TAOTB) Chapter 2) Heaven And Hell (Patreon)

A pair of jeans with precut chaffed holes in the knees. A pair of black boots that cover the ankles. A few chain bracelets and a punk rock band t-shirt. Yeah, I dressed kind of boyish, but I loved it. With a few barrettes in my hair and a pair of headphones on my head, I made my way out the door without even a book bag. Not that I would need it. I mean, I lived for hundreds of years. Well, supposedly lived for hundreds of years. But if everything is true, then I was smarter than any teacher or professor out there. 

When you live for so long, you have a habit of picking up different hobbies, getting good at them then tossing them aside. Things I never thought were very interesting as my sixteen-year-old self became very interesting at three hundred years old. 

Upping my level by circulating fana through my body was the only thing I really kept doing all the way until my death. The early levels were always the fastest, but once you hit level ten, that was when the power gaps really began to become noticeable, and the length between levels took longer. There was no game system to tell you whether or not you were at a higher level. But you could check just by stretching your hand out and creating a flat disk shape of fana in your hand. It was kind of like looking at a tree stump. Each line in the disk represented your level. At level one, there were no lines, just a small disk. At level two, the disk would grow bigger, and a line separating the first level and second level would appear.

As for skills and abilities, well… This was all trial and error. Your imagination was key, along with the strength of your image. Without a strong image, you would end up casting a weak spell or nothing at all. Image training was mandatory for everyone once fana was introduced. Some people had it easy, while others did not.

It was not like we had no choice but to train. Daily life was no longer possible without fighting monsters, so it did not take long for schools to switch from teaching kids only math and other subjects to teaching them how to fight as well. The governments sent out people from the military to teach kids how to protect themselves and how to use fana. Which, in a way, seemed strange to me since many of these people who came knew exactly how fana worked way ahead of time. And most were all over level ten as well.

At any rate, their high levels at the time would soon be dwarfed. Cities and towns would soon be walled off in order to fend off monsters. Within a year, the world would transition into a new way of life. Some governments even broke down, and new kingdoms emerged. Monster cores filled with fana would become the most sought-after goods. This was due to the fana inside that could be used to help you grow stronger or for weapons. 

A new kind of system would be formed called adventurer guilds. Everything would seem like something from fantasy, but it was one hundred percent real. Life and death were nothing to those who wished to make money by risking their lives. I was also such a person. And I will say that the risk and rewards were really worth it.

- - -

As I walked up to the school gates, I saw a petite girl with short, messy raven hair and blue eyes standing alone. This was Chloe. She was a loner but also my friend. I guess you could say I was not the popular girl in school, that was for sure. Chloe and I had only met this year, but we got along well. 

Rollen High was a place with over a thousand students. And would soon be one of the top fana schools in the world. Luckily, I also went to this school during that time. But that was after the first monster wave, and the city was partially rebuilt. Only when things are cleaned up can you progress to the next stage. This would not be for another year, though.

“Chloe!” I smiled brightly as I walked over to the girl. I could see how nervous she was. She would be asking me out today, not as friends but as lovers. I remember when she did it before. I turned her down because, at the time, I was not sure about my own feelings. But I remember it vividly. Chloe’s expression after she stood in front of me to block a blow from people who were chasing me. She smiled at me with pure love in her eyes. Even as her head was chopped off, she did not stop smiling. I was an idiot. I did not realize my own feelings until it was too late.

“H-Hey R-Reni!” Reni was what she called me. Her cute stutter and blushing cheeks made me smile even more. I took her hand into mine and pulled her along. I did plan to go to school today, but only to let Chloe confess to me. But instead of that, I think it was better for me to do it this time.

“Chloe, come with me. We are skipping.” I said with a smile.

“Wha? Skipping?” Chloe’s eyes widened, but she did not reject. Her hand gripped mine tighter as we began walking away from the school.

“Reni…. I need to say something to you.” Chloe seemed in a rush to confess to me. But I wanted to do it this time. So I will make her wait for now.

“Let’s go to my house first. That way, we can talk in private, okay?” I beamed her a smile, which made her sigh in defeat. I dragged her along and brought her back to my house.

This was not my real home per se, but an apartment. I wanted to know what it was like to live away from home, so my mom got me this place. Of course, she made sure the security of the building was good as well. 

