Ronan hesitated only a moment longer, then clasped the pendant and closed his eyes. As he did, a surge of energy enveloped him. He felt himself being torn from the present, hurtling backwards through time.
***
When he opened his eyes, he was back where it all began. The bustling streets of his hometown, the laughter of children playing.
"W-where is this…?" Caelum scanned his surroundings, catching his breath. The nightmarish battlefield had vanished, replaced by a grassy hillside that smelled of meadows. Beside him lay a long stick, the type used for herding sheep.
Below the hill, a small village stood. Children played on makeshift rafts in the river that curved alongside the village.
Caelum blinked, hardly daring to believe it. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized where he was.
"This is… my hometown," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.
He stood up slowly, taking in the familiar sights and sounds. The air was fresh, the sun warm against his skin. For a moment, the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders.
But then, the pendant in his hand pulsed with a gentle blue light, reminding him of his purpose.
General Adeshan's sacrifice echoed in his mind. She had given everything so that he could have this chance.
Caelum clenched his fist around the pendant. He knew what he had to do.
With a deep breath, he started walking towards the village, his heart full of determination. Armed with the knowledge of the future and the strength of his resolve, he would change the course of history.
And somewhere, in a distant battlefield, General Adeshan's final act of sacrifice resonated through time, a beacon of hope for a world in desperate need of salvation.
It didn't take long for memories to return. Ronan chanted his hometown's name as though calling out to the deceased.
"Nimbuten."
It felt like he had just woken up from a long dream. Ronan stretched out his hand and touched his lips. The sensation of the unexpected kiss still lingered vividly. Adeshan's words about the time-reversing treasure echoed in his mind.
"Did I return to… past?"
He groped his body all over. It was still the physique of a young boy. Ronan pinched his thigh, twirled in the air, and only after all of this did he realize that the current situation wasn't a dream.
"I-I've really come back."
Memories overwhelmed him like a flood. The food he had eaten, the songs he loved, the starry sky he looked up at during his travels, and the people he had lost forever. And…
"Sister."
Suddenly, the face of a person floated to the surface of his consciousness. The fact that he had returned to the past also meant that she was still alive. His only family. His gentle sister who had died without being able to meet her runaway little brother, and who had eventually lost her life at the hands of the giants.
"Sister… Iril."
Uttering her name under his breath, Ronan gripped the stick. His steps, which had initially quickened, soon turned into a full sprint. Not long after, his childhood home came into view.
But just as he was almost down the hill, an annoying noise arrested his steps.
"Bring it on time! You need to bring the money! No way!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Near the top of a nearby hill, boys who seemed to be around Ronan's age surrounded a child who didn't even look ten years old. They were stomping on him and taunting him. Among the smirking faces, there were a few that Ronan recognized.
"Hmm? Who's that guy?"
One among them seemed oddly familiar. He was a boy with vibrant red hair, and due to his small stature, he stood out even more. Was his name Aselle or something? Ronan rubbed his chin and tried to recall past memories.
"Wasn't he… a magician?"
As Ronan pondered, he turned his steps around. Even if not for Aselle, he didn't like seeing kids bullying other kids. He picked up a stick and swung it experimentally, and it made a satisfying sound.