A/N: This is a pretty important author note so it would be good if you didn't skip it.
This is about two things that are related to each other. The first is that I am opening a Patreon where you'll be able to pay to get access to some of the Multiversal Ascension chapters in advance. If you want to read ahead of the official release, that's where you'll find them. Or if you simply want to support me, I'd really be grateful.
To be honest, I don't expect many people to join the Patreon, but that's perfectly fine. For me, writing is and remains a hobby—I do it because I enjoy it. Even if no one supports me on Patreon, it won't change my release pace. That said, if a lot of people do support me, it's certain I'll be even more motivated to write.
The second point I want to talk about, contrary to the Patreon launch which might only concern a few, is something that concerns everyone. Following the opening of my Patreon, I've decided to increase the release rate. From now on, there will be a new chapter released every single day of the week.
That means seven chapters per week. The release hour doesn't change and remains at 14:00 EST.
That's all I had to say—you can now enjoy the chapter. Happy reading!
"There was once a young boy who lived in the poorest part of a crime-ridden city. He had been an orphan for as long as he could remember. Living in an orphanage with other children, he was cared for by the matrons, though life was far from easy. Meals were often skipped due to the 'lack of funds,' but at least he had a roof over his head and something to eat occasionally," Mikael began, his voice steady but his gaze distant.
"This situation continued until the boy turned 8. By then, the orphanage was overcrowded, and the matrons, frustrated by the situation, decided to kick out some of the 'older' children. The boy was one of them." Mikael's tone darkened slightly, a faint glimmer of reminiscence in his eyes.
"How could they do that?" Amelia exclaimed, her voice filled with indignation. "Isn't there a law preventing something like that? Children can't just be kicked out before they're 16, can they?"
A wry smile crossed Mikael's face. "No need to get so worked up; it's just a story after all… But to answer your question, who cares about orphans? If no one cares, then no one enforces the law."
Amelia frowned at his words. She didn't like what he said, but deep down, she understood it to be the truth.
"Once the boy was kicked out, he was lost, unsure how to survive in a crime-infested city as an 8-year-old. At first, he tried to find legal work, thinking it was the right thing to do. But every place he went turned him away because of his age. Days passed, and hunger gnawed at him, making him desperate."
Mikael's voice remained calm as he continued. "Eventually, desperation won. He stole food for the first time. That time, he succeeded and ate his fill. While he felt a pang of guilt, it was nothing compared to the hunger in his stomach. Realizing that stealing was his only way to survive, he did it again."
"For a while, the boy was lucky. He stole without getting caught, surviving day by day. But luck never lasts forever. One day, as he tried to grab some food, a vendor caught him. The boy was beaten badly. It was a harsh lesson, one he would never forget. After that, he became more cautious. He also started carrying a pocket knife for protection."
"For two years, this became his life—stealing just enough food to get by while living on the streets in terrible conditions. But as time passed, he got better at stealing, honing his skills. He thought he had everything under control until one theft went horribly wrong."
Mikael's tone shifted slightly, drawing the attention of both Amelia and Lyra, who were listening intently.
"One day, a vendor recognized him as the same boy who had stolen from him multiple times before. The man was furious. This time, he managed to corner the boy in an alley, determined to teach him a lesson he'd never forget." Mikael paused briefly, his eyes narrowing.
"But the boy had changed during those two years. The streets had hardened him, and he wasn't about to let himself get beaten without a fight. Taking advantage of the vendor's overconfidence, he pulled out his pocket knife. What followed was a brutal struggle, but in the end, the boy killed the man."
Amelia gasped softly, while Lyra's purple eyes widened, her expression unreadable as she listened to every word.
"After it was done, the boy panicked. It was his first time killing someone, and even though he had grown tougher on the streets, the guilt hit him hard. But he knew one thing—if anyone found out it was him, he'd be finished. So, he hid the body as best he could and ran." Mikael's voice grew quieter as he said this, his expression unreadable.
Lyra studied him, her mind racing. 'Is this really just a story, or…?' she wondered, leaning in slightly as if afraid to miss a single word.
Amelia, too, had her suspicions but dismissed the thought. 'It can't be about him. His parents only died recently. He wasn't an orphan from birth,' she reasoned, recalling what her father's background check had revealed.
Oblivious to their thoughts, Mikael continued. "That experience changed the boy. He became colder, more calculating. He realized that living off petty theft wasn't sustainable. But for a while, he didn't change his ways, fearing that the murder would catch up to him."
"Yet, as weeks passed and no one came for him, he understood he was in the clear. That's when he started to make a plan. He joined a gang, learning everything he could about their operations and building connections."
"By the time the boy—now an adolescent—turned 14, he had formed his own gang, which he named the Crow. The beginning was far from easy, filled with challenges and setbacks, but the boy made it work. Slowly but surely, his gang began to grow."
"In the years that followed, the Crow became one of the major gangs in Arcvale City, controlling most of Downtown and primarily dealing in drug trafficking. They dabbled in other ventures as well, but those were minor compared to their drug business."
"In this way, the once poor and homeless orphan rose to become the leader of a powerful gang, living in a 'relatively luxurious' apartment. However, the now young adult didn't care much for luxury or material possessions. From his time on the streets, he had learned that having a roof over his head and food in his belly was more than enough."
"The young man continued to live this way while expanding his gang's operations. Of course, he wasn't naïve enough to believe that being a gang leader would shield him from the law. He knew very well that he could be caught and end up in prison. Aware of this risk, he took certain precautions, such as bribing corruptible officers to look the other way."
