BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Steve sat on his haunches on the floor of his dimly lit room, surrounded by an array of glowing screens and devices. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a crystal runic display that depicted the parallel worlds of Eona, each one shimmering with its own unique mana signature.

As a skilled mage who was apprenticed to the greatest Archmagus of all time–not that he was biased, Steve had always been fascinated by the intricacies of magic and the ways it could be used to bend the fabric of reality. But his true passion lay in exploring the myriad possibilities of the multiverse, and the countless variations of Eona that existed beyond his own.

Using his spells, Steve was able to peer behind the curtain of reality and observe the many parallel worlds that lay just beyond the veil. He could see the people of Eona in real-time, watching as their system stats progressed with each passing moment.

His Grand Identify watching how the world’s core strengthened with each person’s next step.

And it will need all that strength before manifestation.

But of all the people he observed, it was his two charges that impressed him the most.

As expected.

Sloane, a fierce enchanter, artificer, and devoted mother, was on a quest to find her daughter Gwyn. Steve had been following her journey closely, watching as she navigated obstacle after obstacle, overcoming delays and war in search of her child.

It was a journey fraught with danger and uncertainty, but Steve couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for Sloane's determination and courage. He watched as she pressed on, undeterred by the many obstacles in her path.

With each passing day, he knew history was slowly being made. History that would change the course of his world and its many parallels. Two people so prominent, so pivotal to the world’s success… it was only right that they were related.

On another crystal screen, Steve observed with bated breath as Gwyn's journey unfolded. The princess was studying, and even at her young age, her potential was vast. But her path was not an easy one. The shadows of fate and inevitability loomed over her, and the weight of her self-imposed responsibilities as a princess and a mage threatened to overwhelm her at every turn.

But despite the many challenges she faced, Gwyn remained resolute. Steve could see the determination in her eyes, even as she struggled to balance her studies with her strained mental state. And though she was often beset by doubt and uncertainty, she never gave up hope that she could one day find her mother.

She had many struggles that would test her limits, and wear on her aching heart, but it was lucky she had one so versed in healing nearby. Even if that person was not yet aware of the great things they would do in the future.

This Gwyn enjoyed fire magic, a version of a type that spoke personally to him. One that surged within his body. He was awed as she continually wove her magic into ever-impressive possibilities, ones that deviated from so many different variants.

This one was focused on the discovery and wonder of magic.

It makes these versions all the more exciting to protect.

Watching over Gwyn's journey also meant watching over her protectors. Taenya and Sabina were two of the best knights in Avira, but even they struggled to keep up with the constant threats facing the princess. Steve could see the pressure etched into their faces as they fought to protect Gwyn from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

But despite the odds against them, Taenya and Sabina refused to give up. They fought valiantly, using all their magic and training to keep Gwyn safe.

The paladin Amari was a new addition, an exceedingly rare variant that joined as one of Gwyn’s protectors. One that was unique to oh so few versions of Eona, which would help in the struggles to come. Steve knew that they would go to any length to protect their charge, even if it meant laying down their lives in the process.

And then there was Gwyn herself.

The princess was unlike any mage Steve had ever seen, which made sense with what he knew. Her magic was raw and unbridled, yet at the same time, it held a power that was undeniable. Steve watched as she pushed herself to the limit, her mind ablaze with the possibilities of what she could achieve if she could only master her abilities. It was fascinating to be able to observe the First Mage before she rose to prominence.

He watched, his heart racing, as Gwyn and her protectors battled against fate, each fight more intense than the last. But he knew that, with their strength and determination, they would prevail, and Gwyn's potential would be secured for the future of Eona. He saw the strand that led Gwyn to her closest companion, the one that would help her persevere until the day daughter and mother reunited.

But there were also darker forces at work, threatening to undo all that Gwyn and her protectors had fought so hard to achieve.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Time demons, creatures that existed outside the bounds of time and space, were closing in on multiple versions of Gwyn, intent on stealing away her potential and using it for their own nefarious purposes.

It was why Steve had been sent back in time, to ensure that Gwyn's younger self would be able to prevail against these otherworldly beings.

But as much as he wanted to help them, Steve knew that he could not interfere directly. This Gwyn was on a parallel Eona. This Sloane may not survive the struggles to come. All he could do was watch and hope that Sloane's journey would lead her to her daughter. That the daughter would take up a mantle she was destined for.

In so many versions they had not, but he was hopeful in this version.

With a quick wave, the screens focused in on an object. One that he knew he could not interfere with at any cost. But he hoped this version of Gwyn found it. She needed to succeed, and this would help her.

