The Ancients World

[I want to let everyone know that I have a p-a-t-r-e-o-n with two new exclusive stories on it. One is The Aeternus Universe, and the other is a new story with a basketball system. I hope you guys will give it a chance. The link is /easyread. Remove the dashes. Webnovel censors the word.]

We finish eating our breakfast, and now it's the waiting game. Kelly will signal us through the magic card, and we'll trace the signature. We all stand up and leave the inn, I look down both streets, and the majority of the rubble has been cleaned up. The buildings, on the other hand, are still in ruins. "I wonder how long it'll take them to rebuild. While we were poor, we always had a roof over our heads..." Hailey brings up some fond and not so fond memories of our lives back on earth. I can remember most of the good times, and it was truly good times.

Not having money was a real burden, but we always stuck together. That was until Hailey started spiraling into the endless pit of addiction. That was the first life. I made sure not of that repeated the second time around. "Do you remember that time at the park... When I pushed you off the monkey bars, and you broke your wrist... Mom and dad were so mad at me..." I remember that day, spent the rest of the summer in a cast. That was before I was taller than her. Mom was in a mode I had never seen her in. Her wrath was unrivaled.

I chuckle at the memory of her yelling at everyone who got in the way of us at the park and ER. They had to remove her from the room as they reset my bone. This was before Marcus was born. "I remember that time you accidentally spilled dad's hot coffee all over your arms. He felt so bad after that. You're his little princess. He bought you a bunch of toys to try and make up for it. We were trouble back then." We both laugh as we walk the streets. Sally chuckles at the stories we've shared. I want to ask Hailey more about her travels.

She let it slip. She's here on a mission for an ex-slave, too, who's a friend. "So tell me about this girl... You said she's a native that you became good friends with." Hailey lowers her head just a bit at the mention of her. The amount of suffering and pain the James family has caused isn't something I can put a number on. Kelly James seems to be someone who wants to change this town and her family's reputation. I still don't trust her though, the only reason she's alive is that Sally allowed it. We could've moved on with our plans without Kelly, but Sally has decided otherwise.

Hailey takes a deep breath and has a solemn look on her face. "Jasmine is a native of Gaia that I came across a little after I got my legendary class. She was a great help during the time, and we quickly grew into friends. She started traveling with me, and the better I got to know her. The more she started opening up. Imagine my surprise when I learned she used to be a slave, and while she wanted revenge. She isn't strong enough emotionally to do so... I stepped up, and now I'm here." That's similar to my journey with Sally.

I look towards Sally, and I see her sad look. Talking about the subject isn't something she's keen to do. I don't like talking about it either. Seeing her in pain like this makes me furious. "I understand Jasmine's pain... It's not something you ever want to bring up in fear of judgment... Sometimes though, you get lucky and find a person who doesn't judge you..." Sally comes into the conversation herself and looks at me as she says the last bit of her part. She reaches her hand over and captures mine. She interlocks her fingers with mine.

I pull her closer, and we walk shoulder to shoulder. "You should be thanking his big sister! I'm the one who taught him everything he knows about women." That's a load of horseshit, Hailey. She's wearing a grin that says her words aren't that serious. Sally laughs at the obviously fake statement. "Is it alright if I ask you something, Sally?" Hailey takes on a gentle tone and looks at Sally. Sally takes a second, but she slowly nods her head. "How are you strong enough to come back here after all that's happened to you?" Sally stays silent at the question.

I know the reason, but I want Sally to speak for herself. I'm not her voice, mind, and opinions. There are times to shut up and listen. This is one of them. "I hate what they did to my mother and me... I hate that they took everything from me... I want to cause them the same pain they caused me... I wasn't strong enough at first, but after I met Cera, he helped me gain the courage to chase these desires for revenge... He gave me the things I needed to exact it..." I get small butterflies in my stomach at her sweet words. Well, the words about me.

Hailey looks at Sally and then looks at me. "You've made me a proud sister, little bro. I hope I can make you proud of me one day." I reach over and sling my arm over her shoulder and bring her in for a sideways hug. She's already made me proud. She isn't the same stuck-up and demanding girl that drove our mother crazy and sucked all the money out of dad's wallet. She isn't the fool she once was. Instead, all I see now is a mature adult that knows who she is and what she's doing. I'm sure that mom and dad would be proud just like me if they were standing right here.

She stays quiet as I take a small breath. "Hailey, all I'm going to say is I'm proud of you too. You've come a long way from who you once were. All I see now is a strong independent young woman who can fend for herself." She rolls her eyes at the sappy words, but I see the smile regardless. I let her go, and she creates some space. "While we wait, what should we do? I like walking around, but all these depressed people are putting me in a bad mood." I'd like to get away from the surrounding area. It's really bringing me down seeing so much of this.

I wouldn't mind taking some high ground and looking at the views outside the city. "I'm fine with whatever." Sally quickly answers me, and I look to Hailey to see what her response is. She nods her head in agreement. I instantly pick Sally up in my arms, and she squeals in surprise. I leap onto a partly standing building and launch myself off it towards the wall. I look behind me, and Hailey is right on my tail. I land on the wall, and I gently let Sally out of my arms, and Hailey lands behind me a second later.

We all look out towards the slowly rising sun and see it illuminating the forest and area. I take a seat on the edge of the wall and let my feet hand off the side. Sally sits next to me and cuddles up next to me. She wraps one arm behind me, and I do the same. Hailey stands at my other side. After a second, she sits down and relaxes too. "I would've loved to see something like this on earth... Too bad, we'll never get the chance..." While Gaia is our new home, and it's beautiful. I still miss earth, just like my sister. It was doomed, but that didn't make it any less valuable to us.

Sally leans her head against my arm and lets out a content sigh. "Cera told me about earth a little... It seems there is much more to know about it than he originally let on..." There is more about the earth that I could explain to you, Sally. However, that'll reveal secrets and things I'm not ready for you to know yet. I tilt my head towards my sister, and she looks at me with a look of understanding. She hasn't told any of her friends about our origins either. It's something so complicated that no one that's a native of Gaia will understand.

As we are sitting here in silence and looking at the vast horizon and incredible scenery, the magic card in my pocket goes off. I pull it out, and the other instantly stand up. I follow suit and look at the card. "We'll be heading 3 miles due North. That's where Kelly is." Both of them nod their heads, and I look at Sally a little longer. She is definitely nervous. She's steeling herself for the confrontation. While killing the father would've been the best. Killing the evil sons comes in at a close second. I pick her up in my arms, and I start leaping on the wall heading North, and I jump into the forest.