章 88: Chapter 88:Thread cutter : BY MY WILL

"Okay, first off, Lilith is the one with the most battle experience amongst us, so she should lead our training sessions from now on. Does anyone have a problem with that?" Komoni asked after assessing their strengths and weaknesses. "What the hell is going on?" Timothy's voice was almost like a whisper, but everybody heard it.

"Excuse me?" Komoni asked, glaring at Timothy. After taking in his expression, her features softened. "Hey, what's wrong?" Tears streamed down Timothy's face as he succumbed to an overwhelming wave of sorrow, his sobs echoing through the silent air.

The whole group surrounded him, the pain and confusion clearly visible, and the sound of his sobbing broke their hearts. Still, nobody knew what was troubling him. Timothy's thoughts were a mess; he was sure he had seen all of them dead, along with the rest of the citizens of District 8. Komoni instructed Ver to fetch the adults. It didn't take long for Lenard to arrive, followed by Elaine and Finn, who now had a concerned look on his face. Timothy was now kneeling down with Komoni rubbing his back, trying to comfort him. His thoughts were a mess, and he tried to tell himself that it was just a vision or maybe... maybe it's my fear. But why? I never felt fear or caution for this wedding, he thought to himself in the middle of his sobs.

Lenard approached him and asked, "Timothy, what is wrong?" but got no response. Asking again, he still got no response. Crouching next to him, Lenard placed a hand on Timothy's forehead before he began reciting, "The mind, endless and vast, bearer of secrets, recorder of the unseen, guide me to the source of his anguish, let me feel what he feels, through the eye of BORO."

White light shone from Timothy's eyes, and the same happened to Lenard. The rest of the group silently stared at the two until one of them with an envious gaze murmured, "Being a rune poet is so cool."

Everyone heard him, and they all silently agreed, but their eyes were still on the two. As Lenard delved deeper into Timothy's memories, a foreboding sense of uncertainty lingered, hinting at revelations yet to unfold. In front of Lenard was a vast space with different doors, all leading to different memories of Timothy. But beyond all the doors stood one with black vines covering it and a faint silhouette of a person leaning on the door. A path appeared in front of Lenard, leading directly to the door with black vines. Lenard quickly arrived in front of the door and could now clearly see who it was leaning on the door. "Greetings, Master Lenard," the voice was similar to Timothy's but detached, indicating it wasn't. It was the physical manifestation of Timothy's consciousness, but why was it so cold?

Lenard quietly took in the appearance of the manifestation of Timothy's consciousness in front of him. It had Timothy's features but instead of gray hair, it had ebony black hair. One of its eyes was hollow, while the other seemed to have something moving inside of it, emitting a low "tic, tic" sound. Upon closer inspection, the moving thing was like a small needle, with two other needles, one bigger than it and the other the biggest. The rest of the pupil had strange runes in a circular manner, and the small needle would move from one rune to the next in an endless cycle. The middle one would move a little after the smaller one completed a cycle. While he was studying the strange eye of the being in front of him, it was studying him too.

After Lenard traversed the memories and stood infront of the manifestation, the scent of ancient parchment surrounded him, and the cool touch of the cavern walls added a tactile layer to his journey remembering ,why he was there he responded"Greetings, Timothy. Would you mind if I took a look at what is behind that door?" Lenard inquired, a soft smile playing on his lips as he ventured into the delicate conversation.. The manifestation chuckled a bit before answering him.

"And who said my name is Timothy?" it asked him with a wry smile.

Lenard, cursing his luck, smiled softly at the manifestation. "Oh, I'm sorry. What is your name, then?" His voice was soft and inviting, but the manifestation only shook its head and sighed.

"And why do you think I would tell you something so valuable?" Lenard frowned hearing its reply but quickly hid it, telling himself that patience is key.

"And why would you not?" He asked back.

The manifestation's smile bloomed like a radiant sunrise, casting an otherworldly glow in the dim cavern of Timothy's thoughts, revealing an eerie warmth beneath its mysterious facade. "Oh, we have a smart one... this is going to be interesting. Anyway, why should I allow you to pry into my secrets? Give me a good answer, and I might consider your plea." The manifestation paused a bit. "And if you cannot, you will regret prying into my mind." It continued in a somber tone that made Lenard subconsciously step back; he could feel that the threat was not an empty one, his mind began thinking of a way out.

