Chapter 11:Ravenna:

Location 600 years in the past: NexTech labs

The dim lights stutter erratically, casting elongated shadows that dance across the walls, their eerie movements amplifying the rising tension in the air.

As Zebediah moves forward, his silhouette merging with the encroaching darkness, I instinctively step back, feeling my pulse race.

"In my time, a fringe group worshiped a Shadow god—called the first Tech-Wizard.” I begin, watching Zebediah's reaction closely.

"The first to wield Flexi-armor believed it was gifted by this god, making the unimaginable power of the Nexus accessible. Doesn’t that echo the legacy you wanted to build when you ventured into the metaphysical realms?"

Zebediah murmurs "Legacy," as if the word is a puzzle to unravel.

"Yes, legacy was our driving force," he admits.

"Ingrid and I, as pioneers in the exploration of realms, once deemed mere myths, envisaged ourselves as benevolent deities, leading humanity towards empowerment."

He pauses, his gaze drifting away momentarily. "The One Mind was meant to unify, not subjugate. It was about harmony, aligning intentions without compromising individual autonomy."

I furrow my brows "But isn't that still a form of control? Aligning everyone's intentions sounds pretty close to stripping away personal choice."

Zebediah pauses as if reflecting on my words and replies “It's a delicate balance, yes. Our goal was peace through shared purpose, not through dominance.”

“But something changed.” I deduce

Zebediah pauses, the weight of the past is evident in his eyes. "It was a gradual realization. At first, everything seemed possible. Yet, as we progressed, our idealism clashed with reality.”

His eyes flicker to his hands, observing them transition from shadow to flesh. "The Nexus possesses an inherent unpredictability. Our corporeal forms would suffer significant depletion from the excessive demands of channeling energy beyond our capacity.

Turning his attention to the tank, his gaze locks onto it as he continues, "This limitation led us onto a darker path, particularly for Ingrid after she returned from a revelatory dreamwalk. That night, which aligned with your birth, marked a critical change in her. She claimed to have discovered a path that transcended our physical limitations. This revelation guided her to develop a method for creating a vessel powerful enough to channel the energy of the Gate."

He returns his gaze to me “And soul shifting.”

“You believe Ingrid’s change of path is related to the entity that took over her that night,” I ask

“Yes”

His voice is flat, but I detect strains of sorrow and regret beneath it. As he speaks, I reflect on my condition—the same transformation he describes in Ingrid has happened to me. I am an entity from another time and reality, steering my younger self.

Yet, my continued existence demands harmony between my purposes and my host's. Thus, I doubt his notion that Ingrid is merely under control; she has merged with the entity, embracing its desires as her own.

Zebediah continues “Thus, I am unconcerned with any legacy in the distant future. My sole purpose is to rescue Ingrid from the entity that has overtaken her—to restore the woman I once held in high esteem and admired and to return to the virtuous course we previously pursued. This is why I have honed my skills in the dark realm and now wield the powers of its Shadows.”

His shadow form expands, growing darker and pulsing steadily. I catch my breath, but I stand firm, unflinching.

"This conflict is unrelated to you, little one. You might be a dreamwalker but you are interfering with forces beyond your comprehension."

I clench my fist, feeling a surge of anger. "You're kidding yourself if you think I'm just going to sit back and let her turn me into a puppet for her world domination plans."

I step closer, a small smile playing on my lips. "Your big plan to 'save' Ingrid and that gate attack? It failed. The Outliers didn't stand a chance with their sub-par Flexi-armor; it's nothing compared to Ingrid's power."

"The attack wasn't what I planned," Zebediah says, his voice tinged with frustration. "I reached out to the Outliers, hoping they could help balance the scales against Ingrid's growing power. But they acted hastily, driven by their motives, not fully aligned with my goals."

His revelations confirm that he had no intention of harming her or…. me. He loved her, though it's evident Ingrid doesn't reciprocate. She bore a child with another man, manipulating him to achieve her ambitions. I ponder their shared past, what experiences led them here, to such tense crossroads.

Yet, despite everything, I know I must stop her. If Zebediah holds the key to stopping her, we must join forces. Regardless of our end goals.

