Ebrangle

By GH Phan

Growing up without knowing about her true identity, Julianna DeGel came to a sudden discovery of who she actually is and who raised her. The innocent, sporty and clever girl got pushed into an unknown world by an unfortunate scenario; however, Julianna is determined to search for herself and her true power. Quick on her feet and highly intelligent, Julianna picked up the skills she needed to survive in her new environment in just weeks.

Not only did she reunite with her long-lost childhood friend, but Julianna also met a group of individuals along the way to resolve a murder mystery. The higher she climbed up the ladder of truth, the more overwhelming and complicated the situation got. Who can she really trust out of all the new people she met? Problems after problems, will she be able to fight her way through with her new power? Will she resolve the murder mystery?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398466623

GH Phan

GH Phan is a business marketing, tourism and travel enthusiast. She loves scribbling her thoughts down on pen and paper, rarely in proper words but more in drawings. Experienced many different cultures growing up, fantasy is a world where she uses to escape and find herself again after coming back from it. Inspired by the ever so many books she had read, GH Phan started writing her own series at the age of ten when she first learnt English. Her writing career stopped for over ten years due to drastic external changes; but her passion for the creative world brought her back to expressing herself through writings.

Book preview

About the Author

GH Phan is a business marketing, tourism and travel enthusiast. She loves scribbling her thoughts down on pen and paper, rarely in proper words but more in drawings. Experienced many different cultures growing up, fantasy is a world where she uses to escape and find herself again after coming back from it. Inspired by the ever so many books she had read, GH Phan started writing her own series at the age of ten when she first learnt English. Her writing career stopped for over ten years due to drastic external changes; but her passion for the creative world brought her back to expressing herself through writings.

Dedication

Thanks to my parents 1971

The reason I started writing

Thanks to my lemon 1359

The one who listens

Thanks to my #heo 1150

For showing me good friendship lasts forever

Thanks to ‘you’ 5699

My biggest supporter

Thanks to AleXander 1769

My final push

Pulling myself out of the pitch-black room was made easier with your words. Broken, but broken with a light of hope.

To the me inside of me, to darkness, I lost myself to find you and found my true self again when I found you. Thank you for bringing me back.

Copyright Information ©

GH Phan 2022

The right of GH Phan to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398466609 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398466616 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781398466623 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Chapter 1

They all believed that every human being on this planet is just a normal human…Though in this somewhat of a fairy tale, there are many different races other than just normal humans. In the world where angels and demons exist, humans are considered as powerless beings; more specifically, they come with no special abilities that you would often read about in fairy tales.

Decades ago, a big fight happened between the Angels and Devils, it involved fighting, seizing, and clashes of magic in an attempt to overpower and eliminate each other species. As a result, the Angel prince was abducted and imprisoned; this was when the two were destined to meet. Without knowing the actual position of the prince, the Devil’s princess, who helped guard the prison, provided him with food, drinks and stayed to communicate with him about his worries. Their relationship blossomed through time; they fell deeply in love with each other despite knowing it is impossible for them to be together. There has never been a case where a Devil would marry an Angel or vice versa…

The prince was rescued after several months and returned to end the war; he then proposed and married the princess. It was the first time in history, and this event brought peace for both races, they reunited to celebrate the marriage and put an oath together to forget about the past. Humans described this historical event as the World Wars, although no normal humans were mentioned in this fairy tale, they were the masterminds behind the deal. They built the bridge for both angels and demons, the bridge of marriage and peace. Way back then, it had been decided that the species should be kept as a secret and hidden away from human’s knowledge. Hence, only the angels and demons are well aware of these facts.

Mom, how come this fairy tale is not published? asked a little girl, about to fall asleep lying on her bed.

Well, Julianna, the author of this fairy tale book wants this to be a special book that only a selected group of individuals have, and we were lucky to be one of those individuals. So, you will treasure it with all your heart, right? Julianna’s mom answered in a soft, caring voice. A voice that delivered every word as if it was a music note, soothing the ears and putting Julianna to sleep.

