"Thank you for your payment!"
As Ethan, now Noah, exited the convenience store, he lit a cigarette with a futuristic lighter and brought it to his lips, inhaling and exhaling a puff of smoke.
'They even replaced the cashier with a robot, it's fascinating...'
Outside, the night was dark; it must have been around 2:00 AM when I decided to step out to clear my mind after the family photo incident. The feelings of the real Noah had overwhelmed me, and I had almost lost control.
To understand Noah's story, one must first know that the Western continent is divided into three main domains, each representing one of the races that inhabit it: humans, elves, and dwarves.
There is also another race: the demons. Once feared for their hostility and destructive power, the demons saw their influence significantly diminish after the humans, elves, and dwarves united to nearly eliminate the threat they posed. A large portion of their population was exterminated, and the survivors were forced to retreat to the southern part of the Western continent, an area mostly reserved for the dwarves.
Though the demon race is still present, the battles that persist between them and the three main races are far less bloody than they once were. Today, a certain calm has settled, marking a pause in open conflicts. However, tensions remain, and their presence continues to keep everyone on guard.
Each domain is governed by three ruling houses, families that have risen to power through strength, strategy, and influence. These houses, while competing with each other for dominance, must also cooperate to preserve the delicate balance of peace within their domain.
The presence of the Global Government, led by the High Council, is essential for regulating relations between these domains, ensuring that tensions and conflicts are managed to preserve harmony among the races. Well, the case of the government will be discussed in more depth later.
In this complex environment, it is common to encounter mixed-race individuals, regardless of the domain, making this diversity almost mundane.
One of the ruling houses in the human domain is House Silvaris, which wields enormous authority and has seen one or more geniuses destined to make history born in each generation. House Silvaris prioritizes talent above all else: it doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman; as long as you are one of them, you can become the heir, provided you crush the competition. Most other ruling houses also do not care much about gender and adopt varied practices. Some respect the order of birth, where the eldest becomes the heir, while others apply rules similar to those of House Silvaris.
For decades, the Western continent had lived in isolation, separated from the Eastern continent by a mana barrier that prevented any communication. However, a few decades ago, this barrier began to weaken, allowing the two continents to communicate for the first time. This opening revealed the existence of the celestials, a race with a very strong affinity for light. The celestials were distinguished by a gem engraved on their bodies from birth, a common characteristic that made them recognizable. Although they physically resembled humans, their golden eyes betrayed their origin.
The celestials, far more technologically advanced than the inhabitants of the Western continent, did not seek a peaceful coexistence with the other races. On the contrary, they sought to claim land to spread their 'truth', despising the other races, particularly the half-breeds, whom they regarded as a taboo.
This desire for domination led to major disagreements and rising tensions between the two continents, but without triggering an open war, thanks to the archipelago that separates them. However, rumors circulated about the presence of celestials hiding among the societies of the Western continent, though no one knew how they had managed to go unnoticed.
'In a few years, the truth about the celestials' darkest goals and motivations would be revealed to all, and war would be declared openly, leading to a disaster that would last for many years. Although there had already been several confrontations on the islands of the archipelago separating the two continents, the conflict had never gone beyond that stage until now...'
For now, no open war had yet been declared between the celestials and the other races of the Western continent, however, a growing sense of unease was settling among the populations. The rumors and palpable tensions suggested that conflict was inevitable.
All this leads to the fact that the celestials had corrupted several high-ranking individuals in the different domains, including members of House Silvaris. They were preparing their arrival by moving their pawns and forging alliances. While other leaders were not fooled, those who accepted this alliance had struck a deal, but no one could have imagined that Ilyana Silvaris, head of House Silvaris, would be a part of it.
However, one of their vassal families, the Arryns, discovered the truth about the alliance between the celestials and Ilyana Silvaris. Although the Arryns, small and modest, did not represent a real threat to the powerful Silvaris, Ilyana, not wanting to take any risks, decided to quickly resolve this matter by accusing the Arryns of treason and framing them for crimes they did not commit. The Silvaris, known for their cruelty, exterminated the Arryns under Ilyana's orders. The only member spared and deemed innocent was Noah Arryn, the sole heir, who was just 13 years old at the time.
Noah had lost his mother, father, and the sister he had been eagerly awaiting. The dignity of their lineage had been trampled, sullied, and despised. The cruelest part was that he only learned later the true reasons behind the extermination of his family. Lost and alone, he inherited the family fortune and enrolled in the Eloria Academy, the most prestigious, sought-after, and highly competitive institution.
Before transmigrating, Ethan had not really known the love of a family or the warmth of a home. Living all these emotions as Noah deeply unsettled him; he was simply not used to feeling emotions such as sadness or grief for having lost his family, nor the rage and hatred that overwhelmed him at the thought of wanting to make House Silvaris pay. After all, when Ethan's parents left this world, he hadn't felt anything special.
I exhaled a cloud of smoke, my eyes fixed on the bustling street. The futuristic world I now lived in didn't unsettle me as much as I had imagined.
'It's probably because the real Noah has always lived here.'
I found myself in Grelin City, the largest city in the human domain, an urban masterpiece that left anyone speechless. It had everything, and every year, millions of tourists came, fascinated by this human pride that far surpassed the cities I had known on Earth.
My expression darkened as I recalled my suicide. Contrary to popular belief, it had not been a rash act. I had contemplated it thoroughly for days, months, years. Many would have called me cowardly or weak, but honestly, I didn't care. I had nothing left to lose. Rarely had people shared my life, and those who had always ended up drifting away. It would be naive to believe that the fault lay solely with others. I accepted that I could be responsible, that I had failed to hold them back. But in the end, I had decided my own fate.
And yet, here I am with a second chance. Is this really what I wanted? After all, I chose to end my life to finish things once and for all.
'Well, I suppose I have to see how things unfold.'
Taking my phone out of my pocket, I checked my pocket money. Most of the family inheritance I had received had already been spent on my enrollment at Eloria Academy.
Current balance: 1,253 UC
In this world, money was mainly virtual, called U-Coin and abbreviated as "UC". This currency, at the heart of the global economy, was established when the three races decided to unite.
Noah furrowed his brow slightly. By nature, he was not someone who spent much. He didn't even bother to decorate his apartment in any way. To make ends meet after the tragedy that struck his family, he had to take on various odd jobs here and there to save a little money. It goes without saying that with the tarnished reputation of his family, his wasted talent, and his precarious jobs, he had often been the target of mockery in middle and high school.
I sighed and glanced at the date.
August 28th.
Only three weeks left before the academy began.