Originally uploaded Dec 17, 2022

Art Pov

My eyes shot open as I clutched at the.... sand?

I was blinded by the sheer brightness of what appeared to be a sunset. Laying on a beach.

I was no longer holding the mana core in my hands and Regis... Regis! Looking into my core and didn't see him. But feel his presence though weakened still there.

Sighing in relieve I turn my attention back to my surroundings. The sky was something out of a painting. The shades of vibrant orange and purple with the cotton candy like clouds in the distance. It all seemed.... too perfect.

Turning my head this beach seemed to stretch on for as far as I could I see. The only thing interrupting the seamless view was a small wooden beach home in the distance.

From the short chimney on the roof was a steady stream of smoke. Seeing as I don't have a lot of options I choose to investigate.

As I drew closer to the house I could feel the abnormal density of aether surrounding the house. It was nothing like what I have felt before.

It wasn't the silent yet rigid feeling that Kezess possessed. It was a effortless control type of power. Almost as if whatever exuded it was doing it naturally, without thinking or wasting any energy on it.

Before I knew it I had reached to door. It was a simple wooden door you would find any where. But on closer inspection you could tell the amount of time and labor that had gone into crafting such a simple looking door.

Turning the metal door handles I enter and a delicious smell attacks my nose. A warm light illuminates the inside as multiple lanterns were placed in the corners. There was a small table that was obviously setup for a meal in the middle of the room.

The arranged silverware suggesting only one person was to dine here. When suddenly a figure appeared in one of the doorways which seemed to lead to the kitchen, judging by the figures' clothing.

He was wearing an apron and cooking mittens holding a large covered tray. But what was more surprising was the face of the figure.

Long pale blond hair tied loosely at the back in a knot with flowing bangs. Piercing golden eyes which seemed to appear more cat-like than human. The ageless face that almost seemed to be clear and white as milk.

I staggered back in confusion.

"Hello there." He said as he laid the tray on the table. "Sorry I don't get visitors too often but you can join me if you'd like." He continued.

After a moment of stun silence I finally stammered out "You... you're-"

"Me." he finished my words. "Yes I am you, or more like you are me. Hmmm, not quite sure. Fate is a fickle little thing isn't it." He playfully said.

"But how... what?" I still couldn't fully understand. He was unmistakable me. From his appearance to his aura. But-

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The distance between us was closed in an instant as he inspected my face. No, it felt more like he was inspecting what was inside me.

"Still young, aren't you." He said as he caressed my face like a father would to a son he hasn't seen in a long time. "I pulled you into this realm because... well you know. That spell would have destroyed your body and probably the planet you were standing on."

Pulling me away from one world and into another. Heh, reminds me of a certain snake boi. But he seemed to have a breathe of knowledge I couldn't even compare to. I could sense it. The way he moved and seemed to see right through me. And the way he instantly closed the distance between us. It was eerily similar to what Kezess did. But it felt stronger, more controlled.

"Who are you?" I asked puzzled.

"I am what you... what we all become. Our aether core and new body was a double-edged sword." He answered calmly.

"You are me, in the future?"

"You can say that. I'm not quiet sure. I have gazed through the cracks of reality and infinity. After a while all those human concepts kind of just melt away. Replaced by a kind of melancholy." He continued, resting his chin on his hands.

It seemed ironic. This Arthur. No... me. He seemed to be unfathomably powerful, I could just tell from the natural aura he emits. Not the bloodlust or pressure. Just his aura he gives off without a thought. It seemed to make Kezess' and Agrona's power seem meek in comparison.

With his...the other me? With this Arthur's help I knew I could do it.

Looking into his eyes I firmly say. "Assist me."

"Straight to the point huh."

"Can you not?" I knew he already fully grasped my intentions but was waiting for me to say them.

"The problem isn't whether I can or can not. The problem is the repercussions if I do."

"So you can" I step closer to him.

"Do you understand what you want, what it will do?" He spoke, silently somehow. His voice felt as if it was one of my own thoughts, a sensation rather than speech. All backed by a tremendous feeling of suppressed force.

I could tell now that I was so close to him. He seemed to be making significant efforts to restrain himself, or to contain the power within him. A millennia of perspective was bound up in his words, and I could only sense the gulf between us and the unspoken meaning behind them.

Yet, I couldn't turn back now. Even if it is a foolish decision I would come to regret I still needed to try for those who have perished. I didn't even deserve this life anyway.

"I do." I strongly stated.

To this he only slightly chuckled. Like you would when a small child told you something humorous.

"Well before you go take this." In this hands appeared a small opaque white cube. It appeared to be similar to that of a pearl. "I can't tell you fully what it is but this relic will assist you greatly." He said as he placed it on my hand.

"Now then, lets begin shall we." and with that the whole atmosphere of the room changed. The aether around us all rushed towards him. Even siphoning the aether from my core directly as his body now seemed to be completely made of particles of aether.

"You must know you returning will change the flow of the timeline. Thing won't exactly be the same." I nod in response fully preparing the for treacherous journey ahead.

"While you might keep your new body and core fate has a funny way of working even I don't fully understand. Just.... good luck Arthur."

With that he place his palm on my sternum as I felt his spell activate.

All I could do was open my mouth to scream but no sound came. It felt as though every fiber of my body was being slowly ripped apart as my vision blackened again.

Art Pov

The last few particles of aether danced as the spell concluded. Sitting down at the table I take a deep sigh.

'I wonder how many that makes it?'

I mean, I don't even know my age or how much time I spent in my own realm anymore. Did it even matter at this point?

Looking up towards the ceiling I lament about my past. 'Was I really that naive?'

I don't blame him. I know exactly what he went through and will go through if he continues this path. They all were the same. All so hopeful, all crushed when they returned. Fate didn't repeat itself but it did rhythm. Yet he seemed different. Well I wasn't all-knowing or anything. Maybe he could be the one that broke the cycle.

Plucking at the visible strands of amethyst I peer into a different reality. "Lets see how he does shall we?"