The back room of the Enhancer establishment looked no more than a normal workshop. Workbenches lined the two walls, with remnants of leftover crystals littered across them. A small compact forge was set in the rear of the room, with pipes running out of it and through the walls to get vented. Next to it was a shining new anvil and hammer. The workbenches had varying tools, from the common clamps and wrenches, to scholastic books on Enhancement, fine jewellery tools, and what looked to be a set of scientific instruments ranging from beakers, burners, and even a copper shelled microscope.

Miguel let the way in, saying, “Step into my office.”

“Actually, Grandmaster,” Hilde voiced from behind. “It's my workshop.”

“Hilde,” Miguel replied with a gentle stern, “Do watch the store.”

“Ah... um... yes, Grandmaster,” she was meekly heard saying before the door closed behind them. Miguel respected how direct the girl was, but wished she knew how to read social cues better.

“Now, where were we?” Miguel pulled out a chair for The Watcher and another one for himself. He sat next to the workbench of scientific instruments. “Ah, yes, you're from Earth.”

The Watcher scanned the room, and Miguel gave him the chance to survey the location. It was common for people who were experienced in danger to take in their immediate surroundings. He did not know why, but The Watcher just felt like one of those experienced few. There was an aura of age around the man that transcended physical appearances, and a shadow of a long past that dragged behind the steps of his feet.

“We might not be from the same Earth,” The Watcher admitted, finally taking the seat offered and turning back to Miguel. “I mean, have you read comic books? They have enough Earths to put wind and fire out of business.”

“What makes you think the Earth we're talking about is different?”

“Well, for starters, I'm a pretty awesome character in my world. If someone like you existed, I would know,” The Watcher bragged with a grin. He leaned back in his seat, “Have you seen me? I'm awesome, right?”

“I don't know if you're awesome or not. I just met you.” Even by his standard, Miguel thought the man was somewhat odd, and he had met many odd people in his life. He pushed to regain his composure. “But you're right. You're right. Chances are, you are not from the same Earth. Let's do a checklist. What year are you from.”

“Hah! I'm a time traveller. I come from wherever I want.”

Sceptical, Miguel leaned back in his seat. “You really are a chronomancer?”

“That's what I said out there, and that's what I'm sticking to in here.”

“What's the first rule of time travel?” From his knowledge, there was one rule that time travellers inherently knew. Like how pyromancers become resistant to heat, this was something instinctual and necessary for survival. “There's one rule all chronomancers abide by the moment they jump time. What is it?”

The Watcher folded his arms and raised a brow in suspicion. Without any joking tone, he answered, “I must never reveal the names I used before I started travelling. Otherwise, someone could go back and find who I was before, and collapse my entire timeline.”

“Hm...” The Grandmaster rubbed his chin in thought. “Interesting. All chronomancers seems to have the same answer. I should study more into this...” he trailed off.

The Watcher cleared his throat, bringing Miguel's attention back. “Checklist? Different Earth?”

“Right. Different Earth.” Miguel shook his head away from the train of thought. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask The Watcher, but he guessed most of them will have to wait until the situation has been discerned. “So, let's start with major events. Tabulate the timeline. World War Two victor?”

“Allied.”

“Okay. Albert Einstein?”

“E equals M-C square.”

“So far similar. How about something more recent? The twenty twenty-two climate crisis–”

“Woah, hang on,” The Watcher stopped him. “We didn't get that far. A giant portal to another universe appeared at the turn of the century, killed off eighty percent of the world's population, with the poison gas after that further pushing that number down. That's why I'm here in the first place. I want to figure out what's causing those portals.”

“Guess that settles that. But portals?” He knew of only two naturally occurring methods of crossing dimensions. Gates, and tears, which were physically unmistakable in name. “What did these 'portals' look like?”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The Watcher gestured with his hands, spinning them around as if he was caressing a ball. “Just a round, spinning, whirlpool of aeth–I mean, seither energy. And there's an upside-down image of a random location in the middle. Can be a swamp or a building, or a tree on a hill...”

The portal sounded nothing like the other methods of travels he knew of. Though they had some similarities, particularly in the distorted images, they did not resemble the gates or tears. There was only one logical conclusion. Either someone has created a new form of dimensional travel, or there's a new natural phenomenon happening. Given The Watcher's account, he was willing to bet it was the former.

The Enhancer stood to his feet and went to the workbench on the far end. He pulled open a drawer and took out a small, black leather box and returned to The Watcher.

The Watcher took a look at the box and asked, “Are you proposing? I'm flattered, but I'm already married.”

“You wanted a crystal, am I right?” The Watcher slowly stood up, another look of suspicion drew across his face. Miguel opened the box, revealing the content within. A single, clear coloured crystal no bigger than the size of the tip of their thumbs rest gently within. “This is a tier seven chrono crystal. The only chrono crystal in existence. I came to Eltar to use their batteries specifically for this purpose. A chronomancer friend of mine requested for it, but I think we can all agree you need it more.”

The traveller eyed the crystal, then switched his gaze to Miguel. “What's the catch?” But even as he said so with distrust, his hand reached for the jewel.

Miguel slapped the outreach hand away as one would do a child reaching for a jar of cookie. “Consider it a commission. If you really are investigating these 'portals', then on behalf of the Kingdom of Aleynonlia, and as Enhancer Council to the king, we are officially, interested.” He snapped the box shut and placed in on the nearest workbench. “Since I am here on an official pass, I can't do any investigating myself. If I were to find myself in any form of danger, I would not be able to fight back without it being a declaration of war.”

