[Darcia's Perspective]
Riding shotgun beside Lucius, I couldn't help but be drawn to the mysterious device in my hands—the Chrono-Disruptor. As my fingers explored its sleek surface, I discovered an inconspicuous ON button. Without hesitation, I pressed it, and a red holographic window materialized before me.
The words on the screen demanded my attention: [ Say User Name ]
My eyebrow rose in curiosity, but I complied, "Darcia." Instantly, the screen flashed, and a new prompt emerged:
User Guide:
This device is known as a "Chrono-Disruptor," a highly illegal and sought-after piece of Blood Technology. This cutting-edge gadget has the ability to manipulate the temporal barriers of The Barrier, allowing passage between the different timelines that exist in the Overworld, Sanguine, and the Underworld realm.
The Chrono-Disruptor is a complex piece of Blood Technology that involves a combination of advanced engineering, intricate spellwork, and the infusion of powerful Vampire blood. Here's a brief overview of its components:
1. Blood Infusion System: The device incorporates a mechanism that allows the infusion of specific blood types, especially that of high-ranking Vampires.
2. Temporal Spell Matrix: A sophisticated array of magical runes and spells is embedded in the Chrono-Disruptor. These spells are designed to interact with the blood-infused components and create a controlled disruption in the fabric of time.
3. Quantum Resonance Chamber: To manage the complex interactions between blood and magic, the device includes a quantum chamber that resonates with the temporal energies. This chamber ensures stability during the manipulation of time.
4. Dimensional Interface: The Chrono-Disruptor features an interface that allows the user to select and navigate between different timelines within The Barrier. This interface is a crucial component for precise temporal manipulation.
5. Blood Tech Core: At the heart of the device lies a specially designed Blood Tech Core, a compact but powerful source of energy that drives the Chrono-Disruptor's operations.
Here's a step-by-step explanation of its practical use:
1. Blood Infusion: The user, in this case, Darcia, provides a blood sample that is carefully infused into the Chrono-Disruptor. The blood serves as a key element, enabling a connection to the temporal energies within The Barrier.
2. Temporal Configuration: Using the dimensional interface, the user selects the specific timeline or layer within The Barrier they wish to access. This could include the Overworld, Sanguine, or other interconnected dimensions.
3. Activation: Once the temporal configuration is set, the user activates the Chrono-Disruptor. The device, powered by the Blood Tech Core, initiates a sequence of spells and manipulations that create a temporary breach in the temporal barrier.
4. Transition: During the activation, the user steps through the breach created by the Chrono-Disruptor. The transition is swift and seamless, allowing them to move between different realms and timelines.
5. Temporal Stability: The device ensures that the breach is stable for a limited time, allowing the user to accomplish their objectives in the destination timeline. After the set duration, 24 hours in accordance with your arrived dimension's time, the temporal breach naturally seals itself.
6. Return Journey: If necessary, the user can use the Chrono-Disruptor to return to their original timeline by repeating the process.
It's important to note that the usage of the Chrono-Disruptor should be highly regulated due to its potential to disrupt the natural flow of time and cause unforeseen consequences.
The creator of this hardware and software system is in no way responsible for any event that may occur after using the Chrono-Disruptor.
"We'll show the others when we get back," Lucius said, a smirk playing on his lips. "I owe Shadowpaw for life."
"Tell me about it," I laughed. "He's honestly the whole reason why we'll get to save Kaizer. I didn't do anything... just rotted in a canyon for centuries."
Lucius shook his head. "Nah, come on," he said, grinning. "If it weren't for you seeking out Shadowpaw's help in the first place, Shadowpaw would have never done a thing to help Kaizer, and we all know that. You are the reason we're getting him back."
I couldn't hold back my satisfied smile. "I hope so."
Lucius chuckled, but the moment was interrupted by a sudden burst at the driver's side door. A gunshot had taken the mirror clean off.
"Someone's shooting at us?" Lucius said, looking in the rearview mirror as he pressed on the gas. "Were we followed?"
There was someone following behind us at high speed, riding a motorbike. We couldn't make out his face because he was wearing a helmet. He was armed with a handgun.
I felt a jolt in my chest. I knew it had been too good to be true - things had been going too smoothly.
"Who'd be trying to kill us? I didn't tell anyone about the Chrono-Disruptor, did you?" Lucius said, weaving through traffic like a maniac, his eyes wide with focus.
