Chapter Text
All anyone could hear were screams of agony.
The very fabric of the world was ripping and distorting, as if a dragon was clawing out the skies themselves. Each tear in the sky left jagged black voids that tore everything around it into little bits and sucked them in, the ground shifted and ripped violently and any caught between it was swallowed whole.
In the center of this chaos, like the eye of a hurricane, was a lab. Alarm bells rang loudly as the researchers within the lab scrambled around, some trying to escape something inevitable, some trying to find their loved ones, some had already given up hope and now laid curled on the floor, resigned to their fate.
And of course, there were some that were foolish enough to try killing him.
Bodies laid scattered in a bloody mess as the head researcher stumbled down the hall, his right arm barely supporting him against the wall, his long hair falling to hide his face. Deep crimson stained his white coat. Pain sparked wildly in his body, as if he were a thunder cloud and lightning was trying to escape from him, only to painfully strike his flesh. It was not a wound inflicted upon him by his foolish underlings, but rather a result of his own actions.
He looked up, eyes devoid of emotion as one of the researchers stood in his path, hands shakily brandishing a knife towards him, the same desperate look shared by the other victims before him. That hope, that by ending his life, they could change their fate. “This is all your fault, you crazy bastard!” The man trembled as his superior continued to move closer, “I-if I kill you-it should fix everything…”
The head researcher coughed violently, tasting iron in his mouth and catching the red fluid with his hand. His chest pounded painfully as his body struggled to contain the raging storm of power in it, his magic did very little to subside the pain.
“All the people you killed for this —this mess,” his subordinate’s voice rose as he gestured wildly around him, angry tears streaming across his face, “and for what? To bring back someone who already died?!” He lunged at the head researcher, knife in hand, “this is all your fault—“
“Shut up,” the man responded coldly, his hand glowed a bright red as it slashed across his subordinate’s throat, leaving a violent splash of red on the walls. A short scream entered his ears before it died into choked gurgles, the researcher’s body now crumpled on the ground with the rest of the carnage.
The man sighed to himself as he continued down the hall, coughing a few more times on the way, his blood splattering and mixing with the others. The power was starting to slip through his body, sparking erratically and destroying objects around him, grinding them into nothing, not even dust. As if it never existed in the first place.
Just a little more, he thought to himself as he turned a corner, perhaps a little delirious from the pain. He pushed the door open, stumbling into the room, his vision blurring. The scent of the books on the shelves were now covered by the overwhelming stench of blood, he made it past the desk in the center of the room and out into the balcony behind it. As he reached the balcony’s railing, more power shot out of his body and forward, he followed it with his eyes.
There was not much left in the world.
A large gaping hole continued to tear at the edges of the skies and ground, swallowing it piece by piece. Not a single soul in sight, no more screaming, no more cries, there was no one left. The energy within the head researcher seemed to react to it, shooting out of his body like knives stabbing through his skin, he coughed violently, blood and bile coating his hands and the railing as he doubled over from the pain.
Then… there was no more pain.
The man pushed himself up, suddenly feeling lighter, perhaps his nerves had become damaged beyond repair allowing for this… calmness before he expired. The wind howled violently around him, slicing into everything and yet… he felt nothing but calmness, as if he’d already accepted his fate.
He turned to an empty spot next to him, his eyes softening, it was where he once sat. The love of his life, perched on the railings with a smile as they talked for hours, his smile still fresh in his mind even after all these years.
His hands reached to his neck, gently taking out the necklace he always wore from under his shirt, the ring attached to the end of it was identical to the one he wore on his finger; a band of silver, with a blood red ruby in the center.
His legs gave out before he could process it, he fell to his knees, barely catching himself with his free hand. He could only imagine how much pain he’d be in if he could still feel.
The edges of the lab were being gouged and sucked into the void, loose paper and books flew into it, shredding into pieces before disappearing into nothingness.
He knew the end was approaching him soon.
He wasn't afraid, simply exhausted, numb.
The world was falling apart because of him.
He thought back on the years of research and breakthroughs he made, the many operations he performed on himself, the countless lives he’d taken.
All for the tiny sliver of hope of seeing the one he loved again, and what came of it?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing but the end of everything.
Did he regret it? Perhaps, perhaps not. Perhaps he was only regretting it because the outcome was not to his liking.
After all, he’d do anything for the one he loved, no matter what.
He squeezed the ring in his hand, “I’m sorry… my love,” he whispered against his hand as his vision darkened, “I just… wanted to make things right…”
With one last exhale of breath, the head researcher slumped to the ground as he and the rest of the world crumbled away into nothingness.
————————————————————————————————————
Blood pooled from Morgan’s wound as Julius desperately pushed on it to stop the bleeding, his beloved groaned in pain, “stay with me,” the prince whispered desperately to the mage, wishing he knew the simplest of heal spells, anything to staunch the bleeding. Anything to stop his love from bleeding out in his arms.
The field was littered with bodies and fallen weapons; the thought of his love becoming one of them sent shudders through his body. The sounds of steel weapons clashing and the shouts of soldiers echoed from far away but the prince did not care.
Morgan gasped weakly, unable to form words, his deep purple eyes fluttering shut before slowly opening again. Blood soaked his tactician’s robe and his hair was covered in dirt and blood.
