For so many times today, Rio let out a long sigh. His gaze is not focused on anything, and his steps are wobbly. He doesn't give off an aura of life at all if Valerie may say something about it.

The man with messy blond hair observes his best friend, who's still breathing heavily while drinking water. He can guess the cause of Rio's current state even though he hasn't confirmed it yet.

"Watch out. You spilled the water." Valerie reminded.

"Hah? Oh—ah! Ah, it got spilled!"

"So if you want to drink or something, please be aware of it. Where does your mind go, anyway?"

"I know, I know. You're annoying."

"Hey, I don't even get thanks, and you got angry at me? Are you going to get your period? Alright, alright. I won't bother you for now. Screw that. Bye."

Valerie grabs his bag and leaves the room hastily. Rio doesn't pay attention and walks over to his desk to drink the water in three gulps. Then, he sighed again. What Arisa said then made a dark cloud that hazily surrounded his head.

Rio looks at his tidy desk. He checks the other empty tables before he looks at the clock on the wall.

"Everyone has gone home. There is no overtime schedule for today either."

So, it's better to go home.

That evening, Rio decided to go back when the atmosphere in the city hall was already quiet. Only a few rooms with their light on and two security staff passed through as Rio greeted them.

Before long, Rio arrived at his house. He sighs again as he opens the door.

"I'm home." the man gives out the greeting. He then notices that his past parents are not around.

"Rio is home," said Arnando while waving at his future brother.

Unlike usual, Vemia watches his brother very closely so that Rio can sense that an intense gaze is piercing his back with whatever he is doing—chatting with Arnando, taking a cold drink in the kitchen, or watching television.

Vemia won't let him go even for a second wherever Rio enters the house. But, of course, it doesn't mean that his little sister is always following behind everywhere. So it was only when he was around Vemia area of sight. Finally, Rio can no longer avert his attention from that kind of treatment and decides to do something about it.

There was a time when no one was around, only Vemia, who was watching television. She immediately turned around when she realized Rio was in the living room, checking the situation outside through the window.

Of course, the young man also knows Vemia is still watching him.

"Vemia. Is there anything you want to say?" asked Rio carefully.

The little girl is not moving, watching her brother closely until Rio feels awkward.

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Out of nowhere, sudden dizziness attacks Vemia's head, to the point that one of her eyes blinked reflexively at the sudden sensation. As if something stabbed a blunt object inside her head without warning.

"Ugh!"

"Vemia?!"

Rather than a feeling of dizziness, it would be more appropriate to call it a strange feeling when one's memories are jumbled and swirled in the head so that Vemia feels a distinct pain in the head. She tried hard to withstand an unknown force from the inside that almost robbed her consciousness.

"Vemia? I'll call an ambulance right now!"

"Wait! There's no need… it feels like... it's getting better…."

Vemia's gaze is towards the floor as if she is enduring the pain. Meanwhile, Rio is trying to remember the procedure for what to do in this situation and carefully looking at his sister's reaction and considering if he will need an ambulance.

However, it's unnecessary when he sees Vemia slowly standing back on her feet and looking at him again.

"Vemia, are you feeling okay now?"

"You… who are you? Why are you in my house?" asked Vemia suspiciously.

That question struck him hard.

--o--

"You see, Adel. Those journeys to the past have been successful. Now, we will go there too so we can overthrow everything."

A man with shoulder-length brown hair and glasses walks up to the tube as tall as an average human. He checked the information related to the condition of the white device from the projection of his communication ring. Even though the room was so dark without any light, he could still see the object in front of him clearly.

"Don't get it wrong. There's no obligation for me to assist you with your business. We happened to need to go back in time together, that's all." The girl standing next to the man is also looking at her device. She wears dark thin shorts and a black scarf. Her long dark hair that almost reached her hips looked a little crumpled. Yet, that is something unimportant for her.

As far as the girl knows, there is no difference in shape compared to the tube the man had just examined using his glasses.

"Hmph! My goals will be achieved a lot faster if we work hand in hand."

"Like I care, Johann," Adel sneered, "we'll split up, of course. But when the time is right, I'll visit your city later."

"Alright, then. I'll be waiting for you when you visit Tantoris."

"Sure, sure. Let's get to business."

The two tubes open their glass curtains together as the sterile smoke comes out, crawling on this dark room's floor. Johann and Adel carefully step inside just before the glass door closes again.

Time travel is about to begin when Johann starts to lose consciousness. In the last seconds, he glances over the dark space visible from inside the tube's glass screen before his consciousness flashes into the past.

He recalled his reason for travelling through time. It's no other than to make this human project fail.

No matter what, the journey of the past must be stopped.

"Huh…?"

Johann opened his eyes as he sat on the bed. His consciousness still hadn't wholly come back after that instant past transmission.

His vision is blurry as he looks around. Then, for a second, he closes his eyes to catch his breath until he feels better. Slowly, that method helps him to readjust his mind again.

"This room… well, it seems like I've been transported."

As far as his eye could see, several pieces of ancient furniture for him filled this room. He then walks around to stop in front of the window curtain.

"I should pull this up manually, it seems."

When Johann opens it, warm sunlight greets him that making him close his eyes in reflex.

"..."

He walked away and tapped on his communication ring to bring up a small display showing today's date along with the weather and other relevant data. When he read the information, the man gave a slight nod.

"Now that I have arrived safely in the past, I'll know what to do next. Hmm…"

The room is filled with a holographic display with just one tap. Although some of the data moves up and down, another screen displays a particular place within the city of Tantoris and other complicated information that continues to move without stopping.

"I will definitely prove that the journey to the past is a huge mistake!"