"N-no, I didn't, I don't know who— ah!" Another few shots, and bullets impacted with the back of the car. Lucius grunted as he swerved.
"Shit… we can't go to my place with whoever that is tailing us," Lucius said, his voice turning cold. "You take the wheel and go on ahead. I'm gonna kill this son of a bitch."
And with that, the driver's side door opened, and Lucius seemingly vanished from sight. Hurriedly, I switched seats and took the wheel, panicking to make sure I didn't crash.
"Jeez, Lucius, how considerate," I grunted as I continued speeding through the streets. In the rearview mirror, I could see Lucius standing ready for a fight with the oncoming pursuer.
"Please be careful, Lucius," I whispered as he faded away into the city.
In that moment, I remember thinking that it seemed like he'd changed so much since our days in the Academy. I wondered how powerful he was. I nor the others in our ragtag group of rebels knew what Lucius could really do — none of us had ever seen him fight. He was the kind of guy who could usually avoid physical confrontation just by his way with words; he had a way with people.
In that moment, looking at him standing in the middle of the street, I realized that he had been the strongest of us all, back then. And I don't mean in physical prowess. Back then, he gave Kaizer full support, and put his life on the line in order to make sure Kaizer's destiny was fulfilled. He never faltered. He'd always been such a good friend — not just to Kaizer, but to all of us.
An image of the younger Lucius flashed in my mind, his blonde hair framing a charismatic smile, his crimson eyes shimmering in the firelight. It was a memory from when we made camp around a fire in the Verdant Valley on Serpantara. Back then… even when everything felt so dark, we were still smiling, laughing…
The smiling faces of Gertrude, Isyra, Lucius, and Kaizer, bathed in the orange glow of the campfire, faded into focus, and then blurred out again.
And again, my mind couldn't stop comparing the smile of Lucius had then and the smile that Lucius showed now. Those crimson eyes seemed even darker now… or maybe it was just the black hair that made it seem that way.
"Ngh…" I huffed as I turned a street, slightly annoyed that I couldn't get him out of my head.
There was something about him - the him that existed now. He was different. Less all-over-the-place, perhaps… maybe even more cunning… and more ambitious. There was an edge that hadn't been there before — a glint in his eye that I wanted to find the origin of.
My mind raced around him, trying to make sense of all the changes I'd missed out on.
What happened to him while I was asleep?
For some reason, I couldn't get him off my mind the whole drive back.
Lucius… you've always been so strong.
When I finally got to Lucius's place, the rest of the gang was already there waiting for me.
"Darcia! Did we get it? Did we get it?" Zachary exclaimed, excitement lighting up his eyes as he approached.
Isyra joined in, her laughter filling the room. "Oooh, the Chrono-Disruptor? I've been wanting to see what it looks like."
Iris, sitting on the couch with a calm demeanor, looked up and nodded, acknowledging my presence. "Welcome back, Darcia. I trust the mission went smoothly?"
With a sense of urgency, I explained, holding up the device, "Yeah, we've got it, but we're not out of the woods yet. Someone was tailing us, and Lucius went off to deal with them."
Isyra's eyes widened, and she leaned forward. "Tailing? Someone's after us? We need to do something!"
Zachary, ever the curious one, asked, "Did you see who it was? Maybe recognize them?"
Before I could respond, the door burst open, and Lucius entered, a determined look on his face. "We've got trouble. The pursuer wasn't alone, and they're not giving up easily."
"What do we do?" Zachary asked, and everyone looked at Lucius in the same way. For some reason, I felt a weird tug in my gut when we met eyes.
"We buy time. Enough time for Darcia to use the Chrono-Disruptor to transport herself. Right now, there are three Bloodguard vehicles with four to five officers each making their way here to either arrest or kill us. If all of us get incarcerated or die today, everything up until now would've been meaningless, and we'll never find Kaizer. It's up to us that Bloodguard doesn't get anywhere near Darcia or the Chrono-Disruptor."
Iris's eyes widened with concern. "Bloodguard? Seriously, Lucius? They're sending in the big guns."
Zachary, nervously fidgeting, questioned, "How much time do we have?"
Lucius assessed the situation. "Not much. They're closing in fast. We need to act now."
Iris, ever calm, suggested, "Split up. Draw their attention away. We can regroup later."