"Nevertheless.. they didn’t stand a chance. You approached the Outliers because you need an army that will stand by your side should things get out of hand. They need strong Flexi-armor to stand against the Ingrid and her vessels.”

“And you can help create…this strong armor,” he says

“You believe my consciousness belongs to another era, equipped with knowledge yet to exist." I step toward him, his gaze unyielding, eyes locked on mine without a blink.

"I can help you be the god you become," I offer.

"Our goals align, Zebediah. You aim to save Ingrid, and I must escape the destiny she's crafted for me and destroy The Gate," I declare, my resolve hardening.

"An interdimensional gate shouldn’t exist. No human should be the One mind. I've witnessed firsthand the chaos unleashed when the energy field is disturbed. A device of that scale could unravel our reality in unimaginable ways," I assert, my voice steady despite the tumult of emotions within me.

I wave my hand to flicker a nearby light to life. It casts a dim glow on half of Zebidiah’s face, pushing back the darkness momentarily revealing half of his face.

Stolen story; please report.

He's silent initially, the hum of some distant machinery the only sound. "If you hold knowledge from the future, share it with me. Help me grasp what you know."

Relieved but still on guard, I move closer, prepared to close the divide between our beliefs. "Start by telling me. How do you intend to save Ingrid from the…foreign entity?"

Zebediah hesitates, his form wavering between solidity and shadow. After a moment, he answers, his voice deep and serious.

"Dream and Dark Realms are two sides of the same coin, interconnected. Energy flows between them, stirring disturbances—like ripples across a pond affecting both sides."

Reflecting on his explanation, an analogy clicks into my mind. "Like electromagnetism?" I suggest.

“Exactly. Think of the Nexus energy as an electric current and Shadow energy as the magnetic field created when the Nexus is channeled. Shadows are a manifestation of this energy,” he elaborates, his eyes flickering with an ethereal glow.

As the last flickering lights stabilize, Zebediah's shadows retreat to the walls, revealing his full figure and stepping into the brightening room. A solid presence now, he casts no doubt about his intentions. I exhale a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

"I believe I can forge a device to sever an entity from its host, harnessing shadow energy to disrupt the Nexus flow. The precision needed is immense—any misstep could devastate the core soul," he adds solemnly, his brow furrowed in concern.

He strides across the dimly lit lab, each step echoing softly against the cold, stone floor. Reaching a heavy, old workbench cluttered with scattered tools and research papers, he pauses, his hand hovering over the rusted handle of a stout safe. With a deliberate motion, he turns the handle; the safe emits a low, metallic click that resonates through the quiet room.

Slowly, he pulls open the creaking door to reveal the contents. He reaches in and extracts an unrefined chunk of Flexi-metal. The cold, jagged edges catch the dim light.

As I fix my eyes on the black metal, I realize the sensitivity and risks of such a task. I see where my technological expertise could be vital. "I can help you with that," I propose, prompting Zebediah to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Techniques still theoretical in your era are well-established in mine. I can show you how to mine Flexi-metal with the precision required."

Zebediah's eyes narrow. "What do you want in return?" He turns the metal over in his hands, gripping it tightly.

A slight smile curves my lips as I recall my promise to Ezar. "Help me save those still being experimented on."

Zebediah frowns and with a deep sigh, cautions, “If we move against the Vessel program, it won’t just draw Ingrid’s wrath—it might expose you. This could get dangerous. Are you truly prepared to face what comes next?"

I pause, my gaze steady as I mull over his words. Decision made, I respond, "I understand the dangers, Zebediah, but fear won't stop me. I've come too far to turn back, even if it means stepping out of the shadows.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Following that conversation, my relationship with Zebediah evolved. We transitioned from a typical scientist-subject dynamic to becoming allies. Leveraging the resources Zebediah accessed beyond Ingrid’s oversight, we collaborated during my infusion sessions.

Ingrid has been away from the temple dealing with the rebellion and identifying traitors within her group. She trusts Zebediah, which allows us to strategize our attack on the vessel program and remove the entity that Zebediah believes is influencing her behavior.

