Book 3: Bonus Chapter 1
It’s a Wonderful Life, Until It’s Not
Wizard Kyle Goldman (14th Universe)
My first lifetime was perfect. I remember it clearly; I fell in love with the girl of my dreams. We pair bonded almost immediately. That’s right the first pair of humans ever, we pair bonded. Of course, our achievements were overshadowed by me. I mean if I am going to lose to someone, I would rather it be me. Well, me on steroids.
The me that came here, the one that turned this whole universe on its head, he was amazing. A Psionic, not just a psychic. He was buff, could play the violin. He had glowing eyes and hair. Basically, he was the exact personification of everything my Jess would want, but she still chose me. Or rather she chose to stay with me. This was good, as I had no chance of competing against the other me. Fortunately, he too pair bonded with Rayquel, the Iron Butterfly, an Endarian with wings.
Freaking crazy right?
Then the pair go on a fabled run to the Gemini Temple, but due to some sort of heroics, alternate me gets to go in, with Rayquel, early.
Jess and I too got a chance to go. At least we were slated to go at the start of the new year. The only problem was something happened. Two weeks before we were supposed to go in, time stopped for a second, before it rewound around me. One second, I was moving forward, minding my own business. Then the next second I was hurdled back in time.
The only thing was, I wasn’t the only one. Jess, the girl of my dreams, and the girl I was pair bonded to, was also rewound with me. It turns out we were the only two, as no one else from our class remembered the incident. They remembered their psychic powers, but of everyone, only Jess and I remembered our time in the future. We made notes, compared time, and realized that we weren’t going to waste this extra time we had been given.
It was basically a perfect restart to a new life. I was there with the woman of my dreams, we both had four new psychic powers, and set to engage immediately. From our point of view why waste a second chance. We had known each other for eight months at that point, but to everyone else it only seemed like two months.
My parents of course thought I was moving too quickly, so they sent my brother to talk to Jess and Me. That was when things started to go downhill.
For whatever reason, Jess grew distant, then she grew mean. Then she went for my brother. This time I noticed other things had also changed. For starters, crazy good looking me never showed. This was both a blessing and a curse, as I think he had something to do with my brother avoiding Jess and me the first time. Then there was General Tigran, she had scars on her arms, scars that I don’t remember from the first timeline.
Still things went on, Jess and I were still pair bonded. I could feel her soul within me turning and crying out in pain, but when I confronted her about it, she always denied it. Well, she and her new boyfriend, my brother. Then I swear at one point my brother used Mind Control on me. Not empathy, or his other powers that he is listed as having. But he used Mind Control, blatantly too. If it wasn’t for my recently awakened Mind Shield power, I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. That was when I decided to watch him.
I stalked him and Jess. I know. I know how it sounds, even now it sounds like I was the crazy vengeful stalker ex, but I had a good reason. My brother was a mind Rapist. I had proof, or at least I did in the second timeline. Just when I was going to take everything public, when I was going to shut him down and get my brother locked away and Jess the help she needed. The world that had been hurtling forward stopped with a sudden jolt.
Then just like before, time unwound. We had only been in this new timeline for just under two months and it already restarted.
“GAHH!!” I cursed, as I saw the time around me unwind. I saw the exact moment, or rather moments my brother Mind Controlled Jess. I saw them all, then realized I could stop them this time. There was just one problem to my plan.
The minute time stopped, I ran to Jess, but she had a blank look on her face. I could feel her soul still within mine, still calling out for help, but her mind was locked in a prison.
She went into a coma.
I asked General Sharma about it. I even broached the idea of her being mind controlled, and then the mind rapist dying. I hadn’t of course. Though I was extremely tempted to kill my brother, if I thought it would help for even a second.
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But the General shot that idea down. Instead, since we were both Pair bonded, the General called in General Tigran. Tigran for her part looked even worse. The scars that were barely visible before now spread to cover more of her body. She looked at me, then almost nodded in confirmation.
“Let me speak to the boy alone.” General Tigran said, gesturing for General Sharma and others to leave the hospital room where Jess was being held.
Once everyone was away and it was just the General, Jess, and me, Tigran gave me a look.
“I will answer any questions about this. In exchange, you must promise not to ask about my scars, or anything else. If you, and only if you agree to these terms, will I help you.”
With that one statement, she all but admitted she remembered me from the last time loop, likely more. I wanted to ask her a question, so many questions, but I couldn’t help but take her up on her offer.
“Okay.” I finally answered.
She paused, her ethereally beautiful space elf eyes staring deeply into me. I would have been attracted to a gaze once upon a time, but that was before Jess. Before my soul chose her. Before my soul was forced into this condition. Seeing an answer to her unspoken question, she nodded sagely. Before she gave me the answer I had been seeking.
“Very well. You remember the Psionic Kyle Goldman-X? The more muscular, powerful, and experienced version…”
“Yeah, I know. He was perfect and I’m not. I got it. Yes, I know who you are talking about.” I answer.
