Chapter 16: chapter 16: going back in time
The weight of the object I found inside the golem was a constant reminder of my victory as I staggered through the now silent chamber. The door loomed ahead, and with each step, the passage of time seemed more and more surreal. How many years had it been? Ten, twenty, thirty, forty? The exact number eluded me, lost in the fog of endless days in this hellish temple.
"Fuck this," I muttered, my voice echoing slightly in the empty space as I moved forward, steeling myself for whatever lay beyond the door.
The voice returned, clearer now than it had ever been.
"You're almost here."
It was almost a plea, a desperate whisper that tugged at something deep within me.
"Please help me."
The words sent a chill down my spine as I entered a hidden room within the temple. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing along the ancient stone walls. In the center stood a sealed coffin, positioned upright. Its surface was intricately carved with symbols and runes that glowed faintly, casting eerie patterns around the room. How had I not noticed it before?
"PLEASE SAVE US, SAVE ME."
The voice's urgency increased, reverberating through the chamber. The distinction between 'us' and 'me' was unsettling, as if multiple entities were trapped within the same vessel.
Orion:Us or me, pick one
I whispered to myself, trying to make sense of it all.
"SAVE USSSS!"
The voice screamed louder, almost deafening. My gaze locked onto a peculiar keyhole at the base of the coffin. With a resigned sigh, I approached it.
Orion:Well, time to get this shit over with
I muttered.
Inserting the object I had taken from the golem into the keyhole, I felt a series of mechanical clicks and clanks as the coffin began to shatter into pieces. The sounds echoed through the chamber, each fragment falling away to reveal what was hidden within.
As the last piece fell away, a figure emerged. To my utter confusion, it was a woman—or rather, a lolli. She had striking red eyes, silver hair, and beautiful runic tattoos adorning her body. An eye in the middle of her forehead and two horns added to her otherworldly appearance. She seemed weak, her body trembling slightly as she rested against me for support.
Before I could react, she pressed her lips to mine in a soft kiss. I pulled back, stunned.
Orion:AYO WHAT THE HELL!
Her eyes fluttered open, and she gazed at me with a mixture of relief and gratitude.
Gorudia:You saved me. My name is Gorudia.
I stood there, speechless, struggling to process everything.
Orion:Yeah, I did. My name is Ori...o...
Girl:Orion Ironclad, right?
she interrupted, her voice soft yet firm.
I nodded, still trying to wrap my mind around the situation. She straightened up, her strength seemingly returning.
Gorudia:Born without the ability to use your family's unique skill known as complete metal control. Born in a world filled with monsters that came out of a portal. You were a scientist who created revolutionary technology to properly scan the abilities of not just people but also monsters, only to have your girlfriend and her family steal it completely and kick you out of it.
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. I gritted my teeth, tears welling up as the painful memories resurfaced. She knew everything.
Gorudia:And then they tricked you into coming to this planet filled with natural resources, not knowing it was a trap to leave you here to die
she continued.
I was beyond pissed. My fists clenched, knuckles white with rage.
Orion:How do you know all this?
I demanded, my voice a low growl.
Gorudia looked at me with a mixture of sadness and understanding.
Gorudia:I was connected to this temple, bound to its knowledge and its prisoners. I've seen many souls come and go, but your story stood out. Your determination, your suffering. It resonated with me.
Orion:Resonated with you?!
I spat, anger boiling over.
Orion:you think you can just empathize with me and that makes everything okay? Do you have any idea what I've been through? The betrayals, the loneliness, the endless fights for survival?
She remained calm, her red eyes unwavering.
Gorudia:I do, Orion. More than you know. This temple was built to house not just resources but the souls of those who could harness them. I was one such soul, bound here for centuries. I felt your pain because it mirrored my own.
I took a step back, trying to process her words.
Orion:Bound here for centuries? What are you?
Gorudia:I am an ancient being, once revered, now forgotten. My power was seen as a threat, and so I was imprisoned. But in you, I see a chance for redemption, for both of us. Together, we can reclaim what was taken from us.
I shook my head, skepticism clear on my face.
Orion:And why should I trust you? Why should I believe anything you say?
"Because," she said, her voice softening,
Gorudia:I have no reason to lie. You freed me when you could have left me to rot. You have the strength and the will to face what comes next, and I have the knowledge and the power to help you.
I clenched my jaw, torn between my anger and the flicker of hope her words ignited.
Orion:What do you want from me, Gorudia?
"Only your trust," she replied.
Gorudia:Together, we can escape this planet, confront those who wronged you, and reclaim your legacy.
I looked into her eyes, searching for any sign of deceit. But all I saw was sincerity and a reflection of my own pain. "Alright," I said finally.