It took three months to complete the prototype. Now, we both watch with bated breath as the Infusion tanks—now repurposed to infuse Flexi-metal with Nexus energy—whine, and the top slides aside. A ring floats atop the viscous, dark liquid, its bulky frame and ribbed edges stark against the murky depths. Though not to my taste, its formidable appearance suits its purpose

With my Sight activated, I can see Nexus energy pulsating around the ring like a protective barrier. "Can you see it?" I ask, a smile spreading across my face, eyes never leaving the energy around the ring.

"Yes," Zebediah replies, confirming he's learned to use the Sight effectively. A useful ability for testing his Flexi-armor.

The irony isn't lost on me that Zebediah's descendant taught me the technique I would later travel back in time to teach him. This journey feels like fate, telling me that, like Zebediah and his younger doppelganger, I have a crucial role in this continent's unfolding history.

Zebediah reaches out, hesitating just inches from the Nexus barrier. After a moment’s pause, he inhales deeply and thrusts his hand through the pulsating energy to grasp the ring. Carefully, he slides it onto his middle finger and studies its effects on the surrounding energy, murmuring,

“Incredible”

Immediately after sliding on the ring, Zebediah activates it. He flinches as the omni-lens flickers to life unexpectedly. The ring pulses with an increasingly frantic rhythm, emitting a deep, resonant hum as it morphs, encasing his fingers one by one.

It solidifies into a knuckle duster before seamlessly extending into a full metal glove, each movement synchronized with the energy it channels. In a smooth, quick movement, a barrel emerges, completing its transformation into the Shadow gun, now ready to channel the shadow energy.

While Zebediah might be powerful enough to harness the energy with his body, the expulsion requires precision. The unpredictability of channeling massive amounts of energy could turn the technique into a weapon instead of a shield. Thus armor is needed to balance the scales.

"Now, let's test it," he says, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

The room cools down, shadows grow darker, and they cling to him like whispering tendrils. My skin prickles with anticipation, and I catch the faint, unsettling hum of energy pulsating through the room. When his eyes snap open, they're bottomless pits, reflecting the ominous darkness that swallows every corner of the space.

His gaze locks onto me, unyielding, as he slowly raises the gun. My heart races as I realize he's pointing the gun at me. This scene feels eerily familiar like it has happened before—or will happen.

The ominous whir of the gun fills the room, growing louder, and more insistent, as it powers up. The armor on his arm doesn't just darken—it seems to absorb the light around it as if becoming a black hole on his limb. Drawn to his reflection, I am shocked by what I see. It is not Zebediah in the mirror pointing the gun at me, but Zeb, his piercings and younger look distinguishing him.

Focused intently, Zebediah seems oblivious to my shock, channeling shadow energy through the gun. Paralyzed by fear, I find myself unable to move, my feet rooted to the spot as if encased in ice.

A thought comes to mind: "He's going to use the gun on me first. After all, I am not supposed to be here. I am a foreign entity that has taken hold of a child he was fond of." Time slows as I try to channel the Nexus to strengthen my legs, ready to move out of the way.

But before I can do anything, the whir slows down as the gun powers down.

"What the fuck" I exclaim, holding my chest.

Zebediah raises his eyebrows and smirks. "Don't be afraid, little one. The shot isn't meant for you."

Before I can reply, my attention is pulled back to the mirrors. The image doesn't revert to Zebediah but stays fixed on Zeb. He scans the room with widening eyes, his gaze fixated on his older counterpart and the menacing gun.

"How is this possible?" he murmurs, shock etching his features.

Zeb looks at me, clearly worried. "Ravenna, you need to snap out of it. This is just a dream. Remember why you came here," he urges.

"Do you see this, Zebediah?" I ask sharply, unable to take my eyes off the mirror.

"What are you talking about?" Zebediah asks, confusion in his tone as he glances at the mirror.

"This isn't real, Ravenna," Zeb repeats, his image starts fading.

"This isn’t a dream," I shoot back, my heart racing. "This is my past. I've lived through this before." Suddenly, a loud ringing fills the room, disorienting me. My reflection grins back at me, eyes pitch black.

"It’s all connected," I whisper, barely hearing Zebediah’s concerned voice asking if I’m alright.

My legs buckle, and I collapse to the floor as darkness envelops me, the echo of my heartbeat the last sound I hear.