Story

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Round 1

Saved from the brink of disbandment, the revival of the ancient history club brings together an unlikely group of students.Hosting a diverse roster of members, the popular and the forgotten gather together all the same. For one reason or another, each of them have found the ancient history club as means to get closer to their goals. Perhaps the lull of ancient power draws them in, or maybe they seek to find themselves within forgotten scripts.No matter their reasons, they all meet together as equals. Poring over fading texts, their hushed meetings within the shelves of the moonlit library go unnoticed by classmates and faculty.

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Round 2

With one last message from the fates, the members of the ancient history club wake up three years in the past.There's little time for anyone to grasp their surroundings before Himari is gathering them all, casting nervous glances around as she marches them down the route to the library. Slipping in alongside other students, the group catches a glimpse of a familiar librarian at his desk. His appearance and mannerisms show a reflection of home, yet they dare not interact. He's not their librarian, he doesn't know who they are—at least, not yet. Not at this time.They settle into what they knew as their meeting spot—a far corner of the library, hidden behind dusty shelves that held the secrets of the world. The space is roughly the same as in their time, allowing them a small sense of relief as they grapple with the fact that they are living in a time that is not theirs. Heavy silence hangs in the air, broken as Himari speaks in a hushed voice, her brow furrowed and frown deeply set."We need to go back to our time. We're not supposed to be here. You heard what the fates said—we can't mess with the past, or it'll erase our existance as we know it. We have to do everything we can to figure out to return to our time. And we start with..."She reaches into her pocket, pulling out the only thing connecting them to home—The Serpent's Wand. The dark wood emits a dark, wispy smoke, drifting languidly and absorbing all light that touches it. She settles it on the table before her, gesturing to it as she continues speaking."... this. This is all we have of our time. It has to have the key to going back. We have to analyze it and find whatever we can. I need everyone to try and channel their magic into it and see what they can learn. I'll go first."Himari lifts the wand back into her grasp, shutting her eyes as she focuses on the wand. The rest of the club watches with undivded attention, unsure of what to expect.Scenes flash before Himari's eyes. Visions of cheating, manipulation, unjust control—all gained through the cheap power that the darkness provides. Wicked laughter echoes in her head. She drops the wand, eyes snapping open as she stares down in disgust. This... must be what would happen if they didn't make it back in time. That had to be what it meant.There's a pause before she fully gathers herself, glancing to the rest of she group. Her reaction intrigues the others. What could she have seen to elicit such distress? Would they all see the same? She takes a step back, offering the wand to everyone else. She doesn't say anything else, waiting to see what everyone else experiences.Stepping up first, Noel channels her magic into the wand. She's granted visions of herself in another world—one where she's left behind all that she hates. A life where she's given up everything to the darkness for a new start. Is this the way to reach the life she dreams of? Perhaps changing the past can bring her the future she wants.Brenn is promised the world that he wants. A world shrouded in darkness is a world that he controls, a world that he morphs to his whim. But the past is too unstable, too uncertain. He must return back to his time, wielding the darkness to bring about the change he wants in the world he knows how to lead.A surge of power pulses through Kevin's veins, a glimpse of the ability to toy with others like he never has before. With a touch of darkness, he can toy with his playthings than ever imagined. If only a drop of the darknesses' power is this intoxicating, imagine how much potential wielding it can be. Messing up the past may be more fun than he had initially thought.Hyacinth sees her reflection in the mirror, staring back with a blank expression. A crack, and the glass shatters into pieces. As she looks over each shard, she sees a different version of her held in their reflection—realities that lie within the darkness. Is this the key to finding who she is? Is her truth held within its grasp?Nothing is felt by Estelle. No visions, no positive or negative feelings, no surges of power—just emptiness. There's nothing within the darkness for her, just as there's nothing for her everywhere else. But is that really is? Shouldn't there by something, anything?With their visions on the forefront of their minds, cracks begin to form in the group's unity. Himari demands any useful information revealed from what everyone saw, yet very little is actually shared. The excuse that they only saw random scenarios and visions is shared between the members. After mulling through the small bits of information she's heard, Himari sends everyone off to research time travel and the Fates.

