, brother-in-law," Her smile was as genuine as possible.

Three months went by, Staxius was in a deep coma, everything within him slowly healed. However, Doctor Jona had no hopes of him ever waking up, a meeting was called in to announce him as dead. The guy who only spent one day at school toppled over the ranking system, schemed against people who had too big of an ego and went face to face with an SSS rank sorcerer was ordered to be removed and killed. It came as a surprise when knights from the Hidros army read the royal decree issued by her majesty the queen to kill Staxius. The princess heavily influenced that decision, and thus his fate was sealed. Despite being a duchess, Sophie Mirabelle could naught but stand still.

Just like his father, Staxius Haggard was erased from history, the following month, Piers and his family manipulated Sophie into betraying her pact with Staxius. She ended her contract with him, she had no remorse. At heart, without her even knowing, she hated the one who defeated her. Our hero felt it, on the day she glanced at Autumn.

The news about Staxius dying deeply affected Autumn, she fell deeper into depression. Julius, on the other hand, was hell bend on exacting revenge for such cruelty. His friend was betrayed by the only ones he deemed as comrades, on the day the news arrived, Julius Garnet fully embraced Staxius Haggard's philosophy of life.

"Autumn, Staxius once told me that you would make a great sorcerer, he was fully confident that you would be the one who could stand face to face against him. To that end, I'm enrolling you in the West Claireville Academy." He spoke out with anger still throbbing deep inside.

"Brother… you're scaring me,"

"Autumn listen, for the sake of the short and best friendship I've ever experienced, starting today, I will live by abiding and embracing Staxius's ideals."

Meanwhile, at the director's office,

"Uncle, we can't let them kill Staxius, there's a chance he will wake, believe in him, please." Sophie teared up.

"I had high hopes for that boy, but this diary was found and brought in by Piers, it's Staxius's. It has details about how he would overthrow the kingdom starting with you, I can't let this go by. He's a traitor to the crown, I don't care what feelings you have, I've decided that you are to wed Pier's older brother. Silvester Clyfford, a fellow SSS rank mage who's also the next head of the prestigious Clyfford family. Sophie, listen to me closely, that boy was a master at manipulation, it's better to forget about him."

"NO, he swore to never leave my side, I can't let this pass."

"Guess I have no choice in the matter, SSS ranked magic, Memory erase."

Since that faithful day, everyone has forgotten about the boy in a grey suit. Time passed was now

five months in total,

"Mother, you see, I've eradicated the threat known as Staxius Haggard for five months now, aren't you going to wed me?" Princess Gallienne asked.

"Worry not child, I've found the perfect groom, Piers Clyfford, your co-conspirator and childhood friend is worthy of being called your betrothed." Queen Sely answered.

From being one of the most promising students in Hidros's history to being ousted like his father, will Staxius's quest in clearing his dad's name only be but a dream?