บท 21: Escape
A heavy air surrounded Neil as his forehead furrowed in thought.
"That demon is coming," said Neil. "But this time, we can prepare. I know who will run, who will fight, and who will betray us before they do ... I know people's true character."
"You are saying a lot of things I don't understand," said Johan jokingly to lighten the mood. "Did the bones make you a bit wonky? Or have you been hiding the crazy these last few years?"
Neil glanced at Dorlene who stood at the side of the room watching them silently.
"This is my wife," said Neil gesturing towards Dorlene. "I had her essence merged with the abode in the future. It is the only reason she survived the time barrier and no one else did."
"No," said Dorlene glancing away as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I am not your wife. I was married to the man whose memories you inherited. The man who I spent countless years with. The man whose bones just turned to ashes. I loved him unconditionally, as he did me. You will never be him ... you are only the carrier of his memories. You will meet your Dorlene in the future. You are not the same person as the man I loved with all my heart."
"You really know how to pick them," said Johan laughing uncomfortably.
However, Johan realized that Dorlene's comment was confirmation of Neil's statement of the bones belonging to them and of the impending dooms day scenario that likely awaited them in the future.
"Johan," said Neil frowning. "I can't let things go the way they did last time. We have to prepare ... and perhaps, you can save your family with a complete version of the time reversal technique."
"Wait," said Johan. "You are telling me there is a sure way to reverse things with my parents?"
"Yes," said Neil, "Especially, since Earth's realm is contained. But it won't matter unless we stop the demon from waking up. It will destroy everything. All our loved ones. Everything we built, my future students, good people unjustly and without discrimination gone ..."
"You seem different," said Johan after a moment gazing at Neil. It seemed as if the memories had physically effected Neil. White hairs littered his head and his once youthful carefree look had dissipated replaced with worry lines that grazed his forehead and a bags under his eyes.
"It is because I see what is to come," said Neil, "in all its entirety ... and you have not. It is bad, much worse than that single memory. It is riddled with easily avoidable suffering and loss because of our inadequacies. Our inability. That is why stopping it for now, falls mainly on me, at least until your memories reform or your strength reach the level or exceed what they were before."
"So what should we do now?," asked Johan.
"Well," said Neil biting his finger and producing a small drop of blood. "Give me your hand."
Johan gave Neil his hand and Neil wrote an ancient looking symbol on his hand. The words faded into his hand.
"What are you doing?," asked Johan slightly grossed out pulling his hand away.
"It is a communication emblem," said Neil. "I recall the events in my life that made me strong, however, I do not know of yours. We were not always together, and when we met again after being separated you were not as open as you are now. But I do know that when we met up again in the future, you were much stronger and much more driven. Certain events and struggles changed you and I don't want to interfere with them. Your strength was needed and an invaluable resource in many battles."
"What are you saying?," said Johan.
"We part ways for now," said Neil. "I'll guide you best I can if I notice or find any opportunities, but you need to get stronger, much stronger, and use your scattered memories to help you get more out of it, than your predecessor did."
"What do you mean?," asked Johan.
"Climb out of the pit Johan," said Neil taking hold of Johan's shoulders. "Find a way to get to the guardian spirit for now, you didn't find it last time, but I think it will help you get powerful enough to save your parents and obtain the missing elements of the time reversal technique ... and perhaps even stop the creature before it wakes up."
Neil glanced at Dorlene and sent her a silent voice transmission that Johan couldn't hear. Dorlene then waved her hand. Johan glanced back and forth from Neil to Dorlene confused as they simply stared back at him. A moment later, Johan felt an invisible force pick him up and fling him out of the abode into the grassy area that surrounded it.
Absorbing the mana and memories from the skeletons had sharpened Johan's senses to the point that he could clearly see in the dark as if it was daytime, even without light.
Johan stood up and stared at the impressive black castle that towered in front of him.