***

Years passed, Julianna grew up to be a wonderful young lady, she was fast on her feet, outgoing and loveable. Regardless of the fact that her family was often on the move, Julianna was quick to adapt to her new environment. Knowing that she has developed magic powers at a young age, her parents gave her special training on how to control those powers and only use them for good. She could easily control the natural elements like water, soil or air; she used her magic to simplify tasks and chores around the house such as washing the dishes or taking care of their garden. Not only so, listening to thoughts and the ability to be athletic were given to all magic users. Or at least that was what she thought.

Julianna was told not to let anyone know about her abilities as it might bring danger to innocent people and impact her daily life. This allowed her to live a decently normal life until her high school years. By the time she reached 13 years old, Julianna’s life turned unexpectedly dangerous. Julianna DeGel and her parents moved to a newly rebuilt town called Imagine Land, it was said to be where her mom and dad grew up before they demolished and rebuilt it.

Julianna’s high school was just around the corner of her new house, allowing her to sprint there in just a few seconds. Maybe that’s why you’re always late, Julianna DeGel? Because your house is too close to the school, a familiar male voice behind her called out while experiencing shortness of breath, he tapped Julianna from the back.

Nile Whidge? she exclaimed. Is it really you? You moved during middle school and we lost contact with you. Is this where you moved to? What a coincidence!

Wow, I’m just as surprised as you are now when I first heard about it. To think that we’ll see each other again here, maybe it’s fate? Nile winked as he finished up his sentence. Come on, I want to introduce you to someone. I’m sure you’ll like her, she’s just like you, but a bit kinder? He teased.

They met up after school at the gate as Nile introduced her to Jessica, they clicked and became best friends in just weeks. Jessica was also an active girl, she loved to be involved in all sorts of sports activities, especially track and field. Figuring out Julianna’s talent and love for running, Jessica invited her to join the school’s track and field club. It was just in time when they happened to be holding an excursion to the nearby athlete museum next Friday, Julianna was also invited to come before she’s officially enrolled in the club.

This is my first time sightseeing around Imagine Land, all these skyscrapers are amazing! commented Julianna, she looked around with her gorgeous light blue eyes. It sparkled as it reflected the light on the buildings outside.

Yes, I know right? I’ve been living here for a while, yet this town amazes me every time I go sightseeing. Everything is getting renovated, it changed so much within the past few months, said Nile, he was also invited to come along by the club members.

Hey! What is that gigantic looking building? Is it the museum? Julianna asked while staring at an odd-looking building that she usually saw in movies.

Oh! You haven’t heard of it? It’s one of the gems of this town, it’s the biggest and top school here. Everyone that goes there is really smart and talented, but there’s a huge down point, Jessica replied, rumour said that the students in there are not allowed to go outside without permission. I think it’s like a live-in-school, there are dorms and all sorts of facilities in there.

One of the members on the track and field team added, I heard it’s the first school in this town that’s why it was called the Imagine Land school, but some incident happened, and they changed it to Devangelic school three or four years ago. Rumour also said that not only you can’t go out without permission, but it’s also a kindergarten to grade twelfth school so you have to be committed and can only leave after graduation. Plus, everything is just extra strict there, parents can rarely come in to visit their kids too.

Uhh, that’s a scary school…Luckily, none of us is attending that school. I wouldn’t want to in the first place but I’m curious about what it’s like inside those gates, wouldn’t it be cool if we can all visit the school for a day? Julianna let out a silly laugh as the bus stopped in front of the athlete museum.

Walking down from the bus, Julianna felt a strange atmosphere surrounding the museum. It felt like she was being watched over, more specifically, spied on. What is this feeling? This is the first time I felt like this after arriving in this town, Julianna thought to herself. Then she got bumped from the back by a muscular male wearing casual jeans and a black shirt, he seemed to be running as fast as he could. Is he trying to escape from some kind of monster? Julianna mumbled as she continued with her excursion.

