Chapter 1

Screeching sounds of tires and brakes, blaring horns, and sirens of ambulance and police cars filled the air, creating a mixed sound of chaos. Jake jolted awake, his heart was pounding hard like it would come out of his chest.

“A dream?! What the hell? Where am I?!” he asked as he looked around with squinted eyes. “Damn! Is this… my old room?” Then he noticed his right leg wrapped with bandages. “Ah, are you kidding me?”

He tried to stand up, but a strong headache struck him. He gripped his head and screamed in pain before collapsing on the floor.

His mind raced as memories flashed through his mind. He remembered how he was hit by a trailer truck while saving a boy and dying on the streets. He thought that was his end but he was awakened as a mage in a different world. In a green and blue world of Eldramoria. A world of magic and majestic creatures. 

His recollections of living there were still vivid. He attained the highest rank of magician, Archmagus Maximus, and was regarded as the strongest arch-mage ever born. Then he defeated an evil ruler that wanted to control that world. He was honored as a hero and was celebrated by everyone.

He spent 30 years there creating and maintaining peace in that world. He married Thalara, a lovely forest priestess. He also had a right hand man, and a friend named Damascus, and the three of them ruled the said world.

On his 31st year there, he discovered a mystical book. From there, he learned about the existence of Aetherlock, a mystical ring that can amplify his power ten times. And so, he immediately went on a quest to get his hands on the ring. 

He brought his wife and his right hand man with him. And together, they crossed seas and climbed mountains. They fought monsters day and night until he got the ring in his hands. And he could clearly remember how he celebrated that moment.

But something unexpected happened. The ring hadn't been that long in his hands when he felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned around and he was stabbed with a broadsword. He fell on the ground, and the last scene he saw was the grinning face of his wife and friend. 

He gritted his teeth as he stood up. He could still feel the pain of being stabbed. “Damn Thalara! I trusted her! Yet, she betrayed me with Damascus! Ah! I wish I knew that she’s just after the Aetherlock! Damn it!”

He was about to pull himself back to the bed when he saw himself in a mirror on the wall. He stopped, then he slumped his shoulders and sat back on the floor. His muscular body was gone, however, his beard and beautiful long hair was still there.

Jake had these stunning brown eyes that are framed by lengthy, curling lashes. He has thick, masculine eyebrows and a well-curved, pointed nose. His appearance changed a lot from what he knew and he was a bit disappointed to see his old self. 

“Ah!” he screamed while squeezing his head. “Death brought me back here?!”

Then suddenly, the door swung open violently. “Finally! You’re awake!”

His jaw dropped open as he stared at the woman who opened the door, who had long, wavy black hair, and was dressed in a stunning crimson dress. “Rosalie?” he uttered. “Is that really you?!”

“What’s with that face?” Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she glared at him. “And why in the world were you screaming?!”

Jake dragged himself back up the bed. His eyes were still locked at the woman in front of him. She was his fiancé that he hadn't seen in a long time.

“A-Ah, nothing. I just had a headache when I opened my eyes,” he replied while rubbing the back of his head. “H-How are you? You didn’t change. You still look—”

“Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it,” Rosalie interrupted, raising her right brow. “And what the hell are you talking about? Me? Change?”

“Uhm… Sorry… but…”

“She doesn’t want to hear it because she doesn’t love you anymore.” A deep manly voice interrupted him.Then a very familiar face appeared behind Rosalie. A tall, tanned man, with a well-groomed beard.

“Marcus?”

“You look so dumbfounded, my friend. But yeah, I think you should know. Rosalie and I have been together since you had that freak accident,” Marcus said while smiling. “And I took care of her really nicely. Right, love?”

“Yes, my love,” Rosalie responded then she looked at Jake with a smile. “I am sorry Jake, but I thought you wouldn’t make it. You were sleeping for a month already, and your savings were already drained because of your medical expenses. I can’t live being broke.”

“You must be kidding me!” He tilted his head while looking at Marcus then he switched to Rosalie. “I mean how did you like this jerk, Rosalie? He knows nothing aside from selling his nude photos online that nobody buys.”

“Are you insulting me, you impotent piece of crap?!” Marcus shouted with bulging eyes.

“No. I am sorry. I am just stating the truth here.”

Marcus shoved Rosalie and tried to enter the room, but Rosalie pulled him out. “Stop, my love. Don’t waste your time with this man. I don’t want you to be hurt,” she said while caressing Marcus’ face. 

“As if that useless shit can hurt me!” Marcus yelled then he looked at Jake."Be grateful that you woke up! Because if you don't, you'll just rot in that bed because we're already going!"

Jake turned his eyes to Rosalie. “Are you really leaving me?” he asked with a calm voice. "Will you just throw away the six years we spent together because I'm like this now?"

Rosalie looked at him intently. “Yes, Jake. I’m sorry but I can’t take care of you forever. The doctor said you’ll not be able to walk again. I have a lot of dreams, and you know that.”

He slowly nodded his head while staring at her. Then he cracked a smile. “Alright. I understand.”

“R-Really? You’re not mad or anything?”

“No,” he replied while shaking his head. “Well, I am disappointed. But I, too, had dreams and goals, and I let go of the things and people who would hinder me from achieving them."

