FROSTBORN: Rise of the dark legend

Ch. 003 Reborn: Back to the academy

Imperial elite magic academy

A flash of light exploded in Ragnar's mind. Then came the sounds. At first, they seemed muffled, like echoes from another world. But gradually, they became clear. And most of it wasn't anything good. 

A flower bouquet blocked his vision the moment he opened his eyes. Then he realized he was kneeling. 

His head snapped up, his eyes going straight to the face of the woman before him. Her jaw was tilted arrogantly, a disdainful smirk playing around her lips. 

Ragnar was confused. 

‘Wasn't I dead?’ 

He looked around, seeing the throng of students surrounding them and pointing at him. This was the Imperial Elite Academy. 

The scene felt awfully familiar. He was back to when he was seventeen—fifteen years before the tragedy at Frostfang Abyss. 

‘I was reborn!’

The realization hit him like a high speed train, then came joy. He truly came back, to before he married the beast. 

“What are you zoning out for? Aria asked you to kiss her feet.” An auburn haired girl hissed, her arms crossed, lips curved up, waiting for the drama. 

Ragnar scoffed. Now, he truly understood the reason everyone looked down on him. Despite being the Storm family heir, he was a joke. Massive joke. 

Even Aria's lackey who couldn't measure up to half of his assets could address him with such condescension. 

Aria gave him a side eye, not realizing the coldness that clouded his eyes. 

“Hurry up, Ragnar. Kiss my feet. If you don't, I won't accept the flowers. I will also reject every gift you give me from now on, and ignore you. Can you take that?”

Ragnar shook his head wryly. So he should be honored she's spending his money recklessly. Now that he was back, he had no plans of ever giving her a dime. He must take back everything, and make her suffer bitterly for all she did. 

Kelvin stood behind her, inspecting his nails, his lips curved slightly. 

Ragnar slowly stood up. The expectant smile on Aria's face disappeared. The rest also seemed shocked. 

“If you won't accept it, then don't.” Ragnar's fists clenched and unclenched, his throat bobbing from agitation. 

Kelvin looked up, his brows drawing together. What the fuck was wrong with Ragnar today? Didn't he normally fulfill all of Aria's requests? 

He took a step forward, his hands behind his back like a teacher correcting a student. “Big brother, you shouldn't really anger Aria. If she ignores you, you will be the one to suffer. It's just a kiss, there's no need to be stone faced because of an innocent request.”

Ragnar's lips stretched into a warm smile, his perfect white teeth showing splendidly. 

“Do you think so?”

Kelvin brushed off a non-existent lint on his clothes, and shrugged. “Everyone knows you love Aria more than your own life, there's really no need to act tough, or pretend you're what you aren't. You should just do it for love, there's no embarrassment for things done between lovers.”

The murmurs in the crowd multiplied, most holding disdain towards Ragnar. Only a very few felt they were going too far by cornering him. 

At a corner, a girl with molten gold eyes watched, her fists clenched, lips twitching. Another girl was behind her, watching the scene. 

“Young miss, do you want to step in?”

“What for? He will just run back to her like a loyal puppy and bring me ridicule. He's beyond salvation. From now on, I won't waste my energy on him.” 

Her eyes were filled with reluctance, and resentment, her chest heaving. 

“Let's go. Henceforth, don't report his movements to me.” 

She turned around and stormed off, the other girl hot on her heels, whispering softly to calm her anger. 

Back at the court, Ragnar's eyebrow lifted slightly, and he took a measured step towards Kelvin, his hand coming to lightly rest on the other's. 

“Is that so? Brother, how about you kiss my feet too?”

The smile on Kelvin's face froze, then disappeared completely, his eyes going wide. 

Ragnar's lips stretched even further, and he tightened his grasp on Kelvin's arm. “Since kissing the feet is a sign of devotion, you should kiss my feet first. After all, you've always said I was the one you loved the most. We're brothers, that shouldn't be a problem, right?”

“You!” Kelvin snarled, his eyes turning red. 

Aria shoved Ragnar hard, standing protectively in front of Kelvin. “Ragnar, have you gone crazy? How dare you humiliate your brother so?”