“Shish, touchy, touchy.” She admitted, then continued. “As you know he unlocked the advanced Psionic power Mind Heal, while I cannot guarantee it could fix this. I know he is likely the only one capable of fixing this.”
“Is he back?” I ask, looking around, wondering if he is going to magically jump out and play the violin version of It’s a Wonderful Life.
“No. He is back in his home universe.” General Tigran said.
“Okay, do you have a way to get there?” I asked.
General Tigran shook her head. “No. I do not.”
I was about to scream in anger at her wasting my time, before she continued in her slow-paced way. “But you do, Wizard of both Portal and Time magic.”
I paused, for a second, then stared at her like she was crazy. I then ask, “How am I going to create a Portal to a different universe?”
“Simple. You reverse engineer these, until you find the way to his home universe. Then we grab him for ourselves.” General Tigran said, as she spoke, she slid over two pieces of parchment that looked a lot like Portal glyphs. The only thing was the destination points were very complex and intricate.
“Where did you get these?” I ask.
General Tigran paused and let a faint smile form on her lips. “When the alternate version of you came here, he left those. He then gave those to Professor Astra, who then gave a copy to both Rayquel and me.” A slight pause. “She is another one you might want to seek out in helping you get to the other Kyle Goldman-X, as well.”
“Professor Astra?”
“No, well yes. It would work to keep her for a mentor. But Rayquel as well. Just as you still feel the bond to Jess, so too does she still feel the pair bond to you. Well, the alternate universe’s version of you.” General Tigran said.
At this my ears perked up. “You knew, not only that, but you knew others and you kept them from me?” I ask, rage nearly taking over.
“Tut, tut, tut. You do remember your word. You do not ask about what happened before this. Instead, you find a way to get to Kyle Goldman-X, and I can die happy.” General Tigran said, her body suddenly looking a lot weaker than previously.
“Why? Why do you want us to get to Kyle Goldman-X?” I ask.
She pauses, but then seems to think about it for a second. “He has found a way to do something truly impressive. You remember the Prolaxian Infiltrators, the ones from the first timeline?”
I nod.
“Remember how they suddenly appeared, at the start of last timeline without their shells. That lead to a whole long fight where the first world tree died?” She asked.
I of course I remembered the tree had died twice. “Yeah, what of it? Were you able to fight them off faster this time?” I asked.
Tigran just shook her head. “No, this time they were dead. I think they are permanently deceased this time. I looked into the void of possible futures, and found a vision of him. I think he has found a way to permanently destroy the exposed Prolaxian infiltrators.” General Tigran said.
That was something big. Especially if time kept resetting itself.
“Do you have a plan? Or a way to expose the other Prolaxians?” I ask.
The General just nodded weakly. “I have a plan. It will likely mean the death of me, but I am okay with that being the case. So long as it means this universe is clear of those other monsters.” General Tigran said.
I could see the look of resolve in her eyes. I also couldn’t help but feel how petty my own goals were in comparison to her own. My goals were straight forward. Go find the guy so he could heal my Jess, a woman that he clearly had an emotional attachment too. Looking back on it, I wonder if he had his own Jess in his universe. If so, then suddenly his words made so much more sense. He had warned me that I was about to ruin my chances, and I was. Had I not taken his warning to heart right then and there, I would have ruined that first timeline with my own petty insecurities.
Of course, that came back to bite me on the next two timelines as I tried to be more secure in my feelings for Jess, and her feelings for me. Never did I expect my brother to be a mind rapist. I would kill him, right here and now, if it meant I could get my Jess back. The only problem, that would likely cause more problems. At least that is what General Tigran said.
So far, I only have one chance to save Jess, the girl of my dreams. Sad part is it is me. Or rather an egotistical asshole version of me that is more powerful, more skilled, and better looking. You know, I can see why he was egotistical, I likely would be the same way if I was him looking down at me.
Then a question fills my lips. “Will he even remember me? Of this universe?” I ask.
Tigran for her part, pauses, then smiles faintly. “He too was pair bonded, meaning at the very least he should remember from the same point in time as we do.”
With that, the wise and clearly diminished Endarian Oracle left the hospital room.
I sat there in contemplative silence, staring at Jess. Her mind was blank, well not blank, but locked down. In older operating systems, the condition her mind was in is like what would be called bricked. Her mind was stuck in an infinite booting loop but couldn’t find the correct processes to help break. Meanwhile her soul all but screamed at me to help.
Touching my chest, just to the right of my heart, I felt her soul pulsing. Letting me know it was still there, that she was still there. That she still cared deeply for me.
With that, I had been given the resources needed to succeed. I had the glyphs, I had the mentor, and I had the Iron Butterfly. I was ready to find the asshole version of myself and drag him here by his butterfly tramp stamp if necessary. I even made a promise that if he helped recover Jess’ mind that I would never mock his personal tattooing preferences again.