A Summoner Awakens, Chapter 2 [I'm... Back?]

My eyes opened, and I raised my head, staring uncomprehendingly toward the woman who'd shouted. She was a tall, middle-aged woman with brown hair and a long nose. My mind was still clouded, and I had trouble recognising her. Memories seeped through the thinning fog, and I found what I was looking for.

Is that really... Cecilia Warren?

She was the bane of my existence back when I was young, always giving me a hard time because she knew I could do better. She was correct, but she wasn't aware of my struggles outside the Academy.

I locked gazes with the shrill-voiced woman and the fog suddenly dissipated. Memories came flooding back of a time when I was nothing more than a child struggling through his days in the Academy. Those were the worst days of my life. Even my days of being a sickly old goat had some better moments than my teenage years.

Her lips kept moving as if she were talking to me, but my mind was elsewhere. My gaze shifted to look around the classroom and landed on the window next to me. Looking back at me was a black-haired, green-eyed young man with smooth skin and a pale complexion. I felt as if I was thinking back to some distant memory. My eyes still hadn't turned the pale grey colour from attaining my Origin Card.

This isn't... how can this be possible?

I moved my hand up and felt the smooth texture of my unwrinkled face. The man in the reflection mirrored my movements. His eyes were bright, shining with the lustre of youth. There wasn't a single blemish marring his clean-shaven face.

Suddenly the reflection disappeared, and I found a different pair of eyes staring into mine. Cecelia looked down at me with annoyance, but her gaze turned to worry when she saw my far-off expression. She placed one hand on my forehead.

She was exactly as she was a century ago. She may have been a hateful old crone on the surface, talked about by many of the students, but she was a teacher who really cared. It would have helped her image had she shown it outwardly, but it just wasn't in her.

"Rowan?" She spoke much more softly than she had before. A small hand waved back and forth in front of me, and her gaze shifted back to annoyance when she saw that I responded appropriately. Cecelia huffed loudly and returned to the front of the classroom, her usual demeanour replacing the kind-hearted woman I'd just seen.

The sounds of snickering and muffled laughter reached my ears, catching me off-guard. I turned away from the window to see the rest of the room, and several familiar faces stared back at me.

My mind showed me the older versions of each of these men and women as I looked from one to the next. I involuntarily shuddered when I met the eyes of Galen just a few rows down, and I had to force myself not to picture his final moments. After a few seconds of laughter, Cecelia slammed a book down on her desk, making many students jump and shutting down the ruckus.

"Enough!" She yelled, her voice obviously amplified by one of the Cards she carried, an Enhancement if I had to guess. Her long nails rapped the board multiple times until she was sure that everyone was paying attention. The students' amusement with the prior incident vanished.

"Now, Aurora dear, could you be so kind as to remind us where we left off?" she asked and looked toward one of the seats at the front of the room. A beautiful, black-haired girl with untanned skin stood from her chair. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her Academy outfit didn't have a wrinkle present. She was the picture of a model student.

"Yes, Miss Warren. We had just turned to page fifty and were reviewing what we learned about the Cards in our early years," Aurora spoke confidently and glanced at me with an irritated look when she was done. I raised one of my eyebrows, wondering why there was so much animosity in that glare. My actions only served to annoy the girl more. Cecelia thanked her, and Aurora took her seat, casting a second annoyed glance in my direction.

I wasn't sure what had the girl so riled up, but the situation made me grin. The old me would have turned away shyly, intimidated by the young woman's beauty and class rank. As for me now, I knew how little this Academy actually mattered. Graduating would give a slim advantage and access to a few hard-to-come-by resources. Other than that, it was just an extra stamp on the graduate's identification.

A young man or woman would be better served by climbing a few Floors of the Tower in their pre-teens. It wasn't a well-known fact, but the longevity provided by clearing Floors could heavily influence a Wielder's development through puberty. Those that knew this used it, and their children had less trouble learning to connect with their souls.

I looked toward the studious woman again. She had gone missing shortly after graduation, and I'd never heard nor read another word about her. The Network had recorded the occurrence, but that was all.

Unfortunately, the Government only spent resources on obtaining the history of noteworthy Wielders, criminals, Guilds, and other factions. Wielders who never made it past the Second Floor only had a place in the population registry.

The rustling of pages sounded throughout the class as multiple students who hadn't been paying attention quickly adjusted their books. When I realised what was happening, I did the same, and only then did I notice how badly my hands were shaking. I clenched my fists and tried to stay composed.

What the hell kind of joke is this?

Looking at my hands, I was once more dumbfounded by my smooth and unscarred skin. There were no wrinkles or brown spots. They weren't cold, and I was brimming with energy. I hadn't felt like this in almost a century. The pain... that pain I'd lived with my entire life...