A flash of blue lightening momentarily light up the area he was in and with it the abode disappeared.
[Get strong Johan ... get strong,] echoed Neil's voice in his mind.
Johan checked to see that the bag of supplies he'd put together prior to leaving the store was still intact. Finding that it was fine, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Almost 10 years together," sighed Johan propping himself up on the grass, "and you leaves me with only that."
Johan couldn't get mad at Neil. Although he had only obtained scattered memories, it seemed as if his inner self knew the bigger picture and in this case, it agreed with Neil's decision. A sense of urgency Johan couldn't quite understand had spurred within his gut. He knew he had to get stronger ... fast, not only because of the demon he saw in his future self's memories, but because of the many trials that awaited him in the near future. He sensed that many people who were dear to him would be lost, if he did not.
Armed with this feeling, Johan ventured into the labyrinth, running full speed back to the pit.
By spreading his perception, finding his way back to the pit was trivial.
Reaching the pit, he rapidly ascended up it leaving the labyrinth far behind.
-- Ø --
It was clear that the mana from the labyrinth and the memories of techniques he'd absorbed had augmented Johan's physical attributes immensely. He ascended up the pit at a rate almost twenty times faster than he had prior to entering the labyrinth and benefiting from its resources.
Before long he reached the top of the pit.
"Finally," he whispered, "I am out ..."
A smile spread across his face as he reflected on the vision of he god like figure he was destined to become.
"That was me in those memories," he whispered to himself. "The machine was wrong, I became a god ... can't get much more non-looserish than that."
Johan looked around to see that he was in a stone room that contained several holes in the floor.
"Hu heh!," laughed a voice. "A man climbs out of pit!"
Johan turned to see a large chubby asian man with black hair wearing a wife beater shirt sitting cross legged in a corner of the room on a mat eating out of a wooden food box with chop sticks.
"Who are you?," asked Johan startled. He was surprised hadn't sensed the presence.
"I the great Guang Hui!," the man said in a seemingly proud tone. "I see you make it out of pit early. Impressive and rare! Few climb out. They always get transported out. People make it out of pit make good fighter. Make lots of money, be famous, have Looking Glass Elites grant them wish!"
As if confirming Guang Hui's comment, Johan saw two people get pulled out of the pit by an invisible force and thrown into a vortex that opened on the wall.
Neil's voice echoed in Johan's mind surprising him.
[He is a fight planner,] said Neil, [They train you to fight, bet on your fight to make money off you you. The wish granted to winners might be what you need to get back to earth and find the guardian spirit. You should trust him, until given a reason not to.]
This was the first time in months Johan had heard from Neil even though he'd placed a communication mark on him.
[Where are you Neil,] thought Johan.
[I am pursuing opportunities in preparation for the creature light years away from you,] responded Neil. [For now fend on your own and become strong, your life and everyone else's depends on it. The coming battle will not be easy. If you were to go back to the barracks as you are now, Armyka might find an excuse to send you back to the pits. At this point, you aren't even close to her level. A better option would be to join Guang Hui's fight team if he offers that opportunity.]
"Why you stare off to space blank?," yelled Guang Hui throwing his chopsticks at Johan.
Johan shook his head and stared at Guang Hui and said, "Can you make me a fighter?"
A smile slowly spread across Guang Hui's face as he put down his chop sticks.
"HE! HE! HU! HU!," Guang Hui laughed, "I MAKE YOU GREAT FIGHTER! YOU MAKE MONEY! I MAKE MONEY! WE ALL MAKE GOOD FRIENDS! YOU ON TEAM GUANG NOW!"
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RatTurtle
RatTurtle Finally ...
Johan leaves the pit.
The pit is like life. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances that are out of people's control, they get set back. Life isn't always fair and people can be real dicks.
But remember, "a potato becomes soft in the same boiling water that makes an egg hard. It is what you are made of, not your circumstances that molds you."
Be strong, become stronger.
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