Chapter Text
The soft sound of tiny feet pitter pattering on hard wooden floors fills the cool, crisp, morning air. A small girl around the age of five runs into her Grans potion room, her raven black curls bounce around her head as her black kitten meows in her arms. A black and white striped dress that falls just past her knees, bright purple tights and and black boots cover her small feet.
“Gran! Gran! Look what I can do!!” She yells in an excited voice dropping her kitten on one of the many desks near her as she catches the attention of a short lady in her fifties. Closing the ancient book in her hands the older lady turns to look at her grandchild as she tucks the book under her arm. Her rich brown skin compliments her dark brown almost black eyes. Her raven black hair twisted into long dreadlocks that she let fall free. Her own dress fell to her ankles in a rich crimson, a brown shawl covered her shoulders. A bright smile covered her black painted lips before reaching her eyes, making her look years younger.
“What is it you have to show your gran gran, my child.” Her thick cajun accent voice encouraged the young girl. Smiling wide the little girl lifted her hands in front of herself, slowly the palms of both of her hands start to glow. The girls Gran watched on her eyebrows raising as the little girls right palm glows a soft turquoise while the left flashes with a strong baby blue light almost as if it was on fire. ‘Empathy and Trust, what unusual colors for a soul.’ Gran thinks only for her hands to lose their grip on the book as the child summons a bone with her magic. Time seems to freeze as the thundering sound of the book hitting the floor echoes around the room. The young child's smile starts to falter as her gran gran covers her mouth with both of her hands. A look of surprised astonishment covers her face as she stares at the child
“Gran, what's wrong?” The young child asks releasing her magic. Gran’s face fills with joy as she walks over and pulls the young girl into her arms. Standing tall Gran smiles down to her grandchild.
“Nothing is wrong, my love.” She says with soft tear filled eyes. “You're just like your grandfather, my little reaper.” Gran whispers as her tears glisten on her cheeks, small pale hands reach up and wipe the tears from her face. Kissing her granddaughters forehead the old witch smiles softly into her raven tresses as the girl asks.
“Gran what was granda like?”
“Oh my sweet child,” Gran coos as she carries the little one out of the room into the front room where she sits in an old wooden rocking chair that creaks under her form. Making sure her grandchild is safely in her lap she claps her hands once; releasing her thick yellow magic, allowing it to grab her fallen book. With a wide smile she twirls her first two fingers winking at her granddaughter causing her to laugh at her gran’s show. The large brown leather bound book floats over to land onto gran’s awaiting hand. Placing the book in the little girl’s lap gran starts to flip through the pages until she stops on a page about three fourths of the way through the book. Smoothing out the yellowing pages, gran runs her finger over an old black and white photo of a younger version of herself along with a young, tall, white man in a kilt.
“Gran is that?” The little one asks pointing to the man.
“Aye, my sweet one. This was my heart and soul, your grandfather, Angus. He was a scottish mage that was exiled from his home.” She coos rocking her chair slowly back and forth as memories flood her mind of the long decades they had spent together.
“Gran what does exiled mean?” the child asks looking up from the book, her wide soft green eyes full of confusion at the new word.
“It means he was forced to leave his home, sweet one, and could never return.” Gran says with a soft chuckle. The child’s pale flesh crinkles up in a frown as her eyes darken.
“Why?”
“Because he was a necromancer, like you little one, and a strong one at that.” Gran says poking the child's nose. “Necromancy means you can summon bones, and talk to ghosts.” Gran explains leaving out a lot of things a necromancer can do.
“Then why would they want him to leave?” She asks still not understanding.
“You will understand one day, little reaper.” Gran says closing the book. “But for now how about I tell you a story.” She says causing the child to squeal in glee.
“Will you tell me the stories of the monsters! Oh please gran!! Please!!” The child begs grasping at her gran’s shall, causing the elder woman to laugh.
“Alright, dear child let me tell you a story of the great monsters. One time long, long ago, there were three races. Magi, monsters, and humans. Out of the three only monsters and magi could use magic while humans could not”
-Years Later-
Panting heavily, I push my body to run faster. Angry shouts from behind me push me to flare my magic, summoning a bone out of the ground in front of me I use it as a jumping board to jump onto a roof nearby. Releasing my magic, I start to hop from rooftop to rooftop trying to lose my tale. ‘I can't go back there! Not again!’ My mind screams as I valt over an alleyway to the next roof. Hearing a gunshot I duck behind a ventilation duct as I catch my breath.
‘That's new they never shot at me before.’ I chuckle mentally.
“Miss Faye, I know you can hear me. Please just come with us quietly and we promise not to hurt you.” one of the men call
‘Yeah like I haven't heard that one before. As if I'd fall for that after the first time.’ I roll my eyes as I start to feel my magic take over my body. ‘Welp it's now or never.’ I think as I release my magic. Glowing bones shoot from the roof at the five men in black that have been hunting me. Bolting I run out from my hiding place like a rabbit.
