Novel The Familiar of Fate: Prologue - Chapter 28✩

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 22 - The Power to Move Mana but Not Oneself
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…

Fate inhaled


He was currently meditating in his trance state, it had been six months since he had been disowned and there were whispers beyond the door, constantly praising his younger brother. Fate had once again become angered by this, as he had been with the disownment and so, continued to push further with his 【Endurance】and 【Magic】stat training.


-Seriously, Mother is heaping praises onto my brother, and sending the servants to just outside my room to make sure I hear it! Regardless, it seems that Father never even considered anything was wrong and simply treated this as a ‘lesson in parenting’...which would be true if he wasn’t just a neglectful piece of sh*t!


Fate exhaled. He opened his eyes to the bubbles of mana that were illuminated by the journal’s glow. However, even with the aid, it gave in discovering the location and form of mana, three things had continually hampered his progress.


-The mana quality in this place is lower than I originally thought, the mana that gets through to me burns like hell and my【Endurance】sucks ass! Although, if I get to a 5 in the【Magic】stat, I’ll be able to access the ‘tutorials’ the ‘Witch’ was talking about…


Whatever information the Witch had included in these ‘tutorials’ should at least have been enough to not let him die easily and Fate surmised that Witch believed he could make a good start from there before he developed his own ways of dealing with life in Ilthea.


The mana shifted and wobbled in its odd bubble-like form, a sight Fate was now used to.


Fate: “Journal, status page.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Name: Fate
  
  
• HP: 78/78
  
  
• MP: 10.57/10.57
  
  
• Level: 0
  
  
• Race: Human
  
  
• Age: 1 year-old(1 year, 8 months (19+ years old)))
  
  
• Job: None
  
  
• Previous Jobs: None
  
  
• Titles: 【Familiar of Fate】
  

--------------------------------

• Stats:
  
  
  • Strength: 9.0
    
    
  • Endurance: 17.424
    
    
  • Wisdom: 4.5
    
    
  • Intelligence: 6.0
    
    
  • Stamina: 10.21
    
    
  • Agility: 9.93
    
    
  • Fortune: 1.0
    
    
  • Magic: 4.7823
    

---------------------------------

• Passive Skills:『Balance (Lv.2)』
  
  
• Active Skills: None
  
  
• Unique Skills: None
  
  
• Equipment: Fate’s Journal(Soul-bound)
  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


-My 【Magic】has almost hit 5, so today my goal is to find a bubble that’s big enough to get me to 5, but also not big enough to kill me! I can definitely feel mana collecting at one point the more I focus and that definitely has influenced this arm.


The ‘arm’ that Fate was referring to, was the tendril of mana that had been developing every time he had used it to pull mana into himself or separate it into manageable amounts. It had developed from its hazy tendril-like state to a dense skeletal looking finger shape. However, it was not completely clear or defined, but it was developing into something new.


Fate moved the skeleton-finger shape towards a large mass of mana that was a few feet away from him. As well as the finer definition of this ‘magical construct,’ it’s range had also increased.


-That looks like it could do it. Come to papa!


The finger stabbed into the mass, bending at the joint slightly to look like a hook. It gradually drew the mana bubble closer and closer, with Fate now being able to feel the pressure that the mana, was giving off.


-Don’t need to separate it...I think.


The bubble touched Fate and was absorbed into him, giving him a sudden shock which left him frozen on the floor.


-...


His pupils dilated, his face froze, and there was still no movement from his spot on the floor...It was silent, with no thoughts or emotions seeming to come to him…

…

Fate: “...”


*drip*


Fate: “Mmmmm….”


*drip* *drip*


Fate: “...Is there more leakage from the ceiling?”


*drip* *drip*


Fate sat up and checked his surroundings. It was pitch black, with a dripping noise echoing in the background.


Fate: “...Ok, what fresh hell is this?”


*drip* *drip*


The noise continued, reverberating within his ears. He continued to observe the darkness for what seemed like a while, but…


Fate: “There doesn’t seem to be anything here? Seriously, how did I get here?! Is this some sort of new journal feature…?”


Fate audibly pondered it for a while before deciding that it was no good to simply question where he was or why he was here.


Fate: “Journal!”


He waited for his journal to appear, but it didn’t...He continued to wait, however, it still didn’t come out as it usually did.


Fate: “Why isn’t this working?!”


Fate continued to worry. Although the journal hadn’t shown up, there seemed to be a light with a similar color to the journal that was emanating from beyond the dark surroundings.


Fate: “Is...is that the journal? Then where the hell am I and why isn’t it coming here…? Unless…!”


Fate turned around continually, trying to prove his hypothesis wrong...But everything matched from the crazy idea he had. He walked toward the blue light, walking across the awkward surface of the black substance.


He managed to reach the end without falling over and to his shock, he could make out the outside of this odd realm thanks to the light from the journal.


It didn’t make any sense, but…


Fate: I’m...inside the mana bubble!... Just how did I get in?


Fate attempted to exert force on the squishy wall of the bubble, but to no avail. He simply shifted along the wall, losing his balance and being forced to try again and again.


Fate: “It’s a pretty obvious question and I may sound dumb for asking it, but...How the hell do I get out of here?!”


He continued to try and squeeze through, only to be rebounded and caught off balance by the nature of the ground and walls around him. It may have been a bouncy castle dreamhouse for an actual kid from Earth, but to him, it seemed more like a padded cell.


Fate: “Wait...bouncy castle?”


Fate thought about it for a moment before making a decision based on the childish thoughts he had about Earth.


Fate: “Journal, position yourself right above me!”


The light from outside began to draw closer and the light now shone from overhead onto Fate. He began to jump and continued to build height, thanks to the seemingly elastic nature of the bubble. Finally, after quite a while…


…

Fate: “Haaaaaaa…!!!”


Fate gasped as he came out of his trance.


『【Magic】has increased to 5, you have acquired the passive skill 『Natural MP Restoration』!』

『【Magic】has increased to 5, you have acquired the active skill 『Mana Manipulation(Minor)』!』


『You have acquired 『Mana Manipulation(Minor)』, you are now capable of sensing mana to a degree!』


-YES!


Fate attempted to raise his fist into the air in victory, but he couldn’t move his body. It appeared that the shock still hadn’t completely worn off yet and he would need time to recover.


-Oh well, between not being able to move for a while and being stuck in the mana bubble, bouncy castle...I would definitely pick the former any day!


Fate managed a smile and simply stared at the ceiling, paralyzed and in a state of silent contemplation.

