《A Time Where I Travel, In Time》 Prologue - The Time Artifact Author''s Note :- Hello, this is your average amateur writer speaking, Raikuri! Considering I am still growing in term of writing, constructive criticism, helpful comments, or even a simple comment about the story would be nice! Even so, happy reading :)!
Prologue - The Time Artifact The coldness of the air around me forced me to tighten my grip on the blanket. The clouds, seemingly black which were actually white if not for the darkness of the night around them. Looking down from the window, various cities lit up with light decorated the land and looked like a festival. "Excuse me little girl, but would you like to order any drinks or food?" a woman, wearing a red dress and a red hat, stood beside me. "No thanks. And please, I''m a boy and am fourteen years old," I turned my head around. "Oh, I''m truly sorry!" the woman, a stewardess bowed a little as an apology. "It''s fine," I returned to look at the window. The footsteps sound of the stewardess walking away reached my ears as I continued to stare into the window. Within it, I barely saw a reflection of myself. Black haired, and the same for my eyes. My hair was a little bit long, just passing by the blade shoulder by a few centimetres. I had a short and slim body stature to add, so I can''t really blame anyone that mistook me as a girl. Turning my attention away from the window, I looked at the seat in front of me as my mind dawdled with what had happened today. - 12 hours before boarding the airplane - I was at the library, reading some thick and dusty encyclopedia that no one would ever think of even touching. Well, that was what I planned to do, until Claudia barged in the library. I was pretty deep inside, but I could already hear her presence when the library''s door banged down on the floor. I sighed. "Claudia! You do know that you need to conserve your strength when pushing the door right?" I shouted whilst my eyes ran across the words within an encyclopedia. "I''m so sorry!" Claudia replied in the distant, her voice echoing through the empty library. I closed the book and clamped it under my arm. Then, I materialized a mana circle beneath my position, and arranged my mana molecules so that I would be considered as one with the mana circle. After that, I visualized the circle moving at the speed of light right before Claudia, and thus it did while bringing me along. Claudia had her eyes wide open when she saw me appearing out of the blue. "W-what?! Are you a ghost?!" I hit her head with a soft tap. "No, stupid. This is called teleportation, one of the most basic spell of all magic spells." Although possessing strength beyond normality, Claudia was quite the bird brain. She never knew even the most basic spells of all, and would be surprised everytime I or anyone else cast them. Even so, I have to admit that I find it amusing at times. "So... what did you come here for?" I stood in expectancy. "Ah yes! Your father asked for your presence in his office," said Claudia as she rubbed her head. Father, asking for my presence? There must be a problem or something, because he''d usually refrain from allowing anyone to enter his room. He''d always say that everyone was a nuisance. I wonder what is it this time. I nodded. "I see... I''ll go see him now then." I grabbed Claudia''s hands and dragged her along with me. She was way taller than me, but hey, I had magic, so pulling someone at her weight wasn''t hard. All I needed to do was manipulate the characteristics of Claudia''s mana, thus tampering her current weight as I wish for now. However, she did resist it as much as I expected. "Hey, what are you doing?!" said Claudia, trying as hard as she could to struggle away from my grasp. As she was very strong despite having a seemingly normal body, she took only a matter of seconds to release herself from my grip. I turned heels and looked at her. "What? Father is way too much for me to handle alone. So you''re coming with me." "Just that?" "Yeah, just that." "You could have just said that to me earlier, and I''d agree on it, you know!" she shouted as she walked past me, heading toward my father''s room. I shrugged. "Well, I thought you wouldn''t," I sprinted a bit to match her raging pace. And so, as both of us ended up walk-sprinting toward my father''s room, it took a matter of seconds before we reached it. Since I wasn''t born with much stamina in the first place, keeping my pace constant had been a problem, and I wheezed halfway like I had an asthma. Standing before the dark oak wood door, I knocked on it. "Father, it''s me, Liluca." A voice whispers from within. "Come in." I twisted the doorknob, pulled the door towards me, and entered the room. Claudia followed up behind me, closing the door as she entered. And there he was, my father who I myself rarely seen. His grey hair grew so long, that it bypassed his shoulder, and almost looked like as if connected with his grey beard. "It''s wonderful to see my daughte-" An ice shard flew past his ears. "I''m sorry, father. It appears my hand had twitched," I said, while three more ice shards spun in my left hand. "S-son," he said. Satisfied, the ice shards within my hand disintegrated into micro-sized pieces of ice, scattered throughout the room. It did feel kind of hot, after all. Patting my hand together, I sat on the chair before his desk, and Claudia stood behind me. Its almost as if Claudia was a henchman and I was a gangster boss or something. "So... father. What did you summon me for?" It was about time he''d gotten serious, else I might just leave already. "Liluca, do you remember stories about fantasy lands?" he said as he clamped both his hands together. Thank goodness he was getting serious, or so I think. As a child, I was told of stories of the past, a story about how cruel had the world been and how unfair it was. It stayed the same, until a meteor had wiped the Earth''s face into oblivion, destroying every single threat to humans but humans themselves. "Yes, father. It was a time of chaos where monsters roamed the land, a time where humans lives were as good as livestocks. Why do father speak of such dark past now?" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "You see, our excavation team recently discovered an ancient artifact that we suspect may hold the key to the power of time traveling," father rummaged through the items scattered behind his back, and turned back to me. He then places a photo of a broken-looking amulet on the desk. "This is the picture." "T-time travel? Father, such magic does not exist. If it did, it would tip the scale of balance in the world," I replied in disbelief, intently checking the photo of the amulet. "It does, my daugh-" his eyes meets mine, "son. I checked it myself." "Checked it yourself? Father, you did not steal an artifact from the World Magic Asso-" he puts the very exact amulet that I stared in a photo, on the desk. I stared at it, and then I stared at my father. He simply gave me a smile. The temperature in the room began dropping as I sensed my rage getting ignited. "Father... what did I tell you of going rebel against the World Magic Association?!" Ice immediately covered half of the room, spreading at a very fast rate like a plague. "Liluca, please, calm down!" Claudia shouted behind my back and slapped my face. Because she had the strength of a titan, that full-force slap delivered a blow that sent my soul skittering into the darkness. In other word, I blacked out. - 6 hours before boarding the airplane - I opened my eyes. Encaging me was a thick layer of ice, resembling that of a snow globe. Ah, my emergency defense method activated on its own, it seems. Behind me, Claudia was still there, her hands at the place where my cheek was at and my father, who was frozen behind his desk. Dam... if I didn''t have magic, I''d have my neck broken by now. I spread my arm wide, getting ready to reverse all type of magic I had caused in this room. However, just when I was about to do it, I saw something peculiar. The amulet. Unlike its frozen surrounding, the amulet was free from any kind of ice. Such a powerful artifact... does it truly possess the power to control the flow of time? I deconstructed the magic around me, and the surrounding soon enough turns normal once more. "G-gah, it''s cold!" claimed Claudia as she shivered. "Who told you to slap me in the face? Serve you right," I sat back on the chair, facing my father who was heating himself with a fire orb. "So... father," I held out the amulet in my hand and placed it on the desk, "explain." "A-as you h-have known, time t-traveling power are very dangerous. So... s-so, it is more of a prominent t-threat if it falls under the c-control of the Association," said father as he stuttered due to the cold surrounding. "And?" I tilted my head. "I want you to travel back in time by using this amulet, and kill its creator. Along the way, you might as well learn other ancient magic forgotten by time, or even master an entirely new element," stated father as he somehow kept himself warm. "Umm... mister, I think you are overestimating Lulica''s ability..." Claudia intervened. "I have to agree with Claudia. Even if I mastered the element of ice, I can''t possibly go up against ancient type of magic, and not to mention I have zero combat experience against monsters." Father walked from his desk with the amulet in his hand and knelt before me. "Lulica, please. This is to save our world from threats both from the past, and the future. Father is too old for this, so, it is your responsibility to ensure that future generations really have a future to live in. If... if the past is altered by the Association, who knows how broken will the world be?" "Father... very well. I''ll at the least give it a shot." "Ehhhhhhhh?!" Claudia stretched her head over my shoulder. . .. ... - 30 minutes after boarding the airplane - I checked my watch. Hm... seems about time. "Remember Liluca! The amulet causes a time shift sphere in the surrounding, and that can be very hazardous to everything within the area! As such, take this ticket. Once you are safely away from the city, teleport out of the airplane, wait for a few seconds as you descend in altitude, and then, activate the amulet!" I took the ticket in his hand and also the amulet. "Okay, father. Wish me luck." "I will, son. I pray for your safe return." Ah... I hate to leave the comfort of the blanket, but guess I have no choice. Focusing my thoughts, I teleported outside the airplane. Oh god! My ears hurt! Dam, I forgot about the pressure difference! As I descended in the night sky, I manifested a globe of ice in front of me to ensure the pressure does not interrupt me. Second by seconds I count, awaiting the time till only the ocean stands within the time shift sphere. "Liluca!" "Huh? What is it, Claudia? I have to get going." "I want to come as well." "Sorry, but it''s too dangerous for you. Just... watch the house, my father and my siblings for a while in my absence, okay?" "B-but..." "Claudia, promise me. Just, promise me that." "Uhn... okay... I promise. But, you return in one piece too, okay?" "I will." This should be perfect. I gaze upon the beautiful surrounding, the full moon that dominates the dark sky with its glimmering beauty, sprinkling its ray upon the vast and serene ocean. This might be... the last time I see any of this. I took out the amulet, and grabbed its center. After that, I twisted it as hard as I can, and the jade-colored stone in the center turned red. Successful, just as the method father had taught me. The space around me vibrated, absorbing the molecules of light that traveled through it during the time being, its inside a hurricane as I was tossed into a layer of reality no one have ever crossed before, or perhaps those in the past had. My vision blacked out, unable to comprehend the fabric of the space it never before seen. Well then... time to go. Chapter 1 - The Tale of the Past Chapter 1 - The Tale of the Past The sphere