Time Holders: The World of Balance

”Wait! When did you pick this up?!” Aldrus asked, surprised.

”Uh... right when that guy threw you through the ceiling of the underground. Before I followed you down, I just... I just grabbed it,” the blond boy said.

Everyone fell silent, trying to gather their thoughts.

Finally, Aiden spoke up. ”I-I’m not sure that was a good idea, Cedric... What if they have a way to track it? Plus, we don’t even know how it works, and it’s still not fully recharged...”

Cedric frowned. ”That’s... I mean, you’re right. But think about it! If we could use it, even just once... it might save our lives! Damn it... I just—I don’t know. It’s true that I stole it without thinking, but given our situation... don’t you think we’re better off keeping it?”

The silver-haired boy grimaced. Cedric had a point, but if there was even the slightest chance the artifact could give away their location, the risks definitely far outweighed the rewards.

The rest of the group pondered in the brief silence until Alice spoke up. ”...I think we should keep it,” she said flatly.

The other three turned to look at her.

”Um... care to share your reasoning, Alice?” Aiden asked.

The blonde girl nodded, cleared her throat, and explained, ”For starters, I think the chances of it being harmful are near zero. We understand its capabilities and limitations to some extent. The fact that it possesses such an incredible effect while maintaining balance through limited use most likely means that’s all it can do. Even if it is third-rank.”

Hmm...

The girl made sense. No matter the rank, it was highly unlikely for an object that powerful to have multiple effects. If an artifact possessed two or three different spells, each one would inevitably be weaker than another of the same rank with a single, dedicated purpose.

”But more than that... without it, we’re already dead,” Alice added. ”We need to take advantage of every resource we have right now. Even if it does reveal our position, it doesn’t really matter—we’re bound to die anyway, either by their hands or by the dangers of this land.”

Aldrus listened to her explanation with a heavy heart. He knew she was right, but he hated to admit it. Unlike the other three, he had only just woken up; his mind hadn’t had enough time to organize his thoughts.

”I agree,” Aldrus said. ”However, we should still lie low here for a while. Learn more about it, make a plan, and prepare...” he proposed, setting his mug down on the mat.

The others nodded in agreement.

”Yeah, plus you and Aiden need to heal as much as possible before we move out,” Cedric said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ”We need to be at full strength... and have the gods’ blessing if we want to live.”

Say less...

”W-Well, if you put it that way... I guess Alice is right. Let’s just... hope that thing really doesn’t have any hidden features,” the silver-haired boy added.

Yeah... let’s hope so.

Everyone forced a smile, knowing damn well what kind of hell awaited them ahead.

Oh, that’s right. ”Well... for now, I wanted to ask you guys,” Aldrus said abruptly, desperate to change the subject. ”...Where can I wash up?”

***

Hahhh...

Before long, the other two boys led Aldrus to the nearby river outside. He had been sweating, bleeding, and hurting for nearly six days straight. A bath was long overdue.

Aiden and Cedric joined him in the water, having just returned from their hunt.

”Man, this is paradise!” the blond boy exclaimed, overjoyed by the cool shock of the water.

”It sure is...” Aiden agreed, though his voice lacked conviction.

”...”

Paradise, huh.

Aldrus’s silence instantly cast a chill over the atmosphere. He didn’t mean to ruin the mood, but right now he had a lot on his mind.

I really killed him... he thought, his trembling hands under the water. Everything had happened so fast that he hadn’t even had time to think about his actions. He had taken a life. A human life.

Granted, the jailer was scum, and playing nice hadn’t been an option whatsoever. It also wasn’t murder in the truest sense of the word; their clash had simply resulted in the man’s death. It was inevitable, or at least, that’s what he wanted to believe.

Still... it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The boy remembered his recent dream, or rather, the lingering dread it left behind. It was a sense of guilt so immense that the reality of having blood on his hands paled in comparison.

Just what the hell were those nightmares? Why was his Perspective so unusual? Why was it that even Sir Ludwig couldn’t suppress whatever was hiding inside him? Did Ludwig even care about him? The man hadn’t seemed particularly shaken by the sight of something beyond himself; at least that was the impression Aldrus got.

The mounting questions threatened to chip away at his sanity, but then again, the worst was yet to come: the very ’paradise’ he was currently in.

Such a place... It was obvious. They were somewhere far beyond the city. Who knew if they even were within the borders of the nation anymore? Or worse still...

What if they were lost beyond the continent?

No... that couldn’t be. Not like this.

His dream had always been to explore it—this beautiful world he had been granted. The world that had stripped away everything beyond his tiny patch of land. Everything he had done up to this point was for the chance to see it with his own eyes.

He wanted to know. To know the truth.

What was out there? Was everyone else truly dead? What were the fragments? Why did The Guardians protect the world domains, and what exactly lay inside them?

Agh! Damn it! Stop! Here I go again, overthinking everything.

The boy shook his head vigorously. He couldn’t afford to lose focus; none of these questions would matter if he died here. He could worry about the jailer, his powers, and the secrets of the world later. For now, a single desire burned fiercely in his heart.

I’ll go back. I’ll come back, Mom. Claire. Lugh.

I’m sorry. I promise I’ll never brush you off again. I’ll tell you everything, Mother. I’ll answer your calls, sis. I’ll tell you stories myself, brother.

...Just wait for me. I swear I’ll find my way back to you.