“Stop!!” a voice yells before I feel a burning pain going through my left shoulder. Crying out I fall to the roof, pain floods my body. ‘Got to get away.’ Is my only thought as I pull myself across the loose gravel that is the roof. The bullet hole in my should poor's blood as the crunching of gravel under heavy boots reaches my ears.
“What have you done!?!” The same voice yells in panic as lighter footfall rush over to me.
“Easy, I completed the mission. She was getting away and we can't lose this one. She's the only necromancer we know of that is still breathing.” The deep voice of the one person that always catches me says. The flick of a lighter and a heavy inhale gives me time to summon my magic again only for a sharp kick from his heavy booted foot to cause me to lose my concentration as I scream out. “Now knock that off, Mage. You lost.” He says before a sharp pain of his boot connecting with the back of my skull knocks me out.
-Chapter one-
-birth of a boss monster-
Pain is all I know for months. The same white walls, the same doctors, the same excruciating procedures, and the same patents as every other time loop. It took me three full years worth of loops to figure out that the only ones selected for the tests were Magi or people with Magi blood running through their veins, which were few and far between. A side door opens into the waiting room of our little dorm where all of the survivors are held, a doctor leads more into the area. Looking over each face, I see new ones that made it through the procedures this time loop. Warm pink flaming arms wrap around my small waist, Annabelle. She was once a very young pyromancer of twenty, that the dogs hunted down outside of Alabama. Boney white hands grab one of her flaming arms soaking in her warmth.
“I see you found some of the new faces, I can’t believe how many of us survived this time.” she hums near my hooded skull where my ears once were. Empty sockets land on a small child with a skeletal form like my own.
“Now you all know the rules test group A, when your magic group is called step forward and we’ll assign you new monsters to train!” A mousy looking man with greasy black hair says looking down to a clipboard.
“Geokinesis!” The man yells causing a man that looks more like a tree to step forward and take three of the new ones that look anywhere from stone, dirt, to trees to follow him over to a side of the room.
“Aquakinesis!” A woman made of water goes next to collect her new ones that look like ice to water beings.
“Pyrokinesis!” The mousy man yells causing Annabelle to release me.
“Well that's me.” She says with a slight popping laugh that reminds me of the fire in Gran’s hearth in winter. Stepping in front of the man Annabelle’s flames burn brighter as she glares at the doctors before waving two young teens over to follow her to her area. My sockets watch as the larger sunset orange male teen holds a lime green female closer. ‘Fortitude and forgiveness’ I think looking away to find the small child skeleton again. ‘I hope they last.’ I think as the bones in my hands creak from the pressure of my anger. The man keeps calling out magic categories until only the one child is left standing next to him.
“Necromancy!” The man yells causing silence to fill the room. The older Magi who have known me from the very start of the loops give me a confused look as I slowly step forward.
“This has never happened before.” I hear a Aerokinesis mage whisper over to one of the other ones in there little group.
“There's only ever been one necromancer.” A fulgurkinesis mage whispers as I stand in front of the small child no older than six. Forcing my bones to move I kneel in front of the child as the doctor watches my movements closely. Bright fearful eyelights stare into my empty sockets. Unclenching my fist I hold my hand out to the baby bones.
“Hey there little one my names Faye.” I say dropping my frown and forcing my bones to shift into a sweet smile. Glowing yellow tears fill their eye sockets before they launch themselves into my chest. Wrapping one protective arm around the little one I glared up at the so called “doctor” as he doesn't so much as bat an eye at the child's display.
“Faye, keep them alive.” The doctor says before turning on his heels and walking out the door. Once it is firmly shut I hear the electronic locks clicking in place, keeping us trapped in this prison. Gathering the little one into my arms I turn to face the other magi.
“Reaper?” Annabelle asks in an uncertain voice, her pink rose colored flames flickering as the others of our group step forward. Reinly a mage gifted with projection, harmonizing, and elenchus magic. He was a rare find with his abilities to command not just one but three forms of mental magic. His magi blood lines went all the way back to old europe. Next to him was his soulmate, Mavis, a young Aquakinesis mage with bloodlines tracing back to the holy roman empire. The first four or the originals the newer mages that survived in later loops started to call us.
“This changes everything.” Reinly says allowing his harmonizing magic to calm the emotions in the room. Mavis nods her head in agreement.
“What's the plan this time, Reaper?” Anna asks running a warm hand over the skull of the calming child in my arms.
“Same as always, Flame. We escape, then wait for the monsters to be freed and join their ranks like the last fifty times.” I mutter.
“Reaper, we must stop these time loops.” Mavis voice full of worry cuts into our conversation.
“I know Mavis, but it's not that easy. I'm the oldest mage here and I don't have any idea what is going on.” I whisper holding the little one closer.
“What about your grandmother. You said she has been alive for a long time. Even when the monsters still walked free. Wouldn't she know what is going on?” Reinly asks placing his clawed hands on his mates arms.
“No one has seen gran since the first loop Ren, I've looked but she's gone.”