of time still won''t let me go. With my vision still darkened, I fumble around the space of time where all kinds of law were defied. The vibration of the surrounding gave me no choice but to spend most of my energy trying stabilize myself. Is this orb traveling through the tunnel of time, like those in the modern world imagines, or is it something else? Before long, my eyes were returned its ability to see, and I was given quite the sight. As if in a spherical tornado, the walls around me spun with quite the vicious speed that I dare to say would snap my arm if I were to touch it. Considering that time was broken here, I couldn''t say if I had been stuck in here for a long time, or not. It hurts my head just to think about it. But then... something worrisome started creeping into my ear. There was something cracking, and it wasn''t going to stop. What truly worries me was how near had the sound be from my ears. I glanced down, hoping that my imagination was wrong. And it wasn''t. The artifact of time, the amulet that was responsible to carry me into the past, had begun experiencing serious damage. Random cracks emerged from its current crimson red stone, spreading outward into its circle design like a black cobweb stamped on a full moon. This can''t be happening. If it breaks now, I''ll be stuck in the past! As the physical state of the amulet diminishes in strength, so does the orb of time that carried me within. The spherical wall, instead of spinning a complete circle, began traversing into a different direction thus colliding with its former trajectory. Because of this, holes within the orb of time appeared everywhere as it could no longer maintain its original sphere form. I tried as hard as I could to stay still within the orb, however, the orb itself fell apart soon enough and shattered into fabrics of unfathomable dimension. Without anything to grab and hold on, I find myself ejected from the orb. The sight after that was... incomprehensible, and my consciousness slipped away soon after. . .. ... I hear the beautiful sound of birds chirping, along with the rustling of leaves as they orchestrated a scene of tranquility within my imagination. Where am I? Such peace couldn''t possibly be found in the modern days where buildings infest the face of the Earth. I opened my eyes. Hovering above me was multiple puffs of white cloud, lurching over the vast and bright sky. There was no gigantic, metal airplane in sight, only a few birds that I didn''t really care to learn about. The ray of the sun peeked above the cloud, almost blinding my eyes with its majestic presence. I turned my head to the right and I find myself placing my cheek on the ground of what I suppose, the forest floor. There were bushes with flowers, so varied in color that I could call them rainbow of flowers. And there it was, the birds that had been chirping as it perched on a tree branch, its tiny little eyes staring at the foreign little me. I rose up and then remembers about how the amulet was breaking apart when I was in the orb sphere. Is it... really broken? Wanting to find out, I used my hands to find the amulet which was supposed to be on my chest. I sought on every nook and cranny, trying to find that hard and edgy sensation of the amulet.... but to no avail. I think... it shattered into dusts. It was an artifact after all. So, what now? I had forgotten to ask father how to find the creator of the amulet, and my way to return to the future itself is jeopardized now. Such luck, can''t be worse than this now, can it? However, just when I thought of that, a few trees came crashing down in front of me, and stepping upon them like they were nothing but branches, was a creature far bigger than I was and had been cloaked in inferno. It looked like a bull bathed in magma, its fiery red eyes gazing right into me like I was its snack time. Okay, I take it back. This is much worst. Without any second thought, I scattered away into the forest, crashing through bushes and branches. The red bull, of which name I just gave, came charging straight through everything in its path. To it, trees became toothpicks, bushes became fleas and branches? As if it wasn''t there in the first place. "Just how destructive are you going to be just to have a snack?!" I shouted in desperation. Before long, I began wheezing as I inhaled. I had forgotten, I was incapable of running for long because my body was weak. Even so, I cannot give up just yet. Scouting the surrounding area, I found several spots that might be possible to be used as a hiding spot. It wasn''t much of a tactic, but at least it will do till the bull loses sight on me. I snuggled into the insides of a tree trunk. I guess I should thank the heaven for my petite stature in cases like these. This should be a great spot. It''s not in the way of the red bull, nor did it saw me sneaking my way in here. Now, all I have to do, is wait. Hugging my legs together, I formed myself into the form of a fetus. The tremor of the ground grew harder. The bull was creeping closer, but I bet it had lost sight of me. But... what if it decides to wreak havoc in anger, and end up stomping me flat? That''s kind of bad... but it wouldn''t do that right? Ah... why am I here anyway? I should have been back at home, reading books. I tried to suppress my breathing, but then I ended up coughing once. Oh dam. Before seconds even past, the very same red eyes that stared into my very being minutes just now, peeked at me hiding inside a tree trunk. I could almost feel like it''s saying, ''HELLO! I FOUND YOU SNACK!''. I''m dead. I''m so dead. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. As it stood on its two legs, probably trying to rip the tree trunk off the ground, I remembered one important, and yet, obvious thing. I had magic! How could have I forgotten that? Clamping my hands together, I tried to converge all of my magic into my hands. The plan was to make them all gather, turn them into ice, and direct it toward the red bull. After that, all that would be left was to force it explode, thus causing the bull to receive thousands of ice shards diving into its body. I believe the speed force would be enough to penetrate it. Nevertheless... another problem surfaced. I tried to control mana and converge them... but they weren''t following. I had mana of my own within my body, but those in the surrounding doesn''t seem to obey my will. What''s happening? Without sufficient amount of mana, I can''t possibly cause enough damage to the red bull! And so, as I experienced problem trying to control mana, the red bull successfully toppled the tree trunk over. I fell on my back, powerless and out of tricks. Is this my end? My untimely end? With every last drop of mana I had, I created a snow globe around me, a hundred times weaker than its original form. The bull stretched its mouth upward, as if smirking, and then gets ready to stomp my globe, probably the last globe I''d be able to create. But, before the bull landed its fiery massive feet on top of my globe, a sudden invisible blow somehow sent it flying away from me. What was that? I was curious to see what had hit the bull, but if I canceled my globe, I won''t be able to protect myself from any external threat anymore. As such, I decided to lay low within my own protection. There was the sound of fire crackling, more like a dragon spewing fiery breath, but I knew it was the bull. Is someone engaging it? But then, it also sounded like the bull got thrown off into more trees, because the ground shook hard and trees came crashing down, although I only heard more like thunderclaps. Just like that, I ended up spectating the battle of the bull against another being, through my senses except my eyes. It took quite a while, but after a few minutes, the surrounding was silence once more. I didn''t hear the grunt of the bull anymore. Have it lost the battle? Who defeated it? I was about to crawl out of my globe to check, or so I planned until I heard more distinct voices. Rather than growling, grunting, or roaring, it was more... human-like. I decided to stay within the tree trunk covered in snow globe. For now, I still don''t want to meet anyone in this world. They all seem more powerful to me, even more with myself in the state of being unable to use magic. Please, just walk away. But then... some random guy planted his face on my snow globe. Well, so much for my hope. With his eyes squinted as if it was hard to see through the globe, he spoke, "Hey Quin, someone''s in this orb! I think she''s alive!" My eyes twitched. Did he just call me she? In any case, language of the past doesn''t seem to differentiate much from the future. That''s one massive problem off my back. Then, there''s another guy wearing glasses appeared. He stared close into the globe. "Oh, you''re right." He knocks on the globe. "Hey, can you hear me?" Because I was in the globe, all kind of sounds were muffled, but I still could hear them. For now... they are probably a safe bet for my survival in this world. I nodded. The guy in glasses saw my reply. "Okay, step back. I''ll break this globe." He brought out a dagger and started hitting the globe with its tiny hilt. It wasn''t much of a method, but as my globe had been in its weakest state, it was all that he needed to penetrate through my defense. I sigh in pity for myself. The globe bursts open, and the other guy pulled me out of the tree trunk. He placed me down on the ground and patted everywhere on me, probably trying to remove the dusts that I had made friend with during the escape. This is kind of awkward, but I should say thanks. They were sort of tall, so I looked up. "Uh, thanks for saving me. I would have died if it weren''t for both of you." Both of them smiled. "It''s nothing. In fact, it''s our fault for letting that monster escape our grasp and ended up attacking you," said the guy in glasses as he sheathed his dagger. He looked like the kind of person who would sneak up on a monster, with his light leather armor, and also pants to not hinder his movements. "But whew, that''s a nice looking magic right there, although kind of weak. Never seen it before here." The other guy pointed at my broken globe. His attires suggested that he was a mage, with purple robe laced with gems, although he''s wearing a circlet instead of a big, pointy hat. "Haha... anyway, what are your names?" I asked, trying to divert from the current topic. "I am Quin. Quin Hovern," said the guy in glasses. "The name''s Regan. Regan Hovern. Nice to meet you!" replied the other. "I..I am..." should I tell them my name? There''s no harm to it, but... should I? No, if I want to earn their trust, that is what I should do for now. "I am Liluca Aceheart." And so my tale of the past begins, with the two as the first bookmark of my story.
Author''s Note: - Did you enjoy the story? I hope so! Had a headache today, so wasn''t able to write as good... Nevertheless, don''t be shy to hit me with a simple comment or a constructive criticism, for I am always expecting them! Chapter 2 - The Bailune City Author''s Note:- Dear readers, if you feel like I have something I could improve myself on, will you be so kind to show me that flaw, and give me a few tips to overcome it? I truly want to know, what is it I am weak at, so your help are very much appreciated! Of course, simple comments are also more than welcomed! Nevertheless, happy reading :)!
