Tom's heart sank, and a mix of emotions flooded his mind. Relief at knowing Nick was alive warred with the worry and guilt of not being able to protect him. He clutched his head, trying to make sense of the memories of what had happened during the attack.
Leon's voice, filled with concern, reached his ears. "You should forget about it for now, Tom. You've been lying on that hospital bed for three days." Leon hoped to ease the burden on his friend, but Tom's resolve remained unshaken.
"He survived because of you, you know," Leon continued, his voice tinged with sadness. "You managed to get Sarah and Abi out of harm's way, and that allowed Nick to dodge most of the attacks. But unfortunately, some still reached him, and he was gravely injured."
Not fully convinced, Tom's determination flared. He needed to understand fully what had happened. To do so, Leon presented the advanced technological device used for surveillance, a marvel of innovation and efficiency. "Take a look at this," Leon said, handing the device to Tom.
As the footage played, Tom's eyes locked onto the screen, retracing the events that unfolded at the café. Their arrival, the warm reunion with Kam and their friends, and then the sudden emergence of Jason and his gang.
Tom's heart raced as he saw the heated exchange between Nick and Jason, witnessing the unleashing of Nick's powers in a fit of anger, followed by the barrage of attacks launched by Jason's gang on Tom and his friends.
But amidst the chaos, something caught Tom's attention. When he cried out "stop" as the attacks were unleashed, he seemed to disappear from where he was sitting, only to reappear on the ground, face down. In that instant, he noticed Sarah and Abi positioned in a relatively safe spot, away from the attacks.
'It's like... time stopped,' Tom thought to himself. He speculated that the reason he appeared unconscious, with Sarah and Abi at his side, was due to time freezing during that moment, causing the surveillance camera to miss his movements.
The video continued, and Tom's anguish intensified as he watched the attacks strike Nick. Nick managed to move away, attempting to evade some of the attacks, but tragically, some still pierced through. Tom clenched his fists, his anger rising, and his heart aching for his friend's pain.
Closing his eyes, Tom tried to quell his rising rage, taking deep breaths to steady himself. He finally asked Leon about Nick's current condition, but Leon hesitated before responding.
"The doctors say his physical injuries are healing, but he remains unconscious. It seems like there's more to it than just physical wounds. They believe he needs magical assistance to wake up. I called my father, and he sent potions to help, but even that hasn't been enough to rouse Nick," Leon explained with a heavy heart.
Seeking justice for his friend, Tom then asked about Jason's punishment. The response ignited a new fury within him. Jason had manipulated the situation, using his father's influence to defend himself, claiming self-defense against Nick's powers. Tom knew it was a lie.
"Foul play! Nick didn't attack them, even after using his powers," Tom argued vehemently.
Leon acknowledged the truth but revealed the complexity of the situation. "The lawyer argued that Nick's powers were used with intent to attack, and in a different era like ours, it's hard to say who would have emerged victorious in a confrontation between Nick and Jason's gang."
"They attacked all of us!" Tom retorted, feeling the injustice keenly.
"Their family got involved, which influenced the outcome of the judgment," Leon explained. Tom's anger erupted, and he couldn't contain it.
"What? This is outrageous!" Tom shouted, his frustration boiling over.
Leon empathized with Tom's outrage, but he sighed with resignation. "The Jason family meddling made the ruling go their way. My father prefers not to intervene further, as it could spark a war between Crimson Shadow and Guardian."
Tom's heart sank, knowing the consequences of such a conflict. He considered Vista, Leon's father, as his own uncle. Since the disappearance of his parents, Vista had been their caretaker, and Tom cherished him deeply.
Trying to change the subject, Leon asked, "By the way, what happened there? You and the girls just vanished and reappeared some distance away from the table."
Tom answered with uncertainty in his voice, "It was like... like..."
"Like time stopped."
Suddenly, they heard a voice and turned toward the door. As the door swung open, an aura of authority and wisdom filled the room. Stepping inside was a man of middle age, with striking golden eyes that seemed to hold a wealth of knowledge and experience. His attire exuded a sense of sophistication, befitting his status and reputation as a respected figure on earth.
His dark blond hair, neatly combed, complemented his strong facial features, and a hint of a beard graced his jawline, adding to his aura of maturity. His elan was evident in the way he carried himself, with a confident stride and an air of strength that commanded respect.
This was Vista, the father of Leon, the man who had taken on the role of guardian and mentor to Tom and his sisters after the disappearance of their parents. His presence was a source of comfort, stability, and guidance in their lives, and they had come to view him as family.
As he entered the room, his eyes softened at the sight of Tom and Leon, recognizing the concern etched on their faces.
"What you have been through is called Temporal Stasis. It's an ability that allows slowing down time to the point of stopping it," Vista said calmly, like it was nothing. He looked at Tom and said, "I think that when you and your friends were in danger, you somehow caused this phenomenon to save your friends."
"Temporal Stasis..." Tom was stunned. Although he knew that what happened wasn't a dream, it was still surreal to think that time stopped for the others while he was still capable of moving.
Leon, however, was stunned for another reason than what happened in the café. "Wait, if what you say is right, then that means that he has powers like us. How can that be? He didn't pass the trial, and why is it that we didn't know about that power until now?"
Vista replied calmly, "I don't know, but what I do know is that time manipulation is one of the rarest, if not the rarest, abilities. To put this in perspective, so far, the earth has no individuals capable of altering time. Well, until you appeared."
Tom, still confused, answered, "We don't know if that was me who caused this effect. It might be due to someone, and I was just capable of resisting the Temporal Stasis."
Vista nodded and said, "That might be true, but either way, you are in danger."
"Huh?"
Tom and Leon alike were stunned by that revelation.
"What do you mean by I'm in danger?"
Vista looked at them as if they were some cute and naive little girls, sighed, and said, "Boys, did you listen to me?"
He looked at Tom and said, "The fact that you can control time makes you an extremely valuable individual to many people—be it the government, guilds, or simply individuals seeking your power of time manipulation. It is possible that someone else used this power, and you were perhaps the only one who resisted, as you mentioned.
However, that doesn't change the fact that you were the only one able to move, making you the most likely person to have used this ability. And even if you weren't the one who used this power, many would be willing to pay a high price to know how you managed to withstand a technique capable of stopping time."
He then said seriously, "If that wasn't enough, let's address the elephant in the room. How can someone who hadn't passed the trial of power use or resist a power that can even bind time?"
Leon looked at his father with a complicated expression and asked, "Can't you use your influence to block access to the recording of the café?"
"I already did that," Vista replied.
"Then there's nothing to fear-"
Leon, who was sighing in relief, was interrupted by Vista. "That won't last. You can't totally erase traces of something that already happened. What I did will just buy us some time to implement the solution I came up with, that's all."
Looking frustrated, Leon asked his father, "And what solution did you come up with?" However, before Vista responded to Leon, Tom looked at him and said, "I need to pass the trial of power, right?"