Chapter 220: The Weight of Time
Chapter 220: The Weight of Time
The Royal Palace was exactly as Prota remembered it.
“We are here, young master.”
The coachman opened the door and bowed, indicating that Destiny should leave. The hero hopped out, with Prota following suit. This time, however, she was carrying a suitcase with her. Without John’s pocket dimension, she needed an accessible change of clothes, and that meant carrying a suitcase.
The cool spring breeze fluttered through her hair as she pushed it back, staring up at the ginormous castle once more.
Suddenly, a giant cloud of dust rose from the residence, Destiny’s figure barely visible as he sprinted back toward the carriage. It was hard to hear what he was yelling, but they could barely make the words out.
“Hey! Hey! Mercy! Cut it out!”
“Come back here, little brother. I told you not to do anything stupid, didn’t I?”
Prota couldn’t help but smile just a little.
Right. Although some things had been hectic…
There were some things that remained the same as well. Not everything was all bad. Sometimes, it was good to live a little as well.
“Prota,” Destiny begged. “Please, talk some sense into her.”
“...me?”
“Please!”
Hart was the same as always. That long silver hair and deep red eyes, just like her mother. The large hammer sat comfortably in her hands, comically large for a girl her size.
“Ah. Hello. You must be Prota,” Hart said, suddenly turning to the girl. “I am Hart Windwalker.”
She dropped her hammer, the ground shaking a bit as it hit the earth. She did a short curtsey, then turned back to Destiny.
“I’ve heard much about you. It seems my brother has a rather high opinion of your skills. However, it seems he’s gone and done something foolish, so a punishment is in order. If you could move aside…”
Prota glanced at Destiny, who was desperately shaking his head.
Something really never changed.
“Sorry,” Prota said apologetically. “Next time, I can help. This time… too scary.”
“You’ve made a good choice,” Hart said with an eerily calm smile. “Thank you.”
Prota followed a maid to her room, trying not to look back as her heart weighed with a guilty conscience.
~~~
The room Prota received was the same as before. She fell onto the large, comfy bed, reaching up toward the ceiling for no reason in particular.
The place was so empty without a companion to share it with.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Prota had a feeling she knew what was coming, so she went to open it with a sinking heart.
“Hello,” the maid said with a bow. “The king and queen have demanded your presence in an hour. I will return to pick you up. Please prepare accordingly.”
With that, the maid left, leaving Prota somewhat annoyed. She wasn’t dressed for the occasion, but worse, John wasn’t here to deal with things, meaning she would have to deal with it. Even though Anta would likely take over, having to deal with these kinds of things…
“It’ll be fine,” Anta sighed. “I don’t like it either, but I can manage now. With the [DEM] we used, I can stick around forever. Oh, well. It is what it is.”
So, an hour later, it was Anta who was in Prota’s body. The maid seemed somewhat confused upon seeing the girl with red hair instead of blue, but she managed to keep herself composed.
“Very well,” she nodded. “Follow me.”
Soon, Prota found herself once again in the presence of the king and queen of the elves. This time, though, there were no guards around. It seemed Destiny had said something about her, because no one treated the situation as odd. The maid left without a sound, leaving only three people in the room.
“Prota Char.”
The king’s voice rolled across the carpet Anta was kneeling on. Fortunately or unfortunately, she didn’t care to act nearly as brash as John had, meaning she’d play along for the time being.
“Welcome. I hear you accomplished much in the Town of Beginnings. More than that… I heard some interesting rumours surrounding you. Would you care to explain them?”
Anta stood, staring the king directly in the eyes.
“Of course. First, I am not Prota Char.”
“You are not- what?”
“My name is Anta Char. I am Prota’s soul.”
Once again, a live demonstration was the easiest way to explain things. Prota moved back in, bowed slightly, then allowed Anta to take control once more.
“As you can see, we are a unique existence.”
“Does that… come with you being a half-dragon?” Aegnor said slowly.
“No. That would come from the core of my existence. I am not a human. I am a creation.”
“A… a homunculus?” the queen asked, her voice quavering.
“No. Don’t worry about the details. Just understand that my existence is unique. And the situation I am about to present you with is more unique.”
She looked at Aegnor, staring him right in the eyes.
“I believe there is a better place to discuss things?”
“...yes. Follow me.”
The large doors to the throne room opened at a wave of the king’s hand, and he stepped out, leading Anta somewhere else. The queen stayed behind, giving a little wave, but she didn’t seem entirely comfortable.
Guards and maid met them midway, escorting them through the halls. It was weird, considering they were just going for a walk, but Prota wasn’t going to question royal etiquette.