Chapter 2 - The Bailune City I walked alongside Quin and Regan, my curious gaze running up and down their body. Was humans of the past always this tall? They''re already bypassed my father in term of height, and their magic are also outstanding. Well, at least Regan''s. Regan glances over his shoulder and notices that I''m staring at him. "Hm? You need something?" I shook my head. "No, not really. I was just wondering, why do the two of you risks your life to hunt monsters?" Although not really what I had in mind, it was still one of a hundred question I wanted to ask. "That''s an odd thing to ask," said Regan, rising his eyebrows. "Well, we''re actually instructors at an academy. Regan teaches magic and so on, while I help students that are interested in close combats. The bull monster we hunted just now was a creation of one of our students, that went... well, you know what happened," replied Quin. Instructors? Ah, true. Even in the past, there''s academies dedicated to allow younger peoples to hone their abilities. I wonder how different is it from modern Magic Academies? And... that bull is a creation of one of their students? Ancient magic are terrifying. "It was fairly strong, but because the bull had been under a restraining spell, it became an easy catch," Regan added. An easy catch he says. A catch that almost robbed my life. Taking the fact that there are academies in this world, they must have libraries as well. Maybe I can find some clues that will assist me in finding the amulet''s creator. Perhaps even learn some new things. But... the thing that concerns me is... I can''t use mana. "Anyway, enough of us. Where do you come from, Liluca?" Quin asked. "Yeah, I''ve been wondering about that. Your clothes and your magic... I never saw either of them before," Regan continued. Ah... I expected this. Well, might as well devise up a fake background while I do it. Since I make use of ice magic, living in the snow mountains should be a good foundation to start on. Then, I''ll just add up some random stuff on it. "I came from a secluded village deep within the snowy mountain region. Since we were cut out from the rest of the world, our choices of clothes differ greatly from others. Even so, I had great interest in the world outside, so I decided to go on a journey. Never thought that it''ll be this dangerous, though," I glanced over my shoulder and stared into the forest. "At such a young age? I never thought girls from the Schwartz region could be this brave," Quin stated. Schwartz region? I guess that is where snow rains on mountains. More importantly, I really need to fix their view on me. "Before I say anything else, I should mention that I''m not a girl." It''s annoying enough with my father trying to call me daughter, now I have to remind strangers that I''m not a girl. "You what?! But... but, that long hair, that petite stature! Just because you have a flat chest doesn''t mea-" Quin slapped Regan on the head. "Shut up, you idiot." Quin glances at me. "You''re a boy? That''s unexpected. In any case, I apologize in behalf of myself and my stupid brother right here for calling you a girl." The peak of a stone gate began rising in the horizon of my view. On top of it, I saw men with bows in their hands, their keen eye sight traversing throughout the forest before them. Seems like we''re reaching the city. "It''s fine. By the way, is that the city?" I pointed my index finger toward the humongous gate. Since I had no direction to travel into, I decided to follow Quin and Regan to the city. It wasn''t much, but it does help save time rather than trekking through the jungle without any sense of goal. "Yeah, it is. It''s called Bailune City, if you''re wondering. The academy that both of us teaches at are also here." Step by step, we came closer to the gate. At first, I only saw the gate, scraping up into the sky as high as I could see. Then, the walls came along, just a bit shorter than the gate itself. I''ve seen a lot of tall buildings in the modern days, but this is just... majestic. Following behind Regan and Quin, we arrived at the gate. Pointy spikes of what I assume the steel gate protruded on the ceilings, as if javelins had been stuck in there. The guards were also very friendly, waving at me thinking I''m still a child in primary school. Regan and Quin took a while as they went past the checking point, chattering with the guards happily. And when my turn came to check the content of the bag that I had carried, the guards were confused. They saw many things that I had brought from my world, so it was natural they couldn''t appraise any of them. Even so, I slipped by, using the excuse that those items were from my non-existant village. "Okay, Liluca. This is where we both split on our own ways," said Quin, pulling his belt pouches upward as they were drooping down. "I guess so. Thanks again for your help!" I started walking away. "Wait, Liluca!" Regan''s voice crept behind me. I turned my heels. "Yes?" "Take this." He throws an enveloped letter to me. I caught it and stared at it, front and back. Nothing. "This is...?" "You''re supposed to open it! It''s a letter of entry for our academy, in case you want to enroll." "I see... well, thanks. I''ll think about it." I stuffed the letter inside my pocket and then waved at the two before blending into the crowd. The academy huh... probably a place I should visit in the future. The insides of the city was hectic, voices of merchants chattering with their customers, trying to avoid bargaining. It was also quite hot, the sun sitting right at the center of the sky. Not really a place of my choice, especially when I''m susceptible to fainting. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Pulling my bag firmly into my back, I walked across the crowd. Running was not a choice here because I could stumble against people easily, and my stamina couldn''t possibly keep up. There was various kind of peoples, and various I meant by races and conditions. I saw a few with bandages on their arms, probably a wound from a battle. There were also cat peoples, elves, dwarves, and so on. This is quite the shock. Peace between races have been formed since ancient times? Unbelievable! I was told of tales that each races never got along with others, until The End of the Ancient Times. The End of the Ancient Times refers to the catastrophic event that befell the Earth when a gigantic meteor had pushed the reset button on the world. Very little information was left regarding the incident, so it was never known what had caused it in the first place. Nevertheless, after much squeezing between