Shattered Time - Chapter 19: Fractured Reality

'Nina?'The thought hit me before I even really processed who it was. Nina Shoka from my class. She was just walking along, probably listening to music, totally unaware that this car had lost control and was sliding right toward her.I didn't think about it. Didn't weigh the pros and cons or consider my options. My legs just started moving.I dropped my phone and sprinted toward her. The car was maybe three seconds away from hitting her when I slammed into her side, pushing her as hard as I could toward the sidewalk.She went flying, landing hard on the concrete but definitely out of the car's path.Me? Not so lucky.The impact felt like getting hit by a train. One second I was pushing Nina to safety, the next I was flying through the air. Then I hit the ground and everything went wrong at once.I couldn't move my legs. Couldn't really move much of anything, actually. There was this weird warm feeling spreading across my chest and stomach, and when I tried to breathe, it felt like drowning.'Well, this sucks,' I thought, staring up at the sky. 'Guess that's what I get for being a hero.'My vision started getting all swimmy and weird, but I could make out Nina crawling over to me. She had pulled out her earbuds and there were tears streaming down her face.“Why did you do that?” she kept asking, over and over. “Why would you do that?”I wanted to shrug, but my shoulders weren't really cooperating. It seemed pretty obvious to me - she was in trouble, so I helped. That's what you do, right? Nothing fancy about it.She was talking to me, saying my name a lot. I didn't realize she even knew my name, to be honest. We had been in the same class for like three months and I don't think we had ever actually had a conversation.“Kofi, stay with me, okay?” she was saying. “You're gonna be fine. The ambulance is coming.”

Abandoned by Fate, but Chosen by Chaos.A world where magic reigns supreme and the mightiest wizards stand at the apex.A world where one’s mana affinity, if one even had it, determines one’s status in society, whether one could soar through the skies like a dragon or remain grounded, scraping by like rats or chickens.This was the world Hal Fennec was born into.Raised in the poverty of a border village, Hal had one wish: to give his mother a better life, one free from the constant fear of beast attacks and invasions by the Fellkin.But fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke.Despite being the brightest and most confident among his peers since childhood, Hal turned out to be barely qualified to become a wizard.His natural talent, contrary to his expectations, was nowhere near enough to fulfill even his modest dream of a decent city life.But then, just when his final hope was snuffed out and the future seemed gray and bleak, a twist of fate—or more fittingly Chaos—granted him a system that would turn everything around.

Almond Crowshade was the last surviving human in a dying world whose people failed to conquer the Grand Abyss Labyrinth’s 30th floor in time. The world was getting destroyed, and Almond was the last one challenging the 30th Floor multiple times despite the imminent destruction of the planet. He ultimately defeated the Floor Boss on his dying breath by achieving a true awakening, acquiring an X-rank Trait that signified limitless potential. Alas, he won but there was no home or future for what he fought. But a mysterious figure arrived there, feeling pity and amusement. “This is too precious and fun of a toy to let it rot here. You shall reincarnate and climb up to make things interesting.” [Transfer to another world commencing…] [Your memories will be sealed, and you will reincarnate in another world that has welcomed Grimworld’s tutorial like this one. Clearing each floor of the Grand Abyss Labyrinth will unlock a portion of your memories, until the 10th Floor upon which you will gain your full memories.] ‘I’m giving you a second chance. This time, you must clear the Grimworld’s tutorial and step onto the big game to make things instresting and entertaining.’ [Good luck.]

What are the odds that Zavian, the son of the devil, would fall for the only woman whose destiny is to destroy him?

In the beginning of time, war broke out between the fallen angels and the devil, and the devil was defeated and cast into the underworld. During the war, Zavian, the devil’s son, turned against his father and joined hands with the other demons to defeat him, which made the devil kill his son’s wife as a punishment for betraying him.

But 500 years later, there appeared a woman slave who looked exactly like his wife, and Zavian, who had longed for his dead wife, couldn’t help but get drawn to her.

But the devil had other plans for his son. To return to earth his son has to die. Is the queen’s doppelganger part of the devil’s plans?

Would Zavian fall right into his father’s trap or has fate got other plans for him?

…

Everyone stood before the king, the high and the low, with their heads bowed. This was the day they had waited for, for centuries.

King Zavian was finally getting remarried.

To strengthen the bond between the seven kingdoms of the earth, Zavian was to get married to one of the beautiful princesses standing in front of him.

But his eyes were drawn to the lowly maid standing afar off. The witches had warned him about her, and he knew he shouldn’t be with her, but she was something he couldn’t resist. The more he tried to run away from her, the more drawn he was to her.

Even though everything in him screamed not to, Zavian stood up and walked past the princesses in front of him and to the maid;

She was tiny in her dress, and her whole body trembled as he approached her, her eyes pinned to her feet, afraid to behold his face. He smiled as he held her face, tilting her head to look at him;

“Neera, will you be my queen?”

And that was when all of hell broke loose…

.....