Orion:But if you betray me, I'll make sure you regret it.
She smiled, a faint, almost sad smile.
Gorudia:I wouldn't dream of it, Orion.
I looked around the room, catching sight of a mirror on the far wall. Reflected back at me was a man I barely recognized. Fifty years. I had been here for over fifty years. When I first arrived, I was just a seventeen-year-old kid, naive and full of hope. Now, staring back at me was a man with a rugged, muscular form, forged by countless battles and endless survival. My Brown hair, once a youthful mop, was now a silver mane, streaked with the passage of time. My face was lined with deep-set wrinkles, scars crisscrossing my skin, each one telling a story of pain and endurance. My eyes, though still sharp, carried the weight of decades of hardship.
I missed so many things from home, the simple pleasures of life. But after so many years, it was all a distant memory, blurred and faded by the relentless march of time.
Gorudia's small hands gently cupped my face, pulling me from my reverie. She smiled softly before leaning in and kissing me. A warmth spread through my body, and I felt my injuries healing, my strength returning.
Gorudia:Do you wish to go back?
she asked, her voice soft yet insistent.
I laughed bitterly.
Orion: Earth? What's the point? I would have been long forgotten by now.
She shook her head, her eyes glinting with determination.
Gorudia:No, I mean go back to before all this even started.
I laughed again, but this time it was tinged with sorrow.
Orion:I... I don't know.
Gorudia giggled softly, her laughter like a soothing balm to my weary soul. She took my hand and, with a gentle tug, teleported us to another room.
There, she used a scanner similar to the one I had developed so long ago. The device hummed to life, its screen flickering as it scanned my body. The results flashed before my eyes: my name, my skills, everything I had become over the years. I didn't have much in terms of battle skills, having only trained my physical body. But there was one thing I had mastered—my aura.
The stats displayed on the screen were immense:
- **Name:** Orion "Ironclad"
- **Age:** 57
- **Physical Strength: 1500
- **Endurance: 800
- **Agility:950
- **Aura Mastery:** 1000
- **Combat Skills:** 700
- **Mental Resilience:** 934
Gorudia looked at the data, her eyes widening slightly. "How come...?"
She turned to face the room, her expression serious.
Gorudia:You should be able to actually go back in time.
I stared at her, disbelief warring with a flicker of hope.
Orion:What are you talking about?
She began to explain, her voice calm and measured.
Gorudia:The temple has garnered immense energy over the past several millennia. My ability is time manipulation. I can access that energy and send you back, even to a time before all this started.
"But why?" I asked, my voice hoarse with emotion.
Orion:Why are you willing to go this far for me?
Gorudia's eyes softened, and she stepped closer, placing a hand on my chest.
Gorudia:Because, Orion, I see a kindred spirit in you. Someone who has been wronged, who has suffered immensely, yet still holds onto a glimmer of hope. You saved me when you could have left me to rot. You have a good heart, and I want to give you a chance to reclaim what was stolen from you.
I felt tears welling up, the weight of her words pressing down on me.
Orion:But what if I fail again? What if I can't change anything?
She smiled gently, brushing a tear from my cheek.
Orion:You won't be alone this time. I will be with you, guiding you. Together, we can rewrite your past, and forge a new future.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "Alright," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
Orion:I'll do it. I'll go back.
Gorudia nodded, her eyes shining with determination.
Gorudia:Good. Now, hold still.
She raised her hands, and the air around us began to shimmer with energy. The walls of the temple seemed to hum with power as she channeled the immense energy stored within. The runes on her body glowed brightly, and the third eye on her forehead opened, revealing a swirling vortex of light.
Gorudia:Focus on the moment you want to return to
she instructed.
Gorudia:Picture it clearly in your mind.
I closed my eyes, my thoughts racing back to that fateful day when my life was torn apart. The betrayal, the pain, the desperation. I could see it all so clearly, as if it were happening all over again.
"Good," Gorudia's voice echoed in my mind.
Gorudia:Now, let the energy flow through you. Embrace it.
I felt a surge of power, coursing through my veins like liquid fire. The world around me began to blur, and I felt myself being pulled backwards, through the fabric of time itself.
As the vortex of light enveloped me, I heard Gorudia's voice one last time.
Gorudia:Remember, Orion, you are not alone. We will face this together.
With a final burst of energy, the world around me dissolved into darkness. And then, I was falling, tumbling through the void, hurtling towards a new beginning.
The past, the future, everything blurred together in a maelstrom of light and sound. And then, with a blinding flash, I landed back in my seventeen-year-old body, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.
This was my chance. My chance to right the wrongs, to reclaim my life, and to forge a new destiny.
And I would not fail.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone