Chapter 220: Returned to his previous world
Pierre, Jennifer, and other classmates of his joined the search, their expressions a mix of worry and determination.
No matter how diligently they searched, Jaegar remained elusive, a phantom lost in the remnants of the collapsed maze. Yet, amidst the sprawling debris, a specific locale emerged as a focal point, a place where the primordial chaos had surged with unparalleled intensity.
It marked the very spot where Jaegar had confronted those enigmatic figures. The air surrounding this epicentre was brimming with a malevolence and danger so potent that no soul dared to venture further. The sinister residue left in the wake of Jaegar\'s encounter whispered tales of arcane struggles and unseen forces.
Pierre and the other students, despite their valiant efforts, were left without a trace of Jaegar.
Defeated by the maze\'s mysteries and the enigma of his disappearance, they were reluctantly sent back to the dormitories.
Ashfield, with a furrowed brow betraying the weight of his thoughts, led a sombre procession into the hallowed halls of the academy. The dim light within mirrored the shadows of uncertainty that hung heavy over their hearts.
Within the confines of the academy, Ashfield convened with his fellow educators and trusted allies. The discussion delved into the unnerving events that had transpired within the maze, where chaos had woven a tapestry of bewilderment.
Jaegar Ambrose, a name that seemed to attract trouble like a moth to flame, once again found himself at the center of a tumultuous storm. Ashfield, grappling with the consequences of Jaegar\'s enigmatic powers, found himself wrestling with a headache that mirrored the complexity of the situation.
As dawn heralded the next day, news of the academy\'s upheaval had already reached the ears of Angelina, Jaegar\'s master.
On Ashfield\'s insistence, she arrived promptly, ready to face whatever revelation awaited her.
To Ashfield\'s surprise, Angelina brought along Jacqueline, Jaegar\'s elder sister. The two women, their expressions a blend of concern and determination, entered the academy as whispers of the incident echoed through the hallowed halls.
Outside the protective walls of the academy, the press seized upon the sensational tale.
Jaegar\'s image adorned the front pages of newspapers, the headlines flashing in bold letters, recounting the mysterious events that had unfolded within the esteemed institution. The public hungered for details, and Jaegar\'s name, once a whisper, now resonated across the magical community, a symbol of both fascination and trepidation.
The academy, now a nexus of uncertainty, stood as a fortress against the prying eyes of the world.
Behind closed doors, Ashfield, Angelina, Jacqueline, and other influential figures gathered to unravel the intricate threads of the mystery that enshrouded Jaegar\'s disappearance. The atmosphere within was thick with tension, a tangible manifestation of the unseen currents that pulsed through the magical realm.
*
Awakening on a floor coated with a layer of dust, Jaegar gradually regained consciousness. His senses rekindled with the return of awareness, yet an unfamiliar heaviness clung to his body, as if unseen weights had been imposed upon him. The tangible weight pressed upon him, an inexplicable burden that accentuated the disorientation of his surroundings.
The gritty texture of a dusty floor pressed against him, and the stagnant air hung heavy with the scent of neglect.
The journey from the mysterious encounter in the maze to this forsaken floor was a disorienting blur. Each blink of his eyes brought a sharper focus to the reality of his surroundings. The room, adorned with neglect and decay, whispered the tale of abandonment.
Lifting his head with the weight of grogginess, Jaegar surveyed his surroundings. The muted colours of the room merged into a monotone palette of forgotten memories. Dust particles floated in the air like ethereal spectres, dancing in the feeble streams of dim light that managed to pierce through grimy windows.
The heaviness persisted, clinging to him like a tangible force. It was as if the very air conspired to restrain his movements, forcing him to grapple with the leaden weight that anchored him to the desolate floor. Every breath he took carried the burden of existence, a palpable reminder of the enigmatic journey he had undertaken.
As his senses slowly acclimated to the oppressive atmosphere, Jaegar began to piece together the fragments of his recent experiences. The encounter with those two individuals and the rest was all blurry to him.
In the silence of the abandoned room, Jaegar lay still, slowly the recognition dawned on him.
"What in the damned hell...?" he muttered, his voice trailing off as he surveyed the room. The reality of his situation seemed impossible, as if he had stepped into the realms of the surreal.
Jaegar rubbed his eyes, hoping that the worn-down room before him was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Pinching himself and delivering a sharp slap to his cheek, he sought to jolt himself into a different reality, yet the aged and rundown setting persisted.
He ventured out of the room, only to find that everything around him shared the same fate – a once-familiar place now marred by time and neglect. The realization hit him like a wave, a chilling sense of recognition gnawing at his mind.
It was his home, the very place where he had met his end and subsequently reincarnated into the fantastical world he had recently departed.
Restlessness consumed Jaegar as he stood amidst the ruins of what was once his sanctuary.
He clutched his head, attempting to piece together the fragmented memories of his recent encounter. Recollections of a fierce battle against enigmatic adversaries flooded his mind, and the last conscious act he could recall was attempting to teleport himself to safety.
"How in the damned hell did I end up here?" Jaegar questioned himself aloud, the mystery of his current situation gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. The disjointed pieces of his memory refused to align, leaving him stranded in a conundrum that defied the boundaries of reason.
The dilapidated building stood as a haunting relic of bygone years, its façade weathering and crumbling under the weight of time.
He stepped out and came down through the stairs. The few remaining residents moved like shadows, their faces etched with the weariness of survival in a place forgotten by progress. The entire apartment complex seemed on the verge of collapse, a fragile testament to the passage of neglect.
As Jaegar stepped out onto the desolate street, the muted echoes of a once vibrant community surrounded him.
Attempting to quell the rising tumult within him, Jaegar\'s thoughts coalesced around a singular anchor – his family. The flat, now bearing the scars of abandonment, whispered the tale of a departure he could not recall. His family\'s absence hung heavy in the stale air, intensifying his yearning to unravel the mystery that enshrouded their departure.
Seeing his apartment, it was the only thing he thought of.
Emerging onto the dimly lit street, bathed in the soft hues of a morning sun, Jaegar scanned the surroundings with a mix of familiarity and alienation. This world, once his own, felt both painfully real and strikingly foreign after his prolonged absence.
The remnants of his past collided with the reality before him, weaving a tapestry of emotions he had long buried in the recesses of his consciousness.
In the proximity of his old apartment, a stark contrast emerged – a modest house, standing resolute amidst the dilapidation. As if scripted by destiny, a child burst forth from the front door, clad in a school uniform that seemed too vivid against the muted backdrop.
Jaegar\'s gaze fixated on the scene, his pulse quickening as a woman followed in pursuit, her steps hurried yet familiar.
Time seemed to warp as the tableau unfolded before him. The woman, now in her thirties, bore the unmistakable features of Jaegar\'s sister. Recognition dawned upon him with a poignant jolt, the realization carving through the layers of time and space.
The child, calling her \'mom,\' forged a connection between past and present, tugging at the strings of familial ties that lingered within Jaegar\'s core.
Of course, Jaegar hasn\'t thought about them in the past several years, not even once. After he had reincarnated, he had almost forgotten about them. But seeing her in person, which he thought would never happen, made some of his buried memories resurface, and he had turned softer.
Before his life had turned upside down, Jaegar used to have a warm relationship with his sister, and he took care of her and was there for her whenever he was needed. But with time, a drift formed between them, and they both stopped talking to each other.
She was still the same even after all these years, that\'s why he could recognize her easily.