On the peak of Mount St. Peter, in Italy, a cold breeze rustled some pine leaves, disturbing the quiet snow on top of them.

Even though it was fall, the quirky mountain did not want to shed its last whiteness. Therefore, the cold was fierce for such a season.

The few hundred people living there did not know what was going to happen shortly after that. For all they knew, it was just another chilly day of May; global warming had yet to reach their humble abode.

Due to its weird placement, the city would be one of the lucky few to survive the day. In fact, it would one day build huge walls and hold off hordes of Demonic Beasts and enemies, only to topple down once everyone thought they would finally triumph over Evil.

The city’s name was St. Peter since the inhabitants did not have a talent for giving out names. However, one day it would become the last bastion of humanity.

…

Quintus Horatius Flaccus High School

The presence of a high school was highly unusual for such a small place: it had been born almost sixty years ago before everyone started migrating to bigger cities. The institute had one class per grade, and it was only populated thanks to tiny villages all around.

Sixteen students were listening to a very old math teacher, Mr. Michelis. The poor sweet guy was pushing seventy years old. Yet, he kept teaching because no one would replace him otherwise, and the school would be left with no math teacher.

A few students chatted softly among themselves.

The topic of the discussion was the weird rift that split the clouds in the morning sky above.

“Have you seen the clouds? I wonder if it has something to do with chemtrails or stuff like that.”

Dear Mr. Michelis was so old his hearing could hardly catch the whispering, even those directed at him.

“I will transfer next week! I cannot wait to leave this crappy school behind. That dude might die every second now. In Rome, I will finally be able to be among the best! I truly do not understand why my parents insisted on sending me to the middle of nowhere. Look at that old idiot. He is almost drooling! It’s disgusting!”

That was Joseph, son of two former St. Peter residents. The two lovebirds fell in love among the tall pines and between the cozy school desks of the Horatius’s. Later on, they became wildly rich and had a son; they decided to send him to their teenage high school, hoping that it would make him experience some of the romance they had.

However, Joseph had been spoilt rotten since his birth. And he hated the place his parents had sent him to. So finally, he had convinced them to get him back to Rome. A few days more, and he would never have to listen to the old crook rambling about logarithms again.

As Joseph kept on insulting the teacher behind his back, Jacob slowly opened his eyes. He couldn’t help being confused by the scene in front of him.

“Where am I?” Jacob quietly whispered.

Our guy gently rubbed his eyes, blinking repeatedly.

He was shocked to discover his black armor had gone. The relic had been nigh-indestructible: how could he have lost it without noticing? And – wait – was he wearing jeans?

Wait again, was that Mr. Michelis?

Was this his junior year of high school?

It worked! Goddammit, it worked!

Mr. Michelis was still explaining the lesson he had prepared with the utmost care the night before, oblivious to everything else.

Jacob turned his head to the side, where Francis stood half-asleep. The familiar face of his friend put some tears in his eyes. Francis had carried him through the first phase of the world change. Without him, Jacob would have died ten thousand times and more.

Only much later, Jacob would become the mighty hero of humanity after stumbling upon a great treasure. But, unfortunately, Francis would be dead by then: his friend died while trying to save him from some demonic beast.

“I was actually reborn,” Jacob’s voice was filled with emotion.

He had the chance to right all the wrongs he had suffered in his past life and to save his loved ones.

At that point, Jacob moved his gaze to the first row.

Her.

Only a few meters from him stood Helena. Even though she was only fifteen, she already looked like a top model. Her bright green eyes were a contrast to her flawless pale skin. She looked extremely focused while taking notes from the blackboard. Her full lips mimicked silent words while she tried to absorb as much as possible from their teacher.

One day she would grow to become the most beautiful woman the whole human race would ever know.

She is alive. They are all alive.

He was grateful for his seat in the last row. Otherwise, someone could have noticed the tears he was failing to hold back.

Jacob almost jumped in excitement.

His mastery over time magic, plus the help of his Great Relict, had brought him back to this time.

The Great Relic that guaranteed him another chance was the Plate. He did not know its name, nor who created it or how it came to Earth. He only knew that he had been able to learn and wield time magic and much more thanks to that.

When it happened, he had been fighting the Black Dragon. Something in the Plate he always kept behind his armor had activated. He had been fatally wounded by that point while trying to fight off the Black Dragon and the Golden ones. But, somehow, the Plate had brought him back.

He still remembered wishing he could go back and change everything at that exact moment.

No one ever knew what happened to Earth and why all of a sudden Demonic Beasts appeared all over. Humanity suddenly showed a talent for magic and combat, as if the entire planet had been plunged into a universe governed by different laws.

People became warriors and mages. There had been incredible heroes and atrocious villains. Wars had wrecked the planet, even when humanity should have united once and for all. Then, at last, they all succumbed to the beasts.

And here he was, back in his young body.

He still remembered Helena falling while they fled St. Peter’s walls. She and Francis had protected him with their lives.

Jacob had been born with Crohn’s Disease. Since a young age, his body had been sick and frail. His guts could barely absorb any nutrients, and that meant he was skinny and pale. Even his height had been affected, resulting in him being the shortest in his class.

Suddenly, he heard a sound coming from outside. A car’s alarm had just gone off very close by.

It had just begun.