《This project has no purpose》Chapter five: the welcome home chapter
Advertisement
Chapter five: the welcome home chapter
The next day I had been safely discharged from the hospital with no further complication was taken home. ‘Home’ was a funny concept to me; previously it only referred to a place where I slept and ate, but here was a real home with actual family members.
It was just a moderately sized two-storey house in the middle of the residential district. My parents, or at least my background, in this life was quite affluent though not as far reaching as one may expect.
“What’s wrong, Corentin?” asked my sister as she slapped me across the back. Perhaps she was worried that my previous affliction had still some hold over me, but I calmly assured her that nothing was amiss.
“No, it’s okay, I was just feeling a little happy seeing our house after being in the hospital for a while,” I told her with a smile. The first step I took into this new house of mine brought along so many differing emotions: anxiousness, hesitation, joy and excitement. I turned the metallic handles of the door open and was greeted by the house – by my new life. The entrance alone was neatly maintained with some flowering pots lined up on the side. However, the biggest difference was in the lighting, or rather the existence of one. The furniture gave off a nostalgic smell despite it being the first time I’ve experienced this scent. The hardwood boarded floors creaked with each step I took. The lights above were just the right brightness and the walls were a marvellous shade of bright white making the place bigger than it actually was. The kitchen was visible from across the living room and my imagination instantly ran wild with the picturesque scene of my mother happily cooking food while we were playing just in sight. There were several rooms on the first floor with a few more upstairs.
“Let’s go up to your room!” my sister dragged me by the arm and took me upstairs.
“We’ll be having dinner soon, so be sure to get ready by then!” mother informed us as she readied herself to prepare the food.
My room was neat and orderly. There were no unwashed clothes hanging around, no stain marks on the carpet and it had been kept very luminate. A small bed laid at one corner of the room and across it was a small table with a laptop connected to it. It wasn’t anything particularly extraordinary, but this quaint little room felt rather cosy. ‘Yeah, I like this,’ I thought to myself content.
Advertisement
Maybelle rushed in and immediately jumped headfirst onto my bed. “Finally, home!” she announced as she stretched about like a cat.
“Geez, come on sis, you’re just kicking up dust,” I told her.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she dismissed while snuggling up to my blankets.
Now that I thought about it, Maybelle was seven this year, which meant she was already in the second grade. “Sis, what’s school like?” I was curious as to how much difference there was between the educational institutions of this world and my old. If I recalled correctly from these jumbled memories, Maybelle attended a special government school. In fact, in this world all schools are run by the government and privatization has never occurred. I know it sounded like a utopian system but it was most likely so they could maintain a detailed record on everyone’s ‘Aspects’.
“Hmm? Just normal?”
“That doesn’t really answer anything. Specifically, what kind of things do you study there?”
“Mm, like math and stuff? We also have language studies, history, and a bit of physical education.” As interesting as those all sound, that wasn’t really what I had been looking for. Thought, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I felt a little bit of relief knowing some of the old subjects I learnt when I was a child would still be relevant in this world.
“What about learning about Aspects? And magic?”
“Huh? You already know about the Aspects? Well, I guess you are going to have yours revealed this year,” she nodded to herself. “I can see why you’d be interested in those. Unfortunately for you, we don’t start learning about Aspects, magic and general combat related studies until we’re in the fifth grade,” she pouted. I pouted too.
“Is that so? Then how about-” as I was about to ask more questions, a call came from downstairs.
“Maybelle, Corentin, come down for a moment, we have guests,” our mother summoned us from below.
I turned to my sister to see if she had an idea of who it might be. “Oh, that’s right, while you were away at the hospital some new people moved in next door. It must be them!” she jumped down and head downstairs.
Advertisement
“Oh my, are they your children?” I heard the giddy voice of an adult woman who wasn’t my mother. At the entrance there were two people; a couple that appeared to be newlyweds. Aside from their youth they were fairly normal, if not a bit on the attractive side. “How are you doing, little ones?” the lady crouched down and greeted us. “I’m called ‘Anne’, and this is my husband ‘Richard’,” she introduced the man beside her. “We moved in next door a few days ago but couldn’t find the right time to greet you guys until today,” she said with a smile. Her appearance was around mid-to-late twenties, which would’ve been the same age as myself if I had still been alive. I mean, it’s not like I knew who this person was, but seeing someone that’s the same age as me having their life together made me quite envious, though I guess this life of mine wasn’t too bad either.
Speaking of which, my parents were on the older side as far as being parents went. My mother was in her late-thirties and my father was in his mid-forties.
“Hello, my name is ‘Corentin Helvetius’,” I greeted. There wasn’t a need to add the ‘de’ in between my name in informal situations like these. In the first place, I don’t know why we even had a noble title when we appeared to be just a typical middle-class family. My sister followed by introducing herself as ‘Maybelle Helvetius’.
“And finally, my daughter… oh, where’d she go off to?” the lady looked around and found a girl hiding behind our front fence. “Sherry, what are you doing all the way there? Come greet our new neighbours.”
“Huh?” I was immediately taken aback. A young girl timidly walked up to our front door and greeted us while hiding behind her mother. “She’s…”
“Oh my, how cute,” my mother complimented.
“This is my daughter, ‘Sherry’. As you can see she’s a ‘Pure’, but don’t let that get to you, she’s as timid as they come.” Indeed, this girl before me looked a little different to both her parents. She possessed bright golden hair like silk that flowed down past her shoulders, and a pair of brilliant emerald eyes. Her skin was also quite pale, which was in contrast to her parents’ which were a little more tanned. However, the most glaring feature of this child were her two long ears sticking from the side of her face.
