The arrival of a quest after so long should have been a welcome distraction.
But instead, a chill ran down Theo's spine.
"It’s true; a prophet and a regressor can never align."
A prophet sees a fixed future, while a regressor actively works to change it. The two are fundamentally incompatible.
Currently, in opposition to Troivan, Theo knew that if they managed to secure the prophet, there was no telling how the timeline would shift.
"Not to mention, I still don’t understand what this 'Secret of Time' really means."
Theo began to wonder if this quest and its unique messages were somehow only visible to him, offering him a glimpse into hidden truths.
But to uncover those secrets, he would need to complete the quest.
The chase began.
* * *
"Damn it! Hey! How can you pull that card out?!"
"Die."
"Die."
"Crap!"
"Ha-ha! Then I’m taking everything again!"
Not far from Priamos, a group of mercenaries was gathered in a hunting lodge on a low mountain slope, drinking and shouting in excitement.
The air was thick with smoke, and cards and piles of money were strewn across the table.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Winners laughed in glee, while losers kicked the walls in frustration.
In the corner, a young girl cowered, shivering as the noise grew louder.
She wanted to cry out to her mother, *Save me, please...*
"Hey, Ned, another round? You in?"
"Can’t you see I’m out of cash? I’ll have to get an advance on my pay when we get back!"
"So, you in or out?"
"I told you, I don’t have any money!"
The mercenary, called Ned, cursed and stood up, then noticed the trembling girl in the corner. He smacked the wall hard.
*Bang!*
The girl flinched, lifting her head slightly, her unfocused eyes turning toward him.
The girl was blind.
"When are they supposed to come for this kid? Weren’t they supposed to be here by now?"
"Hey, take it easy. Don’t take it out on the poor kid. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?"
The girl buried her face into her knees.
They were monsters.
Monsters who had burned her village to the ground.
She hadn’t been particularly close with the villagers—they had always looked down on her mother, calling her names.
But she hadn’t thought they would die like that.
She wished she could see, even if it was only the occasional "phantom" she sometimes saw in her dreams.
"Ugh, I just want them to hurry up and pick her up so I can get some money back!"
"She’s important, so don’t touch her."
"I’m not that stupid. You think I don’t know better?"
"Good, then."
Ned crossed his arms and scoffed, anxiously glancing at the clock. He was clearly desperate for money.
"Want a loan?"
"Are you going to charge me interest again?"
"This time, it’s a low 450% interest, daily."
"Robber."
"Suit yourself."
"Fine! I’m in!"
"I knew I could count on you!"
Ned hugged the borrowed money and grabbed his cards again.
"By the way," he said, hesitating.
"What?"
"Is it true? About the kid being able to see the fu—"
*Smack!*
The card dealer interrupted him by slapping down a new card.
"We don’t pry into client orders. That’s our mercenary rule—don’t tell me you’ve forgotten."
"Hey, don’t look at me like that. I was just curious."
"I’ve seen enough guys get themselves killed by asking too many questions."
The dealer added a card to the pile, continuing in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Just because she can see the future doesn’t mean you’re not a sucker."
"You jerk! I’ll show you this time. I’m going to strip you down to your boxers!"
"Go ahead. I’d like to see you try."
As the noise grew louder and the cards began to be dealt again, the young girl suddenly lifted her head.
Her abrupt movement drew the mercenaries' attention.
"The world is turning yellow," she murmured in a daze.
"You're all going to be buried here, without a trace."
"What the hell is she talking about?"
"Monsters will swarm, the dead will rise, and more... and more..."
"Hey! Stop spouting nonsense!"
Just as Ned jumped to his feet, the cabin wall exploded.
*Slam!*
A storm of sword energy surged in.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
"Aaagh!"
"Damn it!"
"We’re under attack!"
"My winnings! I was finally about to hit it big! Why now?!"
"You idiot! You’re worried about that now?!"
The mercenaries overturned the table for cover, bracing for the next wave of attacks.
A few moved to protect the girl.
They weren’t amateurs—they were trained veterans.
The problem, however...
"There they are."
...was that their attackers were even more skilled.
Shadows writhed, and a massive jaw appeared out of nowhere, biting through the legs of the mercenaries surrounding the girl.
"Aaagh!"
"What is this thing?! Where did it come from?!"
Umbra’s appearance defied logic, sending the mercenaries into a panic.
"No! My payday!"
"You lunatic! Where are you going?!"
Ned gripped his sword and lunged toward the girl.
His orders were to hold the attackers off if something went wrong so the second team could escape with the girl.
But, having lost all his money and now in debt from the game, he couldn’t concentrate on his mission.
Instead, he decided to take the girl and run, keeping the reward money for himself.
At least, that was the plan...
*Boom!*
But his thoughts were cut short by a flash of blinding yellow light.
