"The Tempest Gate?! What the hell is this?" Kyro (Present Day) thought to himself.
The figure turned to face him, and to Kyro's surprise, he could now see him clearly. The young man wore a grey robe with the hood down, revealing dark grey spiky hair and piercing dark green eyes. A scar ran across his chin, giving him a rugged edge.
The young man smiled faintly. "Yes, of course. How could I forget the name? The Tempest Gate. Had you not mentioned it just now, I might have called it the Grand Design through and through."
Kyro returned a soft smile. "Well, regardless, Taizen, it's all just a name for its intended purpose—a time portal. Our 'key' to the future we hope to create for humanity. So, no matter what, anyone would understand what you meant."
Taizen chuckled. "Of course, of course."
He turned back to the board, chalk in hand. "Now, back to the plan. The Aether and Aetherite Crystals, as you so eloquently described, are what give our gate the power it needs to function."
"However," he continued, "our ultimate goal is to travel back to a time before the Great Sundering War."
"The Great Sundering War?!" Kyro (Present Day) thought, his mind reeling.
He nodded gravely. "Right now, this ongoing war will consume all of humanity if we do nothing."
He clenched his fists. "And we cannot let that happen… not when this world is so beautiful, so precious to so many."
"Indeed," Taizen replied. "But thanks to our research on souls, I've uncovered several key insights."
He gripped the chalk tightly and began to write. "A single soul is the genesis of the human body, the essence that gives us life. Aether may sustain us, but the soul is what allows us to move, to act, to truly live."
A faint smile crossed Taizen's lips. "It makes me wonder… if we had more time to study souls, could we find a way to draw power unlike anything ever seen before? Perhaps… something like Soul Magic."
Kyro's eyes widened at the term. "Soul Magic…?"
His thoughts drifted back to a conversation he had long ago with Hunter about Soul Techniques.
Hunter held the crystal between his fingers. "When that memory awakens, so does something extraordinary: Soul Techniques."
Kyro's brows furrowed. "Soul Techniques… so they're not like normal Techniques?"
"No," Hunter said. "They're far more powerful. These are ancient abilities—etched into the soul through countless reincarnations. Passed down from heroes, warriors, legends… each one carrying immense power and history."
He looked Kyro in the eye.
"You don't create a Soul Technique. You inherit it. And if it awakens, it means your soul was once something… much greater."
"Amazing… this must be the basis of the Soul Techniques we know today."
Taizen continued, snapping him back to the present. "But I digress. Souls have two distinct components. One is a highly potent aetheric substance that helps ignite the life into us. The other… seems to act as a memory bank, storing our current experiences."
"Our objective is to extract the memories from the five of us and transport them back in time, to prevent the Great Sundering War from ever occurring."
Kyro scratched his head. "But how exactly do we extract memories from our souls?"
Taizen turned with a wide grin. "Ah, I thought you'd never ask. Behold—I present to you—"
He paused, scanning the room with a perplexed look. "Gosh, where did I put that darn thing?"
Kyro frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Give me a moment, my friend. I think I left it upstairs in my room," Taizen said, worry flickering in his eyes.
"Want me to help you search for it?" Kyro offered.
"No need," Taizen waved him off. "I know exactly where it is. Won't take more than a minute!"
With that, Taizen hurried out of the basement study, closing the door behind him. Kyro was left alone, his thoughts swirling and suddenly, he felt full control of his body.
He said to himself, "I can move my body freely… perhaps because he's not here. Technically, I'm not interfering with my memories in this case."
He rose from the desk and began to examine himself. He wore gloves and the same grey robe as Taizen. Kyro then started to search for a mirror to see how he looked, so he rifled through the desk drawers, hoping for some reflective surface. Then, a sudden realization struck him.
"Wait a minute… if this is my past, then technically that means—"
Kyro focused on the aether flowing through his left hand. Suddenly, a dark purple aetheric flame-like substance erupted, engulfing it.
"At long last…!" he whispered, awe in his voice. "I've never seen anything like this before."
KNOCK KNOCK
Taizen had returned, and in an instant, Kyro was pulled back into his previous position at the desk, as if memory itself had guided him back.
"Looks like I can't control my body… not anymore."
CREEEEK
The door opened. Taizen entered, holding a peculiar device resembling a headset with an antenna and a red button on the side.
"Behold the 'key' to the future! I call it the EchoSync," he announced proudly. "It took some time, but I've finally created something that channels aether directly to the soul, allowing us to read its memories."
"The EchoSync uses Aetherite Crystals inside the device that I planted. And long story short, it then helps to form a stable, thin thread of connection to the soul," Taizen explained, pointing to the middle of his forehead.
"Once connected, we focus on a powerful memory, push our aether through it, and the gate begins to open. In turn, we can travel into the past!"
"And pressing the red button while wearing it activates the device immediately."
Kyro tilted his head. "But how does this create a portal?"
"Simple," Taizen said. "The more fixed you are on a memory, the larger the portal grows. Bigger portal, easier travel."
Kyro shook his head. "Easier said than done."
Taizen scratched his own head, chuckling. "Indeed."
"Will it work for all six of us? Do you have six devices?"
"Absolutely," Taizen nodded. "I've made one for each of us and tested it myself, though I've never gone through the portal, for obvious reasons. I can't guarantee what happens on the other side, but I'm confident the device works."
Kyro shrugged. "We don't really have a better option, given the time constraints."