AHHHHHHH! a scream could be heard from the eastern side of the museum. It was a high-pitched scream from a girl, which gathered a lot of attention around the museum. The track and field coaches were trying their best to keep students safe and calm, whilst making sure that no one approached the location. But before they knew, Jessica and Julianna had already sneaked out to see what happened. They then saw a male figure lurking around the bushes nearby.

I know that man! Julianna claimed. He bumped into me a minute earlier, she whispered, trying to be as quiet as possible, not to get caught. She looked over to her right where Jessica was kneeling next to her, Jessica was sweating bullets, she looked frightened of the thought that she might be that girl lying motionless next to the man. That girl is not moving, she is not breathing…she is…dead?

No, not yet. The girl’s eyes moved and met with Julianna’s eyes as if she wanted to send a message. Julianna decided that this was the right time to use her power, if not now, then when? That girl…she!

Run! Julianna said to Jessica. I have to get out of here now! We must run now! The girl was telling me to escape before the man took their souls away, too. There is no way I can fight someone like that, Julianna thought as she stood up and ran away from the bushes towards the crowd, towards her classmates.

She stopped halfway. Where is Jessica? Jessica! Thoughts running wild in her brain, Julianna could not move around freely anymore from the guilt of leaving Jessica behind.

That was when the man heard noises from the bush and made his way up to Jessica. He looked around carefully and found Jessica sitting alone under the tall tree. Get lost, he said with a monotone and a fierce look in his eyes. Jessica slowly built up the courage to crawl out of the bush, ran toward Nile and her classmates. She was too scared to look back, she ran and ran despite tripping and falling multiple times on her way back, she finally fainted before reaching her classmates.

Jessica! everyone in the track and field team yelled, they started rushing over to her body and made sure she was not injured. The trip was cancelled, Jessica was sent to the hospital for her medical check-up immediately. Nile looked extra worried about the situation, he kept wandering around looking at the bush area, sneakily looking at Julianna, he was restless the whole night.

Medical results suggested that due to the shock, Jessica was experiencing some memory loss. It is a type of amnesia, dissociative amnesia, which stemmed from emotional shock or trauma, such as being the victim of a violent crime or witnessing and experiencing such things that happened as the event earlier.

How’s Jessica? Why was she there? What did the man do to her? What exactly happened? questions kept popping up about Jessica, everyone was in a daze as to what really happened back at the museum. But for Julianna, the guilt of running away and leaving Jessica alone was eating her up alive. She sat quietly in her room all day, with no communication, she was not ready for the outside world again. And so she purposely locked herself in. It’s all my fault Jessica is like this now; I shouldn’t have carelessly run away. I should have looked over, grabbed her, and ran. Why didn’t I do that? What is wrong with me? Julianna could not escape from her dark thoughts and guilt; she cried and cried her pain away. She cried for hours and exhausted herself to sleep.

At this time, a kind-looking shadow appeared in her dream. He was wearing a white garment, long enough to cover up to his knees. He then slowly but carefully approached Julianna, lowered himself to her eye level and said, You might be able to find out about the truth, about what really happened and who that person was if you join the academy to increase your power. By then, you can help Jessica recover from her amnesia.

Hey! Julianna yelled, she woke up from her dream and was utterly confused. I know it was just a dream, but I should have asked more questions…like who the hell are you and what academy, Julianna thought while slowly getting up and preparing breakfast for herself.

She told her parents about the situation and the dream. Do you think it is him? Mrs DeGel, as known as her mom, asked her dad in a serious tone of voice.

You mean…him, the dream-teller? Mr DeGel, her dad, replied with a question. He continued with, You might be right…it’s about time our daughter knows about his existence.

Mr and Mrs DeGel turned over to Julianna to explain that the dream-teller often appeared in dreams when a person was finding the situation difficult to deal with or searching for an answer. He always dresses in a white garment and had a gentle look on his face while carrying out his missions. However, the dream-teller would only appear in the dreams of a person who processed power like Julianna herself.

