Reincarnation Across the Ages

Chapter 1

Prologue

The propellers of a vehicle cut through the blue sky. The serenity provided by the white clouds is dispersed by the movement of dozens of helicopters.

The sound of a squadron arriving is like a red alert to the forest, scaring away the birds in the area while preparing the humans for severe punishment.

Amidst the presence of countless trees, a single building divides nature. A stone tower acts as a beacon, gathering the attention of air and ground teams.

Operation to recover the Death Relic

Leading squad: 300 soldiers

A group of armed men surrounds the structure. Equipped from head to toe, their suits ensure robust protection, allowing all the forces to advance decisively through the site.

Positioned facing a wooden door, the soldiers direct all their aims at the only entrance to the building, which appears to be decades old.

"If you don't leave this monument in thirty seconds, we will shoot."

"You heard him, guys. Drop the relic and put your hands on your head."

No response was heard.

Taking the necessary measures, the squad enters the tower, breaking down the structure that separates them from their destination.

The invaded space — where three men are surprised by the sudden offensive — remains silent. All the weapons are aimed at the vital points of each subject. 

The hostages try to cooperate, "We haven't used this thing yet; stay calm."

"That's it! We haven't done anything wrong. We just found it!"

Completely oblivious to the stance of his two companions, the third man holds the source of all the conflict. A small white artifact — carved in the shape of a skull — is hidden between his hands.

"Right, let go of the object, and everything will be fine," the squad leader adds.

Each finger of the threatened person intertwines with the mysterious treasure. Someone refuses to let go of the demanded item. 

The cheeky bearer comments, "The Death Relic, the most powerful of all relics, sought after the world over. It should make us a lot of money, don't you think?"

The sound of a gunshot.

Echoing throughout the tower, the sound of the projectile alerts all those standing while the one with the artifact falls to the stone floor. A red liquid drips onto the ground, sinking the skull into a pool of blood. Pale as the fallen object, the man who was shot can no longer move.

His companions freak out at the death of their innocent friend.

"What are you doing? Have you gone mad?"

"He hadn't done anything wrong! You murderers!"

Leading the soldiers, the man in charge of the operation can't take his eyes off his objective. His ears seem to ignore all the words around him, but his mouth knows precisely what to say.

"Come on, guys. Get the relic."

A squad member complies with his superior's requests, walking towards the abandoned treasure. 

The team celebrates at the sight of the acquired item, "It's in our hands now. Its records say that it can make anyone who uses it immortal."

"After centuries... it's finally ours!" The soldiers can't believe their achievement.

The interior of the monument now resembles the space of a meeting between friends. People who had never worked together hug one another in complete harmony. 

Pink particles — the result of a supernatural feat — emerge amidst shouts full of joy. A portal originates from a magical dust, blending into the festive atmosphere as if a heap of glitter were being thrown into the air.

The mystical passage is formed right next to the source of all happiness. Stepping out of the magical transport, a young man approaches the relic.

"Hehehe! I found you!"

Blond hair stands out amid the safety helmets, while a cloth jacket opposes the resistance of the bulletproof vests. The boy looks like he's come straight from a walk in the park.

At the prime of his sixteen years, Roccan steals the squad's treasure.

"What? Who is this brat?" The leader has no idea of what's going on.

A glow fills the skull's eyes. The artifact illuminates the scene for a new confrontation.

"Action relic: activate!"

The boy's words are followed by the commander's angry orders.

"Shoot him! Everybody shoot him!"

"Hey, hey, hold on!"

Fleeing with the Death Relic, Roccan holds on to the precious object with no intention of leaving it behind. Despite his determination, he is not the only one with such a goal. Hundreds of bullets are fired in the boy's direction.

"The relic! Stop the boy!"

"Do you intend to kill me!"

Pointing one of his hands at the ceiling and the other at his feet, the fugitive creates two portals made of pink particles. The passage is used for a quick traverse, taking the boy to the room's ceiling.

Falling through the tower's interior, the user of the mystical powers repositions the projectiles aimed at him as his body nears the ground.