"I have to know what is wrong with him, only then can we help him. But this thing is making it difficult. I wonder if Timothy knows about it. This is not just the manifestation of his consciousness; that thing is..." he couldn't even finish his thoughts as the manifestation had yawned loudly and then stared at him with expectant eyes. "Fuck, I'm screwed. Well, I guess this is a way to clear the score for where I'm going to send him after the wedding," Lenard thought.

"We noticed that your mental state is a little bit unstable," the manifestation cut him short, "and you? Thought you could help me mourn you all?" Lenard raised his brow at the manifestation's words. What does it mean, mourn us? We are not dead, or are we? Lenard thought. But then he saw the manifestation move out of the way and gestured for him to go take a look. Lenard approached the door, and once in front of it, he placed a hand on the handle. But before he could react, the black vines had already wrapped themselves around him, and slowly he began to lose consciousness as the vines strangled him. Then they phased him through the door.

With a subtle tilt of its head, the manifestation observed the unfolding events, a glimmer of disappointment flickering in its eyes amidst the shadows "Way dumber than you seem, master. But a peek at what is troubling him isn't enough; you have to feel his agony and MY RAGE." With that, it went back to the door and leaned on it with its eyes closed. "Time is a luxury you all do not have." The manifestation spoke before seemingly phasing into the door.

Lenard, now watching the events of the wedding through Timothy's point of view, witnessed it all. From the moment halfway to the backyard of his library all the way to the amphitheater, Lenard saw everything. The little stare down between Finn and the princess, Finn losing control of his aura and the response he got from the two kings and the sacred preacher, the arrival of the gatekeeper Badu Larohua, the moment when the royal knight stepped out from behind King Baichun's chair, the moment where everything went dark. Lenard could feel Timothy's thoughts and emotions in the city of shadows, but it did not last long, not even a breath's worth of time. The moment where Timothy opened his eyes to see Lenard's battered bleeding figure standing over him, sheltering him from the enemy, to Finn's dead body that lay on the platform and the princess's cries of anguish, Lenard felt it all. No, he didn't. It was more like he was there; he was Timothy in that instant. For the first time in a while, Lenard wept. The last thing he saw was Timothy being surrounded by his group, and Komoni rubbing his back, just like how he had found her doing before his consciousness was thrown out of Timothy's mind.

Like a leaf caught in an unexpected gust, Lenard's body was forcefully propelled backward but by quickly stabilizing himself, he landed perfectly, With a trembling hand, Lenard brushed away the tears that streaked down his cheeks, his movements reflecting the turmoil within. Lenard raised his head to find the whole group staring at him oddly.

"What?" He asked, annoyed by their expressions.

Finn observed him quietly for a short while before answering, "Lenard, are you alright?" He asked in a brotherly manner, his voice soft and caring. Lenard, a furrow etching his brow, vehemently shook his head, a silent protest against the weight of his newfound knowledge. "No, I am not, and I will remain so until you all stop looking at me like I have lost a loved one!" He emphasized the last part.

Finn's right eye twitched involuntarily, a subtle manifestation of the unease that stirred within him.. He didn't know what he did wrong; he was just trying to be a good friend. Fixing his posture, he looked at Lenard directly in the eye. "What did you see in there?" He asked in a flat tone, void of any emotions. Lenard smiled, "That's more like it." Pausing for a bit as he approached the now sleeping Timothy, Lenard picked him up and started walking towards the back entrance. "It's best if you follow me inside for this one. I need a mug of wine." He disappeared into the library, followed by the rest of the group who all had serious expressions on their faces.

Within the sacred confines beneath Zebha's capital, the air held a hallowed stillness, and the flickering candlelight cast a dance of shadows on the ancient walls." two people sat across a table, each with a cup of tea in hand. The man, wearing the attire of a priest, suddenly smiled, and that little action did not go unnoticed by the scrutinizing gaze of the woman seated across him. Pondering how to ask him, the woman hesitated before steeling her mind to ask, "What is it?" She asked, sipping her tea, her eyes focused on the man across her.

"Mmmh?" The priest replied in a daze.