 

Officially 5 pages, does anyone know what the limit for replies is? Also, does anyone know how to set up an actual table of contents so people don’t have to struggle through my ramblings?

 

I don't know about this reply limit you are talking about
As for table of content, this should work, chapter 1
Link the a word (chapter 1 for example) with the address in this format
https://forum.novelupdates.com/thre...believe-in-fate.93508/page-number#post-number (to know the post number, select the chapter and click on reply or quote to see the post's number) in the example chapter 1:
It was this address: https://forum.novelupdates.com/thre...you-believe-in-fate.93508/page-1#post-5241763
If we try the same again for chapter 2 for example:
Chapter 2
https://forum.novelupdates.com/thre...you-believe-in-fate.93508/page-1#post-5241815

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 23 - No Pain no Gain...Or Is There?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…

Agatha: “Yes my little one…”


Agatha was sitting in a room similar to Fate’s original one, however, this room had other amenities such as a larger window, cards with the Ilthean language on them, and toys of varying shapes and sizes. Indeed, this was the room of Fate’s new brother, Atlas Schneider.


Agatha: “Now, which one is the moon?”


Agatha was holding up two cards, one with the sun on it and the other with the moon. Atlas looked between them, his forehead seeming to scrunch further with each second.


Atlas: “Uuu….uuuu…da!”


Atlas pointed to the card holding the sun, causing a slight twinge of disappointment to come over Agatha’s face. Her aura seemed to become colder and fiercer. Atlas shivered and attempted to crawl back to his crib to get away from his mother.


Atlas: “Uaa…!”


His mother had grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a small hug, and her aura seemed to return to normal.


Agatha: “It’s alright, little one. I won’t hurt you…”


She released Atlas from the short hug and sat in front of him, pulling out the cards once again. She smiled warmly.


Agatha: “Now, try again. Which one is the moon?”


Atlas still seemed confused, but tried to avoid giving a look of discomfort. Agatha pointed to the ground and traced her finger to the window, which Atlas followed. It was dusk outside and the moon was clearly visible.


Atlas looked at the cards and then towards the window and the moon outside, before selecting the proper card.


Agatha: “You did it! I’m so proud of you that you can recognize the symbol of our holy and beloved Goddess at your age is truly astounding!”


She hugged the child with a satisfied smile and the child broke into a large grin. Agatha seemed genuinely delighted with Atlas’ progress.


-I will make my children into the next great figures for this household, but I almost lost it when I saw that frustrated expression…


Agatha did not like to see anger on her child’s face because it reminded her of her first child, who had been extremely intelligent and apathetic. The child which she had endeavored, fueled on by her overwhelming faith, to disown and forget ever existed.


-But I just can’t forget that disgusting look it gave me! It dared to voice discomfort when I was teaching it and tried to steal the attention of my beloved! Such insolence, I could not abide. However, now I crave it’s screams and suffering again…


Agatha continued to contemplate over her newfound desire, all the while stroking the back of her son. Suddenly, she had an idea.


-If I attempt to teach it again, it might look suspicious...However, if his brother grows up a truly valorous individual…!


Her gentle smile twisted into an evil grin, one that was indicative of the kind of plan she had in mind. The beloved son in her arms, the hated one she intended harm upon, and her beloved husband, however, were none the wiser to her desires.

…


-Seriously, I had no idea I would have to wait an entire night to be able to get back up...It’s like when my parents on Earth set my laptop with a ‘bedtime,’ which sucked so hard! Except, this time...I’m the laptop and there’s not an autistic kid pressing power and trying to f*ck with the settings to bypass some sh*tty software his parents installed…


Fate had finally managed to recover from his sudden consciousness shift inside of the mana bubble, last night. He had checked his body to make sure that he didn’t have any injuries or odd mutations that had resulted from his new skills.


-I seem fine, but I do feel like I can sense my surroundings a little better. Also, I can feel what is probably mana, flowing through my body. It feels like I was on a stuffy train, crowded in by a sh*tload of people with no windows open, and then me getting out into the winter air!


He reminisced about his life when he moved to England...no friends, his family developed for the worst, and he had become a near-complete isolationist…


-I want to live better in this world than I did on Earth and to do that, I need to get a hell of a lot stronger than I am now...and I need to escape this damn house!


His ambition reaffirmed, Fate proceeded to stretch out his muscles and test to see if his newly-awakened, mana-centric abilities had improved his strength.

He kicked, punched, and ran around the room...but there was no certain improvement in his strength or movements, none that were noticeable anyway.


-So that’s a no...But...whatever that voice-alert system is, said that I have 5 【Magic】now, right? That means that I can finally access the tutorial section!


Without wasting any time, Fate called his journal out in front of him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Name: Fate
  
  
• HP: 78/78
  
  
• MP: 11/11
  
  
• Level: 0
  
  
• Race: Human
  
  
• Age: 2 year-old(2 year, 2 months (20+ years old)))
  
  
• Job: None
  
  
• Previous Jobs: None
  
  
• Titles: 【Familiar of Fate】
  

--------------------------------

• Stats:
  
  
  • Strength: 9.0
    
    
  • Endurance: 17.424
    
    
  • Wisdom: 4.5
    
    
  • Intelligence: 6.0
    
    
  • Stamina: 10.21
    
    
  • Agility: 9.93
    
    
  • Fortune: 1.0
    
    
  • Magic: 5.0
    

---------------------------------

• Passive Skills:『Balance - (Lv.1)』, 『Natural MP Restoration』
  
  
• Active Skills: 『Mana Manipulation(Minor) - (Lv.1)』
  
  
• Unique Skills: None
  
  
• Equipment: Fate’s Journal(Soul-bound)
  

(Found typo with his age, apologies)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fate: “Message page.”


The journal flipped to the first page, once again displaying the blue screen. When Fate attempted to reach his hand to touch it, his hand was repelled by something in the shape of a lock.


『Demonstrate your ability to manifest and control mana to unlock feature, ‘tutorial section.’』


-I still can’t access it, what the actual hell?!

『As you have reached the basic stages of mana control, please practice basic mana-manifestation to begin your training. To manifest your mana, simply focus and attempt to channel your naturally occurring mana into one point.』


-It’s actually starting to give me tips without having access? It seems the ‘Witch’ planned for this after all...Still though, one point? Is this going to be like using a sword skill in an RPG?..Or at least what the lore says they do…



Fate tried to isolate the feeling he had when he had just woken up, attempting to stir it within his veins and focus it outward.


Fate: “Flow…”


Just then, he felt it. It seemed to sputter like a small flame that had just been lit, within his body. He could feel it gradually working its way through his veins until finally!


*ping*


A small orb suddenly appeared in the air, it seemed to be a hazy white sphere that floated at his fingertips. It was barely larger than one of his fingernails, but it was definitely there.


-I did it!


Fate suddenly felt tired and the orb flickered out of existence.


-Crap…! Why do I suddenly...feel tired? It’s...it’s like...when I crawled for a while...after building up my...stamina…


Fate: *Yawn* “Is there a way... to check what’s wrong with me...?”


At that moment, he noticed a detail that he hadn’t before. In the corner of his eye, he could see a small bar that seemed to be half grey and half blue.


-Could it...be?!


He looked closer, trying to understand exactly what it was. As if responding to his desire, the small bar enlarged itself within his vision. It was the same half-filled bar that he had seen, but he could now see numbers above it.


- 0, 11, and 6...No doubt about it, this is...my very own MP gauge, a staple of...Isekai and RPGs!


From how he read it, the gauge seemed to indicate that his mana level was a little more than half of its original amount.


-This explains, why...hey! I feel a bit..better, now!


The gauge had now increased by a small amount and Fate was feeling less fatigued. It must have been...


- 『Natural MP Restoration』! It must have regenerated a point of mana after a set duration of time passed...sh*t, I gotta time it!


It was common in games that when someone used MP or SP, it would always decrease the more one used it and would increase at a set rate over the course of a certain amount of time.


- 57, 58, 59, 60…


The mana gauge went up by a point and the fatigue became even lesser.


-It seems that my MP regeneration is 1 MP per minute...That’s kind of crap, but I expected far worse given that my mana manipulation is minor and went away the moment I stopped paying attention.


『【Magic】has increased by 0.05!』


-...The hell, did my【Magic】stat just go up?


Fate pondered about this strange phenomenon for a moment before making a seemingly-sensible conclusion.


-...If I gained my current MP levels by absorbing those bubbles...since I’m now absorbing it naturally, the more I use...the more my reserves increase!


Fate quickly brought his attention back to the MP gauge, observing that it had increased to 9 and the number on the end had increased to 11.1.


-Now, this is what I’m talking about!


With that, Fate thrust himself into his new routine of tiring himself out then, waiting for his MP to regenerate and increase...

 

Lol . Just saying, I mostly post after 8PM US east as it's the scheduled time for the weekly updates on other sites I upload Rupegia.

 

Sorry I didn’t post last night, one of my ears got super clogged and I had to go to the clinic to have it looked at. Looks like some pressure buildup and earwax from my last flight, so it’ll be unclogged in a week or so.

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 24 - A Sudden Battle
…

It had been two years since Fate had managed to gain access to his magical abilities and the ‘tutorial section’ of his journal. He had managed to level up his 『Mana Manipulation(Minor)』to 3 and had been able to keep his mana constructs out for longer periods of time, without his complete attention. His stats had also improved a great deal, finally passing the stats of an average newborn in this world.


The servants on the other hand, talked outside of the room as if they were stationed guards. They mostly talked about their own lives and how’d they’d rather have their loved ones with them to pass the time. Their tasks at this time consisted of giving him his clothes to change into, bathing him, and feeding him.


-Honestly, I feel pretty cooped up in here, but at least I managed to untie the ropes that were keeping the curtains shut.


About a year ago, his strength had met the point where he was able to climb to the top of the ropes and had been able to traverse them with relative ease, aside from the rope-burns. He failed quite a few times because of having to keep up appearances when the maids came in, but he finally managed to succeed. This allowed him to finally see the sunlight and moonlight after so much time in isolation.


-I almost cried when I was able to see the sun, but I keep having to cover it up when the maids come in. Fortunately, they just want to get out of here as fast as they can so they don’t seem to have noticed anything that might tip them off…


Fate: “Journal, status page.”


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Name: Fate
  
  
• HP: 104.5/104.5
  
  
• MP: 23.67/23.70
  
  
• Level: 0
  
  
• Race: Human
  
  
• Age: 4 year-old(4 year(s), 0.6 month(s) (22+ years old)))
  
  
• Job: None
  
  
• Previous Jobs: None
  
  
• Titles: 【Familiar of Fate】
  

--------------------------------

• Stats:
  
  
  • Strength: 14.965
    
    
  • Endurance: 23.21
    
    
  • Wisdom: 6.55
    
    
  • Intelligence: 8.0
    
    
  • Stamina: 15.29
    
    
  • Agility: 10.1
    
    
  • Fortune: 1.0
    
    
  • Magic: 11.334
    

---------------------------------

• Passive Skills:『Balance - (Lv.3)』, 『Natural MP Restoration』
  
  
• Active Skills: 『Mana Manipulation(Minor) - (Lv.3)』
  
  
• Unique Skills: None
  
  
• Equipment: Fate’s Journal(Soul-bound)
  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Fate’s magic progress had gone up a great deal since he no longer needed to try to gather it forcefully, thanks to the 『Natural MP Restoration』skill. Although it had increased, he still could not seem to produce any offensive magic.


-I wish that I were stronger...I could break the hell out of here! I’m just not confident enough that I’d be able to survive...or get far away at the very least. I won’t give up though, I will get out of this mansion and get so far away from this sh*thole that Mother will never be able to find me!


*creak*


-Wha…?!


Fate heard the door, as it began to creak open, and quickly closed the blinds. He got the blinds covered and managed to get back down to the floor to sit down. However, the person who came through wasn’t one of the maids, it was…


-Who the hell is that?


What Fate saw was a small child, who he did not recognize at all. The child looked well-groomed and dressed finely, wearing an outfit similar to the one Fate had worn on the day of his disownment. This left Fate, who had been wearing simple, worn white shirts and long pants that he had to cut the legs off from to be able to walk without tripping, embarrassed.


The strange boy walked a few steps into the room, surveying his surroundings with a disdainful look on his face. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring directly at Fate, though exerting a gaze that made it seem that he was attempting to look down on him.


???: “Hello, worthless trash.”


The strange boy unattached a small rod from his belt, which looked like a telescope. However, he flicked the rod and it seemed to unfold into a small wand, with a pale green gem, shaped like a crescent, at its center.


-...One of the first people I see in years other than the maids and…!


Suddenly, a small gust flew towards Fate’s neck, giving him only a moment to barely dodge the attack and still managing to give him a small cut on his neck. The wound began to drip a small amount of blood down his neck.


The boy just stood there without saying a word, as if he was waiting for something to happen. Fate was sure that this face he wore to face the boy, was that of someone who had nearly died at the hands of a mental-ward escapee.


-F*ck! What the hell is this little sh*t doing?!


???: “...Why are you not praising me?”


Fate: “...What...the..!”


???: “She said that this is one of the most worthy acts that you can commit to, standing still like filth and allowing her happiness for what you did…”


-Do not tell me that this random brat is…!


???: “Yet you moved! You denied Mother’s happiness!!!”


Another wind blade came whizzing close to Fate, causing him to nearly fall over. However, as he fell, Fate noticed another wind-blade was heading towards where he was going to land!


-Oh...sh*t!


Although he seemed to be falling, Fate did not hit the floor and somehow managed to readjust himself by skidding across the floor with his toes. As the pain of his feet grinding against the wooden floor due to his spin hit him, he stuck out one leg and managed to kick the boy in the stomach!


The boy was sent flying a foot back and landed at the door, coughing violently as he stumbled to get up. He began tearing up as he ran out of the room and down the hall. The maids looked at Fate, obviously horrified at what he’d done to the strange boy. Their reactions made it painfully clear that the person he’d just kicked was important to them…


-That was...my brother?! Why did he...how did I just…?


Fate calmed down once the maid scurried away and remember that the cut on his neck was still fresh and at risk of infection. He quickly tore the sleeve of his dirty shirt and made sure to tie it securely around his neck.


-Sh*t, this hurts like hell! If I keep, pressure on it, I should be fine...But how I managed to kick him…!


Fate sat on the floor and gazed at his ankle, which was searing with pain. He had managed a spin-kick without any knowledge of fighting techniques, but he didn’t know, how. All that mattered was that he needed rest in order to regain his strength, in case his brother returned for revenge.


Fate: “Journal... display status bar.”

-----------------------------------------------------

HP: 86/104.5

MP: 23.70/23.70

Status: Exhausted(moderate), Bleeding(slight)

Injured Areas: Ankle(slightly twisted), Foot(splinters, friction burn(s)), Neck(slight bleeding)

----------------------------------------------------


-Well, aside from my exhaustion, my injuries appear to be slight. Thank goodness for that saving grace, but seriously...how can a barely three year-old use...well, what I assume to be wind magic? Then again, I can manipulate mana so…


Fate began plucking various splinters out of his foot and then tore the other sleeve of his shirt to wrap it with. He noticed a while later that his exhaustion was growing worse.


-How am I so tired…? I have more than 15【Stamina】!

...

Fate continued to ponder this until he passed out. At which point, the door creaked open again to reveal a tall figure in the doorway. The figure walked over to Fate, who was propped against a crate and picked him up. The figure examined the child and then swung him over his shoulder, before leaving the room.

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 25 - My Attempt to Escape
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…

Fate: “Uhh…”


Fate groaned as he stretched his eyes open to view his surroundings. What he saw was obviously not what he was expecting, not by a long shot. He managed to squeeze his eyes open despite his fatigue but suddenly noticed that he couldn’t move.


-The hell?! I took a short nap, I didn’t take some paralyzing agent!


Fate craned his neck to look at his arms, which were apparently above his head. They were chained to a wall, the feeling in them was numb.


-I’m chained to the wall?! How did that little sh*t of a...brother manage to do this to me?! Or was he even the one who brought me here?


He tried to get his arms free while the rest of his body dangled from them, failing to remove the cuffs. Although he was using a good deal of his strength, the chains barely rattled and he continued to remain on the wall.


Fate looked around the room. It appeared to be a simple room, with the floors and wall made out of stone, but it seemed to have some objects that he could not make out from where he was. It also appeared that there was no one in the room, at least for the moment.


-...Well, trying to be a douche isn’t going to help anything, but my options are either sit here and do nothing while I lose all feeling in my body...or I find a way to get out and deal with the consequences later.


Fate: “I think I’m liking the second option better...How the hell do I get out of these chains though?”


Fate began to contemplate, how he could escape his bindings.


-Try ripping them off the wall? No, that’s dumb and will probably just end up with me getting injuries or muscle cramps...Try to climb up the wall for a better position? No, that might end with me falling and somehow choking myself on the chain...Try to pry the bolts that are sticking it in the wall…? Actually, that’s not the worst idea…


He decided that removing himself from the wall was a decent place to start since his limbs were still quite numb. He began to coil the chains around his arms and moved positioned his legs against the wall, shuffling slightly upward with each rotation.


Finally, the chains were entirely coiled around his forearms, which relieved the gradual cutoff of blood circulation. This allowed him to focus on removing the components of his restraints.


-It doesn’t look like I can remove the parts in my cuffs, even if I used magic. I can’t move it that precisely and I might just end up ripping my arms off in a small explosion!


Indeed, Fate’s grasp on the intricacies of mana manipulation was far from even the amateur's level and trying to remove the small bits one at a time would require more focus than his brain could handle at his age.


-However, if I just want to rip something out of the wall, I think I can manage…


Fate: *inhale*


Fate began to breathe and sense the flow of mana around him. He used his own mana pool as a magnet for the surrounding mana in the atmosphere. The mana gathered and clumped outside of his body, in a manner now visible to the naked eye. It flowed through the small gaps and cracks in the wall, dispersing as it went.


-I just need it to go in…


The mana reached the point where the chains were attached to the wall, reconvening at one point. It condensed into an orb and…!


-And blow it up!


The orb began to swell, becoming more and more transparent within the wall as it expanded to a great size. The orb grew to a size of about a foot wide and tall, before bursting into a massive, pale-blue explosion that sent Fate flying across the room!


Fate crash-landed onto the floor of the small room, incurring a severe amount of pain and injures as he did so, before finally rolling to a halt near a large metal door.


-F*ck! I didn’t expect the explosion to send me this far! But...seeing as how I’m right next to the door out of here...I guess I should be grateful?


Fate: “Ughhh...Journal, display status...bar...!”

------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------

HP: 59.3/104.5

MP: 8.57/23.70

Status: Exhausted(slight), Bleeding(moderate), Broken leg(bone fracture)

----------------------------------------------------

-My f*cking leg is broken?! Sh*t!


Fate gazed at his apparently broken leg, noticing a portion of skin around the knee had been torn through by a bone that was protruding from it. The wound was bleeding profusely, allowing the blood to flow into the gaps in the stone floor.


-I already used my shirt sleeves and I have nothing to be used as a splint, dammit! Ugh, this hurts like a b*tch…!


Fate grabbed the cloth that was wrapped around his foot and wrapped it around his broken leg, the cloth becoming soaked in blood as he did so.


-How is my HP at around half if I still have these wounds?! Humans should not be able to bleed for this long without any loss of motor skills or cognitive ability…Then again, my previous didn’t have magic so that might explain some things…?


Fate began to gather his remaining mana to blast through the door. The adrenaline rush of his fall was suppressing his exhaustion and some of the pain, but he needed to find some way to heal himself.


The mana collected once more into another glowing orb and smacked the metal door, head-on. This created another small explosion, which blasted a lower part of the door away! It wasn’t a large portion of it, but it was enough so that Fate could squeeze through to get out of the room.


-F*ck, seriously why did that not work?! How solid is this damn door?!


Despite his internal complaint, Fate began to slowly shift through the hole in the bottom of the door. After about 3 minutes of making sure that his leg didn’t get further injured while crawling through the hole, he managed to escape into the hallway.


He propped his back against the wall to sit up properly and checked on his wound. It was still bleeding through the cloth and underneath, seemed to be scabbing.


-Ughhh...the adrenaline is wearing off...this hurts! I gotta find some herbs or bandages...maybe that priest if I can, though I doubt he’d be willing to heal me...What do I do?!


*click* *clack*


Fate: “...!”


Fate turned his head down the hall where he could now hear a set of footsteps growing closer to his location. The lack of light prevented him from telling the identity of this person, but he could feel…


-Whoever that f*cker is, they’re dangerous! I gotta get the hell away from here!


Fate clutched onto the wall to stand himself up but had to struggle to stay up. He continued to hold the wall as he hobbled on one foot, to get down the hall and away from the stranger. Despite Fate having gotten a good deal away despite his injuries, the stranger made no apparent changes in their pace.


Fate rounded the corner a while later, but tripped over a loose plank and fell to the floor in pain.


-Sh*t! Move dammit!


Fate attempted to crawl, but his body was getting heavier and his vision blurry. He could hear the stranger’s footsteps growing closer with each passing second. He desperately struggled to get away, however, the strange made it to his location before he could get far enough.


Fate: “...Who...are...you…?”


With those words, Fate passed out on the floor and the stranger picked him up and threw him over his shoulder, before walking back in the direction of the room that Fate had escaped from...

 

Changing my release schedule. Updates will now be every 2 days so that I can fill more content for each chapter, which I have noticed has taken a decline. I want to release at least 2k-3k words per chapter to keep readers engaged, comment if you guys think this is a good idea.

 

Effective immediately, I am declaring a hiatus to stock up on chapters to post each night for when I go over to the US for SAT. I don't feel too shaky about math, reading, or writing, but I have a history subject test in December. Wish me luck for the foreseeable future, guys. Have a good week!

 

P.S. - Just found out that I'll be allowed extra time on the tests. Hooray for autism!!!

 

It's the weekend so I'll be releasing two chapters this weekend, welcome back to the Familiar of Fate(For now at least)!
-------------
The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 26 - And the Stars Aligned(1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…

About a day after Fate’s ill-fated escape attempt, he was woken to the sound of a chain being dragged across the floor. He seemed to have been laid on the floor some time ago and an unknown individual’s footsteps were echoing throughout the room in the direction the chain’s clacking was coming from.


He couldn’t see the person well and tried to move his head to get a better look but was stopped from doing so by a hand that had pressed him into a kneeling position. Fate continued to struggle against this person’s grip, but this time was able to glimpse at the person behind him before he was turned around again.


-Jacob?!


Indeed, a man with the same grey hair, wrinkles, and demeanor in which Jacob conducted himself was currently restraining him from behind. Fate hadn’t met another person out of the few people he had met that possessed these features…


-He must have been the one who locked me back in here after my breakout yesterday, but why did he leave me alone for so long? If he knew I was here the whole time, I’m sure he could have stopped me before I managed to get through the door…


Fate stopped attempting to fight against Jacob and turned his attention to the portion of the door he had crawled through. It seemed to have been restored, using unknown means to weld the broken metal back into the gap.


He continued to hear the sounds of chains and footsteps at the other side of the room. They drew his attention to the corner with the items he hadn’t bothered observing when he tried to escape yesterday, yet his eyes couldn’t help but be transfixed on the spot now.


-I have to think about this...It’s a dark room, in a mansion where everyone hates me, I was chained up in here, and there’s random stuff that’s oddly obscured in the corner...Cliches point to this being a…!


Fate suddenly heard creaking, followed by the footsteps which were beginning to come towards him. He kept trying to wrestle his head from Jacob’s grasp but was sternly dissuaded from doing so, all the while the noise was still coming closer.


He finally managed to look up, escaping Jacob’s grasp for a moment, only to see that the shadowy figure approaching him was on the short side. However, the more noticeable feature of this person was that a moderate breeze was flowing from their direction, sending chills down his spine…


Fate: “Who are you?”


The question seemed to make the room silent for a moment but was shortly followed with another creaking noise similar to someone grinding a rusty piece of metal on the floor. An object then spun out of the darkness, stopping at Fate’s feet. It appeared to be a rusty ball of metal with odd carvings and lines all over it, but its purpose was unknown.


Atlas: “To think that you managed to escape your bindings...But I guess it is true that mother said you were dangerous, and I was foolish for not believing her after seeing you the first time.”


Fate: “So you’re my little brother? You made quite the entrance...trying to carve me up with wind blades and then running away after getting kicked out of my room...literally in this case. Quite original I must say, I praise your ingenuity!”


Fate spoke in a condescending tone that would make the person he was speaking to want to hit him, which was a bad habit from his previous life. Atlas just seemed to heave a sigh and then press some of the carvings on the ball, which began to give off an odd hum…


-What is that thing, a bomb? If he used a bomb...I guess he’d just blow himself up too so that’s probably not it.


Atlas: “That was a cheap trick you used during the fight and I am certainly displeased by your performance... However, that seems to be secondary to the anger I feel at the fact that you ignored me previously…”


Atlas’s face was now visible in the darkness and looked notably displeased as he began pacing about the orb with his hands behind his back.


Atlas: “Mother despises you...Yet she does not come to discipline you for your failures and you still continue to mock me, who has come to force you to make amends. I believe you are more pitiable than myself.”


The corners of Fate’s mouth deviated from his grin and began to curve downwards in displeasure, while his brother's smile rose in joy.


-She didn’t come to try and bury me because she got her fill with disowning me, but that’s only for now and I only met him a few days ago...yet he’s trying to go on and on with this sh*t. I get that I was acting like a prick, intentionally so, but I don’t think it calls for throwing me in this dungeon!