So many variants never found it. Yet it was always the fire ones that did as if it called to her.

He wanted both mother and daughter to achieve their destinies. Which was why their every success brought such joy to his heart.

After all, dragons looked after their own.

Especially, when they were apprenticed to them.

Something caught his attention on another screen, one that observed a third version of Eona.

Steve's slitted eyes blinked, the iridescent scales on his dragon form shimmering in the dim light.

That… seems promising.

All other versions flickered out as Steve focused completely on this iteration. With a nudge of his Chronomancy, he observed the flow in its time stream. It was the one. The one that had the most potential.

Which was probably why a time demon ripped a tear into the world and stepped through.

Steve acted immediately.

With a fierce roar, Steve surged forward, his massive wings beating a thunderous rhythm in the air. He knew that the time demon had to be stopped at all costs. The fate of this version of Eona, and perhaps countless others, hung in the balance.

With a flick of his will, a Reality Portal flared into being in front of him, and he pulled his wings in tight as he barreled through it and into the world of Eona.

The demon was alone in the wilderness, intent on reaching its target. Steve could see the malice in its glowing eyes, the way its dark form seemed to ripple with unholy power. He knew that this would not be an easy fight.

But Steve was a dragon, and dragons were born to battle. He swooped down, his talons extended, and raked them across the demon's back. It howled in pain, turning to face its attacker with a snarl.

“Dragon!” the thing snarled. “You cannot stop us! We are infinite!”

Steve had always been taught to never banter with an enemy.

He unleashed a barrage of Elemental Bolts, his spell altered with the fury of the fire element. The spell exploded in a blaze of fire that quickly engulfed the demon in draconic flame–one of the few things able to harm a demon–and seared its flesh. But even as the creature writhed in agony, it continued to fight back, its own dark magic lashing out with deadly force.

Black and white mana swirled around the demon as it shot out bolts of annihilation, and tried to manipulate time to face him.

There was a reason Steve had been the one to come to the past. Time magic had a lesser effect on natural immortals.

The battle raged on, each blow landing with bone-jarring force. Steve fought with all his might, his mind and body honed to perfection by years of training and experience under the Archmagus, herself. But this demon was a formidable opponent, and it seemed to draw strength from the very darkness that surrounded it.

A true Demon Lord. One of only a few that could challenge one such as he, but his teacher had the utmost confidence in him, and he would not fail her.

She couldn’t come here, such was the strength of her power that it would strain the world’s core too much. It could cause the very thing they were seeking to prevent.

As their fierce fight wore on, Steve began to feel his own strain on his stamina. His muscles ached, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His mind ached with mana exertion. But he refused to give up. He knew that the fate of Eona, and all its other versions, and his charges, hung in the balance.

They needed him. His teacher needed him, and his very people.

With a final pull of mana, Steve summoned all his strength and blasted the demon with a beam of Alos’s Judgment. The creature let out a shriek of agony as it was consumed by the holy energy, but still, it did not die.

He knew he had no more magic to use, his mind too strained, so he resorted to the last thing he could.

Steve reared back, his powerful jaws opening wide to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. He inhaled deeply. He then exhaled a stream of draconic fire. His dragon's breath a searing torrent of flame that roared forth and engulfed the demon in a blaze of holy fire. The demon writhed and screamed as the flames consumed it, its dark power no match for the dragon's righteous fury, its form disintegrating into nothingness.

Steve let out a roar of triumph, his heart soaring with the knowledge that he had saved this version of Eona from certain destruction. But he knew that there would be other battles to fight, other threats to face. And he would be ready for them, watching over his charges to ensure the future of all he knew.

As he used his Change Shape to shift back to his elvenoid form, his runic armor automatically appeared over his body. He opened a portal back to his lair and stepped through, all of his runic devices activated with his presence. The dragon sighed deeply as he took off his armor, its glowing runes dimming as he did. The armor was a powerful set of items that had been jokingly named by a powerful Artificer in the far future.

A woman he deeply respected, for all she had to overcome to get to where she was. He missed having tea with her, laughing over stories of his teacher. She truly had turned the world upside down with her quest, and her magic. Her knowledge.

He shook his head, knowing the woman would find it oh-so fitting to use the armor for his current mission. For it protected her first quest as well.

[Plot Armor], indeed.

As Stev'eyrrerth sat down and started scanning for other demons, his mind wandered back to the object. Nestled safely in a place that would hopefully be found by a young girl.

Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll protect your past, to save our future.