So, you mean, what he said is going to come true or is a good recommendation? Julianna asked with more energy in her voice, a voice of hope and relief.

Look honey, we can’t say for sure because we were not in your dreams nor will we ever be. It is up to you to decide what to do with the situation, but as for the academy, I think I know which one he was mentioning, Julianna’s dad said softly.

On her way to school, she thought hard about what the best available solutions were. I have made up my mind, I will go to that big academy and bring back Jessica’s memories! I was responsible for it and I will make it up to her, but when will I be able to see Jessica, Mom, Dad or Nile and everyone else again if I enter the academy? I have to discuss this with them first! Julianna thought, looking determined.

Just then Nile ran up to her, Good morning. Haven’t seen you for a while, is everything alright? Nile said, his tone was different than usual…it was softer, kinder, and filled with worry.

Hey, yeah…everything is getting better, at least. How is Jessica? Have you visited her?

Jessica said she was getting better, especially after the treatments but there’s no sign of memories recovered – Nile paused – I’m sure she will be all better after a few more treatments! Nile finished off with a cheerful smile on his face as he tried to lift the mood up for Julianna.

Well, anyway, I’ve got something I want to discuss with you, Julianna said indistinctly. She told Nile about the dream and her decision without mentioning or revealing her identity as someone with magic power. What do you think about it? Julianna asked after she finished explaining.

I can imagine how stressed you are right now but wait for a few more days. Let’s see what happens to Jessica after a few more treatments; making such a big decision quickly is not ideal. You know what I’m trying to say right, Julianna DeGel? Nile spoke and left for class.

After much thought, Julianna could not come up with a better solution, so she gathered the track and field team to ask them about their opinion. Since the issue got bigger than expected, more teachers gathered, as well as the principal, to listen to Julianna’s discussion. More than 80% of the group disagreed with her, saying that attending the academy was out of the question. Plus, not everyone was allowed to enrol in that school, only the selected ones could.

Julianna was getting so nervous and worked up, she suddenly broke down and started crying. As tears slowly rolled down her face, a young adult walked in and helped her stand up. The rest were in a daze as to why the boy came to her.

Why would Lucas do that?

Does he know who she is?

What is their relationship?

Words were whispered around in the room, from students to teachers, everyone was confused.

What Julianna DeGel said is true. I happened to pass by the museum at the time and saw the man assassinating the girl. I believed that it is best to follow what Julianna suggested, going to the academy to find out more. Lucas finally broke the intense atmosphere. He looked at Julianna and softly told her, I also have the ability to dream about the future, trust me, you will be attending ‘that’ academy. Even if you don’t go now for Jessica’s sake, destiny will push you there later.

Lucas walked over, grabbed a portable microphone and stated, I believe that Julianna will head to the Devangelic academy with or without your support. So, for her safety and for the student that is experiencing amnesia, wouldn’t it be better if we come in together and support her the best we can?

One of the teachers stood up from his seat and said, As a member of the student council supervisor, I fully trust Lucas and his decisions, he is a reasonable student who has been in the student council for several years. In the past, things that seemed to be impossible came true when Lucas put his mind into resolving them. I think it would be better if we all take our time to think about it and talk it through again.

Julianna could not control her joy and feeling of relief, she hugged Lucas tightly but was pushed back. Who do you think you are? I wasn’t exactly helping you or even trying to help the situation. I was just telling the truth, so don’t get overwhelmed and get all jumpy, stupid, Lucas said as he left.

You don’t have to take him seriously all the time, he’s like that. He is the quiet type but also gathers a lot of girls’ attention due to his look and position in the student council. I mean, if you look at him, he’s tall, good looking and smart; he is simply trying to cut off all ties with girls, so they don’t bother him anymore, a student came up to Julianna and told her.

Jessica was still in the hospital, Nile sometimes skipped school to visit her and take care of