It's... gone...

Emotions flooded through me. My shoulders shuddered, and it took everything I had not to start bawling in my seat. I couldn't believe it. I was... I was back. Taking deep breaths, I managed to contain myself and flipped to the next page when I heard other books rustling.

I wasn't really paying attention, but I pretended to follow along for discretion's sake. My mental state wasn't where it needed to be to interact with others. Looking down, I tried to use the book to distract myself. The page was filled with basic information about the Cards, the current section calling them a gift from the Tower itself.

That depends on which Church the author honours. How did this make it past the review board... and how am I even reading this again?

The book hadn't proved to be much of a distraction. Everything brought me back to the ridiculousness of my being here. The book. This uniform. These people. The scent of the classroom... I was truly here.

A century may have passed, but I could recall every detail. I'd spent ten years with these people... in this very castle. I hadn't been close with any of them, but I knew them all by name.

The boy beside me was still grinning with amusement at my recent scolding. He wasn't as wealthy as most students here, which drove him to badger the scholarship students. Being one myself, I was regularly a target of his harassment. Though he stood out to me, he wasn't the worst. His harrying was merely verbal.

Next was the model student, Aurora. She was cold, continually distancing herself from others and ignoring her pursuers. Her written scores were at the top of the class, and her fighting skills were well above average. Everything she did was by the book. There had been a commotion when she disappeared, but after a few weeks, she was forgotten. It was a common thing in the Tower.

Does this mean... Did my Origin Card grant me a chance at a better life?

A dream couldn't be so vivid, so that was the only explanation. The clock on the Origin Floor had turned back just over a hundred years, placing me in my younger body just days before graduation. I turned my attention to the front of the room and scrutinised the board. I found what I was looking for, a date in the upper corner.

The year was 9899, only ten days before the turn of the century. 9900. My hunch was accurate, meaning there were a hundred years before that nightmarish event occurred. Before my mind could take me on a journey through time, the teacher's voice caught my attention. This time, I was subdued enough to follow along.

"Regardless of your beliefs on that matter, these Cards are the core of our world," Cecelia declared, trying not to sound too bland. She pulled her Deck Box from her hip and held it up for the class to see. "These Cards give us the means to advance, and they are the reason our society is flourishing."

"Without them, we would have never had the capability to reach the higher Floors. Without the resources from those Floors, we would still be living in a stone age," she looked around earnestly. "You can't face the Plagued Beasts without these Cards. Most of you have had ten years to use our resources and prepare yourself. I hope you've used them wisely."

I smiled, somewhat enjoying the lecture. No monsters swinging their oversized clubs at me. No Fiend to face or trainees to fuss over. Maybe I was still in shock, but this provided me a few minutes to take a breather.

"Now..." Cecilia looked around the class, her eyes lingering on a few students. "There are only ten days before graduation and the turn of the century. Once the celebrations are over, the stairs to the Second Floor will be opened to you."

"Leaving the First Floor marks the start of your adventure, and some of you may be nervous. As you know, once you leave the First Floor, you can never return. Over the course of these days, you need to dig deep and ask yourself what you want for your future," she sighed. "I would like to say everything will be fine, but that isn't true. For those who decide to leave ascend, your performance here on the First Floor will heavily impact your life."

Looking around the room, it saddened me that very few took what she was saying seriously. I couldn't blame them since that was the whole point of the Academy, to prepare them to leave the First Floor. They'd been studying and training with different weapons for ten years. Forming Parties to kill the Boars and Wolves on the First Floor had become a tedious chore for most of them.

"I know these books were covered within your first two years at the Academy, but rules are rules. Over the next few days, I'm required to go over the key teachings of each of them," she spoke loudly, causing some in the class to groan. "I don't want to spend much time on this either, so we'll make it as quick and painless as possible."

"There are six Classes of Cards. Would anyone care to list them for us?" Cecelia asked, sounding bored herself.

Every head stared lazily toward a particular seat at the front of the class. As expected, Aurora conveyed the answer, "Origin, Foundation, Enhancement, Ability, Spell, and Summon. Our Origin Cards are unique to each of us, received when we ascend the steps leading toward the Second Floor. The nine Foundation Cards have no Rank, giving all Wielders the same starting point as they build their Decks."

I looked at the current page we were studying. It showed the nine Foundation Cards. Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Agility, Dexterity, Perception, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Will. These were vital, and the other Card Classes couldn't be used to their full potential without them.

Without pause, Cecelia moved on, "Of the other four Classes, Climbers typically choose one to focus on and then use the other three to augment their build. For example, a Climber who focuses on Abilities may choose Enhancements that increase their physical prowess. Someone tell me the function of each Class."

