Choi Chronicles

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍
𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫

"He's dead."

"Your grandfather passed away, Henry."

I froze, unable to move as I lay on the ground, my back against the door.

It felt like I had been thrown into a void.

I couldn't believe what I heard.

How could he be dead?

Did I arrive too late?

So he was here after all?

Maybe it was another Walter? There's no...

"What? No?" Seth gave me a look as if I were the most clueless boy in the world. "Your grandfather died last year, and you were adopted by the Brown Family."

The Brown Family? Professor Balthazar didn't adopt me?

"No, did he in your world?" Seth raised his eyebrow as he once again read my mind, then sighed and scratched his head in frustration. "Ugh, forget it."

He stood up again, watching me from above and pointing his wand at me once more.

"Listen, Anderson, I don't know what you're up to, but you don't belong here, and my mission is to prevent anything bad from happening in this world. That means I have to eliminate anything suspicious that could harm the universe. Our universe. Even if it means getting rid of a thirteen-year-old boy like you."

His wand glowed green, and I stammered, "W-wait—"

The door flew open, causing me to fall completely to the ground, my head slamming onto the stony brick floor as I winced in pain.

I looked up to see Ethan Choi, the eldest.

"Seth..." He said.

"E-Ethan?!" Seth whispered in shock, "I was just about to get rid of this thing!"

Ethan looked down at me, and he opened his palm.

Suddenly, my wand in my pocket flew straight towards him, leaving me dumbfounded.

He didn't utter an incantation or use his wand to pull mine; he simply opened his palm, and that was it. 

What the...

"No, let him live," Ethan commanded, scanning me.

So he was just about to kill me like seriously?!

Seth's expression mirrored my own bewilderment. "What? But if we don't intervene, he'll cause chaos in this universe. Plus, what if this idea is connected to theories like quantum mechanics and the Many-Worlds Interpretation?" He didn't pause, adding, "Every quantum event spawns multiple parallel universes, each representing a different outcome. When these universes interact, it can result in a divergence of possibilities, with each universe charting a unique course based on their interactions."

"Seth..." Ethan's sigh accompanied his assistance as he helped me up.

"But what if the energy or matter from one universe disrupts the stability of another, causing catastrophic effects like spacetime collapse, gravitational anomalies, or even universal annihila—" 

Ethan halted his brother with a hand over his mouth. "If that ever happened, I'd detect it and prevent it before any harm."

Seth, bewildered, turned to me. "Why are you letting him go?"

"I'm curious," Ethan murmured. "How did you end up here, Anderson?"

—-----------

"A book? And you lost it?" 

Henry's laughter dripped with mockery as if I were the universe's greatest fool. "How could you be so careless, especially here in Aero House? You hardly fit in."

"I just... I don't know where it is! Maybe someone took it!" I mumbled, feeling the sting of embarrassment at his scorn.

"No chance. If you'd brought some spellbook from another universe into the room you spawned in, I'd have noticed," Seth explained casually as we descended the castle stairs.

"Really?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's one thing you should grasp about our Wizarding World. We're the Choi Family, distinct from others, and other wizards and witches," Seth said, his wand casting a glow as we walked.

Ethan, silent at the front, said nothing.

I already had an idea when Daphne talked about where they came from, but she didn’t give many details. 

She called themselves supernatural, but honestly, they look just like us and act like us. 

They even got sorted into houses like everyone else. 

To me, they seem normal.

"Anyway, maybe the book vanished into thin air," Seth suggested nonchalantly.

"What? Why would you think that?" I asked though I'd entertained the possibility myself. 

A spell that potent could easily reduce the object to ashes or make it disappear.

"Ehh, I doubt you're that clueless," Seth glanced down at me. "Pretty sure you've already figured that out."

Furrowing my brows, I stared at my feet.

How could I return home now?

Especially after learning about my grandfather's death — or was it just this universe's version of him?

"I know a way you can return to your world," Ethan murmured as we exited the school building.

Under the canopy of the night sky, a gentle breeze rustled through the air, carrying with it the faint whispers of the surrounding darkness.

The distant hoots of owls echoed through the trees, adding an eerie soundtrack. 

We were headed toward the Whispering Woods — also known as the Forbidden Forest.

"Hey! Why are we going there?" I blurted out, relieved there were no students around to overhear.

"You're not just dumb, you're blind too?" Seth crossed his arms. "We're going to the Whispering Woods. Isn't that obvious?"

His demeanor had shifted, reminding me of his sister, Gabriella.

His earlier friendliness now seemed like a facade.

"But why?" I pressed.

I looked to Ethan for answers, but he remained silent, offering nothing but a blank stare.

Seth sighed. "You want to go back to your universe, right? Then follow us."

With that, they turned and walked toward the woods.

Seth's parting words echoed, "If you don't want to go back, consider yourself as good as dead."

Ahhh this is the worst!