flesh in the crowd, I finally got out of the hectic situation. There was a woman wearing a normal attire, blue blouse coupled with green skirt. As fashion never had been one of my strong point, I had trouble figuring out what these clothes were called. I approached her. Even the woman was tall, so I had to tug her skirt to catch her attention. She jolted in surprise, probably thinking that there was a molester behind her. She glances behind her shoulder, nothing. Then, she looks down, and saw me. "Oh, are you lost, little girl?" she said. I''m too tired to revolt. "Do you know where the library is?" "Self-studying at such an age? How cute! Anyway, you can find the public library right over..." her gaze runs all over the city and then halted at one point, "there. See that black tower? That''s the public library. You can also find libraries inside academies." I looked over my shoulder, and saw the tip of the said black tower. Sure is nice, to be tall and all. "I see it. Thanks!" "It''s my pleasure," she replied, and then enters her house. The black tower was not as far as I predicted. It took me a thirty seconds of walking, but I somehow survived and reached the place. Standing before the black tower, it looked like a dark version of the tower where Rapunzel had been locked in. Windows without glass set everywhere on the walls of the tower, allowing light to travel inside. The bricks were also kind of mouldy, a cocktail mix of green unknown germ, and dusts kicked off the ground. I step on the grey stairs, one at a time. The wooden door approaches me before long, greeting me with a sense of smell that reminds me of old, rotten wood infested with termites. I push it open, and the hinges creaked like mating mice. Gosh, this reminds me so much of father''s old and ancient door. How are they doing now, Claudia and father. I kind of miss them. I stepped inside, and the door shuts on its own. The insides were far better than the outside, the grey floor brimming with light reflected from torches. Pillars of wood stood on four sides, each with a torch set on it and below the torch, a sign written ''Quiet or Die''. Wow, deep. Laid before me was about six rows of table, each with a complete set of chair, sat by none but dusts. On the tables, lanterns trapped a dancing fire, unknown whether happy or sad for its fate. As expected, even in the old times, libraries were never a popular spot for peoples. I looked upward, the swirling staircase providing path to those that seek books on the higher level. I do see some people, reading books while walking down, or just standing by the edge of the higher floor, placing their hands on the wooden guard while peeking down. Oh, I take it back. Old time peoples like books. As I was busy looking upward, a big hand taps on my shoulder. I was never fond of surprise, so I leapt away out of shock. "Oh, I''m sorry. Did I surprise you?" a familiar voice blends in my ears. "Brother Quin?" I turned around, and it was indeed him. "Brother?" he said, tilting his head in curiosity while he crouched. Oops. I accidentally brought my habit here. "Ah... my bad. It''s a habit of mine, to refer anyone older than me, as brother. With exceptions, of course." "I see... well, I don''t mind if you want to call me that. But anyway, what are you doing here?" he stood up and looked around. "Ah... I guessed that library is a good way to learn about something I''ve been really curious about. What about you, brother Quin?" "I''m here to find books about cooking." Did I just hear that wrong? "Cooking? Why?" Unable to help myself, I asked him yet another question. "Regan has been outside, or rather, he''s been eating at bars. Those, to be honest, are not really a good place for him. Last time, he turned a guy into a bird and caged the bird-guy for a day before turning him back to normal, all because he troubled one of Regan''s own students." "I feel bad both for that guy, and the student. So brother Quin are trying to learn cooking to cook for him? Why not just make him marry someone?" I said, thinking back in the modern days of how I used to cook for my family. It was my job for a long time, so I couldn''t help but to pity Quin. "That''s quite the matured way to think about it. However, it''s not so simple. Regan actually dislike women." ... I feel imminent danger. I shouldn''t have came close to these two. Quin notices my expression. "Oh, don''t worry. He never said that he preferred a guy. Just that he hates women." "I-I see... in any matter, I should get going now. I want to find some books." "Yeah, me too. Thanks for listening to my complaining," Quin said as he began walking away, probably to ask the librarian something. I surveyed the surrounding of the library. On each floor, a letter was imprinted by their respective pillars. The ground floor was ''A'', followed by the second with ''B'' and so on. What I''m searching for is ''Time'' so that would be... I began singing the Alphabet song and counting them with my finger, until I reached ''T''. Oh god. Floor 20. Chapter 3 - The Foretold Future... or Past? Author''s Note :- Under a set of my own personal reasons, I sadly declare that I may be able to post a maximum of 2 chapters per week! Even so... I hope my readers will understand. This situation may persist till the end of this year, so I ask for your dear patience, and bear with me for the rest of the story! And lastly, happy reading :)!