The Watcher laughed, “So you want me to be a spy? To poke the hornet's nest for you? And in return, I get the crystal?” Miguel nodded, and The Watcher snorted in derision. “How do I even know the crystal will even work? You said so yourself, there's only one of it, so I'm guessing that there's never been any test of quality.”

Miguel picked up one of the half-worked crystals from a workbench. He held it up to the light of the lamp, which flickered through the gem and danced off his face.

The Grandmaster asked, “I assume you know what magic circuits are?” He looked over to The Watcher who gave a quick nod. He continued his explanation, “Crystals are just that. They are magic circuits embedded into gems. The magic circuits within each mage is limited, and you can only have so many in your body. A crystal adds to that, like a magazine extension for a gun. It's guaranteed to work since all magic circuits convert seither into energy. The different elements just help to attune to the base elements of mages.”

“But my circuits aren't working,” The Watcher waved his hand in an exaggerated 'no'. “At least, not properly.”

“Seither is a little different from universe to universe. It's to accommodate to some physical differences within each plane. There are different names for it. Mana, fae energy, dark matter...”

The Watcher added, “Mist and aether?”

“Exactly,” Miguel confirmed. “But they are basically the same thing. It'll take some time before your body can properly convert seither on Tearha. It might be a few days, or even years, depending on your abilities. But for now, crystals will help provide a replacement source of energy for you. Think of it as a backup generator.”

The Watcher spread his arms wide acceptingly. “Okay then. What do I have to do?”

“Nothing. I just need to calibrate the crystal to your circuits.”

They were interrupted when a knock came from the door and Hilde's voice rang through. “Grandmaster, there's a lady here who is looking for The Watcher. She says they have to leave soon if they want to make it to the Titan Rangers and back by twilight.” There was a notable excitement in her voice at the notion of The Watcher leaving.

“Thank you, Hilde,” Miguel replied. To The Watcher, he asked, “Somewhere you need to be?”

“It's fine. I'll push it to tomorrow.”

“Don't worry about it. You don't need to be here for the calibration. You can go up to the Valley of Titans and by the time you're back, the crystal should be ready for you.” Miguel explained. He held his arm out. “I just need you to take off your coat and shirt, and give me your hand.”

The Watcher did as he was told, setting his clothes aside on the chair and putting his right hand in both of Miguel's. The Enhancer could not take his eye off the man's body. It was slightly toned and nothing special, save for the multiple bullet sized scars that littered his torso. At first count, there were at least two dozens, maybe more. It was a shivering sight. Unlike the cuts and rips made from blades and falls, or even normal bullet wounds that sometimes nicked and tore, the scars The Watcher had were all clean and perfectly rounded, as if someone had carefully seared the end of a pipe into his skin.

Kathleen's voice called out, “Watcher?” Miguel was pulled out of his fixation.

The Watcher yelled back, “Don't come in here! I'm naked!” His words were immediately followed by the sound of crashing metal and an agonized scream from Hilde.

The Enhancer's right forearm started to glow. Cyan lines of light pulsed brightly through the vein-like markings that appeared on the back of his hand. The pattern extended, the magic circuit moving up through his forearm, growing all the way to his shoulders, the circuits roughly divided into three sections at each joint of his arm – wrist and elbow.

Miguel briefed, “I'm going to send a pulse of energy to light up your circuits. I need to see what I'm working with.”

“Better make it a really big pulse.”

He sent the energy through. He felt as the power flowed from his arms and punched into The Watcher's hand. The Watcher's magic circuit lit up purple. But unlike Miguel's vein-shaped ones, his actually resembled a circuit. The pattern angled and turned sharply, the branches spreading at ninety and forty-five degree angles. Continuing to grow in a single, uninterrupted sequence, the light meandered its way up his arm, past his shoulder, joining up into a point as it triangulated above his heart.

Surprised, the Grandmaster Enhancer let out, “What in the world?”

The Watcher gripped Miguel by the wrist. Looking him straight in the eye, The Watcher said, “A little bit more.”

Miguel did as he was told, pushing another pulse into the body. He watched as the second wave relit the arm, moving blindingly up to the chest and to the heart only to spread further instead of stopping. Like an infection exploding from his heart, the light spread into countless more circuits. Up his neck and face. Down the body to his legs. Across the body to his other arm. The Watcher lit up like a phantom of the light.

He was the Grandmaster Enhancer. The best in his field between the two worlds of Tearha and Earth. He had seen a man with twelve sets of magic circuit that covered his upper torso. He married a woman whose circuits resided entirely in her eyes. Yet, he had never seen a magic circuit as astounding as The Watcher's.

“I can see you're confused,” The Watcher ginned, his teeth eerily reflecting the neon purple glow of the rest of his body. “See, I'm not a real 'mage',” he air quoted. He then pointed to the point of origin of the circuits at his heart. “Artificial. I'm a Hymn. H-Y-M-N. Humans-Yielding-Mutating-Nanites.”

The number of sets of circuits within an individual determined the adaptability of magic within a mage. The more sets a person has, the more varied tiered spells they could cast. The length of the circuits within each set determined how strong those spells could be. Despite having just one set of circuit, the sheer length of The Watcher's circuit convinced Miguel that if The Watcher ever had access to his full power, the man would be one of the strongest individual in all the universes, able to take a simple fireball spell and channel it to destroy the planet. Even with just a hint of chronomancy in him, The Watcher could use the most basic time manipulation spell to an unthinkable extreme. The man could have powers equal to a god.

“You...” Miguel huffed out, astonishment hiding his fears. “You're really a chronomancer.” He finally, fully believed.

The Watcher rolled his eyes, exasperated. “That's what I've been trying to tell everybody!”