Beneath the cloak of nightfall, a solitary figure sneaks to the furthest corner of the academy library. Taking wary looks around to make sure she's unseen, Estelle pulls the Serpent's Wand from her cloak.She stares at the artifact, ruminating as the smoke twirls between her fingers. The dark wisps ebb and flow, neither inviting nor rejecting her touch. If this were the only object to be sent to the past with them, it must hold answers. So why hadn't it shown her anything? Why was she the only one without a vision?Maybe the circumstances weren't right. Maybe she has to try harder, maybe she needs to be alone. It can't just be nothing. She needs to try again.She takes a deep breath, steeling herself as she tightens her grip on the wand. She stands still, shutting her eyes and focusing her magic into the wand.Darkness washes over her, the same as it had before. Yet amidst the emptiness she senses something, something lurking that hadn't been there earlier. She tries to analyze whatever is there, but it stays just out of reach. There's nothing else for her to do but push further.The moment she reaches it, she's overcome with fear.A nightmare. Blood—far more blood than she'd ever seen before. It paints everything in sight a sickening hue, amplifying the dizzying chorus of screams that engulf the space. The darkness surrounds it all, watching as Estelle finally spots the source of the horror—her dying companions, painfully being consumed by the darkness.Their reactions are of pure madness—desperation and a futile attempt to survive. They cry out, screaming and wailing as their disfigured bodies and minds are eaten away. They struggle, fighting against the darkness to try and regain control. But it's no use, as they had chosen to give themselves up in exchange for the darknesses' power. This is the price they pay for a pact with the darkness.Estelle's forced to watch the gruesome scene, unable to tear her eyes away from the gore. With every second that passes she feels herself growing sicker and sicker, until the darkness finally turns to her.She knows it's coming for her, but she's trapped. She's far too stunned to move, her feet rooted as she helplessly watches her fate disappear before her.Yet before the darkness reaches her she's shoved out of the way, stumbling backwards and out of the reach of the darkness. Her eyes lock on to Noel, collapsed where she had been standing seconds before. Her elder sister looks back at her with an expression mixed with pain and determination. It's the last thing Estelle sees before she's pushed out of the vision.The wand clatters to the ground.Without realizing, Estelle's knees have given out and she's crumpled to the floor. Her heart pounds in her chest, mimicking her mind that races faster than she's ever felt before. Panic swells in her throat as she tries uselessly to stabilize her hurried breath, feeling tears prick the corner of her blurry vision.She doesn't know what to make of the visions she was shown. Was it a nightmare? A warning? A prophecy?She curls into herself, gripping at her skirt. The vision keeps playing back in her head, no matter how hard she tries to ignore it. She quietly sobs into the night, not knowing what to do.