Soon, they were in a much more comfortable room, round walls surrounding a table lit by natural light. The roof was nothing more than a semi-dome made of glass, allowing for a rather cozy atmosphere.
“Tea?”
“Thank you, but I’m quite alright.”
“Very well, then. What is it you have to tell me?”
Anta thought for a moment.
“How… how much did Destiny tell you?”
“Not much, surprisingly. Most of his report was detailed on his own actions, leaving quite a few blanks out. I understand the crux of the issue. Souls, correct?”
“...sir. There is a larger issue at hand.”
It wasn’t the king who next spoke to Anta, but Prota. Not out loud, but in their head.
“Anta,” she suddenly said. “Is this… is this ok?”
“It has to be. Because drastic measures need to be taken to deal with John,” Anta thought back. “Trust me, alright?”
The king was still waiting for Anta to speak.
“Your majesty,” she said quietly. “You’ll need to dismiss the others for us to continue.”
“The- ha! Right, right, a half-dragon. There’s no point in hiding from you, after all.”
Three women stepped out of the shadows, bowing respectfully toward the king before leaving the room. Anta let out a silent sigh of relief, then continued.
“Haze can stay.”
“So you really can sense souls,” the king said, surprised. “But… how did you know her name?”
Haze Windwalker stepped out, bowing her head.
“You are as skilled as my son expressed,” she said. “But… are you sure?”
“Yes. Because what I’m about to say is incredibly important. There are a few people in this world who are allowed to hear this. You two are included in that list. As for how… I’ll explain that in a bit.”
“...I see,” the king said quietly.
The atmosphere had gotten very tense.
“Did Destiny tell you that we have the ability of prophecy?” Anta said, beginning the conversation anew.
“No. He spoke nothing of you,” Aegnor said, shaking his head. “But I presume-”
“I am not a half-dragon. Nor do I have the power of prophecy. This body is, believe it or not, one of an ordinary human being. Well, not entirely normal, I suppose. But I am not a dragon.”
“Wait, then the rumours-”
“Are false. I can use Soul Steal, yes. But I was not born of a dragon. I was created. By the very man we killed in the previous task.”
“Wait, so-”
“You’ll find that the events of this world are far more connected than you think. What is the saying? ‘It’s a small world?’ It is indeed very small.”
For a moment, there was silence. Anta allowed the two to absorb the information they’d just learned.
“Then… why tell us?”
“Because in our past life, you were important. I am not betting on the future. I am betting on the past. And we need all the help we can get.”
“The… past?”
Anta closed her eyes.
“Hey. I think I know what you’re gonna say,” she thought. “But are you ok with this?”
“Go.”
Anta’s eyes snapped back open.
“We are not prophets. We are regressors.”
“Regressors?” the king frowned. “But- such a feat-”
“I don’t care if you think it is impossible or not. But that is what happened. I’ll tell you everything now. Whether or not you believe me, that remains up to you.”
Anta began to explain. Everything she’d told Destiny, she told the king and Haze.
Because, in their past life, they, too, had been people John cared for. Perhaps it hadn’t been shown as openly. Maybe he hadn’t expressed it very well.
But they were [Characters] John had, in a way, gotten close to.
Of course, Anta left out the important details. Explanations of future events were omitted as not to trigger the butterfly effect, and details Destiny would have to explain himself were also left out. However, the crux of the issue was clear.
The world would end if Prota didn’t do what she’d come here to do.
“...and that’s all. Any questions?”
“That… you… all that, on your own… you’ve been carrying that weight?” the king said, his voice barely a whisper.
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“Not me,” Anta said, shaking her head. “Prota. And… well, I won’t say anything about it. Pity isn’t what we’re looking for, your majesty. We simply need to see this world to its end.”
“I see. This is… hard to believe.”
“Of course it is. And you don’t need to respond immediately. The time for your aid won’t be for a good number of years. At least, Destiny will be able to attend Scholaris properly.”
“Of course.” The king let out a deep sigh of relief. “Still, all this talk… very well. I suppose we shall set that aside for now. Then, is there anything else I need to know?”
“No. What happened in the Town of Beginnings is clean. Those who targeted the princess’s life are no longer of importance.”
“Very well. Of course, I believe a reward is only proper. Is there anything we can do for you?”
Anta smiled.
“A letter of application to Scholaris.”
“To- Of course. That is easily done. Surely there is something more valuable than that.”
Anta closed her eyes for a second, seemingly preoccupied with her thoughts. When they opened again, she seemed a little less confident.
“I would like to talk with the prophet. Vespera.”
The king closed his eyes for a brief moment. For a second, Anta was afraid he’d say no.
“That… can be done.”
“Sir-”
“We were going to let her see the prophet later on, were we not? And if she already knows all this, there must be a reason. Go… I do not know what to call you. And thank you.”
