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Charles's POV
Opening my eyes, I found myself in that same tunnel, lost in time and space. It was dark and cold except for a tinge of purple light, far away in the forward direction. And I knew what laid at the core of that light: malevolence.
The last I remember, I was dragged by Kaizer to the Farcaster, driving at Mach 12, to save Alyssa and Ice-Queen. But, I knew there was nothing that I could do. Their death was inevitable.
The eerie roar reverberated throughout the tunnel, and this time I was prepared to handle its intensity, yet it damaged my eardrums. A strong stinging pain set in, which decapacitated me. But, my ears' pain seemed insignificant compared to my heart's cry. Tears welled up my eyes, as I recollected the days I spent with her. She was my first love and the first person to support me wholeheartedly. And yet, when the time came, there was nothing I could do for her.
It was impossible to reach her, now that she started reversing time. For anyone who entered her time-reversal radius, would just end up reversing their actions. The only object that could reach her was those tachyons, which intended to drill holes in her body.
I heard cries of help and remorse, as I stood here amidst this darkness. The cries were obnoxious and loud, but they weren't of anyone I knew. These were all people who lived here, in this darkness that existed beyond our world. My heart stopped as their pain became one with me. Unable to comprehend the meaning of their existence, I stood there, oblivious to the danger that approached me.
His words were damaging my soul and eating it from within. The infinite information which flowed through KALI was blinding my brain, hurting it, and destroying me. I was losing my sanity and everything else that made me human. Why? Why did I have to go through all this? What did I do wrong?
Just moments before I lost my mind, I remembered the advice, the young Oracle gave, back when I first met her.
I shut my eyes and plugged my bloody ears; clenched my mouth tight and isolated myself from all senses. The information I received was too much, I had to water it down. And, like a miracle, it actually worked. The pain I received, had exponentially decreased. My heart calmed and my breath steadied.
--Evolution--
His words still were painful, but I could handle it better now. Something changed within me, as now I was capable of comprehending a part of the information that flooded me. Somehow, his presence and existence deeply resonated with mine, as if I knew him already, a long time back perhaps?
--Evolution--
My mind became clearer and perceptive and now I knew who KALI was. He was God, the almighty creator, or at least that's what he pretended to be. Why would God be so malevolent? It made no sense. His existence was comparable to that of the legendary Dragons, perhaps the strongest of them all.
I wasn't sure how I knew all these, but the information just flowed into me from him. I was like a vessel of sorts?
There was still a lot within him, which I couldn't comprehend. After all, there was so little a human brain could handle. Information, perhaps, that was key to saving Alyssa.
His words created a sense of fear within me. This fear was unlike any that I felt before, it wasn't the fear of death or the fear of the unknown. This was the fear of God that arose within me.
My right elbow burned with pain, reminding me of the seal's existence. The seal was KALI's marking on my body. It was the embodiment of the bond that existed between him and me, and it is this seal that will help me save Alyssa.
I am still unsure how all of this is connected to the Oracle's curse I received. But, one thing was for sure, there was no path, out of this twisted fate that was ahead of me. Within the abundant information, laid the foundation of this Universe. It was early for me to handle all that, but understanding just a part of it enlightened me.
As Ironic as it was, this malevolence that stood before me, gave me the hope and way to save Alyssa. And for her sake, it was worth risking everything. To change that one woman's fate, I could even give my life without regrets.
"KALI. I, Charles Vi Bezereth, do solemnly swear, that I will hereby be your slave, and you shall do with me as you please. In exchange, let me use you!" I gave my oath.
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29 seconds passed, 7:25 am, 49 seconds
"Time dilation." Kaizer successfully activated his tic and time was about to slow down in our vicinity.
"God's time minor, Time-reverse." Alyssa used her tic and time was about to reverse in our vicinity.
In the nick of time, I imagined the image of KALI. It sent shocks of pain through my spine, but, I kept visualizing it. Then, I visualized the power from the Dragon-seal, flowing into my entire body. The Seal activated; it was glowing black and sending shockwaves throughout the atmosphere, and finally, all that painstaking knowledge I received from KALI was helping. As I was about to become one with his powers. I could hardly maintain that state for a few seconds, but that was all I needed.
Somehow, these powers deeply resonated within me, giving me a sense of nostalgia.
[Dragon ability: Omni-Negation and Omni-Potence!]
And with that, I was immune to all possible tics or magic, and I had the power to destroy anything that stood my way.
Alyssa's POV
I closed my eyes and prepared to die. My heart was fluttering with adrenal hormones, beating out of my chest; my temple was sweating, dripping down my nose; my palm was trembling, in a hurry to cancel the time-reversal. A part of me was horrified at the thought of death; a part of me was sad, as I won't be there for my people; a part of me was excited, I wished to experience death.