"Enhancements grant passive skills that boost the effectiveness of your Foundations or the potency of your other Cards' Effects," Aurora spoke again, reciting a later passage from the book that sat before me. "Abilities enact attacks or movements on command, which your body usually wouldn't be capable of. Spell Cards hold great power, but most tend to have a long Cooldown."

"Finally, Summon Cards. Unless one is wealthy, lucky, or tenacious, this isn't a path that anyone should choose. To obtain a Summon, a Wielder must use one of the fifty-two available slots in their Deck for a Tame Creature Card," the girl shook her head. "The chances for a Summon to drop are abysmal, and it can take hundreds of thousands of kills just to obtain one. Even if a Summon comes with its own set of talents, potentially multiplying the number of skills a Wielder can have, it isn't worth the time or effort to pursue such a build."

Most of the students nodded, knowing that it was nothing but a pipe dream to aim for a Summoner build. A few wealthy scions in the class grinned smugly, but even their families would have to dig deep to build a Deck around Summons, and that's if they could find enough available to do so. For others, landing a single, low Ranking Summon to have some variety was the best they could hope for.

Summons...

Instinctively, I looked down at my hip. There was the small, leather-bound Deck Box I'd carried around for years. Every student possessed one of these Relics. Without them, Cards were little more than a chunk of metal. They could still be wielded, but it was dangerous and left the Wielder vulnerable.

There were a variety of these boxes throughout the room. Some looked luxurious, some decorative, and some were rather plain. Mine, well, mine was just dirty. With a glance at my tattered and blood-stained Deck Box, most other students would scoff or turn away. Thus, before I'd even made a friend, my reputation had become that of an impoverished orphan boy.

I thumbed open the leather strap that kept the box closed and took a peek inside. Sitting loosely within were seven thin metal Cards that fell back and forth when I moved. One Card was missing, and it was one of the few treasured Cards my father left for me when he passed.

My careful attitude when I was younger wouldn't allow me to tote around something so precious. Currently, the Card lay hidden in a lockbox back at my dorm. I'd felt there were many who'd kill me for such a Card. It wasn't something that someone like me should have. Looking back now, I thought I'd made the right decision to keep it hidden.

Even though the Card was valuable, I could never bring myself to sell it. No matter my struggles, the small Deck was the one thing my father left for me, and that Card was special. He'd received it from my grandfather, and it was one of the few things I still had of either.

It was important to me. It had been enough to get me through the first Ten Floors in my previous life, even with my debilitated condition. It had also accompanied my father... until it got him killed. Cecelia's voice pulled me from my thoughts again.

"Moving on," she sighed. "I'll make this quick. The Levels of the Cards range from 1 to 10, each being exponentially more powerful than the last. At Levels 5 and 10, the Wielder has to make a choice regarding the path of the Card. Ranks! There are five Ranks to remember. Pure, Blessed, Holy, Sacred, and Angelic."

I wonder what she'd say if I told her about the eleventh Level and the sixth Rank that she's missing? I'd probably be laughed out of the room.

''Excuse me, Miss!'' sitting in the front row, a short, brown-haired young man raised his right arm.

''Yes, Luke?''

Luke stood up and said, ''I heard from my father that there are actually eleven Levels. Is that true?''

The teacher smirked, "That's a common rumour, usually talked about in pubs by drunken old fools. Unfortunately, no one alive has been willing to verify it, even if it is true. As such, it's nothing but a myth."

Luke nodded and sat back down. He leaned against his left arm and scribbled on his notepad. From where I was sitting, I could see what he was drawing. It was a cartoon picture of him holding 52 cards while standing on top of the Tower. I chuckled. It was good to dream.

"Remember, a list of regularly found Cards and their variations can be found in your Compendium. Some will be on your written exam, so be sure to study well. Don't forget to look over the Essence chart for the first five Floors," she called out to her restless pupils.

"More importantly, you need to study up on the Plagued Beasts in this year's texts!" Cecelia's voice was louder this time, forcing the students to stop squirming and listen. "As future Wielders, it's my job to ensure that you're prepared. Without you, society will collapse."

She was right. The economy on the Origin Floor would be ruined without Wielders returning with their loot. It was the most critical location, being the only Floor that wasn't infected by the Plague. Somehow, it was linked to every set of stairs in the Tower, so Wielders could return to it at any time. Even the Network's archives didn't contain the answer for how a Wielder's progress was recorded, and the stairs would only allow them to move between the Origin Floor and whatever Floor was their most recent achievement.