He slowly stood and moved toward Taizen, confused. "Why am I walking toward him?"
"If I may," Kyro said, holding out his hand, "let me try it on and see how it works."
Taizen handed him the device. Kyro placed it on his head, adjusted it carefully, and pressed the red button.
VMOOOM
The EchoSync began to buzz instantly. Kyro felt a sudden surge of energy course through him, unlike anything he had experienced before. It was as if a thin thread of aether had pierced the front of his forehead and stretched deep into an unknown recess of his being. The aether inside him rushed toward this thread, stabilizing the connection as the device activated.
"Ah, there we go," Taizen said, a small grin forming. "She's up and running now. Try thinking of a memory."
Kyro closed his eyes, searching for a moment in time to anchor himself. Suddenly, a vivid image sprang to mind: a small hut beneath a clear blue sky, a pond nearby, trees surrounding it, and birds singing their morning songs.
"What memory is this?" Kyro wondered, observing his past self's thoughts.
"I've got it," he said aloud, turning to Taizen.
"Good," Taizen replied. "Now concentrate. Hold onto that memory."
Kyro shut his eyes tighter, focusing on the scene in his mind.
VWONGGGG
A thin beam of light shot out from the antenna, hovering in front of Kyro and forming a faint, shimmering portal—just large enough for a single person to pass through.
"There we go! You did it!" Taizen shouted with excitement.
Kyro opened his eyes, marveling at the portal, but his amazement was short-lived. Within seconds, the portal flickered and vanished, dissipating into thin air.
"Ah," Kyro muttered, removing the EchoSync. "Forgot to maintain concentration. But it works… that's what matters."
Taizen took the device, nodding approvingly. "Indeed. With all six of us focused together, we should be able to generate a portal large enough to carry us safely into the past."
He continued, "Thank you for taking the time to run a final test before all six use it. I wanted to review every detail of our research, to make sure nothing was overlooked. And… everything has been executed perfectly. This device should, in theory, allow us to travel through time."
Kyro nodded, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Now, it's just up to us to—"
BOOOMM
"What the—"
Taizen gritted his teeth. "We're under attack!"
Kyro instinctively reached into his cloak and drew a brazen-looking sword.
"We should—"
BOOOMM
Screams erupted outside. Flames licked the edges of buildings, and panicked people scattered in every direction.
"Kyro," Taizen said sharply. "Take the time machine and the others from my room. Meet up with the other four. I'll follow after handling this."
"But—"
"No!" Taizen shouted. "Elmrest is my home. I will make sure to protect everyone here. We cannot afford to lose anyone else… especially you nor the rest of them. You must take the rest of the EchoSyncs, quick!."
Kyro paused, taking in the urgency of Taizen's words. Slowly, he nodded. "Alright. I'll get the others and make it out safely."
He placed a hand on Taizen's shoulder. "But whatever happens… don't die on me, you hear?"
Taizen clasped Kyro's hand firmly. "I won't. You have my word. In some way… we will meet again."
He released Kyro's hand and stepped forward, immediately sensing a surge of pulsing aether around him.
"Such power…!"
VWOOSHH
A gust of wind swirled around Taizen, scattering books and papers across the study room. He glanced back with his left eye toward Kyro.
"That eye!" Kyro exclaimed.
Taizen turned fully, giving Kyro a clear view of his left eye. The iris now had a vertical, snake-like pupil, encased in a thick black outline along the eyelid.
"My friend," Taizen said solemnly, "I shall see you again. Godspeed, and may you reach the others safe and sound."
Kyro nodded. "Likewise. I hope to see you soon."
Taizen smiled once more before rushing out of the room.
CRIICKK
Cracks formed in Kyro's vision. The memory around him shattered into a million fragments. He closed his eyes, bracing himself.
"No… not yet, please… not yet—"
Before he could finish, Kyro was pulled into the starry time vortex once more. His regular attire returned, and reality seemed to stabilize around him.
"Damn it…" Kyro muttered.
"That was the full memory… all the flashbacks I've had until this point."
He pondered, eyes narrowing. "But this… this memory suggests I have time-traveled from some time in the future I once inhabited."
"Still though… who is Taizen, really? What is his connection to me? And why have I not seen him since?"
Kyro kept dwelling on the memory he just envisioned, "And the Great Sundering War… what truly happened?"
"So many questions..yet so few answers…."
Suddenly, a bright light flared in his vision, growing until it consumed everything.
"Ugh, what the—"
SPLASSSH
Kyro fell into water, ankle-deep. As he rose, he saw only darkness around him—until an ancient ritual circle slowly illuminated the space. Six holes punctuated its lines, and a smaller circle beneath him connected back to the main circle.
"What… is this?" he whispered, astonished.
A dull, purple crystal floated gracefully from above into his hand. Then, it slowly slid into one of the six holes, illuminating it and shooting a beam of light skyward.
FOOTSTEP, FOOTSTEP
Soft footsteps approached. Kyro's gaze followed the light and saw a figure, a clone from his past battle, standing silently. Unlike before, it did not attack. It just stared over at Kyro while its left leg glowed with light, standing out against the rest of its shadowed form.
"You… your leg!" Kyro shouted.
The clone figure then turned away, letting mist envelop it until it disappeared entirely, leaving Kyro alone.
"Wait! I had questions!" Kyro cried, reaching out—but the footsteps were gone.
Suddenly…
"Ugh!"
Pain shot through Kyro's head. The surroundings spun violently as he was pulled back to the present moment.