Power of Runes

Chapter 22 - 22: Second life

This time, Elva entered the room.

Her presence alone was enough to steal the attention away from the unfolding drama.

The moment she stepped inside, an almost instinctive shift occurred.

Conversations halted mid-sentence, lingering gazes broke apart, and the suffocating tension that had been thick in the air dissipated as if it had never existed.

The students immediately turned toward her. Some widened their eyes in surprise, while others immediately straightened in their seats, their spines going rigid as if compelled by an invisible force.

Her very presence commanded respect.

Ash observed silently from the back, his fingers lightly tapping against the desk.

His initial impression of Elva remained unchanged—she was dangerous, but in a way that was difficult to put into words.

She wasn't just strong—she was the kind of person who could own any room without uttering a single word.

A true monster among humans.

Her eyes scanned the room slowly, moving from one student to the next as if she were

Then, without another glance, he walked away.

I didn't even get the chance to thank him.

Something about that brief encounter unsettled me. He hadn't asked for anything in return, hadn't even asked for my name.

It was such a simple act, but for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had met him before.

That thought lingered in my mind, refusing to fade.

---

During the third test, I finally made my first real friend. Her name was Grace Starhaven, a girl with a bold personality and a kind heart.

Unlike me, she was effortlessly social, someone who could make friends with anyone.

With her, I didn't feel so alone.

Then, on our first day in class, the teacher called out our names for attendance.

"Melissia, Rank 1."

"Grace, Rank 2."

The names continued, each one followed by a rank that signified their performance in the entrance exams.

Then—

"Ash, Rank 1001."

The moment I heard that name, my body stiffened.

A strange sensation washed over me, as if a buried memory had suddenly resurfaced.

It wasn't just the name.

It was everything to me in my previous life.

Somewhere deep within me, a question formed—one I hadn't thought about in years.

Was he happy?

Was he doing well?

And then, a quiet voice answered.

"Present."

I turned toward the voice, my heart pounding for reasons I couldn't understand.

And there he was.

The same boy who had given me the water bottle.

The boy with silvery-white hair and tired, distant blue eyes.

For a moment, he met my gaze.

And in that moment, something inside me ached.

It wasn't recognition, not exactly.

It wasn't something I could explain with logic or reason. It was a feeling, raw and unshakable.

Something about him felt familiar.

As if I had known him before.

As if I had lost him before.

The realization struck me so deeply that I couldn't look away. And for a second—just a second—I thought he felt it too.

But before I could think further, the teacher's voice cut through the silence.

"Follow me."

And just like that, the moment was gone.

But as I followed her out of the classroom, my mind was still reeling.

Because for the first time since coming to this world, I felt something I hadn't expected to feel again.

And I wasn't sure if I was ready to find out what it meant.

***

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