Jordan made his way out of the tea house, leaving Theodore alone to bask in the tranquility of the pagoda's surroundings. The reflection of the moon on the pond's surface was like a thousand flickering stars, and the sweet scent of blooming flowers filled the air. As Theodore stood there, lost in thought, a woman's voice interrupted his reverie.
"Did you need to do that?" she asked, her voice as soothing as the breeze that rustled the leaves.
Theodore turned to see a stunning woman in a black dress with a puffed up skirt and a tightly adjusted corset."Nessa, if I hadn't scolded him, that idiot would never grow. He is far too arrogant for his own good."
"Scolding him would have been enough, why banish him?" Nessa questioned, her eyes softening.
"To put him up against a wall," Theodore replied, still gazing at the pond's reflection. "Now leave, I wish to savor this sight a little longer."
Nessa nodded and made her way out of the forest. As she disappeared from view, Theodore's thoughts turned to the voice that had called out to him earlier.
"Puff-puff-puff, what do you think I should have done old friend?" Theodore muttered to himself as he looked up at the sky.
"I am not here as your friend right now, Theodore," a voice replied, coming from the roof of the teahouse.
Theodore's ears perked up at the sound of the voice. He looked up to see a lightly dressed man sitting on top of the teahouse.
"What business then does the elder have with me?" Theodore asked, curiosity piqued.
"He is calling for a meeting of the round table," the man replied.
Theodore raised an eyebrow. "Can I ask what for?"
The man began to speak, "the demons-" but Theodore interrupted him. "I understand. I will be there."
"The meeting is in a week, at the elder's estate," the man informed him as he stood up on the roof.
"I shall follow the elder's order," Theodore said, bowing his head.
The man then jumped down from the roof and into the tea house.
"Now then, old friend, since official business is over, do you care for a drink?" the man asked.
"I would appreciate that," Theodore replied, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of distilled spirit from underneath the table.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, within John's subconscious, he had been experiencing the worst torment he had gone through in both his lives combined. He stood in the heart of the imperial capital, surrounded by the haunting images of poverty and desperation. Emaciated children lay motionless on the pavement, while destitute men and women begged for the bare necessities of life. It was a scene that should never have been witnessed so close to the imperial palace.
Suddenly, the other John appeared behind him, whispering in his ear. "You know you can't solve all of this," he said, casting a skeptical gaze on the impoverished masses. "Why are you even trying? You know better than anyone how corrupt the government is."
As the other John moved on to berate the imperial court, the scene shifted to the magnificent imperial hall. The gilded marble walls were adorned with golden chandeliers that floated in the air, casting a radiant glow over the faceless nobles who were more concerned with their own interests than the welfare of the empire.
"How can you stop the nobles from rebelling?" the other John asked, his tone filled with disdain. "Even if you manage to eradicate serfdom, you'll only cause the empire to split once more."
As the scene shifted once more to a metalworking factory, the other John continued his relentless barrage of pessimism. "And what of the economy? How will you stop the rampant counterfeiting and the influence of the pentarchy?"
Finally, the scene shifted to a pitch-black room, where the other John continued to taunt him. "Do you really think you have any real power?" he sneered. "Admit it, you're weak. You're nothing but an overconfident asshole who got lucky enough to travel back in time."
the other john continued as the scene before him shattered and fell as if it were made of glass.
*CRACK CRACK*
The sound of cracking echoed in the air, making John jump out of bed, his heart racing with fear. He pushed his blankets away, revealing a beautiful marble room that he didn't recognize. Before he could even process what was going on, a familiar voice entered his ears, causing him to turn his attention towards the source.
"John, did you have the same nightmare again?" asked Isadora, a young and beautiful elvish woman in her early twenties, rubbing her eyes and taking off the blanket that covered her.
John's eyes widened as he looked at her, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Isadora?" he asked, his voice trembling with confusion.
"Get up now. You should freshen up, the court should be in session today," Isadora replied, ignoring John's question and urging him to get ready.
*CRACK CRACK*
As John got up from his bed, he noticed that everything around him started to shatter and reform before his very eyes, revealing the imperial meeting hall filled with nobles to the brim.
One of the faceless nobles spoke up, "Your majesty, we object to such a policy. How will we provide for the people if we take the serfs away from the fields?"
John tried to speak up and act out, but his body refused to listen. He sat there, powerless, and listened as the nobles spoke.