"What pleased you so much that you smiled?" She asked, keeping her voice flat. The priest brought the cup of tea to his mouth, "Oh, it's nothing, just that someone or something tampered with time." He responded, sipping his tea. His eyes were vacant, probably still thinking about this temperor. However, the woman was shocked to her core. Time, the enemy of all living beings, a force or law that governed all life, and also one of the laws that go hand in hand with destiny. Without time, there is no destiny or fate. Without time, existence is useless. Time is not something that a human or God can tamper with, but the priest had just said that there has been tampering with time.

"Are you sure, Tumo?" She paused for a bit before continuing, "Are you really, really sure?" She asked, not daring to believe it was possible but also not daring to think it was a lie; she knew better than that.

"Positive. You see, time works differently in all the planes, but it works nonetheless. Time also works hand in hand with destiny/fate. There had been two threads of destinies weaving themselves around a dearest king, and both of them led to his death, which I have witnessed just moments ago. But now it has been undone..." He trailed off at the last part before continuing. "It seems like there is someone or something that wants him alive, and whatever or whomever it is, is very powerful to the extent that they can bend time to their will. So right now, there are now 3 threads weaving themselves around him, and two of them have not changed, but the third one is hidden from my prying eyes." Tumo confessed.

The oracle nodded , her eyes drifting upward to the cavern's ceiling, releasing a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of many unknown prophecies. "So what are we to do now?" She asked, her thoughts uncertain if they should continue with their current plans - I'm way too old for all of this. If his plan succeeds, we need to have a talk about my retirement - she thought to herself.

Tumo took a quiet sip of his tea, the fragrant aroma enveloping him as he contemplated her question in a thoughtful silence. Skillfully changing the subject the next moment, "That Mesa boy from is still on my mind. Have you not received a revelation related to him? I tried prying into his destiny, but it was veiled from me. He is... interesting." He kept his tone flat, not letting any emotion show on his face.

Interesting my aging ass. You just want another pawn at your service. But you are right; he is interesting. I wonder if that's why he chose him to join us. After all, his gift to sense hidden dragons amongst men has always been exceptionally good. - she thought before answering him.

"No, I have not, but I doubt he is that interesting. I mean, if he is still with the king, then he is probably going to end up dead." Tumo acknowledged her words with a nod, his response a soft murmur that lingered in the cavern's hallowed silence "Probably."

A heavy silence enveloped them, each moment pregnant with unspoken thoughts, as if the very air crackled with the weight of their shared burden.. Time went by quickly, and soon they heard footsteps approach. Turning to the cavern's entrance in anticipation, the footsteps got louder and louder until the figure of a young man approaching was visible. Stepping into the cavern's ancient embrace, the flickering torches painted dancing shadows on the rugged walls, revealing a hidden world beneath the surface. Stepping into the cavern's cool embrace, the young man moved with purpose, traversing the ancient stone floor until he stood before the small table, where shadows danced in flickering candlelight , bowing in greeting. "Greetings Oracle, Greetings esteemed servant of the primordial fire." The young man remained bowed until they returned greetings.

"You may stand. Now, tell me, Helis, why have you come here?" Tumo asked, his brow raised.

"There has been a sighting of the enemy'sarmy in the caverns." Tumo and the oracle both stood up in shock at Helis's report.

"We have a traitor in our midst. Come, point me towards their direction." With that, they left the cavern, empty or so they thought. Little did they know, the cavern wasn't as empty as it seemed; a shadowy figure lingered, its intentions shrouded in mystery.The figure of a man appeared in the cavern where they had just left; his face was hidden by the shadows, but one could make out his silhouette. He looked at the space in front of him before chuckling a bit. "This game is getting pretty interesting now. Would you not agree, Stephen?" There was a pause for a bit before the voice continued. "Oh, I almost forgot that you no longer are around. I just wanted you to know that I have watched for so long, and I have decided to do more than just watching. I am now guiding them. You failed to save Concilia, and I'm going to make you watch as you fail to save Kelai. BY MY WILL!" With that, he disappeared, leaving the cavern truly empty.

Back in the library, Lenard was still holding Timothy, who was now starting to stir. The group, now gathered around, had serious expressions, awaiting Lenard's explanation.

Lenard took a deep breath. "What I saw was not just Timothy's memories. It was a manifestation of his consciousness, and something is seriously wrong with him. "