Time Holders: The World of Balance

The students had slept like babies; even Alice, who usually sleepwalked, seemed to have been utterly exhausted.

By morning, the four of them woke up in silence. No one seemed eager to speak about what had happened yesterday, nor to think about today.

Nestled among rock and dirt, they lay in a hole in the ground. Resting on the same red mat Cedric had designed and used for their previous makeshift shelter.

”...Good morning,” Aiden said. ”I’ll go cook the meat from yesterday; can someone cover me?”

Although starting a fire wasn’t hard, they couldn’t be certain that the smoke and meat smell wouldn’t draw in any other beasts.

”I’ll go with you,” Alice replied, seemingly in a hurry. She then stood up and followed the boy, leaving Aldrus and Cedric behind.

”...”

”...”

”Good morning,” Cedric said.

”Good morning.”

A heavy silence hung over them both. They knew what happened yesterday wasn’t of further significance, but it still wasn’t easy for either of them to approach the other.

Have I ever had a discussion with a friend before? Aldrus thought to himself. He didn’t have many friends to begin with, so he wasn’t exactly sure.

Just as he was about to fall into those thoughts, the blond boy jolted him out of them by pulling out a small cube from his bag.

”T-That’s...”

”Yeah... After what happened, I think it’s about time we start thinking about how to recharge it.”

”Hmm. It can’t be too difficult, but since it doesn’t do anything on contact, perhaps all the holder needs to do is use their powers,” Aldrus suggested.

Cedric lowered his thoughtful gaze to the artifact resting in his hands, then said, ”...Aiden should take care of it for now. That’s okay with you, right?”

”...Yeah. That’s okay.”

***

A while later, the four sat in a circle, each eating their own portion of black wolf meat, and before long, Cedric spoke up.

”Well. As you know, things aren’t going well for us right now. If we want to survive, we need to take precautions,” he said, holding up the artifact for everyone to see. ”Aiden. I apologize for asking you this right after you were forced to do it nonstop, but we need you to start charging this thing. It could save us one of these days...”

Aiden blinked and cast a glance at Aldrus, who simply averted his gaze.

”Hmm. I see. Alright, then. I’ll do it, but just keep in mind I might not be able to do it all at once. That guy did say it’s almost fully recharged, but judging by the rank, I think it’ll take a couple of days before it’s ready...”

”Don’t worry,” Aldrus said. ”We can take turns as soon as I recover.”

”O-Okay...”

”Still,” Alice joined. ”Making use of the artifact is no guarantee of our survival. We can’t be complacent... It might not be what you want to hear, but I think we should take on more fights from now on.”

Aldrus choked on his food.

”Y-You have to be kidding! Do y—”

”Of course,” she cut him off. ”We should only do so against Yellow-class monsters.”

”Ah...”

Well, of course that’s what she meant.

”Uhm, I agree, but... isn’t it a bad idea to stray from our path to actively hunt them?” Aiden asked.

”No. A worse idea would be to hide until a low-rank beast kills us all,” Aldrus said.

”Sigh... I agree,” Cedric said. ”We’re not sure how long it will take to get to the city. If improving our offense can even slightly tilt the odds in our favor, I believe it is worth delaying an uncertain journey.”

Everyone reflected for a while; a careless decision here could end up meaning death.

”Well. If you guys think that’s for the best, I trust you,” Aiden said. ”Let’s just be careful and stay as close as possible to the intended route.”

The others nodded in understanding. It was settled—from that day forward, the four would prioritize their survival above all else, and in that treacherous paradise, taking on the role of hunters was their only viable option.

Aldrus, on the other hand, was more than just interested in becoming stronger; he wanted to rip those wretched creatures apart. He knew it wasn’t healthy or practical, let alone the wisest way to face danger, but the pain he’d felt just wouldn’t go away—it gradually turned into a primal rage.

Thus they made up their minds and began the preparations. The following days would surely feel like hell.

***

”Get down, Aiden!”

The silver-haired boy stiffened, having his side slashed by a black wolf’s claws.

”Grrghh!”

He leaped back right away and kicked the monster on its snout as it got near. Then a sharp squish sound accompanied Cedric’s spear motion, delving deep into the creature’s neck.

”Cedric, behind!” Alice warned, surrounded by two more wolves from the pack.

The blond boy turned just in time to see another jaw threatening to rip out his neck.

”D-Dam—”

[Freeze].

Aldrus charged in like a lightning strike, landing his knee on the monster’s skull and smashing it onto the ground.

As soon as the scarlet liquid followed a crack sound, Aldrus turned to Aiden, threw his dagger, and motioned him to Alice.

The silver-haired boy nodded before disappearing from view. He was by the girl’s side before anyone noticed, and he used his speed to his advantage, kicking the ground and flipping back, slashing one of the dogs’ throats in a single movement.

Alice dashed forward and shattered the remnant beast’s fangs with her sword. Then, without missing a beat, she swung the blade backward and beheaded the monster in one clear motion, ending the fight.

For a brief moment, the world fell silent, but reality soon caught up with the fight, sending gusts of wind in all directions.

”Huff... Hahh... How the fuck are these dogs so tough? They’re mere Yellow-class!” Cedric said.

Aldrus groaned and dabbed at his forehead to clear some sweat. ”It doesn’t matter; we’re getting better.”

They beheld the desolate afternoon expanse, where glimmering blades of grass lay stained with blood and rotten flesh.

Aiden sank to the ground. ”Yeah... Yes, we are.”