Atlas walked over to Fate, gripping his hair and pulling his face to look at his while Jacob continued to exert force on his head, causing Fate’s expression to darken again in pain. He then kicked Fate square in the jaw and kept his leg on his chest as he pushed him to the floor.


Atlas: “Mother told me that even while you were her child and weren’t...causing her harm, you still were an unintelligent and ungrateful brat. In order to rectify this…”


He picked up the orb while Jacob took over pinning Fate to the ground, now pinning both his hands behind his back. Atlas then pushed the orb on the point where his arms were crossed together.


Atlas: “That is why I will teach you this lesson and finally begin to take some unease of mother’s mind.”


The orb’s hum ceased and was replaced by the sound of various clicking and grinding noises, followed by Atlas and Jacob moving away from Fate. The noise grew stronger and Fate suddenly felt a new pressure which began locking his joints together, binding his arms and legs.

…

Atlas: “I wondered how something so worthless as you could be related to someone like mother or myself, by blood. It won’t matter in my grand destiny, but it seems to keep nagging at my mind…”


Atlas spoke as he paced around his brother who now seemed to be locked into a planking position by the restraints produced by the orb.


Atlas: “Regardless, this is for Mother so I won’t be reconsidering my choice. This is called the ‘Orb of Restriction’ it is by far one of the most widely spread artifacts on the continent. It is easily reproduced, but is a truly intricate design that was created in times long past.”


The orb had transformed into a metal exoskeleton that had cuffs binding Fate’s wrists and ankles, metal bones that forced his body into the planking position, and a mouthpiece to prevent him from speaking.


-It truly earns the name ‘Orb of Restriction.’ I’m glad that Mother’s servants allowed me access to the armory...Mother, I will make you proud of me!


Atlas then began to remember all that his mother had taught him about the person in front of him.

…

Agatha: “Remember my child, you must always be alert if you come into contact with...it... It might look defenseless, but it is full of cheap tricks and tactics...My back is a testament to that fact…”


Agatha had looked away from him, but he could still hear her sniffling. He reached his arm out and tugged on his mother’s sleeve to try and alleviate her worries. She turned around to face him, revealing a tired smile and placed her hand on his own.


Agatha: “You are a blessing, my child. I do not wish to confront that thing now or in the future, but if you find yourself in a moment where you...must fight…”


She continued to sniffle during her speech, bringing a depressed frown from Atlas to match hers. She placed both of her hands on his shoulders and then spoke determinedly.


Agatha: “Win. Try your hardest to redeem this family and myself...from the shame that is that thing which is supposed to be your brother, I know you can do it!”

She gave him a smile and then continued with her lessons about ancient artifacts. While her back was turned, Atlas’ depressed expression became one filled with bloodlust and anticipation. This was what his mother had taught him since he was a baby, to despise his brother with passion and long for his death the same.

…

Atlas: “I doubt you could understand how much your actions have affected Mother, but after I kill you it won’t matter so I don’t need you to understand. Just know that it will make me much happier.”


Atlas bore a sadistic grin as the breeze around him became more intense, focusing itself in the palm of his hand until it formed a small green tornado! He prepared to launch the tornado at Fate, who was bound on the floor…


Suddenly though, a flicker of blue could be spotted in the small tornado, which Atlas attempted to study further, but before he could…


Jacob: “Young master, watch out!”


Jacob ran in and tackled him away from the tornado, which proceeded to exploded, into bursts of light and blue flames, creating burns the ground where Atlas had been standing just a moment ago! Fate, in his restraints, was launched across the room! Both of them looked confused, but the confusion was broken when they observed a glow in the corner of the room. The glow was coming from one individual, the now freed, Fate.

…

-Sh*t, I can’t move! He’s definitely going to try that wind cutter again...except this time I won’t be able to dodge it.


Fate had been attempting to flail around and break free of his restraints the whole time his brother had been preaching, his attempts, however, proved futile.


Not only had he not been able to escape, but Atlas was now preparing the spell that had given him several injuries the day before.


-And that was when I f*cking dodged it...What should I do in this kind of situation?! What can I do that will save my ass…?


If Fate really was blessed by a Goddess who controlled fortune and fate, then this was a moment when that blessing really shone on him. In other words, he had chanced upon an idea that was so stupid that it could work.


-If that’s magic, then that is just a lot of compressed mana that’s shaped like a tornado...can’t I just blow the thing to hell? But if I do, I’ll get blown away and launched into a wall... Isn’t this typical? I had an idea and am going to chicken out of it like always…


Fate had chanced upon the idea, but he had no idea how to put it into practice while ensuring his own survival. After all, blowing oneself up or launching oneself against a wall didn’t seem like a recipe for instant success.


He felt his head heating up from the stress and repeated strain he was putting on his body to break free, and right at that moment.


*Ssssss*


He could hear a sizzling noise coming from one of the restraints at his ankles, causing him to struggle to adjust his position. When he managed to look at where the noise had come from, he saw the outline of a burn on the edge of the ankle cuff with some melted metal, dripping onto the floor. He tried to move his ankles apart, which didn’t work but it felt looser than before!


-Did the metal in the ankle-cuffs just melt?! Wait...don't tell me!


『You have gained the skill『Fire Magic(Minor) 』!』


Fate could feel his lips curling into a wicked smile that could match his brother’s. A chance idea was one thing, but the right ability for the right situation showing up spontaneously? That was 『Fortune』!


-Ohhhhh, I know exactly how to use this! Time to blow this pop stand!


Fate began to split the mana in his body into two orbs that left his body. One went into his brother’s still-forming tornado and the other one fused into the metal spine of the restraints. He continued to feed them mana until…


-Boom!


Jacob suddenly tackled Atlas out of the way, leaving his tornado to spin for a bit until it exploded in a burst of blue light! Fate was, of course, sent flying across the room!


-I was afraid of just smacking into a wall and passing out earlier, but now…!


Fate focused his remaining mana into the orb that was fused into the metal spine of the exoskeleton.


-『Fire!』


The metal began to heat up rapidly, while Fate’s energy reserves began to fall. Fate could feel that the burning metal was touching his back, melting some skin, but he didn’t care. Soon, just as he had hoped for, the metal expanded and the restraints began to shift and come out of their spots, loosening the entirety of his body from its grasp!


-Metal will expand when it heats up and if I can get the spine that’s holding it together, out of place, why should I put in any more work?!


Fate rolled on the floor after landing and managed to press up against a wall to stand up. After doing so, he began to remove the restraints that had come loose.