Anta frowned. “What for?”
“For aiding my close friend’s son. For avenging my daughter.”
“I just-”
“Actions, no matter the reason, are actions. You had no need to do any of what you did. And yet, you did so anyway. Is that not worthy of gratitude?”
Anta let a smile slip.
“Sure. Good enough for me.”
~~~
Prota looked around the dark but cozy room. This wasn’t a place she’d forget. She still remembered the prophecy she’d been given in her past life.
“You… have suffered incredible pain. Incredible loneliness. And there may be more in the future. But your suffering will only be as great as you let it be. A deep, potential power rests inside of you. You may be the saviour of the world or the one who harbours its doom. But when that day comes, I hope you remember those who truly loved you.”
Five lines had come to fruition so far.
You… have suffered incredible pain. Incredible loneliness. And there may be more in the future
She’d suffered incredible pain and loneliness, both in the past and present.
But your suffering will only be as great as you let it be.
She’d learned that her suffering would only be as painful as she allowed it to be. There were, after all, still kind and good people in this world.
A deep, potential power rests inside of you.
She’d discovered the power inside of her.
You may be the saviour of the world or the one who harbours its doom.
She could guess what this was about.
John.
She would either defeat him, or lose to him. The power inside of her was what John needed to leave, and leaving would spell the world’s demise.
But when that day comes, I hope you remember those who truly loved you.
But that last line… it made her worry.
What was that supposed to mean? It almost made it seem as if she would be the one responsible for the fate of the world. Did it mean that her state of mind would be a determining factor in her fight?
“Ah. A guest,” Vespera said, coming out of her little room. “I see… hm…”
Her wrinkled face got up close to Prota’s squinting and staring closely. She hummed and hawed, making the girl incredibly uncomfortable, but she was aware that this was necessary.
“Sit, sit, little one. Or, perhaps, not so little, eh?” the old elf chuckled. “Come, come.”
Prota obeyed, taking a seat on the cushion. The sound of the fireplace crackling rang out, creating a comfortable atmosphere. There was a faint shuffling sound as Vespera took out a deck of cards, just like she had in her old life.
“Hm… hm…”
Suddenly, the fireplace went out. There was no wind. No interruption. It just… vanished. Vespera’s eyes shot open wide in fear, her entire body beginning to tremble.
“Ah… you…”
Prota’s eyes also shot open, equally fearful.
“...what happened?”
“You… what is your future? I have never seen this before,” Vespera said, her voice quivering. “You… you have two futures. One, already lived through. The other… I cannot see. I cannot see it.”
“...strange?”
“No, you are not… yes, you are unique. But you are still of this world. And yet, not of this world. Its fate… rests in your hands.”
The prophetess began to calm down, stabilizing her breathing and recomposing her emotions.
“I see why you asked to see me. You… you are unsure of your own future, yes?”
“Nn.”
“Then… well, it seems you already have borne this fate.”
A tear rolled down the old elf’s cheek, her wrinkled leathery hand reaching out. Despite Prota’s fear of contact, she didn’t shy away. Vespera’s hand was soft and kind as it cradled Prota’s cheek.
“There will be a choice you must make. An important one. I cannot see what that choice is. It involves another I cannot see. But it will be a choice that involves more than this world. A choice… for you. And you alone.”
Prota’s heart sank.
“It seems that, in my past life, I gave you a prophecy-”
“How- how do you know?” Prota suddenly gasped.
John [Reset]. There shouldn’t be anyone that remembered that timeline. It wasn’t meant to exist.
How did this woman remember?
“I… I do not know of it,” Vespera said quietly. “I can only sense your memories. See events related to your being. Perhaps it is merely an illusion. A hallucination of your mind. But so long as it is important to you… it will be seen.”
Prota let out a slow breath.
It had happened. It all had happened. Just because John had removed it didn’t make her actions any less real. Just because the timeline had been [Reset] didn’t mean she hadn’t experienced those things.
“It was written,” Anta said quietly in her mind. “Sure. There’s no alternate timeline. No parallel dimensions caused by time travel business. It’s not time travel. But if this is a [Story]... it’s not like your story wasn’t written, right? What you experienced was still real.”
Those words cause Prota to nearly break down, but she had to keep it together for the time being.
“Child. You… you really are just a child,” Vespera said, her voice gentle. “You lived out my previous prophecy. You remembered those who cared for you. This time… I do not know that I can say the same.”
“But-”
“I cannot say anything. Your path is your own, now. All I can see is the end. What happens there… I do not know. Child. Your destiny is one you shall forge yourself. What you wish to do with your life is up to you.”
With that, the words were final. Prota sensed there was nothing left to hear.