The young man dodges every shot easily, using his skills to escape with enviable ease. Showing combat experience in every careful gesture, he seems sure of his actions, even in the most minor ones.

One of the shots hits the stolen treasure, knocking it from the thief's fingers, who immediately prepares a plan to take it back.

"Wait! That's mine—"

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see the ground. Roccan dies after a painful fall.

Silence shatters the expectations of everyone present.

"He..."

"Did he die alone?"

The leader interrupts the unnecessary questioning, "Take the relic. You, do a temporary enchantment to ensure they don't retake it."

"Yes, sir!" The instructed man obeys, running towards the fallen treasure.

Carrying the skull in his hands, he utters powerful words, but no glow accompanies them.

"Action relic: activate!"

The commander declares victory, relaxing at once, "Excellent work, gentlemen. At last, we've done it."

Even after the apparent achievement, the soldier with the relic remains quiet; something is bothering him.

"I think there's something wrong. I failed."

The squad commander approaches the young thief's corpse, analyzing his heartbeat in a quick contact. The verdict on the situation is simple.

"What do you mean? He's dead." 

"I can't cast the spell."

"That doesn't make sense! The only thing that can stop a spell is if someone else is already using the same relic."

"So..."

The boy's body, which had just been analyzed, disintegrated in a matter of seconds. Any trace of his clothes and belongings disappeared along with the occurrence of this phenomenon.

"Shit! What's going on here?"

The Age of the Future, Part 1

Blue and green sparkles attract the gaze of those who turn their attention upwards. The neon in the environment is like the formation of a polar aurora. Stars are overshadowed by lights from countless buildings, whose height seem to fill the night sky's space.

From an objective point of view, the functioning of the given city resembles that of an ordinary metropolis. Still, it has one crucial difference: the vehicles that dictate the rhythm of the hectic streets dominate both the land and the skies.

Faced with ships transporting people to any destination, Roccan has no idea where he is.

"Oh, did I die?"

The boy's feet are guided by a red carpet stretching across a vast open space. Bringing even more luminosity — in addition to the city's dazzling lighting — to the grand event, spotlights highlight dozens of gaudy items, all positioned on unique pedestals.

Facing a large corporate building, whose size stands out even among the tallest buildings, the boy walks through a vast display of objects.

"Is this heaven? What an incredible place!"

A voice is amplified by the use of loudspeakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen from all over the planet, it is with great joy that we gather here today to inaugurate a new STONE headquarters!"

Finally allowing himself to take in his surroundings, the young man notices the presence of other individuals, all of the same species but bathed in pure technology. The crowd is excited at the start of the event.

"Look at this place! This is the pinnacle of humankind!"

"I don't even know where to look first. It's beyond my imagination!"

The presenter continues his speech, "To take humankind to heights never before possible, we are here to extract the utmost capacity from the human race! The future is right in front of you!"

Roccan's concentration reaches its limit; his thoughts ignore everything that reaches his ears. Are they all human? It's impossible for such an advanced country to exist. Where am I?

Captivating countless spectators with words full of excitement, the voice on the loudspeaker keeps the show going.

"This exhibition is just a taste of everything we can acquire with our power! Before you, there are artifacts that only we possess all over the planet! Objects with properties beyond your comprehension! Take a good look at a small demonstration of our treasure!"

Stunned by the news, Roccan moves like a zombie without direction. Suddenly, the young man's lost eyes stumble upon a mysterious relic laid out for display.

His pupils, which had dilated at the glare of the unknown, focus on the only point the boy's mind recognizes. His brain would never mistake one of these magical artifacts despite knowing nothing about the object. 

"Hey, that's... a relic!"

An immediate response.

Pink particles fly out of Roccan's hands, and he uses his portals to teleport himself to the pedestal where the treasure is displayed.

A force field protects the displayed item, but the boy's abilities allow him to ignore this obstacle as he teleports directly into the protected environment.

At a considerable height, he draws all attention to himself as he steals the unknown relic.

"Who's that guy?"

"A thief! He's going to steal an artifact!"

I wonder what this thing does. Until I find out its type, it's best not to cast a spell, the young man thinks, at the same time as he grabs the object with the symbol of a downward arrow.