"For the more righteous officers who refused to be corrupted, a well-placed threat was usually enough to deter them from meddling with his gang's affairs. Life continued like this until, at the age of 21, an unexpected event occurred."
"That day began like any other, with no sign that it would be special. But then, without warning, the sky darkened, and an enormous eye appeared, hovering above like a planet-sized sentinel, gazing down at humanity. Moments later, every human saw a holographic blue screen materialize before them."
"On this screen was an offer from an entity calling itself the Akashic Records. It promised the ability to evolve, grow stronger, travel to other worlds, acquire riches, attain immortality, and more—all in exchange for joining the Records. The cost? One year of lifespan for every month of connection to the Records. The service could be canceled at any time, but once canceled, there was no way to rejoin or regain access."
As Mikael recounted this part of the story, Lyra appeared intrigued, treating it as nothing more than a fictional tale. Amelia, on the other hand, froze, her eyes widening dramatically as he mentioned the Akashic Records. Mikael, absorbed in his storytelling, failed to notice her reaction.
He continued, keeping the details concise so the story wouldn't take hours. When he reached the part where the 'young man' met a woman named Kiara, both Amelia and Lyra began to suspect where the story was heading.
Mikael concluded, saying, "...The young man then finished telling his story to two beautiful women he loved, who were now staring at him, stunned."
Lyra's gaze lit up with childlike curiosity as she eagerly asked, "Can I come with you to see the Hub, the Akashic Records, and everything you've talked about?" Her expectant eyes sparkled as they locked onto his.
Her question caught Mikael off guard, as he hadn't expected her to accept what he said so readily and express a desire to see it for herself. He hesitated before replying, "Eh… sure." His gaze then shifted to Amelia, who was sitting quietly with a thoughtful expression.
After a moment, she murmured, "It makes so much sense now that I think about it. All the odd little things about you—it's because you're connected to the Akashic Records!"
Her words left Mikael completely taken aback. Lyra's enthusiasm was surprising but not totally unexpected, given her curious nature, but Amelia's response—spoken as though she already knew of the Akashic Records—threw him entirely off balance. He asked incredulously, "Wait… you know about the Akashic Records?"
Amelia nodded and began to explain, her tone grave. "What I'm about to say is a closely guarded state secret. Normally, I wouldn't be allowed to talk about it to anyone outside the highest social circles. But considering the circumstances, I doubt it matters anymore."
She paused before continuing, "Our world is called Dirarnia, but what most people don't know is that it falls under the jurisdiction of a higher entity—the Akashic Records."
Both Lyra's and Mikael's eyes widened at her revelation. Mikael's mind raced. 'Dirarnia is under the Akashic Records' control?' As the pieces clicked into place, he wondered, 'Does that mean all the worlds I saw listed in the Records are also under its jurisdiction?' Frowning, he then asked aloud, "What does it mean for the Dirarnia world to be under the jurisdiction of the Akashic Records?"
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you know? You work for it, after all," she said before shaking her head. "Never mind. Honestly, it's not as significant as it sounds. I wasn't even sure the Akashic Records really existed until you started talking about it. It's not like the Records interfere with our world in any noticeable way." She finished with a shrug.
Lyra nodded thoughtfully, seeming to accept Amelia's explanation, before shifting her focus back to Mikael. Her endless curiosity drove her to bombard him with questions about the Akashic Records, while Amelia mostly listened, occasionally asking a question of her own but remaining quiet for the most part.
Mikael answered as best as he could. When the girls eventually ran out of questions, he said, "If you want, you can come with me to see what the Akashic Records is really like."
Lyra immediately nodded enthusiastically. Amelia, too, seemed intrigued, but her gaze fell to the bracelet on her wrist. A small frown crossed her face before she said, "I'd love to come, but I have a class in thirty minutes."
Lyra's excitement didn't waver. "Why don't you just skip it? You could do like me—I never go to my classes!" she said with a mischievous grin, her tone unusually lively compared to her usual reserved and shy demeanor.
Mikael glanced at her, smirking. "Now that you mention it, you're always in the library. How do you not fail your classes?"
Lyra grinned sheepishly. "I know it might seem like I should, but because I spend so much time in the library reading, I'm way ahead of the curriculum. Even if I skip most of my classes, I still manage to get great grades!"
Amelia cleared her throat, drawing their attention back. "Let's not get too sidetracked. I can't skip this class—it's an exam. Trust me, I'd love to come with you, especially after everything I've just heard. I'm curious to see it for myself," she said, sighing. "But for now, you two should go together. Maybe next time, I can join."
Hearing her words, Lyra hesitated. While she was eager to visit the Akashic Records, she didn't want to leave Amelia behind. After a moment of thought, she suggested, "If you can't come for now, why don't we wait until tomorrow? That way, we can all go together."
Mikael smiled. "I share the same opinion. It's better if we all go together and take the time to enjoy the exploration. I can act as the 'host,' and I think it'll be a more enjoyable experience for all of us. If we're all there, there's no rush, so delaying it until tomorrow shouldn't be a problem."
Author Note:
If you'd like to support me or get access to advanced chapters, you can find me on Patreon—just search for SDASLUMMY.
Of course, if you'd rather not, I totally understand! (I often do the same when reading novels myself.)
If you want to support me without paying, dropping a few Power Stones or leaving a review means a lot and really helps the story gain visibility.
Thanks a ton for reading—I truly appreciate it!