Now he had an opportunity and the only people who had presumably stopped him before were dazed, why shouldn’t he take his chances?

 

For a child, I think Atlas is talking very 'unchild like', big words or should I say unsuitable dialect or vocab for his age I guess

 

Well what would you think if you were being raised as a baby to be the son of a crazy as f*** mother with a desire to murder her own kid who she already disowned and had tried to kill personally?

 

Yeah but still, don't you think his words don't suit his age? did he learn the words or something, it is like he is an adult, Fate got his memory intact, but Atlas is a child, by that logic even if he was raised to hate his brother, his speech is not very child like, get what I mean? something is not right

 

I'll explain that later, but spoiler...it's going to be detrimental to Atlas.

 

P.S. - Good to see you back, Kalto. Thx for the like on the message where I got half time added for my SAT.

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 27 - And the Stars Aligned(2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
…

Atlas was completely stunned, his own attack had exploded and his brother had been freed. He looked toward Jacob, hoping that he would reassure him, but instead, the look he saw was the same as his own, one that was completely stunned.



-H-how?! Mother’s knowledge that she shared with me didn’t have any record of this...trash being able to use magic! Even if he was able to manifest an attack...he shouldn’t be able to...rebuke my attack, much less use it against me!



Atlas had been given the information that his mother had on his disowned brother, which showed that he was capable of attacking to some degree, but it never showed Fate having magical talent. Thus, Atlas was right to be stunned since he had been brought up and his mother had gone through several odd rituals to awaken his magical abilities, he had never thought that his disowned brother could be as capable as himself.



While they were unable to move from the unprecedented shock, Fate had begun to move. He had finished removing all of the restraints, which now began to melt and were trying to merge back together.



-The core in the middle has been completely melted through! I need to stop him...b-before…!



Atlas: “Ghhh…”



Atlas began to clench the sides of his head with his hands, groaning quietly in pain as he did so. He hadn’t been hit by anything, but he still seemed to be in severe pain. The breeze around him began to morph and intensify into a small wind storm!



The stones on the floor began to be violently slashed by small wind-blades while a maelstrom began to form out of the storm at his feet! Jacob then quietly moved behind him and delivered a quick chop to the neck, knocking him out and ending the storms.



Jacob: “Forgive me, young master. I shall make sure to get you the utmost care for your immediate recovery…”



Jacob turned to look at Fate, who was now the stunned party instead of himself, which brought a smirk to his face. Fate looked away and turned towards the door.

…

-Did he just...knock him out? I thought that my brother was preparing a massive attack, why would he stop him? Then again, if I blew something large up then it’d probably blow us all to hell.



Fate was stunned at the recent happenings, Atlas had started glowing and the wind around him got violent, then the floor got carved up, and then Jacob had knocked him out and was now staring at himself while holding his brother. It was an odd turn of events to be sure, but there was only one thing that truly mattered right now!



-Regardless, now’s my chance!



Fate looked towards the spot in the door that had been welded back in place yesterday, angling himself in a sprinting position. He began to gather his remaining mana in his fist, coating his knuckles with small orbs…



-I just have to breakthrough…



Fate exhaled and inhaled several times to steady himself and then he took off like a rocket, charging towards the door with all the force he could muster!



*crash!*



Fate broke through the repaired part of the door and slid into the hallway, while Jacob just seemed to watch him without doing anything. The whole time Fate was observing him, he wasn’t looking at Atlas, he was keeping eye contact with himself…



-Why didn’t he do anything, isn’t he the one who dragged me back yesterday?! Wait...if he’s not coming after me then whatever is going on with my brother is that serious, or he thinks that it won’t matter whether he chases me or not!



While Fate was debating with his own opinions, he continued to run down the hall while searching for some indicator about what part of the mansion he was in. He hadn’t been taken to other parts of the mansion so he didn’t know where to go, but if he wasn’t familiar with his surroundings then he would just try to blow up a wall and make a run for it.



After a while of running, Fate finally saw a female servant and began dashing towards her. The servant spotted Fate too late, however, and was quickly tackled to the ground and pinned against the wall!



He looked down at her, she had short brown hair that was tied in a bun, brown eyes, and seemed to only be 14 or so. Perhaps she was being raised here with the servants and was training under her mother? Either way, Fate began to speak in his voice that was hoarse from trying to yell with the restraints on earlier…



Fate: “What part of the mansion is this?!”



Servant: “I-I...W-who are y…!”



Fate began to let a slight amount of 『Fire』sizzle on the tip of his finger while making his tone of voice cold and calm. The maid, pinned by his arm and with eyes locked on the flame, began to quiver in fear.



Fate: “I asked you...what part of the mansion is this? Please answer me…”



Fate took his other hand and placed it on the side of the maid’s face, stroking her hair as he did so.

Servant: “I-I-I…I…”



Fate: “I’d really hate to burn part of your pretty face off…”



Her face of fear was now replaced with one of dread, and she began to tell him everything that she could about where he was. Put simply, he was still in the section of the manor where he had been moved after being disowned but was a few corridors down from his room.



-I’m still in the same section of the mansion, how big is this damn place?! I should definitely get out of here while I still have some ‘fire’ left in me but before that…



Fate: “You haven’t been lying have you?”



She nodded her head.



Fate: “Good. Now, if someone comes this way and is looking for me, can you please tell them that I went the other way?”



She nodded her head for a moment, albeit this time, it seemed to be out of embarrassment rather than fear. It was odd to Fate, but he didn’t question it and promptly cut off the mana circulation to the flame on his finger and began to run down the hallway to where the maid said that his room would be.



-She said that I just need to head a few corridors down the middle route and I’ll come to my room, but…



Fate could feel it clearly now that the excitement and adrenaline had worn off, he was growing increasingly more tired. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep up his current pace and feared that he wouldn’t even have the strength to make a hole in the window, much less escape through it.



-But if I go to sleep again, I’ll get caught and be thrown back in the dungeon! I’ll have to find somewhere safe to rest once I find my room…



Fate kept zipping through the corridors that the maid had instructed until at last, he reached the slightly-rotted door at the dead-end of one of the hallways. He checked nearby, but there weren’t any of the usual maids, which was odd since they were always here, although they despised being so…



-I’ll have to check if it’s a trap first otherwise I’ll just end up back at square one... even though I got this far!



Fate was enraged with his current helplessness but was still cautious enough to grab some dust and throw it under the door to check for a reaction...However, there wasn’t any noise…



-This is annoying so I’m just going to open it!



