XxxxX
After his business was settled, Noctis felt so refreshed and he went to the sink to clean himself, that is until he noticed something strange when he looked into the mirror. He was not sure if this was a dream, so he pinched himself to make sure this was not a dream. Turns out it was not a dream. He can't remember what or how his face was like when he was back to the living world after being imprisoned in the Crystal. It was Talcott, a boy who once under care of Iris, little sister of Gladiolus who told Noctis that ten years had passed. It was proven by Talcott himself who is now a brave young man risking his life to deliver supplies to the people in need despite danger that might cost him his own life, driving into endless nights alone.During their journey to the HammerHead, Talcott was filling in Noctis about what had happened during his absence and it was indeed what he feared would happen. The darkness had devoured the land. Daemons lurking everywhere. Thankfully, Lestallum provided the light people needed to cast away the Daemons but eventually, it will die out one day. Therefore, Noctis must make a haste to the Capital. He knew Ardyn was waiting for him at the Capital and he would be there with his Bros.
Needless to say, Noctis is absolutely sure that his face had changed during that span of time. He grew a beard too so why on Eos name, is he looked like he was reversed back to his younger self.
What is actually going on here?
And here he thought Qrow was joking when he kept calling Noctis, kid.
XxxxX
Picking up his scroll, Qrow dialed Ozpin's number. On the first ring, Ozpin answered it.
"Hey, Ozpin. Qrow's here, I already retrieved the new piece and the kid here with me at the bar."
"He's fine but he's starving and that's why I brought him to the bar, to fill him up. It seems like a rough day for him as he was able to finish up two plates just for dinner."
"He's stuck in Grimm's infested forest for a day, and he had to fight his way off to save his ass and yes, he's still a kid. Around Yang's age probably. For a kid, he sure knows how to take care of himself."
"Surprisingly, no. He's not a huntsman. I asked him earlier, and he said he was travelling, far away from his home. He was broke, and plus with his bad luck, he ended up in the forest.
"He said his father trained him. His father was possibly a retired huntsmen which explains a lot about his skill of handling Grimm on a massive scale. Not to mention that he had dust infused clothing, possibly from a rich family. Maybe you can look it up, Ozpin."
"He said his name is Noctis Lucis Caelum. Oh, another thing, Ozpin, I have recorded a video of him battling in the forest. I want you to look at it as well."
"Yeah, I saw it. I just….want you to make sure of it. Of what I saw."
There was a brief silence before Qrow ended a call. He raised his head upward, looking at the night sky before with a sigh, he let himself into the bar.
XxxxX
Sleep, Noctis enjoyed his sleep. It was the only sanctuary for Noctis to escape from the harsh reality of the world. Back in the days, it was always duty, duty and duty that awaited him.
Yes, Ignis. He heard it. No need to mention it for every single time.
He mumbled in his sleep until a blinding Ray of light shone through his face that woke him up. It was a pain in the ass but eventually, he rose from his sleep. He sat up on his bed and wiped away the sleep from his eyes as he yawned. After a few stretches, he examined his surroundings. He was in a room that Qrow rented for both of them but strangely, Qrow wasn't on his bed. Noctis shrugged, thinking that Qrow probably had breakfast downstairs. He yawned again as his eyes wandered on the other bed that lay beside his bed as his mind was on thought.
He returned to his table after he's back from the toilet. Drunkard shouting and cursing was muted to Noctis's ear as he was so shocked by what he just discovered in the toilet. He was in his 20's again. There must be some logical explanation about this. He didn't know how long he was in his thoughts but when he felt something on his shoulder, he instantly got up, knocking the chair in the process and he was on his guard, ready to face anyone who might pose a danger to him. Turned out, it was Qrow who raised both of his hands, as a gesture of him for being harmless to Noctis. Noctis was panting but when he saw Qrow, he let his guard down and picked up the chair he just knocked down earlier. He was still panting when he took a seat and when he heard Qrow's concerned voice, Noctis apologized to him. Qrow asked Noctis again if he was fine , to which he replied that he was not.There was a brief silence before Qrow suggested to Noctis if he wanted to rest for a day which he nodded. Noctis went straight to the bed after Qrow rented a room for both of them as he let himself sleep on the bed, dreamless. He couldn't dream even if he wanted to, not until he knew what happened. Being alive after all he's been through was already a mess he needed to figure out but, being young again, only the gods knew how shocked he was.
He yawned and after a few stretches again, he decided to take a bath and maybe join Qrow downstairs. He needed to apologise to him after what happened last night. That is until he noticed some note at the top of the drawer beside Qrow's bed with some other stuff and some lien. Curious by what it was, Noctis went and grabbed it. It wrote:
"Hey kid, if you woke up already, I'm so sorry if I wasn't around. I had some business to take care of but don't worry, I already paid for everything.About last night, I don't know what happened but if I somehow do something offensive to you, I'm sorry. You have your own privacy and I somehow invade it. And I apologise for that.Oh, before I forget. There's some lien and the address for the Beacon Academy. The offer is still open if you change your mind.
Well, that was totally uncalled for. Qrow was leaving and Noctis didn't have his chance to apologise to him. He still feels so guilty after what happened last night. But maybe there's still a chance for Noctis to make up for it. Qrow did leave some lien and an address for him if he was interested in his offer. With a sigh, he decided to leave this matter for now and take a shower first.
XxxxX
It was late afternoon and Noctis was on the streets of the city and he thought about what he should do next. When he finished his shower and decided to take his breakfast downstairs, he figured out it was already afternoon and settled himself with brunch instead. After paying for the brunch, he heads out and wanders around the streets. There are so many people wandering around the streets, minding their own business but for Noctis, he was so happy to see them. It might be silly but for Noctis who fought to end the darkness, it was worth it. Humans can live without fear for the dark. At least for now.
