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 :)!

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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?"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"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.