We stood in the living room, where I could see Chloe out of the corner of my eye, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans. Sadly for her, all the courage she had built up to confess to me was about to be taken away. After all, this time, I wanted to express my love for the girl who loved me to the point she was willing to die for me. Not just her, either. Two others did the same. I would make sure that I returned their feelings this time around.

“Hey, Chloe.” I walked over to the couch Chloe was sitting on and stood in front of her, looking down at her. 

“Ye-Yes?” Chloe stuttered as she blushed. She was very cute. Her short, messy hairstyle looked so good on her. She had a small face with slightly chubby cheeks that were perfect for pinching. I put one leg on either side of her as I leaned down and grabbed her chin, lifting her head up to look into her big blue eyes. I could see the confusion in her eyes as my face got closer. 

Closer and closer until finally, my lips pressed against her’s ever so lightly before retreating. “You are just too cute, you know that? It makes me want to eat you up.”

Chloe’s shocked expression was very cute. I knelt down on the couch, one knee on each side of her as I gently pushed her back against the back of the couch. I cupped her cheeks in my hand and kissed her lightly again. “Chloe, you like me, right? I also like you. So will you be mine?”

“Reni…” Chloe’s voice choked. Her eyes began to water up as she nodded her head and pouted her lower lip. I smiled and hugged her head to my chest. Her arms wrapped around me as she began to cry. I know she must have been worried and anxious over whether or not to confess to me. Before, when she did, our relationship became awkward. We stopped hanging out as much. But still, her love for me never faded. She gave her life to prove it. This time, I will not let her suffer. I will not allow her love to go unwanted. I will hold her close, keep her safe, and teach her how to protect herself and wield fana to its utmost limits. I will be her guide, her lover, and her reason to live.

When Chloe finished crying, I sat on the couch next to her, put my legs on her lap, and held her close. My head rested on her shoulder as we silently sat there. “Chloe, from this moment on, we will be together not as friends but as lovers.”

“Mm…. I had planned to confess to you, actually…” Chloe blushed as she held my free hand and played with my fingers. “I never thought in a million years you would actually confess to me.”

“How can I resist such a cute girl like you?” I asked with a smile. She blushed and pinched my hand. “Hehe. Did you know Chloe, you are quite popular with the boys? I have heard many talk about you. They would ask you out, but they did not know how to approach you.”

“I could care less. I can’t really talk to boys, and I know I could never fall in love with one.” Chloe’s eyes were very resolute. I smiled and kissed her lips. I only planned for a light kiss, but she hugged my neck and pulled me closer. I guess getting things out in the open made her more courageous. With our tongues intertwined, we kissed until we both ran out of breath. While I would love to strip her naked and have my way with her, she was still young, and I did not want to scare her, so for now, I will resist until she gives me more signs that she is willing to take the next step.  

We spent an hour kissing and just enjoying each other’s company. But time was not something I could rightfully waste. “Chloe, we need to head to a store. So let’s get ready.”

Chloe seemed slightly disappointed, which made me smile. I kissed her cheek and said: “You can stay the night. Hell, you can just live here if you want. You pretty much live on your own anyway, right?”

“Can I?” Chloe’s eyes lit up. 

I smiled and nodded. “Of course.” It was not that Chloe lived alone, but her mother was always out running around. You can say she did not have a good home life. Chloe had run away for a week, and her mother did not even notice. This time, Chloe will just move in with me. She would not even need anything from home. “We will stop and get you some clothes later. So just think of it as your girlfriend taking care of you.”

Chloe lowered her head. I could not see her expression, but from how she clenched her fists, my guess was she was making a decision. After a few minutes, she lifted her head and looked at me. “Reni…. Is it really okay? Can I really be with you from now on?”

“Yep! Chloe, your worries. Everything you have issues with, I will handle them. Even if your mom comes knocking on my door, I will not let you go. So just be you. Be the girl I know the best. The girl who smiles when she sees the things she likes. The girl I fell in love with.” I hugged Chloe’s waist. “You and I. We will fight heaven and hell together from now on, okay?”

“Mm…” Chloe finally smiled and nodded her head. “I will stay here with you, Reni.”

I wish I could say that I was speaking a metaphor, but soon, we would be fighting heaven and hell.