This trap was impossible to get away from and whoever planned it was a genius. Their whole plan was centered around countering our Time-reversals: a counter trap plan. In the past, their invasions never worked because my mother would always reverse time, then be prepared for what was coming, and trap them.
But now, our tics itself would be our death. These tachyon bullets which lurked in our atmosphere would pursue us to death, the moment we start reversing time. And no one could save us, for anyone attempting to enter our radius, would simply reverse their actions out of it.
[So tachyons are my natural enemy? I wish, I knew that earlier.]
They swam towards me. Like a shark in a large ocean, their target was dead set and there was nothing that could stop them, they were faster than light and were seeking me! Like iron attracted towards a magnet, these bullets rushed towards me. Shocks of fear and regret traversed my spine, as I anticipated the painful death that awaited me.
As I lost all my hopes, another object entered my radius of time reversal, and unlike my expectations, swam straight towards me, ignoring all laws of time. An object which was far-far larger than those bullets, an objectâ no, a living being whom I was quite familiar with.
7:25 am 48 seconds
[Charles!? How-âWhen?â]
At first, it didn't seem like Charles, it was something evil and out of this world. But soon it was clear who he was: Charles had transformed into a new form. His iris were dark red with sclera painted black; he had black wings sprouted out from his back, and his skin was glowing with a black aura; radiating shockwaves that negated all waves of time! He was a beast in heat, enraged with the intent to kill. Watching him gave me a sense of fear. This fear was unlike any other: comparable to the fear of Gods or Devils perhaps?
He wasn't looking at me, even though he rushed towards me. His eyes stared into a dimension separate from us: a dimension beyond us. With his every glance, I felt my soul ache with pain. Somehow, this created a sense of nostalgia within me, that I couldn't comprehend. I wished to get close to his form and get eloped by its malicious aura.
Surprised by his speed, I realized, Kaizer had activated his time dilation. And Charles was resisting that as well, practically giving him far greater speed than anyone else, while the tachyons got affected by the dilation.
[Is this some sort of ultimate form of Augmenton? Or maybe he had another tic? Is this even a tic, in the first place?? I don't understand! Charlesâ Who in the world are you?]
7:25 am, 47 seconds
The tachyons shot through the air with supersonic sound and superluminal aura, they were close and my heart was at its limit. But before the tachyons attacked me, Charles made his entry. He crashed onto the ground right before me; his augmented legs gravely injured from the impact! Blood and bone splattered, as he adjusted to the ground's firm surface.
The impact caused a large sound and destroyed the immediate ground. Dust was all around me in a beautiful synergy with his black aura that intensified the closer he was. The fizz of electricity in his aura stung me.
[ [ [ What the hell!!? ] ] ]
The more I thought about it the more it startled me. What occurred before me, was impossible for any human. And yet he did it.
He pulled back his right arm and shifted his center of gravity for some fight stance. Closing his fist tight, he accumulated incredible amounts of the black aura in his fist.
"Who the hell do you think I am? I am Charles Vi Bezereth. The next in line to the throne of Bezereck, son of Azmuth! Don't you all dare... don't you all dare underestimate me!" he screamed.
Those words brought a drop of tears from my eyes and gave my chest a warm feeling. They revitalized my energy and gave me encouragement. I smiled.
[Charles, you idiot~]
He punched the space before him with incredible momentum, towards the tachyons that flew towards us. The sheer power of that punch destroyed everything that stood before him: the tachyons, ground, stadium, buildings. Its reach was immeasurable. It was as if he forced my fate itself to retreat and created a new destiny: one different from what the Oracles predicted.
[What a ridiculous power!]
My eyes dilated, and with a dropped jaw my heart raced. I was startled beyond belief.
His recoil shockwaves were tremendous and in a flash, my time-reversal broke.
*7:25 am 48 seconds*
I was blown away from the recoil shockwaves, and about to crash to the other end of the ground. But, Kaizer caught me mid-air and proceeded to safety. A bombardment of the remaining bullets occurred onto where Charles was standing. It created a chain of metallic sounds mixed with a supersonic boom, continuously hitting the ground where I was supposed to stand! Destroying and uprooting it.
My eyes swelled with tears and my heart stopped, witnessing the tragedy. I shook off Kaizer's hold and ran to his side; with each step, my anxiety increasing. My whole body hurt, but none of it mattered now. Kaizer caught me again, preventing me from reaching Charles.
I gave out a cry of despair and collapsed on the ground, as I realized I lost two of my precious bonds on the day I became the Ice-Queen.