"However," Cecelia snapped. "None of you will be heroes if you don't learn how to stay alive first! Don't venture out and die pointlessly because you refused to study!"

She looked directly at me when she said that, and I had to fight off the urge to laugh. I could understand her concern, considering she didn't know my full story. The other students listened intently, and a few eyes hardened as they likely pictured being torn apart by some Beast.

Before anything else could be said, the bell tower rang loudly from the outer campus. Everyone rose from their chairs almost simultaneously and rushed to join their friends. Discussions of adventure and laughter filled the air. Some young men swung imaginary weapons back and forth. No one walked toward me.

I wonder if Cecelia is really required to review those early texts or if she's choosing to do so independently. I'm glad it's over.

I'd slipped out the door long before the groups of students could reach it and escaped into the hall. Some other doors opened, and children of varying ages began to pour into the open corridor.

I ignored them all. My existence here was all that mattered. I needed quiet, I needed to sort through my belongings, and I needed time to consider where I would go from here.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. This had been the last week of my life that I was healthy. I could hardly remember a time when I hadn't woken up coughing blood in the middle of the night. Even standing up in the morning without collapsing was a rarity toward the end.

My Origin Card. The Effect that brought me here stated that it couldn't be received again, but... how does that make sense? Since I travelled back, doesn't that mean it's still there? For now, I just need to get to my dorm.

Turning, I rushed down the nearest set of stairs. The corridors were relatively empty, as most students were heading to or had already reached their next class. As for me...

That won't do! I'm much too old to experience this torture a second time!

My feet hit the bottom floor, and I found myself in a hallway lined with several locked compartments. For old times' sake, I walked over to one of the lockers at the end of the hall.

"Fifty-Two"

In a few swift motions, I pulled the little key from my pocket, unlocked the door, and hauled it open. What I found inside was laughable. An old, worn-out jacket, a pair of filthy boots, and a set of undergarments that had probably been lying in the bottom for months.

A picture of my father was tucked onto the shelf, faded from age. I smiled when I noticed it. The same portrait was in my front pocket a century from now, but it was so worn that his face couldn't be made out.

You're coming with me.

It felt strange walking from the hall and into the courtyard. Every movement was graceful and unhindered by the pain of deteriorating joints. Around halfway through my stroll, I noticed my arm moving on its own. It seemed my habits had carried over.

Hmm. It just doesn't feel right to be without it.

I trod by a fountain with crystal clear water pouring from the top and exited the inner grounds of the Academy. While wandering about, I turned and got a good view of the building. It was absolutely massive.

The Academy was located in the centre of the First Floor, built atop both sets of stairs. One led down to the Origin Floor, and the other was the entrance to the Second Floor. Both were closely monitored. The Government and the churches wanted all Wielders to be registered before acquiring their Origin Card. Criminals and delinquents were banned from moving forward, though I knew all it took was a few Essence for one of the guards to look the other way.

Beyond the courtyard, another wall stood a reasonable distance in front of me. It cut off the whole of the Academy grounds from Academy Town. I walked briskly through the gates and headed to the dorms. They were built within the outer wall but further from the Academy.

Being the middle of the day, no groundkeeper sat in the empty chair by the front entrance. I walked in and rummaged through my pockets, finding a few different items. After fumbling for a bit, I found two tiny bronze keys and a larger iron one. Keys in hand, I jogged up the stairs and down the hall.

In moments, I stood in front of a wooden door with the number twelve engraved in the centre. The key slid easily into the slot, and I pushed open the door while holding my breath...

It's just as I remember it.

The room was simple. It had a small living room with a single chair, a connecting bedroom, a separate bath, and a balcony overlooking the wall. I didn't take the time to reminisce as I locked the door and strode directly to the bed.

After flipping it onto its side, I peeled up the floorboards to reveal two wooden boxes. Both were locked, with chains wrapping around them. It may have been overkill, but I was paranoid back then. Rightfully so, since I hadn't been strong enough to guard what was mine.

Using one of the keys I'd fished out on the way up, I opened the first of the two boxes and pulled out a long, ornate cane. The shaft was black, and an elaborate silver handle decorated the top. It was the same cane that I'd died holding, though it was in much better shape. It wasn't beaten and battered, and the handle hadn't been worn out from years of use.

"Ho ho! What a beauty!" there was a soft click as I pressed a hidden button on the handle. I carefully pulled the handle, revealing the short, thin sword hidden in the shaft.

I flicked it back and forth a few times before scrutinising it. The sword was just under three feet long and was as sharp as a razor. Reflected within the shining blade, I could see my eyes looking back at me. Those weren't the dull eyes of an old, worn-out man.

Those eyes were young and full of ambition.