Chapter 3 ¨C The Foretold Future... or Past? As Liluca ventures into the past path, the modern days paves its way into the mysterious future. Liluca¡¯s father, Lucio Aceheart sat inside a dark room. The room was lit by none but a pyramid-like device, projecting a blue and transparent hologram of an object far too familiar to Lucio. Beneath the device, a large round table was set, encircled by five figures bathed in the shadow of darkness, including Lucio himself. The silence of the room was broken as soon as a large hand banged upon the table, somehow disrupting the hologram projected like broken television. ¡°Lucio Aceheart! You have stolen a precious artifact from the Association, and yet, you dare to show your face here? I demand you return that artifact, right here, right now!¡± The dark figure sitting by the raging man, placed his hand atop his shoulder. ¡°Calm down, Dimitri.¡± He turned his view toward Lucio. ¡°So, what made you, Lucio Aceheart, the Director of the World¡¯s Magic Association, representing the country of the United States, to act on his own accord, even more to go against the wishes of the Association and his own country?¡± He raised his eyebrows at the end of his sentence. ¡°I have to agree with Evan. It is our responsibility to ensure that the artifact is kept safe, for the sake of the human kind. And there¡¯s no better place but the Association, backed up by numerous countries to guard it, don¡¯t you think so, Director?¡± another figure joined in. Lucio sighed. ¡°Evan, Dimitri, Johannes. You must be very well-informed, on how greedy our country can be. Think about it. The power of time travelling. If it fell into the hands of the wrong person, man, president, whoever it is, how can we be so sure that they won¡¯t use it for a wrong purpose? There¡¯s no safe place on Earth to keep the artifact, no matter how heavily guarded it is.¡± ¡°And so you decided that making sure that the artifact itself does not exist in the first place is the best option?¡± Evan asked, releasing his grip from Dimitri¡¯s shoulder. Lucio nodded. ¡°Yes. That is the best possible solution in this case.¡± ¡°So, which team exactly did you send? The Elite Assassination Team or the highly trained All-Purpose Team, or some professional members from the Aceheart clan itself?¡± Johannes inquired, curious to know who had been appointed to travel into the past. ¡°I sent my son, Liluca,¡± Lucio answered without hesitant. ¡°Wait a minute. Liluca, that little snow boy with a girly face? Oh great! Our fate is secure within the hands of a feminine boy. Secured to doom, that is!¡± Dimitri threw his hands up in frustration. ¡°Act professional, Dimitri. You are supposed to be thirty five years old, but you are already as cranky as a 155 years old man. Heck, if my memory serves me correctly, even Liluca has better control of himself than you are,¡± stated Evan as he shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Although risky, I chose Liluca over an armada of professional peoples for a reason. First, his hobby of reading books allow him access to knowledge far wider than any of us. The library at the Aceheart mansion, of which I should note have over five hundred thousand of books, were already finished by Liluca within months. I have hope, that with his wide knowledge, Liluca will somehow be able to defy the undefiable law of time loop.¡± Lucio continued. ¡°Second, he is very simple-minded, rather than raw-minded. The darkness of the human heart applies differently to him. His greed¡­ is more of curiosity. And he follow orders with the best of his abilities, while probably at most, having fun along the way. Third, he most definitely has a grip of his own emotion, much better than any of us.¡± ¡°Humph! A child is still nothing but a child! You¡¯ll regret this decision later on, and you probably won¡¯t ever know it!¡± Dimitri¡¯s figure disintegrated and perished into the darkness. Lucio could only sigh once more as Dimitri took his leave. He had always been a stubborn one, insisting on protecting his own stand against a certain matter. There¡¯s also the fact that Liluca was already fourteen, an age fit to be called a teenager rather than a child. Just because he¡¯s short, doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s a child, thought Lucio. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Director. He¡¯ll cool down in a few days,¡± said Johannes, staring at the skittering darkness, a leftover made by Dimitri as he left. ¡°To be honest, I understand that if you have to destroy the artifact for the good of the world. It¡¯s just¡­ sending a child for such a dangerous mission of which he may never return from isn¡¯t exactly¡­ my cup of tea, if I must say,¡± Evan clarified his thoughts, clamping his hands together while twiddling with his fingers. ¡°Nevertheless, our countries aren¡¯t going to appreciate the fact that the Director itself took actions that will oppose their interests. How will you counter that, Director?¡± asked Johannes. ¡°That kind of behind-the-scene stuff, just leave it in my hands.¡± Lucio turned his attention toward yet another figure who had not spoken at all. ¡°That aside, you have been quite the silent one since just now, Ifrit. What do your thoughts speak of in this circumstances, and what does the stars tell of you? You are, after all, the representative of Japan, and also a Lunar Priest.¡± Ifrit shook her head, her face shrouded in the veil of darkness. ¡°I¡­ like Evan, approve of the mission itself, but not for the one who had been chosen to execute it.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s a pity then.¡± ¡°And the stars¡­ oh¡­ the stars, they¡¯re in chaos. In the distance, a black hole carries the message of destruction, swirling and vibrating even harder than the strongest of hurricanes and earthquakes, devouring all the defenceless light in its path. And¡­ it is on its way¡­ to a city of stars.¡± A squirming sense of unease rose in Lucio¡¯s stomach and a drop of sweat ran down his wrinkled face. There was a voice that spoke in his mind, relating Ifrit¡¯s fortune-telling to something he did not want to think about. He pushed it away, but it came back. He does it again, and it hides, for now. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°For now¡­ Evan, Johannes, keep an eye on Dimitri and make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid. Ifrit, let me know if something abrupt occurs in the stars.¡± Lucio issued commands, trying to hide the fact he¡¯s plagued in worry. ¡°That¡¯s what I had in mind. See you, Director.