After Clancy left, the room fell into a heavy silence. Heka remained seated for a moment, the faint glow of the evening sun filtering through the window, casting long shadows across the floor.
Slowly, he rose and walked over to the desk. With a deliberate motion, he opened the drawer and pulled out the worn journal he had been keeping for Clancy. Where the chronicle of his travels, thoughts, and secrets was wrapped inside.
He flipped through the pages, the familiar handwriting bringing back memories of distant lands and forgotten moments. Yet, there was one chapter he had yet to write, one story that lingered in his mind with a weight heavier than the rest.
It was the tale of his time in the Immortal Realm. A place where time itself seemed to bend and where reality blurred into dreams and nightmares.
Heka took a deep breath, picked up his pen, and began to write.
I decided to keep my promise and return to Kiervant Sky. The journey was arduous, but I carried with me the precious artifact Marchio had requested. It was a token of trust, a symbol of the fragile alliance between realms.
As a gesture of gratitude, Marchio bestowed upon me a rare and powerful gift, a Reverse Time Illusion. This illusion was unlike any magic I had encountered before. It allowed me to relive moments long past, to walk once more among those I had lost.
For a fleeting time, I was reunited with my parents. Though it was but an illusion, the warmth of their presence felt as real as the beating of my own heart. I savored every second, every smile, every word unspoken.
Yet, Marchio's warning echoed in my mind. The danger of this illusion was profound. The worst possible outcome was that my soul could become trapped, lost in the endless loops of time, never to return to the present.
I was uncertain if I possessed the power to break free once ensnared or if I was destined to wander the corridors of memory forever.
Perhaps fortune favored me. While immersed in the Reverse Time Illusion, I discovered something extraordinary. I was not confined solely to the past.
I glimpsed the future as well, a future shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. This vision raised a troubling question: would the future I saw within the illusion come to pass, or was it merely a shadow, a possibility that might never unfold?
I sought answers from Marchio, pressing him for clarity. But he remained silent, his eyes clouded with secrets. He told me only this: the future is forbidden knowledge, a path best left untread.
Heka paused, the pen hovering above the page. The weight of his words settled around him like a cloak. The Immortal Realm had changed him.
Revealing the truths that were both beautiful and terrifying. The illusion had been a gift and a curse, a bridge between what was lost and what might be.
Then, he continued writing.
You know what I experienced in there?
For me, it was a nightmare I once had. One far worse than losing my parents. The future I saw in the Reverse Time Illusion. It was a vision of my life's end.
A final chapter written in despair and silence. I didn't know if it would come true or not, but deep inside, I was certain it would be. That certainty haunted me, lingered in my mind because it meant I didn't have the chance to spend more time with you.
While my days were not yet over, I wanted nothing more than to be with you, to share moments that matter. I would love to do that. But it was difficult, almost impossible.
Marchio often assigned me tasks I was not able to refuse. His demands were relentless, and I had to obey. So, I did everything for him, no matter the cost.
During my time there, I met one of Marchio's servants, Waylinn. I didn't know what kind of creature he was, but he was kind. He always looked after me, watching over me when I was vulnerable.
There was a moment when I was in grave danger, and Waylinn saved me without hesitation. For me, he was more than a guardian, he was my friend. Though he was not human, being with him made me feel safe, less alone in that strange and unforgiving realm.
It was strange, wasn't it? How companionship could come from the most unexpected places. In a world where I was bound by duty and haunted by fate, Waylinn's presence was a light. A reminder that even in darkness, I am not truly alone
I wanted to tell you something important. Something I had come to accept but still struggle to understand. When my time came to leave this world, my life would be ended in Ansel's hands.
I didn't fully understand why this was destined to happen. Ansel, on the surface, seemed to treat me well, almost kindly. But beneath that kindness, there was something dark, something hidden that I was not able to ignore.
I know, deep down, that he hated me. I didn't know what caused such hatred, what grudge he held against me that would drive him to end my life himself. The thought chills me, yet it was a reality I couldn't deny.
That was why I begged you, no more dealings with him. I hoped you would heed this warning. I feared for your life, that it might end the same way mine will.
I was not afraid of death. I had made peace with it long ago. I was ready to accept whatever fate awaited me. But what I was not able to bear was the thought of my life ending in the hands of someone who despised me. Someone who would take it with malice.
When you were in China, perhaps I would never see you on my last day. Maybe that was for the best. It was better for you to be far away from the danger that shadows my every step. Far away from the threat that loomed over my life.