A boy without his mother—what does he become?

Death is written in stone, but do stones truly matter in this world?

Some worship God, some don’t—are we right, or are they wrong?

Did humanity come to be by chance, or was it a miracle unfurled?

When we recall miracles, we imagine God.

Some argue a boat doesn’t build itself, while others say chance is reality.

But in the quest to prove who’s right or wrong, we often forget our humanity.

I, a man of God, have faced hardships and moments of peace.

Is it right for me to believe, or should my faith cease?

Some argue if God exists, why does humanity suffer?

But in times when I don’t suffer, does that prove His existence?

In moments of peace, God doesn’t even come to some people’s minds.

So, what’s the truth we seek— there isn't just one stone in this world there are billions so does the saying written In stone really mean written in stone?

Jack stepped onto the battlefield, his brown signature detective coat billowing slightly in the wind. The coat, a gift from his father, held immense sentimental value. It was more than just a piece of clothing; it was a source of courage and a reminder of his heritage. He had worn it every year, every week, every day, every hour, every second—it was a part of him. From the balcony, Ramon called out, "Jack, if you want to take that off, I can hold it for you!" Jack glanced back with a smile, replying, "No, it’s okay, Ramon, but thanks."

Rankings

General

Commander

Royal Guards

Royal Guard Captain

Royal Guard

Captain Ranks

Captain Rank 3

Captain Rank 2

Captain Rank 1

Soldier Ranks

Soldier Rank 3 (Elite Soldier)

Soldier Rank 2 (Experienced Soldier)

Soldier Rank 1 (New Recruit)

Turning his attention to his opponent, Captain Elio Maren, Jack knew he was up against a formidable adversary. Like Jack, Elio had risen quickly through the ranks, achieving the title of Captain Rank 1, two levels above Jack’s current rank. It was a challenge Jack knew he had to overcome.

Elio stopped, locking eyes with Jack. With unwavering confidence, he declared, "I’m not here to lose." The intensity in his voice made it clear—this fight meant everything to him.

"BEGIN!" shouted Old Man Marcus as he settled back into his chair, signaling the start of the next battle.

General Amon Khuldan and General Setka, now back on their respective balconies, watched intently. Their injuries had been tended to by Seraphina, but they still bore the signs of their earlier clash.

Amon crossed his arms, his gaze focused on the battlefield below. "Do you think this boy will release that being?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Drexel considered the question. "When our Pharaoh requested that Jack be freed and forgiven, he was intrigued by Jack's powers. He asked how they worked. Fortunately, our alliance with their kingdom allowed us to obtain that information in exchange for our Chronotex research. From what I’ve read, his power, like dark energy and the Chronotex, relies heavily on life energy. However, almost all of the life energy Jack had accumulated was used in that one fight where he defeated Khafra of the Royal Nebu. It’s unlikely he has restored enough of it to summon that being, especially not in such a short time."

Kairo joined the conversation with a smirk. "So, what you're saying is that Jack doesn’t have much left in the tank. He can’t summon Stellar, and he hasn’t even learned how to properly use his Chronotex powers. That makes him an easy target."

On the battlefield, Jack's eyes were shaded with a dark intensity, his focus pure. Sword in hand, he charged at Elio, his movements unrefined, almost amateurish.

Yune bit his thumb nervously. "I trained Jack as best as I could, but we knew nothing about Elio’s powers. We couldn’t prepare for this."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Kasib, usually slouched and nonchalant, stood up straight, his attention locked on the fight. He was on edge, curious to see how Jack would handle the challenge.

Elio smirked as Jack’s sword slowly reached for his shoulder. The blade connected—but Elio’s figure vanished with a swoosh.

Jack was stunned, his expression one of shock. Before he could react, Elio reappeared next to him and punched him square in the face, sending Jack tumbling backward, his eyes rolling back in pain.

Elio dropped his sword and taunted, "Let’s fight with our hands and our powers. Drop the sword; it’s not like you know how to use it."

Spitting blood, Jack struggled to his feet, honoring Elio’s challenge by dropping his sword. Elio grinned, confidence oozing from his words. "Victory will be mine; it’s set in stone."

A noble in the crowd whispered to his wife, "That’ll teach that brat a lesson. He’s a threat to us nobles."

Drexel voiced his thoughts, "That’s going to hurt."

Jack slicked back his hair, clenched his fists, and charged at Elio. But again, Elio disappeared, this time kicking Jack’s leg out from under him, forcing him to his knees as he screamed in pain.

Elio began circling Jack, creating duplicates of himself with each step. Soon, the battlefield was filled with Elio’s mirages, each indistinguishable from the real one.

Kairo laughed, "We’ve got him now. Elio’s mirages are similar to Commander Drexel’s illusions, but the difference is, you can’t interact with Elio’s. They’re untouchable."