*The world is turning yellow.*
He recalled the girl’s words.
*You’re all going to be buried here, without a trace.*
What he’d dismissed as nonsense was actually true.
His vision turned yellow, and his thoughts stopped.
*Thunder Calling.*
A bolt of lightning pierced through the roof, splitting Ned in two and incinerating him. The strike sent a fan of thunderous shards and scorching winds through the area.
*Flame Dancing.*
A fiery gust swept through the cabin, consuming everything but the girl and obliterating over half of the mercenaries.
Theo’s team stormed in, taking out the remaining cover, the dual assault breaking the mercenaries’ formation and driving them toward death.
"You're safe now; don’t worry."
Theo reached the girl amidst the chaos.
The sturdy chest, the warmth, the comforting voice.
The girl didn’t know who this person was, but for the first time, she felt she could relax.
* * *
The girl dreamed.
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"You’re a precious and special child, Kassandra. Don’t ever forget that."
Her mother used to hold her and say that all the time.
She hadn’t understood what it meant.
But it didn’t matter.
Life in her village, with her mother, friends, and the villagers, was filled with happiness.
Being blind?
That had never really bothered her.
The only thing that slightly disturbed her were the occasional "dreams."
"Did you have another dream?"
"Yes!"
"What did you see this time?"
"There was a really handsome guy."
"A handsome guy?"
"Yes. A *very* handsome guy! He was carrying me on a strange creature, and we were flying through the sky!"
Not all her dreams were unpleasant.
Sometimes, she enjoyed the dreams, because, for those moments, she could "see."
But most dreams were nightmares, like the one she’d had last night.
"Mom... are you awake?"
"Oh dear, you had another strange dream?"
"Yes... in the dream, you and everyone else..."
Even though it was just a dream, she couldn’t bring herself to describe how everyone in her village was hurt.
She was afraid it might actually happen.
"It must have been scary."
"Yes. Hold me."
Her mother would always comfort her, assuring her that dreams didn’t matter.
"No matter what you see, the world is much bigger and more vibrant than your dreams. Someday, someone will come along to show you that world."
Her mother’s warmth always helped her fall back asleep.
But she hadn’t known then.
She hadn’t known that dream would come true.
Or that the man she often saw in her dreams would finally appear.
"You're safe now; don’t worry."
The man who had always carried her on a strange creature through the sky in her dreams...
...was standing right in front of her.
"Are you okay?"
And as she began to regain consciousness, the voice she’d always heard in her dreams reached her once again.
* * *
"T-that thing! It’s a monster!"
"Is that all you know how to say?"
"Please, believe me! Just let me go...!"
Selpard silenced the terrified mercenary with a swift strike.
*Thud!*
Selpard scratched the back of his head, frustrated.
"Death? Curses? What are these guys even talking about?"
He’d hoped to learn something useful, but it only left him more unsettled.
Stepping outside, Selpard saw Theo holding the sleeping "target" on his lap.
"Well, when did you two get so close?"
Could blind people recognize handsome men? A random thought crossed his mind.
"She just fell asleep. She must have been exhausted."
"Can’t blame her."
"Did you find out anything?" Arin asked.
Selpard nodded solemnly.
"They
were from the Red and White Mercenary Corps."
"The Cult of Kyoryong?"
"Yes."
The Red and White Mercenary Corps—originally loyal to Ragnar, they had defected to Troivan at the start of the Northern War.
"They were notorious even before defecting. Winterra had tried to rein them in a few times, but this time they’ve crossed way too many lines."
"I agree. How anyone with a conscience could do this is beyond me."
As Theo gently brushed Kassandra's hair, his eyes narrowed.
Along their pursuit, they had seen horrors beyond belief.
Signs of looting and massacres were everywhere.
They’d even stumbled upon a mass grave nearby.
Kassandra, now an orphan who’d lost everyone she cared for because of these mercenaries...
Theo’s heart ached as memories of losing his own loved ones surfaced.
"Those defectors have always been a particular problem. Someday, we’ll deal with them."
Grinding his teeth, Selpard looked toward Kassandra.
"But... that child... hmm."
"What is it?"
Theo could guess what Selpard was thinking.
"These guys kept saying strange things—that this child was cursed. They claimed that’s why they all died."
*Future sight.*
Selpard leaned in, speaking telepathically to avoid Kassandra overhearing.
He wasn’t fully aware of Kassandra’s abilities, and seemed unsure how to interpret his findings.
Theo feigned ignorance and asked, *"Do they have a reason to believe that?"*
*"They said she saw them dying. It doesn’t make any sense to me."*
*"Is there anything else?"*
*"Yes, but it’s a bit... bizarre."*
Selpard scratched his head, continuing.
*"They said that when a king reverses the wheel of time, a world shrouded in death will rise, and the dead will walk again."*