Rogue Characters - Chapter 1

Welcome to chapter 1 of Rogue Characters, book 3 of the Tales of the Curse Breaker in NY series. Read book 2, Book Battles, here. Read book 1, Catch the Scribe, here.

The Fade

Future Ran rested his chin on his fist and stared at the chalkboard as the professor droned on and on about the history of Shayari’s legal system. Ran stifled a yawn. How did Uncle Miren get through this class without falling asleep?

Somehow his uncle had since he remembered his uncle taking this class when he was little. So that was like ten years ago or something.

Ran didn’t glance to the left when a green glow appeared there. It was just Dad checking on him as usual. I wish he’d stop doing that. I'm fourteen, not four. Plus, I’m in school like I promised, listening to the most boring lecture ever given about the most dramatic and chaotic time in the history of my country.

Ran didn't understand how this young guy could make such a fascinating time as boring as writing a shopping list. But here he was, stuck listening to it for the next hour even though he knew the history of the coup by heart since it was the only time period Dad was interested in because it ended the age of heroes.

The law book lying on the table in front of him became transparent. Ran blinked to clear his sight in case his imagination was trying to run off with him. That happened sometimes. The book flickered as it became opaque for a moment and then faded until he could see through it to the stone slab underneath it.

That's definitely not supposed to happen. Ran poked the book just to be sure he was seeing what was really there. He since his finger went through the book. It really was fading. He suppressed a groan.

Not again. I just fixed things so my world wouldn’t fade away like two days ago. It can’t be happening again already. I helped my younger self and a digital dragon publish the story of my family. That was supposed to fix everything. It had fixed things. So why was the book in front of him fading? Why were the shelves of books that separated this classroom from the main library fading too?