Grimm. That is what Qrow knows the beast as. Like Noctis said before, that thing was an embodiment of something that is quite familiar with the darkness but he can't think what it is. He did say that he might look it up and what could possibly be the best place to find such knowledge.
Noctis stopped at his track, waiting for the traffic light to turn green while he looked at the building right across the street. It was a public library. He looked at it for a moment before he began to walk again when the light turned green.
'Welp, might as well be done with it', he thought before he stepped into the library.
It was almost evening when Noctis was seen leaving the public library. His facial expressions could not be read as his bangs covered his face. Noctis walked aimlessly until he found himself in a public park and he sat on a bench provided in the park. After sitting on the bench, Noctis bent his body slightly while leaning his forehead on his right hand while observing the environment around him, a posture he always made when he was in a deep thought.
Even though it was almost late in the afternoon, there were still people in the park, mostly relaxing and enjoying their time here and this made Noctis smile at this beautiful sight. Then, it vanished almost instantly when Noctis remembered why he was so depressed right after something he just discovered it back at the library.
These few days had been so stressful for Noctis with the fact that he's still alive and kicking. Added with the new fact that he finally knew that he became a young man again only added to his headache.
Then, there is another bomb planted in Noctis's head, waiting to explode and the timer is switched on when he goes to the library. With each knowledge he gained, the timer got faster and faster and when he did, the bomb exploded with him finally realized.
He was resurrected. In another world.
XxxxX
Sterben Valley.It was an area some way north of Atlas which had been untouched for generations; most people just went around it.
...Because it was basically an endless pit of Grimm.
As the grim rarely occupied the surface, the Atlas military deemed it too resource-intensive to clear and not profitable, especially because there are many other less dangerous areas to mine. For generations, the Shnee Company had its eyes on the valley but deemed it as an impossible venture but the current head saw it as an opportunity. He campaigned to have it cleared by hiring groups of graduated huntsmen to clear it. Many huntsmen join the campaign to make a name for themselves and also due to massive reward offered by the Shnee Company, but that is only the case if they are able to come back alive.
Sterben Valley wasn't difficult to handle in the beginning. Experienced huntsmen would clear away waves of weak Grimm with ease. But as they ventured deeper, the waves that came were more frequent, to the point of a constant flood of black and white falling upon them. When the Huntsmen tried to retreat, they would find out they were trapped. The tide wasn't against them, but around them entirely; Grimm occupied the path to their entrance and bearing down on them.
Emerging from hidden caves, tunnelling beneath and behind them, the Grimm surrounded them, never stopping the assault. Oldest amongst the grimm had dwelt in its depths long enough to kill even veterans, primarily exhausted ones. Despite their purpose to destroy humanity, the elder Grimm stayed; they knew humans would always come for the dust.
And they would always be devoured by Sterben Valley.
However…..
There was a man on his way to the valley. Despite being warned and called a fool, he resolved to go into the valley. After a few minutes walking, he finally got to the main entrance of the valley. He stared into the valley for a few moments before with a sigh, he let himself into the endless pit of Grimm. He wondered if he made the right choice when he accepted this task, but one thing is certain…..
…… He made a promise and as a man born in Caelum's family, he'll never break his vow when he makes one.
XxxxX
A few days ago, he was in a nearby town, ready to board a train. He had made his decision. These few days, he spent his days going back and forth to the library. Every day, the results are still the same. There is no information about Lucis or related to it and this proved his theory that he was reincarnated in another world but the real question is, why?
Why on Eos name that he is alive in another world?
The concept of being in another world is pretty much as common for Noctis as he was, not once being summoned to another world who needs his help. But being reincarnated is another thing.
He was dead and he died, protecting his people. It was not something he was proud of because it was against his consent but eventually, he did it just like what was being prophesied, just that the motive is different. He did it for the sake of his people. Not due to the prophecy.
And speaking of the prophecy, it was said that The Chosen King with the help of his ancestors and the gods, he will vanquish the darkness with his life. So why on Earth is he still alive?
So many questions and he didn't get any answers. Well, there's a start and this could be it.
What could possibly be the best place to gain such knowledge if it wasn't in a school? A school that specializes in hunting a Grimm.
Beacon Academy. That is the place he decided to go. This could be the best start because back in the library, there was not much information he could gain, more like a common knowledge which is wasn't enough. Though, the idea of letting kids hunt a Grimm wasn't a good idea but who is he to complain, this is not his world to begin with.
There are some problems that could cause trouble in the near future but he will figure it out once he gets there. His thoughts however, interrupted when he heard a crying.
A woman was crying for help. Curious what the commotion was, not far from him, he saw an old woman on her knees begging to someone. And that someone was struggling to break free from the old woman's clutch on his leg. From the looks of it, the person she is begging to is a huntsmen, if carrying a weapon around is a norm here, Noct pretty sure he is a huntsmen like Qrow. There was a crowd gathered around them which intrigued Noctis.
He stepped into the crowd and couldn't help but hear some whisper among the crowd.
'Faunus filth',
'She deserves that. It must be our god's punishment for their kind'
'She's a fool to think a huntsmen dared to risk his life to save her son in the valley. That was a suicide'
There's more, but he didn't bother to remember it. He read about it back in the library, but to see it with his own eyes, he felt sympathy for the faunus. This wasn't his place to judge who's right or wrong, this was all in the past and he didn't belong here in the first place.
…….And it is about time someone fixes this and this could be the first step to do it.
And here he is, fighting against a larger horde than he had faced within the wood before, but on the contrary, despite being overwhelmed, Noctis for once felt like he was back home.