Outside the force field, a team of armed guards surrounds the pedestal.

"Let go of our treasure, brat," a thick voice leads the group. 

Wearing a costume that reveals his tattoos through transparent arms, Tyler commands his companions.

"Sir, should we deactivate the force field?" One of his subordinates asks.

Another security guard replies, "Of course not. That way, the brat will try to escape."

"But he got in. Are you sure he's trapped?"

As he stops staring at the thing in his hands, Roccan finally notices the guards.

"Oh, who are you? Don't tell me you want this thing too!"

"It's already ours! Are you a criminal?"

"Huh? If it's yours, why aren't you using it?"

Tyler loses his temper, "That's enough! Turn off the force field and shoot him!"

Plasma cannons are pointed at the boy, an artillery capable of bringing down the largest of fortresses.

"I've never seen weapons like these before! Will it kill me?"

The force field — which separated the guards from Roccan — is deactivated, but the attack doesn't occur immediately. The soldiers interrupt the action in the face of a crowded environment. Not knowing what to do, civilians crouch down in a quick reaction.

"What are you waiting for? Finish off that brat!" The leader orders.

"But, sir, there are people nearby, children."

"To hell with them! Get that thing back!"

The beleaguered boy looks at the frightened citizens.

"What are you doing? You're going to hurt innocent people!"

Pink particles appear under the feet of the civilians, covering the soles of their shoes like a welcoming hug. Roccan's portals save the helpless people, taking them away from the confusion.

The guards bombard the distracted target, taking advantage of the boy's moment of vulnerability. The ground shakes with the mere emission of each shot. 

"Damn, I've already died once today!"

A glider caresses the skies, joining the night winds in a gentle contact. Hovering above the heads of the guards, a girl grabs the body of the young man in danger. 

The victim of the attack is carried out of the conflict as if flying along with his savior. Proxie goes to Roccan's rescue.

"Huh? Do you fly?"

"Quiet, let's hide."

Smoke grenades form a thick fog, enveloping the room in an unfathomable mystery.

"Boy, you're good at that, too!"

"Quiet! I told you to be quiet!"

"Oh, sorry."

Tyler's eyes can no longer identify the target, but his ears detect an unpleasant noise.

"There they are! Shoot in the direction of the voice!"

"How do you know that's the boy's voice?"

"We don't know. The chance is high."

The cannons follow their commander's order, firing at the two fugitives. The projectile grazes the girl, who is protected by a technological suit.

"That's bad, they've found us!" The boy shouts.

"Don't talk like you're innocent. It's all your fault!"

"What are we going to do?"

Proxie spots a building full of people. A crowd walks around the place, far away from the confusion.

"Your skill."

"What?"

"Use that thing! Get us out of here!"

"Oh, right."

The pair jumps over one of Roccan's portals, traversing to the desired location.

Tyler grumbles, "Damn, we'll lose sight of them! Search the building! We need to get the relic back!"

The pursued duo hides in the crowd.

Escaping the enraged guards, the young man celebrates his victory by resting inside the building.

"We lost them. You're really good at that."

"What were you doing in that place?"

"Getting a relic, isn't that obvious?"

"It was a stupid decision. No matter how strong you are, you can't break into a STONE exhibition on your own."

"Why are they putting such dangerous relics on display?"

"Do you have any idea how much power these things generate for a company? Just by having them on a pedestal, they scare rivals and attract the public."

"What a stupid way to use a relic. It's a waste."

"You're from the resistance, aren't you? You should understand something so simple."

"Resistance?"

"Stop fooling around. Someone like you knows the resistance for sure. Breaking into the inauguration of a STONE headquarters with a power like that. What else do you have? Did you know you could be much more useful working in a group?"

"Hehehe, do you want to know what I'm capable of? Lucky for you, today I got my second relic. You won't believe which one I'm talking about."

Roccan looks for the Death Relic in his clothes but can't find it.

"Impossible! How did this happen? I've lost the relic!"

"Did you still have another one? You look like a collector. Do you have any idea how valuable these things are?"

"That can't be true. I—"