He quickly opened the door, only to find that it wasn’t even locked. There didn’t seem to be any signs of movement and the pile of Jel jars was still on the other side of the room. It truly seemed untouched, but Fate still looked everywhere for hidden assailants or traps.



-There’s...nothing here? No one hiding, no traps on the ceiling or floor, and no sign of anyone having tried to take away my few possessions...Did they really just grab me after I took a nap and didn’t take any other precautions, or did they genuinely think that I wouldn’t be able to escape?



Fate continued to ponder this but decided to put it off until later. He was still tired and on the verge of collapsing and wouldn’t be able to keep himself awake for much longer.



Fate: “I guess I’ll need to hide somewhere in here…”



He perused the stack of large boxes and palettes that were in the back-end of the room, and began to hatch his plan…

…

Agatha: “Oh my...Atlas!”



Agatha had arrived at the cell where Jacob had said that he had locked her child in, yesterday. She was horrified by the sight of Jacob holding a hyperventilating Atlas in his arms and was stupefied at how this came to be.



-He shouldn’t have had to use enough mana to cause...this! That thing was supposed to be restrained and used for Atlas to refine his use of magic, how could this have happened?!



There were burns, on the floor, the artifact was needing to repair itself, and dense mana filled the room, creating an ominous feeling that furthered her sense of unease.



She immediately ran over to where Jacob was clutching Atlas in his arms and reached out to stroke his forehead, but was given a cold glare by Jacob.



Agatha: “Give him to me, I need to treat his…!”



Jacob: “Ma’am, how many of your children do you intend to kill?”



Agatha was shocked, her eyes going wide for a moment before coming back into focus once more. Her own servant had just defied her, how could she not be shaken?



-What did my own servant just tell me…? Kill my child, that’s absolutely preposterous!



Jacob let his glare slip away and passed Atlas into her arms. Agatha took Atlas’ head and pressed both of her hands against it, letting a blue light seep into him. Jacob watched from the doorway, letting out a look of discomfort at the sight of the glow.



After a few minutes of tense silence, the mana in the room dispersed and the glow from Agatha’s palms ceased, with Atlas’ breath steadying all the while. She turned to face her servant before breaking the silence.



Agatha: “I will pretend that I didn’t hear you speak to me that way...However, you will tell me exactly what transpired here, and right now.”



Her voice was no longer panicked and instead was cold and sharp. Jacob dropped to one knee and held his right hand over his heart, most likely to signify that he was telling the truth.



Jacob: “...The child…”



Agatha’s gaze became akin to frozen daggers as Jacob spoke.



Jacob: “It...it was restrained by the orb at the young master’s discretion, but it suddenly...exploded…”



Agatha: “Exploded, how could that be?”



Her gaze returned to a natural glare but was now filled with both slight fear and curiosity. She looked at the ‘Orb of Restriction’ that was endeavoring to repair itself in the corner along with the burns, both of which she had seen previously.



-How could such an object that is so resistant to force be broken in such a way? Could the child have used...magic…?!



Agatha: “Did it somehow…?”



Jacob seemed to study the look in her eyes for a moment before replying in a calm manner.



Jacob: “I thought the same and suspected magic, but if it truly could utilize such means then it would have tried to use them to defend itself against you previously, correct?”



Agatha’s placed her chin in her palm while looking down at her child, cradled in her other arm. She remembered what she had to do to awaken his magical abilities, and was certain that a mere child with no help from an adult could possibly do the same...at least not without noticeable consequences.



Agatha: “You speak truly...If it had somehow awoken to an affinity then there would be more signs similar to the ones that Atlas displays...How then did the orb become...like this, do you suppose?”



Jacob shifted his gaze to the sight of the partially melted orb on the floor. It was certainly strange that it would end up like this, but...



Jacob: “The young master attempted to use wind-mana attacks, just as you instructed, once...it was restrained using the orb. However, the magic he attempted to manifest exploded and knocked us back, while it seemed to have melted through parts of the restraints, allowing...it to escape.”



-How could something, that coincidental happen for that thing? That’s far too convenient…



Agatha: “So then, how do you suppose my son’s magic and the explosion of parts of the orb occurred with such similar timing?”



Jacob: “I believe...that the imbalance of the young master’s mana had caused it…”



He lowered his head downward, so as to not match her gaze. He waited and occasionally gaze up at her until she nodded before continuing.



Jacob: “The young master had used his magic previously, specifically when he got in an altercation with...it. I had not arrived yet and only reached the room after the young master had left and was being treated for an injury he received.



I believe that his injuries may have been taking a toll because, by the time I saw him, he was beginning to show signs of mana-overflow. After this, I retrieved...it and proceeded to lock it up here, then I returned with the young master, today.



The situation I described occurred and...it escaped by smashing through a part of the door that had been poorly maintained…”



Agatha turned her gaze to the door, which indeed did have a decently-sized hole near the bottom of it. She had noticed the damage on her way in but had ignored it due to the worries she held for the situation.



-Still though, how lucky could that thing possibly be?! It doesn’t make sense that these occurrences just... happened like that! I need to find that thing and interrogate it myself!



Agatha: “Where is that thing now?”

After telling her all he knew about the direction it seemed to be going in, which he had judged by its footsteps, she ordered him to find the child and to place it in a different cell. Jacob then left the room and walked down the hall to investigate…

…

After checking the halls and various scratches on the rugs, Jacob headed for Fate’s secluded room. He had never thought that the child would attempt to hide in the same room he had been taken from...



-Let’s see what he has in store for me…



He took out a pair of black gloves from his coat pocket and put them on before placing his hand on the handle. However, it was then that he noticed something strange, which was that there was a draft coming from underneath the door.



-How is there a draft? Don’t tell me that he…!



Jacob quickly opened the door, which revealed several boxes that had been haphazardly stacked up to a hole in the window...Fate was nowhere to be found...

 

It looks like my test is in December for some reason, which I can't tell is due to a mistake on my schedule or a shift that's been made for an event...sailing on a Saturday morning. My plus 1/2 time will still be in effect when I do take the test, but I also have another month to study. Which is good because I suck at using a ti nspire cx calculator to do anything(mostly due to the fact that someone built a calculator to be less capable for the students, f*** knows why). This means that I still have the chapters that I have saved up so it will basically just be me posting that and taking a "break" for a week, albeit I'll still be studying. Honestly, not looking forward to sailing even if it is for a university application since I despise monohaul ships and their tendency to capsize frequently when I ride in them.

 

Concentrate on your test and good luck with it