Rosalie  squinted her eyes while looking at him.  “ I don’t really understand, but that’s good to hear.. We’re leaving. Goodbye, Jake. And don’t worry, the nurse I hired to take care of you will be here soon.”

He watched as Rosalie closed the door. He listened to their footsteps as they left. Then he grasped his chest, he sighed deeply as he glanced at the door. “It doesn’t hurt that much. Those two… damn it.”

He grabbed a drinking glass from a nearby counter and squeezed it strongly with his jaw clenched and his eyes enlarged. But then he let it go and lay back down on his bed. “Why is this happening to me?!” he muffled while covering his face. “I was betrayed in Eldramoria and the same happened here!”

“But I can’t just stay like this. I must do something. There must be a reason..” He jerked himself up. He grasped for the crutches near the bed. Then he suddenly felt a warm and soothing presence outside the room.

He went out of the room to see what he felt, and what he saw left him speechless. There was only an old wooden dining table there, and in the middle of it was something that appeared to be a golden ring with a red diamond. He hopped over to it and grabbed it. 

“This is… the Aetherlock! But why is this here?” he asked himself then he looked around to see who would put it there. But nobody was there.“That’s right with this, I can get my powers back! I can heal this damn leg and walk again!”

Jake put the ring on, but he didn’t feel anything. He then touched his leg and closed his eyes, but still nothing happened.

“I think I need to concentrate more.” He closed his eyes again. His eyebrows were drawn together, and he began to sweat. But again, nothing happened.

“Ah! Why does it have to be like this?! Damn it!” He let go of the crutches and he sat on the floor, reflecting on what he had done to deserve what he was suffering now. 

He took a big breath, leaned back against one of the table's legs, and covered his face with his hands. "But there has to be a reason I'm here. According to the book, a sacrifice is required to unlock the true power of the Aetherlock. However, it is not specified what type of sacrifice is required. That's correct! I'm sure there's something I need to do here."

“Help! Help! Please! Get me out here!”

That scream got his attention. It was coming from the next apartment. Then it was followed by a loud and massive explosion that destroyed all the glass panes in his flat. Fortunately, he was able to take cover under the table. 

“What in the world was that?! And why is it getting hot?!” he asked as he stood up. And his eyes circled when he saw fire streaming out of the adjacent apartment's window.

He took his crutches and staggered towards the door. Everybody on that floor was in panic, and running for the stairs. He followed them, till he heard another scream for help. And he's sure it was from a child. 

“Help! Please! I can’t open the door!” But nobody batted an eye. Everyone was hurrying down the stairs as the fire engulfed the door from where the explosion came from. “Help! Mom! Dad!”

Jake looked for the door where the scream was coming from. He found it. It was another apartment on the left side of the burning unit. And he knew that in just a few minutes the fire could spread over there.

“Alright self, here we go again. Too much concern for other people, huh?” he thought to himself as he walked towards the door. He looked for others to help him but it seemed like everyone had gone downstairs already. 

“Hey! Are you okay?!” he asked, then he slammed the door.

“No! It’s really hot here! There is smoke all over!” the child answered then coughed. 

“What happened to the door?! Why can’t you open it?” 

“I don’t know!” the child's voice became shaky. “It’s jammed, I don’t know!”

He reached for the door knob and tried to open it but it won’t even budge. 

“Okay! Stay away from the door!” he shouted. “I’ll take the door down in the count of three!

“Okay!”

Jake counted to three and with all his might, he tackled the door. But it didn’t budge. His leg started to hurt as well. But he didn’t give up. He took a deep breath, stretched his back and with all the strength he has, tackled the door once more. And this time the door collapsed on the floor. 

He fell over the door but he stood up right away to see the child. And he couldn’t help but smile when he saw a very beautiful blonde girl.

“Come o—” He was reaching his hand to the girl when another explosion came from the burning apartment. That made the wall collapse, and a part of it hit Jake right in the temple.

His hearing went out, and his vision blurred.  But he continued to look for the child.

“Damn it! Am I this unfortunate? Hey, kid! Where are you?!”

He tried to stand up but he was forced back down again by the heat coming from the burning apartment. And it has spread already in that room. However, he continued to look for the girl, until he saw it on the floor. Unconscious. 

“Come on! I have to think of a way to get her out of here.” He forced himself to lift the girl but a huge cat figurine dropped from above and struck him in the head. 

Blood gushed out of his head then he collapsed on the floor. He touched the part that the figurine hit. “N-No! This can’t be happening. There must be a way! There is always a way!” 

He was about to pass out when he felt something hot on his hand. He glanced at it and he saw the ring covered with his blood. Then gradually a light came out of its red diamond. 

“Blood? It must be my blood! The Aetherlock is responding to my blood! !” he said with wide open eyes  and a smile. 

He could feel his strength slowly returning. His leg and head both stopped aching. His hearing was restored, and he felt amazing. He rose to his feet. He leapt three times before looking down at his hands. 

Wind began to whirl over his hands, forming them into balls. He hurled it at the flaming room, and the balls sucked up all the fire in a split second. 

“Finally! It’s back,” he said with a smirk on his face.