"Yes, your majesty. Such an idea is absolutely preposterous. Please retract your words," another noble added.
*CRACK CRACK*
The scene shattered once more, and John found himself outside the palace, sitting in his carriage, looking at the bodies of the starving men, women, and children who were dying from hunger.
He heard a child's voice, begging for help. "Your majesty... please... help," the child pleaded, trying to approach the carriage. But just as John was about to move, the scene shattered once again, revealing the inside of the imperial cathedral where the head of the pentarchy was giving a speech.
*CRACK CRACK*
"John the tyrant has tried to take away our rights as nobles. Such a thing is a crime against the will of God. I, as the head of the pentarchy, excommunicate him and hereby announce his reign as illegitimate," the old fat bald man said, surrounded by a group of nobles who stood behind him.
*CRACK CRACK*
As the fat man finished his speech, the scene shattered once more, and John found himself back in the imperial meeting room. But this time, his viewpoint was different. Rather than being at the top of the throne, he was on the ground, kneeling with his hands behind his back. He watched in horror as his beloved Isadora was carried away by groups of armored men.
"John! No!" Isadora screamed as she saw a sword chop off John's head. The scene shattered once more, and everything went black.
*CRACK CRACK*
The sound echoed through the dark and chaotic space as John jolted awake, gasping for breath. His hand shot up to his neck, feeling for any injuries as he scanned his surroundings. He was back in the marble room. Isadora was once more lying beside him, concern etched on her face as she reached out to touch his cheek.
"John, did you have the same nightmare again?" Her voice was soft and comforting, but John was too shaken to respond right away.
He looked around, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that clung to him. "What's going on?" he thought to himslef.
"Court will be in session today," Isadora said gently, her hand still on his cheek. "You should get ready."
*CRACK CRACK*
Nodding, John got up from the bed, his heart racing as the scene shattered once more. He found himself in the imperial meeting hall, the atmosphere tense and chaotic
The fat leader of the pentarchy was screaming at him, his breaths coming in short gasps as he screamed,"You heathen, how dare you think of stripping the pentarchy of the right to mint currency"
"Your majesty, we understand that the economy is destabilized because of the mixing of impure coins in circulation," a faceless noble interjected. "But to strip the children of the god's off the ability to mint is against the laws of our nation. Please reconsider your actions, your majesty."
The other nobles chimed in, their voices rising in a cacophony of protest. John could only see their eyes, greed and hunger gleaming in them. Suddenly, the scene shattered again, and John found himself in the midst of an army of armored religious zealots.
*CRACK CRACK*
"The heathen who calls himself the emperor has tried to strip our rights as the children of God's away from us," the fat pentarchy head declared, his voice booming. "We declare the reign of John the tyrant illegitimate, and as such are declaring war on his tyrannical regime."
"The gods will it!" The army shouted in unison, raising their weapons.
*CRACK CRACK*
The scene shattered again, and John was back in the imperial meeting hall, but this time, it was different. A sword was already piercing through his chest, the fat priest standing over him with a twisted smile on his face.
"You should have just been a puppet like your brothers...illegitimate bastard," he spat as he twisted the sword.
"Johnnnn nooooo!" Isadora's scream echoed through the room as John's body went limp.
*CRACK CRACK*
The scene shattered once more, leaving John in a blank, black space. He felt a sense of relief wash over him as he saw the other John, standing with a bright smile on his face.
"See, there is absolutely nothing you can do, no matter how strong you get or how much power you amass, there is no stopping what is coming, so-just-give-up," the other John spoke slowly, his voice dripping with venom.
John's breaths came in ragged gasps as he watched the scene shatter before him. The room dissolved into darkness as the cracks grew louder and more intense.
*CRACK CRACK*
"FUUUUUUUCK!" John screamed as he shot up from his bed, his fists clenched tight. This was the third time he had been trapped in this hellish nightmare, and he was sick of it.
Issadora stirred beside him, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Why are you shouting like that at such an ungodly hour, John? Same nightmare again?"
"Yeah… I'm sorry for waking you up," John replied, his anger still simmering just beneath the surface.
"It's alright. Since you're up anyway, go get ready. Court will be in session today," Issadora said, settling back into bed, her voice laced with weariness.
"Yeah, I should do that," John muttered as he got out of bed, his eyes blazing with fury.
*CRACK CRACK*