Story: Second Chance (chapter 1)

Authors: Lena-Ann-Rene

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Chapter 1

I turned around at the sound of her voice.

"Nothing"

I stated disappointed as I realized that she was not here.

Ever sense that day, the day when Vanessa died to protect me, I felt, a daunting pain swell up in my heart every morning and before going to sleep.

Guilt wasn't the emotion I felt -longing for her is what I felt, knowing I can't ever have her now.

Her voice echoed in my mined continuously, telling me she'd do anything for me -"anything for you Madlax."

I got up from the small green couch we once lay upon and went in the kitchen to make some pasta -she liked pasta.

Sometimes I could just lay on that couch for hours contemplating on whether something happened between us when I lost all of my memories.

Vanessa never told me exactly what happened, she simply said, "You asked me to sleep with you -I did."

The way she said it, she was implying a deeper meaning, more then sleeping in the same bed.

I opened the wooden cabinet above the stove, reached out a box of dry pasta then poured it in a bowl and filled it with boiling hot water.

There was always something special about Vanessa, when I first met her she seemed a good woman, but as I got to know her, she became someone special in my heart -the first and last.

I placed the pasta bowl on the old table, grabbed a chair and comfortably seated myself before the food.

My pasta tasted bad just like Vanessa's sandwiches.

Thinking about her continuously was grounds enough to turn my way of cooking into hers.

I finished the whole plate, hating the awful after taste yet being thankful that it took my mind off her -for at least a few minutes.

Three Speed asked me to keep working for him but I firmly stated, "No", and left.

It's been a month since Vanessa died, since I found the truth and since I quit.

Limelda wanted to kill me right there on the spot, when she stopped her truck and let me out.

She cursed at me then drove away -angry and almost crazy looking. I've spent the last 28 days in my apartment, not leaving for anything, not doing anything but eating, sleeping and remembering Vanessa Rene.

I dumped the empty bowl in the dish washer, slammed it closed then walked to the roof top of my building.

As I scrunched to a seat, I remembered something about my promise to Vanessa, I said "I will protect you" and she made me promise not to die.

The books could have brought her back, yet they were burned to a crisp and I was stupid enough not to use them for my own desires -for Vanessa.

As I gazed up at the stars an idea came to mind, "I need to visit your grave Vanessa ... I haven't paid a proper farewell and maybe that's why I've been so depressed for the last month."


Sunrise: Next morning


The place where Eleanor buried Vanessa's body had a perfect view of the jungles of Sonika bellow.

I saw the sun rise slowly, creating an orange haze of sad beauty, covering all the land and forcing me to clearly see the dirt beneath which Vanessa is buried.

I want to cry my eyes out, this is too much, her face flashing before my eyes, seeing her smile, her eyes sparkling when gazing at me.

I thought, "Why did you save me ... I would be happier if you were the one to live -look what you did Vanessa, you made me sadder by dying and letting me live."

I crunched down to the dirt below, reached my arms out and hugged the ground under which Vanessa's remains lay.

She would of cried were she to see me now, this wasn't what she wanted ... what she wanted was to reveal the truth, end the war, then happily take me to Nafrece with her -none of which happened.

The war still rages on, the truth is forever lost and we can never be together now.

Yet I want to do something for her, she deserves something in return for all she's done for me.

I was hired as the bodyguard but she was the one to save me in the end, not for money, not for herself but for me.

Looking at the small x marking her grave I whispered. "Vanessa if I could ever see you again...if I hold you again ... if I could reverse time to when we lay together in that bed I'd change things."


-Little did I know that something parallel to what I whispered would happen to me.


With a few tears in my eyes I stood up then walked back to my jeep parked five yards away.

Living wasn't pleasurable but somehow easy before I met Vanessa, the time I spent with her was the best but, now was the worst.

If what occurred next never happened, I'm not sure I know how my life would turn out.

As I twisted the key in and started the engine, I sensed a person behind me, waiting for me on top of my jeep.

Without turning around to see who it was, I demanded.

"Who are you, why are you in my car and what do you want?"

The person chuckled whilst swiftly doing a triple flip down my jeep.

Hearing the laughter, seeing short silver hair and blazing brown eyes, I knew who the person was -Nakhl.

Doubting it to be a social visit, nonetheless being uninterested, I hopped inside the jeep, started the engine then quickly backed my ride away from the unwanted stranger.

I blinked once, opening my eyes I didn't see Nakhl in front of my car anymore.

A sudden whisper in my ear startled me.

Instantly I swung my head around to the passengers side, Nakhl sat next to me, a knife at my throat and a weak smile on the irritating agent's face.

I stopped the jeep then inquired.

"Answer my question... why are you pointing the knife at me?"

The silver haired agent sat motionless, pondering on what to tell me.

A minute later she spoke.

"I have a proposition for you Madlax. You would say no to me, if it wasn't that ... if you agree you'll see Vanessa Rene alive again, and you'll have a chance to save her life."

The words were unbelievable, I had a hard time comprehending whether what I heard was my own imagination or Nakhl's actual words.

Eagerly I asked.

"You ... did you just say Vanessa alive?" - "Yes she'll be alive in the past and you'll remember everything that happened, if you agree to go back in time to stop the war, you can save her as well."

My happiness obvious, I nodded my head then shouted.

"Okay I'll end the civil war if I can get her back ... how do I go back in time though?"

A single response came my way.

"Drive to the village where the three books were once gathered. Lady Quanzitta's ghost desires to speak with you, to take you back through time."


The village wasn't far from this portion of the jungle, thankfully I didn't run into enemy fire while on my drive.

Over fifteen bamboo houses stood spaced out in this low valley between mountains of lush green.

I parked my jeep at the village entrance, got out, slammed the door shut then followed Nakhl to the largest of all huts.

