The path they walked on was endless — an abyss that bent light and space alike. The deeper Leo and Aurelius went, the less real everything around them felt.
The stars above flickered like dying embers, and even the ground beneath their feet seemed uncertain.
Leo sighed, his patience wearing thin.
"Hey, Aurelius… tell me, when are we even going to reach that Zycrist being or whatever? We've been walking for ages."
Aurelius didn't stop. He kept walking with his hands folded behind his back, a faint grin on his face as though he had expected that question.
"Ah, well," he said casually, "we're almost there. Just a few more minutes, Leo."
Leo frowned, kicking a pebble that vanished midair before hitting the ground.
"Few more minutes, huh? You've been saying that for a while."
Then, after a short silence, he added,
"Hey, Aurelius… I've got a question."
"Now what is it?" Aurelius replied, without turning.
"These temporal disruptions… why are they happening now, all of a sudden? Did things like this ever happen before?"
For a moment, Aurelius didn't answer. The air itself seemed to hesitate. Then, calmly, he said,
"They've never happened before. The reason they're happening now… is because of the Hero."
Leo blinked, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"Oh, so that bastard, even before dying, was already creating problems for us? How illusive."
Aurelius suddenly stopped walking. His steps froze.
Leo almost bumped into him.
"Uh… did I say something wrong?"
Aurelius turned his head slightly, his tone low and strange.
"You're mistaken. The Hero didn't do anything."
"How's that?" Leo asked, his brows furrowing.
Aurelius gave a short, nervous chuckle.
"What do you mean 'how's that'? Everyone knows the Hero was corrupted — a twisted man with more power than sense — but because of him, the world remained stable. Don't you know? Every time a Hero is born, a fate thread spreads across the multiverse. It keeps the entire structure of our reality intact. It saves the Hero — and because of that, it saves us too."
Leo crossed his arms, his tone bitter.
"Yeah, I already know that. So what are you saying, exactly? That if the Hero had remained alive, everything would be fine?"
Aurelius turned slightly, his golden eyes dimming.
"Yes."
Leo's voice grew sharper.
"You do remember I was the one who killed the Hero, right? So you're indirectly saying I did wrong?"
Aurelius let out a soft laugh — not mockery, but something heavier.
"You misunderstand. You defeated the Hero."
He started walking again, his cloak swaying behind him.
"But whether you like it or not, Leo… that means you took responsibility. And I'm here to help you carry it."
Leo frowned.
"Wait, what responsibility? I didn't take anyone's responsibility. I just have my people — I take care of them."
Aurelius stopped again, this time his laugh was uneasy.
"You're joking, right? You killed a Hero, Leo."
Leo flinched.
"H-Hey, calm down, lower your voice—"
Aurelius turned sharply, eyes glowing faintly with celestial light.
"Calm down? You said you won't take responsibility for anyone beyond your people? Leo… if you mean that, this entire world — no, the universe — could be destroyed!"
His voice thundered through the void around them.
"This realm is unpredictable even for us Khronokai. Even the Zycrist beings don't fully understand its chaos. Cosmic entities could attack at any time. We don't know their strength, or their purpose, or what will come next. The Hero's fate thread was the only safeguard that kept this reality from collapsing — and now it's gone. And you say you won't take responsibility?"
Leo took a step back. His heartbeat quickened.
Why is he acting like this?
He's not wrong… but I can't protect everything. I can barely protect my own.
Aurelius kept walking toward him, his expression unreadable.
"Tell me, Leo," he said quietly, "why did you even kill the Hero? Was it just because he was corrupted?"
Leo's voice trembled slightly.
"He… he killed my parents. He destroyed my village!"
Aurelius stared at him. Silent.
Then, softly — too softly — he said,
"And?"
Leo's temper snapped.
"What do you mean 'and'?! What else do you want me to say?!"
Aurelius tilted his head slightly.
"So that's all, then."
He sighed, almost disappointed, and whispered,
"I shouldn't have brought you here."
Before Leo could respond, Aurelius raised his hand.