Ragnar leaned back, crossing his arms before him, his right foot tapping rhythmically against the floor. 

“Can you hear yourself? You asked for the same thing as a sign for devotion. Yet when I asked my brother, it became humiliating. Who invented such logic?” 

Aria's jaw went slack, her eyes widening. When did Ragnar learn to talk back to her? Wasn't he terrified of getting her angry? Now, he seemed to be goading her. 

“Family is always the closest. Or are you saying my brother doesn't love me?”

Aria's hands clenched into fists, her nose flaring, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. 

“Ragnar Storm! Don't push your luck!”

“Push my luck?” He sneered. “How about you kiss my feet instead? Don't I deserve some thanks for all the things I've bought you over the years?”

“You!” Aria's face turned white, her arrogance seeping out like a deflated balloon

Clarissa, Aria's best friend stepped forward, her face twisted with rage. 

“How dare you speak to Aria like that? If you annoy her, she will never talk to you again.” She pointed at Ragnar's face. “By then, even if you cry on your knees, I won't mediate or beg her for you.”

“Exactly. She didn't force you to send all those things. You're the one forcing yourself on her like the shameless creep you are!”

Ragnar chuckled, his eyes gleaming. 

“Very well then. From today henceforth, I won't send anything to Aria. I will never force her again.”

He then turned to Aria who was holding Kelvin, rubbing slow circles on his palm in silent comfort. His eyes went to their connection, and Aria withdrew her hands immediately. 

Ragnar looked away, pretending he didn't see it. “Aria Hawthorne, let's break up!”

His pitch was loud, carrying through the entire school court. Kelvin's breath froze, his head snapping up so fast it gave off audible crack sounds. Aria wasn't looking better. 

Ragnar turned to the crowd gathered. 

“From today onwards, I, Ragnar Storm, have nothing to do with Aria. Please bear witness.”

He turned to leave, his steps firm and purposeful. 

“Stop right there!” Aria shrieked. 

Like muscle memory, Ragnar's feet halted. Aria scoffed, then sneered behind him. 

“If you dare leave today, I will never speak to you again.”

Ragnar's ears rang from the absurdity. He slowly turned around. The corner of Kelvin's lips curled in a knowing smile. Aria gave him a subtle nod, and took a step towards Ragnar. 

“Scared now?” 

Ragnar kept silent, staring at her with a poker face. 

“If you want me to forgive you, kiss my feet and apologize to your brother on your knees.”

Ragnar shook his head, making a tut tut sound with his tongue. “Your symptoms are quite serious. You should hurry to a psychiatrist.”

“You!” Aria snarled, her chest heaving. 

Ragnar turned immediately, moving away with slow, purposeful strides. 

“What's he pretending for? Within a day he would be on his knees begging.” A student muttered, shaking her head. 

“A day? I wager two hours. Have you forgotten who he is? Aria's slippers!”

The people around the speaker began to laugh. One of the boys there clenched his fists, his face red with rage. 

“He's a disgrace to all men and noble lineages. No wonder people call him Ragnar Simp.”

The jeers behind him was like water off his back. He wasn't inclined to face off against kids. Behind, Aria screamed in frustration, stamping her foot on the ground. 

Ragnar ground his teeth, his heart squeezing painfully. Hatred and rage formed a vortex in his belly, drowning all other emotions. 

“Aria, Kelvin, Mathilda, Kenneth… I will make you all pay bitterly. Since heaven gave me another chance, I will personally drag you down to hell.”

But there was something more pressing in his mind. Kelvin mentioned that Mathilda used an exchange ritual to drain all his efforts, leaving him empty. 

He inhaled deeply, his gaze turning heavy. 

“In this life I must find a way to break off the curse, and take back my dragon bone. I must investigate the reason all my powers kept returning to Kelvin, and snatch my fate from their hands. If I'm unable to find a solution this time, I might end up worse than my past life.”

Time was running out. It was around this period that his sister's company went public, causing her to be ambushed. 

Failure was not an option. He must make sure to protect his sister, and reverse the tragedy that marked his first life.