¡± Johannes rose from his seat and walked into the darkness. ¡°I hope and wish for Liluca¡¯s safety.¡± Evan disappeared without a trace from his seat, not even a single skittering darkness left behind in his wake. ¡°Be careful, Lucio. A storm is coming¡­¡± Ifrit¡¯s figure shone with a brilliant light and perished in the blink of an eye. Had Lucio made the wrong choice after all? Nonetheless, it was far too late for him to regret it now, so much more for him to reverse his action. He could only stand in the darkness, clamping his hand together as a prayer echoed within his mind. Please, be safe, Liluca. Lucio closed his eyes, and then he opened it. He was back at the mansion, in his study room. Traces of ice patches on the floor, ice stalagmites on the ceiling and random ice cubes made by Liluca himself were still roaming within the room since his outbreak two days ago. If left alone, all of them could have melted and disappear, but Lucio didn¡¯t want that. Using his magic, he stopped the deterioration and ensured that they would last as long as they could. It was, after all, the final magic Liluca had casted right before leaving for the past. Whilst Lucio dwelled during the moments when Liluca froze his entire existence two days ago, two knocks from the door came crashing on his ears. Without batting an eye to the door, he said, ¡°Come in.¡± There was an inch of himself that wanted the one knocking door to be Liluca, but his mind knew that was impossible. It could only be a daydream, nothing more. The door opened, and revealed peering behind it was Claudia. She was barely holding the doorknob with two of her trembling fingers, trying her best not to squash it into the domain of the quantum space. After setting foot inside the room, she left the door ajar, but it closed by itself soon after. Claudia was wearing her usual outfit, a blue tracksuit with a black pair of pants. It never did blend well with her naturally green hair, but she seemed insistent on wearing them every day. Of course, she would swap into her bear-decorated pyjamas at night. Lucio let it slip by, thinking that Liluca probably made her wear them. ¡°Do you need something, Clumsydia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Claudia, not Clumsydia!¡± She retorted, as Lucio expected. ¡°Anyway, Liluca had been away for two complete days. I¡¯m sort of¡­ worried.¡± Her gaze hopped from one stalagmite to another, hanging on the ceiling as if they were bats. ¡°By the way, want me to remove those?¡± She pointed toward one of the stalagmites. ¡°Don¡¯t, let them be. On the topic, what Liluca is tasked to do is not easy. He has to find the amulet, and also its creator, in a completely strange world without any information on it, of which systems may be vastly different from this world, and also infested with monsters that could kill humans by only existing. It¡¯s logical that it¡¯ll take longer than only two days, don¡¯t you think? Plus, everyone are worried, not just you.¡± ¡°Then! Can¡¯t we support him in some way? He¡¯s alone¡­ in the past, with nothing but his bag full of tools, and his mind racked with knowledge of which may not even be useful in the past!¡± Lucio clamped his hands together and threw Claudia a sharp glare. ¡°Claudia, do you believe in Liluca? Or are you putting up an act, just because you¡¯re his fianc¨¦? If it¡¯s fortune you¡¯re looking for, the Aceheart clan has plenty to offer.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Claudia¡¯s face beamed red, and she leapt from her position toward Lucio. Her fist hardened, retracted beside her shoulder and ready to obliterate anything in its path. However, as soon as her fist blasted into Lucio, she discovered that an invisible force was stopping her fist in its path. In anger, she shouted, ¡°What do you think I am? Just another girl lusting for money? No! I don¡¯t know how you perceive me as, but Liluca¡¯s safety is my first priority!¡± She jumped off the desk and pulled her fist away, causing a fierce wind gust toppling over all the books arranged on the bookshelves beside her. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m just teasing you. I know how you feel toward Liluca. It¡¯s just¡­ I have had no one to release my old-man-stress to since Liluca¡¯s departure. He was, after all, the only one who had been willing to spend time with me, rather than his older and successful siblings. ¡°Mister¡­ I understand that but please, never joke regarding the fianc¨¦ matter again.¡± Claudia eased her shoulders and unveiled her fist. Lucio held his hand upward like he was a hostage. ¡°My bad. This pile of rickety bones are getting insensitive, after all.¡± ¡°Well then¡­ I¡¯ll take my leave. And, don¡¯t strain yourself, will you, mister? I don¡¯t want a dead father-in-law to greet Liluca when he¡¯s back home.¡± Claudia opened the door, in her usual unique ways and disappeared from Lucio¡¯s view. Lucio coughed. ¡°Well, she¡¯s sharper than I thought.¡± Lucio turned his chairs and faced the window, set at the end of his room. As he was on the second floor of the mansion, he had a bird¡¯s eye view of the surrounding. Green and lively forest laid out before the mansion, expanding toward as far as the horizon could mark. At the end of these vast forests, roofs of buildings peered over the jungle, staring at the distant mansion, far and away from the city. ¡°A black hole of chaos¡­ what does it possibly mean¡­?¡± Lucio murmured by himself. What could Lucio do? All the compass of disasters had their arrows pointed toward somewhere, but Lucio never knew where exactly was that somewhere. His son lingered in the historical past, and Lucio himself sat in the advancing future. Even if he was to regret his decision, there was no turning back for him now. The choice set in stones, the wheel of fate spinning on its own. Lucio shook his head. It¡¯s a waste of time for him to dwell in matters like these. He grabbed his crow-headed cane leaning by his desk, stood up, and exited the room. He was going to need a distraction. He was going to need¡­ a drink.