The Mytho Chronicles: Eclipse Of Faith

Chapter 46: Shadows of the Past

The morning sun filtered through the windows of a luxurious penthouse in downtown Tokyo. Emi Takahara sat at the breakfast table, her fingers lightly drumming against the glossy surface. A cup of coffee sat untouched before her, and her eyes were fixed on the front page of the morning newspaper. Her expression darkened as she read the bold headline: "The New Prodigy of Modern Era Sorcery Has Arrived!" Beneath the title was a picture of Ren Nakamura, standing beside Ryota Takeda, both of them smiling confidently.

Emi's hand clenched the paper tightly, crumpling the edge. Her mind flashed back to her days in middle school, where Ren had been a frequent target of her cruel pranks and ridicule. He was quiet, unassuming, and an easy victim for someone as popular and influential as she was. When Ren transferred to a sorcery school, Emi had laughed, mocking him for chasing after "fairy tales" and predicting his inevitable failure. But now, here he was, celebrated as a prodigy. The sight of his face, triumphant and recognized, filled her with a mix of anger and envy.

Emi couldn't believe it. How could someone like Ren, who she had always looked down upon, rise to such prominence? The idea that he might have surpassed her in any way was unbearable. Her mind raced with thoughts of how she could possibly reclaim her superiority.

Without hesitation, Emi turned to her father, who sat across the table, engrossed in his tablet. "Dad," she said sharply, "I want to transfer to Ren's school."

Her father, Takahiro Takahara, one of the wealthiest men in Asia, looked up with mild surprise. "To a sorcery school? But you've never shown any interest in that before. Why now?"

"I've changed my mind," Emi replied, her voice firm. "And I want to be in the same school as Ren. He's in the headlines now, Dad. Everyone's talking about him. I want to prove that I'm better."

Takahiro sighed, recognizing the familiar stubbornness in his daughter's tone. "You know that sorcery schools are different. They don't accept just anyone, even with our connections."

"Then use our influence," Emi insisted, leaning forward. "You can make it happen, right? Just get me in there."

Takahiro studied his daughter for a moment before nodding. "I'll see what I can do."

A few days later, Emi stood at the gates of the sorcery school, her red uniform pristine and her expression smug. She had done it. Despite the school's initial refusal to admit her due to her lack of an innate technique, her father's wealth had opened the doors. Now, she was here, ready to claim her place and assert her dominance over Ren once more.

As she walked through the hallways, she noticed the curious glances from other students, but she paid them no mind. Her focus was solely on finding Ren and re-establishing herself as the one in control. She had already fabricated a story about her supposed "awakened ability"—the power to create weapons out of thin air, a lie supported by advanced gadgets her father had secretly commissioned for her.

Finally, she spotted Ren in the distance, walking with Aiko Kuroda. Her heart skipped a beat, and a wicked smile spread across her face. "Ren!" she called out, waving energetically.

Ren turned, his eyes widening in shock as he recognized her. "Emi? What are you doing here?"

"I'm a student here now," she announced proudly. "I've awakened my sorcery ability and transferred in. Isn't it amazing?"

Ren's expression hardened, his mind flashing back to the torment she had caused him in the past. "I see..."

But before Ren could say anything more, Emi linked her arm with his, pressing herself close to him. "It's so good to see you, Ren. We have so much to catch up on!"