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Round 3

Minutes bleed into days within the ancient walls of the great Kawaakari library. Six figures rummage through the endless shelves, some poring over the scriptures intensely whilst others refuse to spare a second glance to anything that doesn't catch their eye. Information about the fates, time travel, and timelines allude the most scrutinous gazes, hope of finding the key to returning home—or creating a new one—dwindling as the seconds continue ticking by.An unspoken tension stretches through the air whilst they search, their secret desires straining the cracks in their unstable foundation. A looming sense of dreadful anticipation ghosts every lingering touch upon the pages.At her wits end, Himari calls a meeting. Her stress permeates every cell of her body, overflowing into her voice as she asks everyone for their findings. Pressure builds as each person reports their lack of useful information."There has to be an answer! We have to find a way to fix this, we can't just sit here and do nothing while the fate of the world is in danger. You guys clearly aren't searching hard enough! We can't let her rewrite our whole lives, we can't lose e—""Haven't you ever considered that maybe that's better? That this is our chance to take control of our lives, to finally have a say in our fate?"Noel's objection cuts through the air, stunning Himari into silence. Tension hangs heavy, suffocating everyone within the silent pause."For once in our entire lives, we can actually choose for ourselves. And instead of taking advantage of that, you want to take that away from us—for what? Your stupid little academic achievements? The shallow praise the professors shower you with because you're a pathetic bootlicker? You've never considered what anyone else wants. Everything involving this club has been for your gain and your gain only."Noel's harsh words pierce through Himari, whose brows furrow deeply as she grips her shaking hands into fists. Noel glances toward the rest of the group, taking in their expressions, searching for signs of agreement.Brenn looks back with an expression lacking clear emotion. Yet despite the subtleness of his slight frown and the smallest furrow in his brow, the storminess within his eyes hint toward the intense thoughts that have been brewing. The chance to control everything—isn't that what he's been searching for this entire time? The situation has changed. He is no longer being promised the chance to change the world starting from three years ago, a world far too resistant to his desires. No—the serpent is offering a chance to make everything as he wishes, to restart and create a third world.A Cheshire grin spreads across Kevin's face. His unnerving smile brims with giddiness at the prospect of having whatever he desires. He doesn't desire rewriting the world into something completely new. Rather, he imagines the world as it is currently, this time with unyielding power at his fingertips—far beyond what the Serpent's Wand could grant him. There would be no limit to whatever wicked dreams of cruelty he conjures. The entire world would become his plaything, and there would be no one who could possibly stop him. Ah, what a wonderful dream has been laid before him.Hyacinth's gaze is cast downward, yet the small swipe across her mirror necklace gives the smallest betrayal to her usual neutral demeanor. What would she do if she were to write her own fate? Could she explore the endless realities that she glimpsed within the Serpent's Wand? Perhaps with the ability to rewrite the world into whatever she wished, she can experience every life she desires and uncover the deepest parts of her psyche. Yes, perhaps rewriting fate is the key to discovering who she truly is.Estelle stands frozen in place, too stunned to do anything but stare back at her sister. Visions of the premonition that she had been fighting off envelop her mind, rendering her unable to move.The reality that she's singled out sinks into the deepest pits of Himari's heart. No one is on her side. Everyone else is messing with the strings of fate and ruining the very life they had worked for in the first place. They were all sick and twisted, and they were going to destroy her very existence for trying to be righteous. Fear and desperation rise in her throat, taking over her entire mind and body until it claws its way out in her raised voice.Any remaining strands of unity snap.An argument explodes between Himari and Noel, their combined anger frenzied and impulsive as they try desperately to cut the other as deeply as possible. Their voices raise higher and higher, rage overtaking their bodies until they're on the brink of getting physical. Hands gripped tight and in position to swing, Noel is forcefully pulled away. She whips her head back, murderous gaze redirected upon the person who had dared to touch her—Estelle."Noel, please, please—I saw a vision. I don't know what it is, but something terrible is coming and it's going to kill us all. It's horrifying, the screaming and the gore and your mangled bodies—please listen to me, please don't let it come true—"Frantic pleas tumble from Estelle, voice shaking and struggling to describe what she had seen. Her hands cling tightly onto Noel's sleeve, shaking uncontrollably. Her expression is stricken with terror, eyes looking desperately into her sister's, begging for her to listen.This image of Estelle shakes Noel to her core. She'd never seen her younger sister showing this much emotion. Since they were young, Estelle had always shown little emotion. Noel could not remember seeing her younger sister crying nor throwing a fit—now realizing that she was unable to even recall what Estelle looked like smiling."Please believe me! I don't want everyone to die—"But how much did this mean in comparison a perfect world? A world where Noel had everything she wished for, where her genius was recognized and she wasn't weighed down by others. Where Estelle never existed.Seeing an opening in Noel's distracted state, Himari makes a desperate attempt to salvage her chances at returning home. Her decision is irrevocable, but no other choice remains.She hurriedly pulls the Serpent's Wand from her pocket, feeling that familiar darkness dancing across her fingertips. Everyone's attention turns to her, yet before they can act she begins siphoning her magic into the wand. She grimaces at the feeling quickly crawling up her arms, but forces herself to push past her internal disgust as she gives in to the darkness. If this is the key to getting her way, then giving in to the darkness is a price she's desperate enough to pay.Noel breaks from Estelle's grasp, lunging toward Himari alongside the rest of the group. Himari is quickly overwhelmed, and a fight breaks out as every person struggles to grasp the wand to ensure their dreams are the ones to be granted. The wand grows heavy with power, resonating with everyone's desperation.The premonition that had plagued Estelle's mind endlessly began unfurling to fruition before her eyes. The darkness swallows their surroundings, seeping into their very beings as the violence continues. Without them realizing, the darkness overtaking their bodies spurs on increasingly savage strikes, unfound levels of wrath escalating the brutality. The blood that had already spilled multiplies, already beaten bodies growing more ragged with every passing second. The darkness begins to tear apart their bodies. Crueler than anything they could imagine, their screams echo hauntingly as the darkness mangles every part of their bodies.Cruel laughter rings in the darkness. The voice that had brought this situation upon them in the first place now taunted them in their despair."When faced with the prospect of power you all flounder aimlessly and bring doom upon yourselves. It's laughable how weak and predictable you humans are! Desperate enough to destroy yourselves for power you could never wield! Fate was never yours to rewrite, after all!"The cries of the damned grow more fervent. The being that had inflicted so much pain upon them laughs in their faces, toying with their lives for her own amusement. The darkness was dragging them into its depths, yet they shrieked to not be the only ones. With their curses and pleas, another voice joins the dreadful choir. They refuse to let go of the fate, clinging onto her incorporeal form as they sink further into the depths.Estelle is forced to witness the horrors that she had tried to stop. It feels as if her entire body is being crushed in place as the darkness continues to consume her companions before her eyes. She was too weak to change things—or perhaps she was truly hopeless in changing her fate. Feeling the darkness creeping into her body, preparing her as its next target, she surrenders herself. She was never able to fight for herself—so she couldn't do it now either.And yet, the fate that she had failed to change once again rocks her in its whims. Estelle is pushed away from the gruesome scene, eyes locking on the mangled body of her elder sister. Noel looks back, blurred eyes barely able to stay open. Darkness creeps into Estelle's vision, Noel's indescribable pained expression the last thing she sees before everything fades to black.

Estelle is woken up in the library. She blinks away her blurry vision, seeing Ruz and a nurse standing over her collapsed form. His deeply worried expression and concerned questions reach her ears, yet her mind is unable to process a single word.She's returned to her time. But she's the only one.

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Characters

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Himari

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Noel

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Brenn

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Kevin

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Hyacinth

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Estelle

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Kamille

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Members

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