“A pure Elf,” I accidently blurted out.
“Oh, you’re already aware of the Aspects?” the lady asked.
“Yes, my father explained it to me a little.”
“That’s great, then you shouldn’t have a problem being friends with my daughter. You see, she’s had a hard time fitting in because she looks so different to all the other children. Most of them don’t understand all the Aspect stuff, and even if we try to explain it to them they have a hard time grasping the concept. So, I’m glad there’s such a smart boy who can understand,” she pat me over the head. “I’d be happy if you and my Sherry could get along. What do you say?”
“Yes, of course,” I replied right away.
"That's right, we were about to have a celebratory dinner for my son being discharged from the hospital. If you don't mind, would you like to join us?" mother invited.
"Really? Of course! But why was your son in the hospital? Is he okay?"
"It was just a small flu; he's feeling better now."
"That's good. Then, why don't I help you with the preparations?" the lady offered.
"That'd be welcomed, thank you. Corentin, why don't you take little Sherry up to your room and play together?"
“Okay mother,” I took the little Elf girl’s hand and showed her to my room. “A Pure…” I whispered excitedly under my breath. “Fascinating.”
Advertisement
A fine octet of legs
When you go to sleep, you expect to wake up with the same number of legs as you went to bed with. This is not generally seen as a big deal. In fact, many people take this for granted.Apparently, however, this was a luxury that Rita was not going to have access to anymore. Somehow equipped with four times the number of legs she’s used to, she is going to need to learn to learn to walk pretty damned quick if she wants to survive in the post-apocalyptic hellscape outside her apartment that she was almost certain wasn't there yesterday. Right, and stay sane. Which, judging from how pushy her inner voice was becoming, might just be the biggest challenge of all…
8 162The Flower of Manataklos
Lyrua Kirkegaard, High Queen of Nythyemere, contemplates abandoning it all, but an assassination attempt forces her to action without time for preparations. With her loyal ravenfolk handmaid and her steel bodyguard, she aims to cross the sea to raise her family in the safety of a land that does not recognise her, but she can feel the Archangels' judgement upon her as she travels. Things only get worse when demons appear, and prove to be a match for their power.
8 143The Legacy of a Pirate
In a universe where magic is the driving force of every planet. One would think that being able to use magic was up to luck, but in reality, it is all calculated. A new power was born from the people unable to use magic, but they would not know until later that the consequences were fatal. A fierce pirate traveled the boundless universe in search of his reason of being. He lived like a king with countless people under him in his crew. People everywhere feared the mere mention of his name, but no one would know that he also wasn't able to use magic until a particular incident. To the ones he loved, he was a saint. And to the ones he hated he was cruelest of demons. However, he would, unfortunately, breathe his last breath under the combined efforts of unknown powers. His reincarnation will inherit his power, and his countless enemies spread across the cosmos! Will he discover the truth about his unique gift?! This is my first story I ever made public, and criticism would be much appreciated as I am not so good with grammar!
8 198The Power of Descent
A tale of two. One was a young man who had joined the army in hopes of changing his broken life. Little did young Cedric know, he would find what he was looking for. However, power is never given freely and Cedric will be thrust into a war he had never imagined fighting in. Determined he was to repay the kingdom for what they had given him, but can he truly understand what that entails. Granted a holy elixir to fix his body and make him whole, Cedric was granted power beyond mortal men, for that was the only to compete with the Chanters. Wilt worked at a library, in hopes of one day inheriting it from his father. His plans never came to fruition though, as he discovered a talent for chanting. That discovery leads him to apply to the biggest school in the kingdom, a place known as the Institute of Chanting Studies. A decision made on a whim will change his life, thrusting him to the forefront and revealing his incredible talent. Destined to become one of the most powerful chanters alive, Wilt was made to walk a path he was not prepared for. How will he adapt to the growing tensions between the neighboring kingdom, and an old war restarted because of new power? This is a story of two individuals, both having found their way to power and war. What do their futures hold in store for them? Schedule: Chapters Every Monday, Thursday at 6-7 pm CST P.S. This is a much more structured story than my previous one, so it will be a bit different in its flow.
8 190A Bard's Tale
A life is measured not in minutes alone, but in the time one spends as 'happy'. For Gage Gauner, unfiltered bad luck, a complete lack off respect from his peers, and near-incompentcy in every field... It's not the worst life. Not to him. However, a cheating, abusive spouse, the loss of his only supporter through Alzheimer's, and the betrayal of a friend are enough to make the man take a trip to a tall bridge. He never intended to fall. He never wanted to die, even with life landing him in front wall after wall after wall. It was never Gage's intention to take his own life, but it all amounts to the same thing; Hour of introspection at the bottom of a river. Journey along with a hopeless romantic hell-bent on making his second chance count. After all, a life is truly measured in the happiness one achieves through their own power.
8 135Universe Of Hearts✓
Doctors Series Mid-short love stories•1• The Doctor's Care For His Wife •Isaa And Mayrah• "You're to be cured with my love that won't let your breathe hitch in fear of death."•COMPLETED••2• Keeping Him Closer To Me •Shahveer And Thanzia• "Now I love you more because you belong to my brother before you're mine."•COMPLETED••3• Linking Our Hearts •Yazan And Sayba• "My heart owns yours from even before we collided, still, let's name it a first sight love."•COMPLETED• ••••••Muslim•Spiritual•Romantic•Emotional ••••••Hop in to join their journeys of love••No portion of thebook is allowed to reproduce or copy•[Highest ranking #1 in spiritual][#3 in shortstorycollection][#3 in lovetriangle][#3 in pakistan][#2 in family]Cover by @moonlitcloudx
8 187