David Martinez
Stories
11
Chapters
3,348
Words
937.5 K
Comments
0
Reading
3 d, 6 h
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Leif stared at the figure made of crimson light, a sketch of a smile stretched across their otherwise undetailed face. “Who- or what are you?” He asked, both on guard and alert at the figure's sudden appearance. “Hmmm, little me? Give it a few seconds, you’ll remember. I think so at least.” The red ghost said, its smile widening. “I don’t- wait…” Leif said, a veil that had been placed over his memories being drawn back. He remembered his first evolution, of going over the different…
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It didn’t feel real, and perhaps, maybe, that was because it wasn’t. Could the system really know? How accurate were these projected futures? Were they divergent realities somehow split from the main path at specific points in time? Or were they merely illusions meant to test his character and nature? Leif wanted to be sick, he felt hollowed out, empty, paralyzed with indecision and uncertainty. His shocked, despondent reverence ended when something smashed into him from behind. An impact rocked his…
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Leif stared down at the shattered remains of the Noble, the tiny shards of crystal reflecting light that didn’t exist within the empty world of the trial. Glass crunched, the sound jolting Leif from his contemplation. The monster took another step, clawed feet crushing the crystalline remains. “Weak.” It hissed, shifting to grind the shards of crystal into the featureless floor. “As was to be expected.” “He was living the life he was born to live…” Leif said. “But he hated it, forced…
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Leif’s golden eyes flickered between the four versions of himself the system had created, trying to wrap his head around just what he was seeing. He had said it out loud already, but he truly didn’t understand how any of the people before him were possible. The alternatives each stood, or in the case of the Wretch, sat. They watched him as he watched them, and it was fairly obvious he was supposed to take the next step. “Somehow, you’re all me. But what are we supposed to do? What can you tell me…
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The world shifted back into focus, the unreality of the system space giving way to the well kept yard of a hilltop homestead. A man in plain clothes knelt next to a partially deconstructed cart, his concentration on the task before him creasing his tanned features. The wheel was slotted into place, then spun, then tightened. The man ran a hand through his dark hair, wiping away sweat and reaching for a tool at his side. Leif watched the stranger work, the scene slowly playing out before him under the…
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There was a quiet rumble to the streets of Ahle-ho, the way people moved from building to building, their steps quick and their heads down as if to ward off misfortune by speed and subtlety. The number of people had risen like the tide, then ebbed down into a trickle. Thousands of refugees had been relocated to what was being dubbed as Ahle-ho’s newest expansion, though as of present, it was more of a shanty town, barely a step away from slum. Leif had learnt much about the coastal city in his time…
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Leif sat alone, cross legged in his undecorated room, one of many identical lodgings available to guild members. He wasn’t technically a member, he hadn’t passed any initiation tests, nor was he completely familiar with their rules and culture. But Nikolas didn’t care, and as the Twin Heart guild-master, if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for the rest of the guild. He cleared his mind, centering himself and straightening his posture. The metal bracers clipped to each forearm didn’t…
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Aaron pulled against the ageing rope, rending it taut with a sharp tug and tying it against one of several cleats lining the fishing vessel's upper hull. Men, sweaty and rough looking, much like himself, sprung into action as the lower docks of Ahle-ho approached. Before him was a wall of sheer stone stretching from horizon to horizon, a cliff whose sole purpose was to hold back the sea from washing over the land. Tiers of wooden scaffolds and platforms jutted from the cliff below the midpoint of its…
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The number of spectators swelled to outnumber, then eclipse the number of applicants. The young men and women trying out to join the Twin Heart guild broke up into groups of around twenty. Each group was captained by one of the above twenty candidates, of which there were only four. About eight or nine under twenties joined them, and under tens filled out the remaining numbers. A small but notably dejected cluster of people sat off to the side, the failure of their application denoted by their lack of…
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Flowers, ethereal and glowing bloomed from the dusty floor of the training field, conjured into existence by a back-pedalling teen as their opponent closed the distance with flames wreathing their clenched fists. His name, as Leif had overheard when the boy introduced himself to his opponent, was Jason. Jason’s class made him the centre of much attention, both from his fellow guild applicants, but also the full guild members who were spectating or organising the individual matches. His long blond hair…
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