I Refused To Be Reincarnated

With a gentle nudge, he shook Julius, his lips rising in a grin. Somehow, he found the gesture amusing since their situation was reversed for once.

The boy's eyelids fluttered under the magic circle's mystical light a few seconds later. Alarmed by the insistent shaking, his right hand surged with Qi, squeezing Adam's forearm in a vice. Then, his hazel eyes snapped open, scanning his surroundings as his lips curled downward.

"Who are you?"

Squinting, he glared into the azure and emerald eyes of the youth who awoke him in dread. After noticing the magic symbols pulsing with mana beneath him, he understood where he was in the blink of an eye.

'They brought me to their mansion.' Explore more at empire

After they abducted him, he knew they would conduct a ritual using the circle to steal his brother's soul, as Gaston had tried almost six years ago.

Before he could reflect further, Adam spoke, unbothered by the force applied to his forearm.

"I'm the underworld's guardian. Everything you see is an illusion I created to show you how you died. Then, I'll judge your soul based on your life choices and actions."

"What?! I died?!"

Stunned by the sudden revelation and the solemness in the youth's voice, his pupils constricted, and his hair bristled. His grip grew weaker as a chilling realisation reverberated in his mind.

As his breathing became ragged and tears of unwillingness pooled in his eyes, a sudden hearty laughter filled the room. Confused, he gazed at the laughing boy, noticing the familiar clothes his brother had bought from Asha.

A surprised yelp escaped his lips. After the initial shock, he recognised the voice and annoying grin stretching the odd-eyed youth before him.

"Big brother? But... How?"

"Yup! I'm inside the puppet I crafted," Adam answered, helping the boy up gently after his prank. Despite the questionable timing, he had to break the boy's suspicions. Knowing him, only something he was extremely familiar with could do the trick. Therefore, he opted for this approach.

Wasting no time, a warm smile stretched his lips as he continued, shocking the boy with the excellent news, and making his questions about the puppet vanish from his mind.

"You are safe, I'm too, and now we'll free your mother."

He felt the tremor jolting Julius' body. He knew how heavy her absence weighed on his heart. But now, everything would be fine, and they would finally reunite.

With a decisive turn, he stared at Nathan.

"Lead the way."

Then, placing a comforting arm around Julius' shoulder, they followed close behind.

They navigated the mansion's luxurious corridor, feeling the soft red carpet under their feet. Bright magical devices chased the night's darkness away, and exquisite paintings depicting the Ashford family members hung on the walls.

A moment later, Nathan's hand phased through a thick wall, surprising them. Next, dust rose as the ground swallowed the obstacle, revealing a hidden stair leading down.

"My mother's magic. She cast an illusion to hide the lever."

He heard Nathan's explanation, finding the idea intriguing.

'I'll study what I can do with illusion later,' he thought, excited to develop his abilities. But for now, Alina was the priority.

After a short walk, a cavernous space opened before them, revealing an underground prison. The terrible stench of sweat and decay assaulted their nose in vicious waves to suffocate them.

Julius' chest tightened as he noticed the youth's rickety body sprawled behind their cage's rusted bars. They were all his age, meaning he could have been in their place. The realisation sent a torrent of horror crash against his heart as his shoulders trembled.

"This is inhuman!"

A yell uncontrollably escaped his lips as anger boiled in his veins. They were just kids, yet were treated with such barbaric cruelty. Was that what one of the most prominent noble houses should do?

"No matter what birth privilege they have, they shouldn't treat others like that!"

"I agree," Adam said, his eyes narrowed into slits and his voice icy.

Feeling the storm hiding behind his brother's words, he sobered up. Adam had never shown such a strong reaction for strangers before, making him ponder the reason.

Like a computer, his mind drew and dismissed theories before he selected the simplest and most glaring.

'They come from the same place.'

A painful pang struck his heart. Despite his brother's chaotic reactions, he knew how loyal and good-natured he was. Seeing people from his world in such poor condition must have infuriated him.

Contrary to his expectations, a tense silence engulfed the prison. Instead of his brother's outraged roars, he heard his calm voice, followed by the hollow thud of his steps echoing through the fetid halls.

"Alina first, the rest later."

Warmth filled his heart as he followed. He still prioritised his mother.

After walking through and enduring the disgust caused by the place, a woman sitting comfortably before a cell greeted their eyes.

Her blond hair reflected the dim light as she lazily yawned when she heard the approaching footsteps.

Her delicate robe fluttered as she pushed herself off her chair, a grin stretching her lips.

"I knew you would succeed! Can you use mana already? Did you unlock your affinity? Do you feel stronger?"

Eleanor threw a barrage of questions before even seeing her son. With their arrangement, she knew he was alive, after all. And only her family could come to this place, anyway. So, when she noticed Julius and a strangely dressed youth accompanying Nathan instead of her cousins, her brows shot up in confusion.

"What is happening, Nathan?!" She screeched, chaos brewing in her mind.

"We failed. I bought our lives back, so step aside and don't act rashly," Nathan answered, straightforward, cold, and fearless, as always.

Yet, Eleanor was anything but calm. Did her son turn into an idiot? He brought them to Alina, their only way to survive! He should have threatened them into leaving before releasing or outright killing the useless peasant instead. Now, they lost the upper hand and were at their mercy.