Akhet watched the fight with a discerning eye. "They’re both newbies, but the Nubian fighter is clearly winning. Jack’s been in tight spots before, and Menes always seems to come to his aid. He’s got something up his sleeve; I’m sure of it."

Ru, her eyes glued to the battlefield, although she didn't know that Akhet was in the crowd she had the same thought. "Elio’s power is impressive, but there’s still something we haven’t figured out." Atom, curious, asked, "What do you mean?" Ru replied, "I think Jack has noticed it too."

Amid the chaos, Jack quietly stood up, positioning himself like a boxer with his fists near his head. To everyone’s surprise, he hopped backward three steps, putting about six meters of distance between himself and Elio.

Elio's eyes widened as he realized that Jack had figured something out. Desperately, he tried to close the gap between them, but Jack kept hopping back, maintaining his distance.

Jack's voice rang out clearly across the battlefield. "You say everything is written in stone, but if God wills it, it shall happen. Even the stones worship Him." His words were met with a sudden, eerie silence.

Elio, angered by Jack's words, shouted back, "Shut up with this God crap! He doesn't do anything!" His voice carried a deep-seated rage, a fury fueled by past wounds.

Jack continued calmly, "Your power has a limit, doesn’t it? It’s confined to a range—about five meters around you. The first punch I took was to understand your power. The second was to see if you’d ever create distance, like other fighters do. But you didn’t."

Anubis, watching quietly from a distance, nodded in understanding. "He’s right. Elio’s technique uses dark energy to conceal his movements and create mirages, but he’s still young and inexperienced. Most veterans would have noticed that."

Menes smirked. "Jack didn’t discover Elio’s weakness through dark energy observation—he used his mind."

Kamil chuckled. "In Commander Menes’ book, that makes Jack smart."

Elio's face turned red with frustration. "Keep believing in God! He won’t be there when you need Him, just like every other time!" he screamed, his voice echoing with bitterness.

But as soon as Elio spoke those words, something whispered into his ear—a voice that seemed to speak directly to his soul. Only the being's lips were visible near Elio's ear, uttering a chilling warning: "Be mindful of what you say."

Elio's hands shook as goosebumps prickled his skin, a cold wave of fear washing over him as he recalled a haunting memory from his past.

Elio's memories were always tinged with gray, as if his past lacked color. He remembered coming home after praying to God, finding his mother—a frail woman whose bones were visible through her skin—lying in bed. He had brought dates and water, offering them to his mother with a hopeful smile. "Mother, I’m back from prayer. Look, I brought dates for you. They say if you eat them, you’ll be healed."

His mother, fully aware that the dates wouldn’t cure her, smiled and patted his head, eating them anyway to please her son. The dates were old and soggy, a sign of their poverty.

After tidying up their small, humble hut, Elio lit a candle and went outside, sitting on the ground and gazing up at the sky. "God, thank You for giving me enough. Thank You for my mother and these dates. I hope they help her get better."

Suddenly, he heard a noise inside the hut, as if something had fallen. Alarmed, Elio grabbed the candle and rushed inside. "Mother... Mother?"

He turned, his heart pounding, and pointed the candlelight toward the kitchen. There, to his shock, stood his mother, upright for the first time in six months.

"Mother, you can walk!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

His mother looked different—her face was radiant, her skin smooth and healthy, and the frailty that once defined her was gone. She smiled warmly, hugging him as she spoke in a gentle, soothing voice. "Elio, I want to walk outside. Can you take me out? My son is old enough now, isn’t he?"

Elio, overjoyed, grabbed her hand and led her outside, up the hill into the trees until they reached the top, overlooking a river. But unbeknownst to Elio, a body still lay on the bed where his mother had rested...

As they ascended, Elio kept talking, excitedly telling his mother about his day and how his prayers had finally been answered. An old man sleeping nearby woke up, hearing Elio’s voice. "Why is young Elio walking into the trees? And who is he talking to?" he wondered aloud.

They reached the hilltop, and Elio sat down, using a small rock as a backrest. He looked up at his mother. "Mother, the stars are shining brighter because you’re well."

His mother laughed softly. "Elio, my boy, keep yourself safe. Don’t get into the wrong things, and always believe. Don’t let worldly things disrupt your true beliefs." Elio, confused by her words, was about to ask what she meant when they heard a dog bark. Startled, Elio said, "Mother, I’m scared."

His mother knelt down, whispering to him, "Listen, Elio, my young boy, stay here. I’ll go see what’s happening. You keep yourself safe, okay?" She walked into the darkness, her eyes tearing up as the night engulfed her. She never said she’d be back...

Soon after, Elio heard a faint humming sound. It was coming from the rock he was leaning against. With all his strength, he pushed the rock aside, revealing something shining underneath—a crystal.

"When will Mother be back? I need to show this to her. We can be rich if we sell this!" Elio shouted into the endless darkness. "Mother, Mother, look at what I found!"

But no reply came...

Driven by curiosity, Elio reached out to touch the crystal, unaware that it was a Chronotex...