A sword materialized in a burst of golden light — smooth, elegant, humming with divine energy.
"In fact," Aurelius said quietly, "I think I can do this alone."
Leo's pulse spiked. He stumbled backward.
I can't fight him. Not him. He's on another level.
But if I don't… I'll die here.
He clenched his teeth and summoned Shadow Fang, its twin black blades appearing in his hands. The shadows rippled along the metal, hungry and restless.
Leo launched himself forward in desperation —
Aurelius mirrored the motion, swinging his blade downward.
The air between them cracked.
But before their weapons collided, a voice thundered across the sky — deep, ancient, filled with wrath.
"Who gave you permission to fight in my domain?"
Both of them froze, but their attacks were already unleashed.
A massive tail shot through the air — slamming into Aurelius and dragging him upward before his sword could reach Leo.
Leo's Shadow Fang slash kept going — slicing through the void and exploding behind them with a deafening BOOM!
Leo turned, heart pounding. The air vibrated with raw energy.
He looked up.
A colossal dragon hovered above them — scales shimmering blue like the ocean under starlight, eyes burning with gold, and a tail that whipped the air with divine authority.
Leo's voice shook.
"Wh–who are you?"
The dragon's golden eyes narrowed, its voice echoing through every atom of the realm.
"I am Zycrist."
The realm trembled in the presence of the dragon.
Silence reigned for a full minute — heavy, suffocating silence — as Aurelius dangled midair, gripped tightly by Zycrist's enormous tail.
Finally, Aurelius broke the silence, his voice low but furious.
"Hey— put me down. I need to kill this bastard."
Zycrist tilted her massive head, one golden eye focusing entirely on him.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Aurelius glared upward, unflinching.
"It's simple. He's not taking his responsibility."
The dragon's tone deepened, almost amused but edged with scorn.
"Oh, I see… And you're the one who will punish him? You— who haven't even fulfilled your own responsibility?"
Aurelius' eyes widened.
"What?"
With a flick of her tail, Zycrist released him. He dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch. His boots scraped against the white floor of the hall.
"What responsibility?" Aurelius snapped, brushing himself off. "I'm fulfilling mine just fine. I've got—"
"—enough lies."
Zycrist's voice cut through the hall like thunder.
"You forgot me, Aurelius. You forgot there even existed a being called Zycrist— the one who was left alone for decades, waiting for the balance of time to be restored. Even she forgot me, and yet you speak of responsibility?"
Aurelius' face twisted with irritation.
"Mockery, huh? Listen, I have work— more important things than your damn 'meetings' or ceremonial lectures."
That single sentence was enough to ignite Zycrist's wrath.
The entire hall shook as her wings flared open. The light in her eyes burned brighter, her voice rolling like a storm.
"Oh, really?"
She lowered her head, her golden gaze inches away from his.
"Don't forget who you're talking to, Khronokai. I am Zycrist— the custodian of higher dimensions. Watch your tone… or I'll remind you where your place truly is."
Aurelius gritted his teeth, his aura sparking crimson around him. The tension between them could've shattered the air itself.
Leo could feel the atmosphere tightening — two forces on the verge of tearing the realm apart.
He clenched his fists, his thoughts racing.
Damn it, not now. If they fight here, the outside world won't survive another ripple.
Leo took a step forward, forcing his voice to steady.
"Hey— enough! We've got more important things to deal with!"
Both divine beings turned their gaze toward him. Aurelius' glare sharpened, and he growled,
"Oh yeah, that's right— I still have to deal with you."
He raised his sword again, but before he could move, Zycrist's tail struck the ground between them, splitting the white floor with a thunderous crack.
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"He's right," she said coldly to Aurelius. "At least finish the task you came here for."
Then she turned slightly toward Leo, her gaze softening just enough to make him uneasy.
"And you… I don't know you yet, mortal. But I suspect you'll learn your responsibility soon enough."
The vast hall fell silent again— only the low hum of Zycrist's aura echoing through the white void.