The hut stood next to a mountain with a cave chamber full of candles on rocks and torches hanging on each wall.

There wasn't anything valuable in the cave, I didn't know how I could go back in time, or if it's even possible, but one thing did catch my attention ... a stone carved with Elies script.

The books written in this script had immerse power capable of changing the world completely, rewriting history, shifting the present or even erasing people from existence and the memories of others.

If my bet was on anything being able of taking me back in time, it'd be the books, or anything written in the cursed script. A hand on my shoulder plus a penetrating gaze evoked my attention.

Nakhl noticed my staring at the carved stone then spoke.

"You are wondering how its possible, by what means one can go back. The answer is simple Madlax, all you do is chant two special words at the same time as touching the stone. Normally of course just touching the stone and chanting won't work ... but you are the chosen one, you now have the gift and lady Quanzitta's spirit is waiting to guide you on the other side."

I understood what Nakhl explained, the words needed to be said were at the back of my mind, ready to be spoken. Before proceeding I took in a deep breath.

Next I walked over to the ragged stone, stretched out my right arm, placed my hand against the ice cold piece of rock, then finally let the two special words out.

"Elda Taluta."

Nothing happened, the candles surrounding me were there, Nakhl stood to my far left and I stood unchanged.

However at a closer look I noted the stone carved script light up, the words seemed to dance around in my head, voices of spirits chanting screamed, "Elda Taluta", and I felt reality seep from underneath me as if being drained.


Reality, life, sound, smell, touch dissipated along with my previous location.

I saw an eternal darkness surrounded by small dots of yellow, blue, red and white in the far distance.

Moving my gaze down to my hands I saw emptiness, there wasn't a body harboring me.

I was pure consciousness, nothing more or less.

After what felt like five minutes I began to make out my possible location.

It appeared just like the night sky except instead of watching it from below, I was square in the middle of it.

For a moment I thought, maybe I'm dead ... not having a body and being in the heavens is something that happens to the deceased.

Before my idea's could take over too much of my conception, I heard a woman's voice echo trough emptiness, she calmly said.

"Welcome Madlax, I have been expecting you here."

With my mind I tried following the voice, as my vision rushed passed nothingness a female figure formed before me, causing me to stop.

Long white hair, dark tanned skin and poise filled my view as the spirit took her human form.

She parted her lips then spoke.

"I'm Quanzitta and before I describe my reasons for summoning you here, you should know what this realm is."

In my mind I made a nodding motion. She slightly chuckled, snapped her fingers then stated.

"I see you'd be more comfortable with a human form."

The regularity of having a physical form returned in a flash.

I saw the fingers of my hands, boots on my feet and blond bangs in my face.

She noted my expression, softly continuing her speech.

"This realm isn't where the dead go, those pail dots far in the distance aren't stars either.Celestial bodies far larger than stars or even galaxies ... those are infinite universes of quantum possibility. Madlax this is the realm of god, a place truly endless, a place outside of time. Here no one exists but I, the one assigned to watch over these worlds endlessly."

What she said was a lot to take in, I understood the basic concept, but the number of questions popping up seemed uncountable.

She read my mind, an all-knowing smile spread across her face as she made an attempt to ease my inquiring mind.

"Madlax I know you want to know more about this, and I'll tell you a little, however your purpose isn't to learn the truth of everything, a human mind is incapable of grasping these concepts ... you are here to fix a mistake."

Quanzitta looked me straight in the eyes then told me more of this realm.

"I myself have zero control of the worlds, you could say I'm only an observer of life, however gifted people like you are capable of changing those worlds with the three books. Margret Burton was my only other choice, the other person with the gift for going back in time to stop the war, but she's incapable of actually changing events precisely, she would do no good to me ... that is the reason you were chosen Madlax."

I scowled at her, and then asked.

"Does this mean I don't have a choice?" - "You don't have a choice. I know you want to go back, to be with Vanessa Rene, well that'll come with a cost too. If you fail ending the war or dodge the whole ordeal completely by taking her and running off, you'll disappear from existence. I watch over you, and if you fail me you'll die, but if you complete your task ... You'll have something precious to you -Vanessa Rene."

As she stopped talking, a blue dot in the distance began to grow brighter as if nearing us at incredible speed.

I asked.

"Is that the universe ... my universe?" - "Yes", came a simple reply, followed by another analyses of my thoughts.

"How you stop the war is simple. In your past the books exist, unburned. They have the power to end the war, with them gathered then brought to my human form in the village you'll end the war. All I ask of you is to gather the three books then use them ... before Friday Monday does."

Now we were zooming trough titanic gas clouds at the far reaches of the universe, everything seemed fast, the speed of light.

After a blink we were already nearing a familiar galaxy shaped as a spiral with white and caramel color to it.

I heard Quanzitta's voice echoing to me as her human shape turned into nothingness.

"You're going back to the time when you and Vanessa Rene first meet. I would take you back further however I feel sympathy for you, and if I did that you two would never meet. Close your eyes and steady yourself Madlax, you'll be back in a park awaiting your chance to shoot Enfant members targeting Vanessa the next time you open your eyelids."

My eyes shut as I zoomed trough rows of planets then I vanished to a proper location on the planet Earth.

As I started opening my eyes the sounds of birds whistling on trees, cars roaring by and wind streaming against my skin all returned.

If what just happened to me wasn't a crazy dream, I was back in time with my memories.

Here to change my past, Vanessa's past and stop the civil war itself.

The first thing I saw was my jeep parked next to a patch of trees.

I thought, "I really am in the past", as I noticed Enfant members driving passed me, in a black car, down a long street leading to a park.

[End notes: please review, oh and there will be many more chapters -soon]

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