Tears sprang to Julius’s ruby eyes, “why did you do that?” His voice cracked, blood coated his fingers, the gaping wound in Morgan’s chest was too deep, he began to cry, “why would you throw away your life for me?”
There was a short silence as Morgan struggled to speak, “I… d-didn’t want you.. to d-die…” Morgan managed to weakly reply with a pained smile, he reached up, his hand trembling with effort. His hand rested to cup Julius’s cheek, “it’s.. not your fault…Jules..” The prince gripped Morgan’s hand in his, leaning a little into the fading warmth as tears spilled from his eyes, “I would do it again… a-and again for you.”
“Please… don’t say that…” The prince pleaded, his voice cracked, you don’t know the truth of those words like I do! Tears spilled from his eyes as memories he wished to forget flooded his mind from those words. “please… just stay with me, my love.”
“I… can’t feel any pain…” Morgan whispered in his arms, he let out a few shuddering gasps, “I guess this… really is it for me.”
“Stop,” Julius choked out, “please.”
Why?
Why did he have to relive this over and over again?
And once again, he was helpless to stop it from happening.
Was there really no future where they could be happy?
Why did the world wish to torment him so?
“I love you… Jules.” Morgan whispered, his breaths shaky and weak, “please… live on…” His eyes fluttered closed as his breath left him for the last time.
Why must he see this over and over?
What was he doing wrong?!
Julius clutched Morgan’s body in his arms, his shoulder shaking with sobs. The warmth he once cherished was now gone, gone again!
What did he do to deserve such a fate?!
Guilt twisted his stomach into a knot, this was all his fault! If only he’d been more careful, if he had, then Morgan would never have ended up like this. Once again, he’d broken his promise to him. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He whispered over and over even though he knew Morgan could no longer hear him, tears streaked his face and he found it harder and harder to breathe properly.
“One more time,” He whispered desperately, looking to the sky, to the one being he knew was watching, “just one more time.”
Silence, and then a voice responded, “are you certain?” a figure appeared before him in a flash of light, the voice sounded like a young woman, a hood over her head, hiding any distinguishing features. Still there was a familiarity to it that Julius couldn’t put his finger on.
“Yes…” Julius whispered fiercely, what kind of question was that? A future without Morgan… “I can’t accept this outcome,” his throat burned as he shouted, “I won’t!” Tears continued to stream down his face, “send me back again. Please…”
The girl stared at him for what felt like an eternity, her expression hidden, was she pitying him? Who exactly was this? She had the power to send him back in time over and over and yet never directly intervened with fate itself.
Why was that?
Did she enjoy seeing him struggle like other gods, was he just entertainment?
If she really wanted to save Morgan, she would’ve done so already! Julius felt himself glaring at her with that thought.
“I cannot intervene with fate itself,” the girl suddenly spoke as if reading his mind, “the consequences will be too much for I or the world to bear if I were to intervene directly.” She stared up at the sky, “it’s already fragile enough as it is…”
Julius stared back in silence, it seemed even the gods were bound by laws.
The girl held her hands together as if in a prayer. Soon light began to envelop the area around them, “hear me well child of darkness, challenge fate once more and restore what has been robbed of your lover.”
Once more… Julius dreaded those words now, the hope he once had the first time he heard those words were long gone.
“find the truth of the world and right the wrong that has been done.”
Julius blinked, “what do you mean by that?”
She shook her head, “that I cannot reveal to you… I can only advise you use caution… there are those that you cannot allow to learn of the truth.”
Julius nodded slowly, processing those words as the light drew closer. What was the truth he was supposed to uncover? What wrong needed to be righted?
Whatever it was, one thing still remained certain this time, I’ll save you, my love. Julius thought, holding Morgan one last time.
Julius wanted to scoff at himself. How many times had he made such a promise? How many times had he failed already?
How could he be so sure Morgan would live this time when he’d died so many times already?
Once more, just once more. Julius steeled himself, I have to get it right.
No matter what.
I will save him.
Julius felt the light embrace him like a gentle blanket. He closed his eyes and yet the light shone just as brightly.
————————————————————————————————————
The girl watched as the light faded, taking Julius with it, “child of darkness, time and time again you persist alone… as I said, I cannot intervene directly with fate…” she removed her hood, revealing long pale purple hair. She looked down at her hand, “but perhaps, I can tip the scales more favorably towards you…” her eyes glowed a bright blue before fading to purple.
Julia blinked as found herself in the middle of an empty field, dark red stained the grass below her, “how… how did I end up here?” She looked around the unfamiliar area, nothing coming to her. She only remembered walking the halls of the castle when she blacked out…
Something wet dripped down her eyes, her hand reaching to rub her eyes and when she lowered it, bright red stained her fingertips. “What?” She whispered, panic rising in her chest.
“Do not be afraid, I simply lent you my eyes.” A voice whispered in her head, it was warm, nurturing, yet there was a hint of pain and exhaustion in it. Even so, the voice seemed to have some sort of calming effect over the mage. “With it, I hope you are able to save the future.”
The tome in her hand suddenly glowed with a divine light that soon enveloped her completely, using her own magical energy to create it. She felt the energy leaving her body as she heard the voice speak to her.
“Save the child who has been rejected by time.”