“Child.”
Prota turned back.
“Thank you.”
“...huh?”
“This is not a prophecy. And do not fret. I shall not tell anyone of what happened. But for your sacrifices… thank you. Truly. You fight for a world that does not deserve your mercy.”
Prota froze, stunned by Vespera’s words. Then, she bowed deep, lowering her head in respect.
“Nn. Thank you.”
No more words were exchanged. Prota left the humble little room, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her heart, only for it to be replaced by another.
Outside was Haze, who had been waiting to escort Prota back.
“Ah, it’s finished- are you alright?”
The look in Prota’s eyes was so lonesome that even Haze could tell something was up.
“Nn. Just… tired.”
Haze was sensitive enough to know that there was nothing left to say. She silently led Prota back to her room, where the girl fell onto her bed, staring up to the ceiling.
For what seemed like eternity, there was silence. Prota’s head was void of thought. She was scared of what might happen if she did think.
“Prota. You can’t dodge it forever.”
“Shut up.”
“Sorry.”
It was too late. Anta’s words forced Prota’s mind into a course of action.
A decision that involve more than this world. Prota felt as though she already knew what that meant.
The power inside of her was more than this world. In the end… it really would be up to her to decide what happened. She didn’t know the means. Perhaps it meant she would need the resolve to defeat John. Perhaps it would be as simple a decision to be made. But regardless of how it would play out, it would come down to two things.
Two things with their own faults and joys.
“Anta,” she said suddenly. “I don’t… I don’t want to choose. I just… I just want to keep living.”
“Prota.”
“Is it… is it too much? I want to be happy. But things keep making everything hard. I just want… I just want to be happy…”
She buried her face in her pillow, tears soaking it wet, a dark stain slowly growing larger.
“Being happy… Prota.”
The girl didn’t say anything, but her sobs got a little quieter.
“You know. I don’t think John ever really taught you this. But… being happy forever isn’t always good. Life has its ups and downs, you know. Wanna hear a story?”
There was no reply, but Prota would have said no if she didn’t want one. With that, Anta continued.
“There was a little girl. That girl had nothing. She was beaten and abused. ‘My life is terrible,’ she thought. And it was.”
Prota’s sobs slowly got quieter.
“But then one day, the girl met a man. The two had nothing in common. The man simply felt bad. So he invited her into his home. Over time, the two got close. One could even call it a blessing.”
Silence, now.
“But then the man died. And then the girl died. And the girl thought it was a curse once more.”
Prota hadn’t heard the story of the man and the horse. But a parable wouldn’t have worked all that well, anyway.
“But by dying, the girl found a new world, one she would’ve never known of. A world of [Stories] and [Characters], of [Resets] and [Infinity]. Of a [Destiny Bond]. And what a blessing that was.”
[Destiny Bond]. Right, that had only happened because she died.
“They continued to journey. But, at the end of their journey, something terrible happened. And the girl was forced to lose everything again. ‘What a curse,’ she thought.”
“Anta-”
“I’m not trying to say that you need bad things to happen, or that good things only come from suffering,” Anta sighed. “But… you know? Wait and see. Is this a curse? Or a blessing? It’s not up to us to say.”
“But the [Author]-”
“Can be ignored. Prota. Do you not remember what the old elf said? Our future is up to us. Whether you get a good or bad ending is up to you. Choose. Is this a curse? Is it a blessing? Or is it simply life?”
Prota rolled over, revealing red, puffy eyes. She stared at the ceiling, the burden on her heart somewhat lifted. It wasn’t gone. It was most definitely still there.
But somehow, she felt that it was bearable, now.
“...ok. Right.”
She took in a deep, shaky breath, reaching out, trying to grasp the impossible.
The impossible wasn’t so far out of reach, after all.
“Keep going.”
Anta smiled, even though she wasn’t visible.
“That’s right. It’s all we can do.”
~~~
A few weeks later, Prota found herself in front of a familiar portal. In her past life, she’d been incredibly nervous, wondering if she would get into the school.
In this one, she was just as equally nervous, but for a very different reason.
“You’ll get in,” Destiny reassured her. “You’re stronger than me, right? It’ll be a breeze.”
“Nn.”
She nodded absentmindedly, but that wasn’t what she was thinking about. Hell, she was under the assumption that she’d already made it in.
No, there were actually two things on Prota’s mind.
The first was the potential [Deus Ex Machina] that was residing within the school. However, that was a problem that had been with her for a while. The other matter, then…
“They’ll be there,” Anta laughed. “And with your skill, you’ll find them again.”
Prota nodded again, this time a little more energetically.
“Alright!” Destiny exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. “Scholaris, here we come!”