Lucius nodded in agreement. "Good plan. Darcia, you take the Chrono-Disruptor. Head to a safe location and use it. Zachary, Isyra, and I will create diversions. Iris, keep an eye on Darcia. Let's move!"
The group dispersed, each member taking on their assigned role. Gripping the Chrono-Disruptor tightly, I felt the weight of responsibility. As I headed toward the door, Lucius glanced back at me. "Bring our friend back, Darcia."
With a nod, I rushed out, leaving behind my friends, hoping that they would still be alive when I returned. Iris followed closely behind.
Iris and I sprinted through the dimly lit streets, our footsteps echoing the urgency of the situation. As we ventured further from Lucius's house, an abandoned cathedral emerged from the shadows. Its silhouette loomed against the stalactite-lit ceiling and the surrounding skyscrapers. The crunch of gravel beneath our feet heightened the tension as we approached its weathered entrance.
Pushing open the heavy doors, they groaned in protest, revealing the solemn interior bathed in patches of light. Broken stained glass windows painted an ethereal mosaic on the cold stone floor, and the scent of aged wood hung in the air.
"This should be far enough," Iris whispered, her eyes scanning our surroundings. "Do what you need to do, Darcia. I'll keep watch."
I made my way to the altar, the Chrono-Disruptor clutched tightly in my hands. As I placed it delicately, its surface shimmered with a strange glow.
Carefully, I pricked my finger, allowing a small bead of blood to mingle with the device. Its surface responded with a subtle glow.
Turning to the dimensional interface, I navigated the timelines with practiced ease. Overworld, Sanguine, Underworld; interconnected dimensions—all at my fingertips.
A gasp escaped me as I scrutinized the interface. Stats for each realm unfolded, accompanied by a diagram highlighting their relative positions. One statistic seized my attention—the "time dilation level."
In the Upper World, a mere two years had slipped away. My breath caught; Kaizer was now eighteen. Yet, in Sanguine, a staggering millennia had surged by. A shiver coursed through me, a stark realization of the temporal dissonance that separated the worlds. Kaizer had no idea how long I'd missed him… or how old I was now. Didn't help that my hair had turned white, and since my magical power was low, I couldn't use Deception Magic consistently enough to change it. This mask… it was a burden, that's for sure. I hadn't been able to use any magic at all since I woke up with it on.
As I finalized my choice, a profound hum emanated from the Chrono-Disruptor. The Blood Tech Core pulsed in tandem with my own heartbeat.
With a steady breath, I initiated the activation. Spells unfolded, creating an enchanting dance of sacred runes and symbols in the cathedral's air. Then, the breach materialized, inviting me in.
Without hesitation, I stepped through, the transition swift. The cathedral's stones blurred, and my reality seamlessly blurred and twisted into an entirely new reality.
Although surreal and faint, I heard Iris's voice say from behind me, "I believe in you, Darcia."
In an instant, I found myself inside a college dorm room, and people were fleeing and screaming. Amidst the pandemonium, there was Kaizer, who stood his ground, his gaze fixed on the unexpected visitor that just materialized out of thin air.
The dorm room was a little messy. Laundry baskets hinted at college life, and a single HD flatscreen TV with a PS5 dominated the bed area. Anime, movie, and video game posters adorned the walls, and a desk with a laptop served both work and leisure. LED lights in calming blue and a lamp cast a meditative glow over the room. Pictures of Kaizer and some strange girl hung on the walls. A stick of deodorant, a bottle of cologne, and a wallet and keys lay by the bedside table; a backpack lay propped against its leg. On another wall, there was a vanity, with feminine products organized about. A stray bra lay casually by the bed, and I recognized something strange… claw marks on the headboard of the bed. It was then that I heard Kaizer's fast-beating heart, and I looked at him.
Kaizer's transformation was evident in the dorm room. Standing at 6 feet, his once-wavy black hair now flowed past his shoulders in a wild and unkempt style. You could barely see his eyes because of his bangs. He looked at me with one curious eye, but he remained calm. He was in basketball shorts and a black hoodie.
As my eyes met his, a rush of memories flooded back—our journey, our love. Overwhelmed, I surged forward and enveloped Kaizer in a tight embrace, tears streaming down my face. In my emotional frenzy, I managed to sprinkle some unwanted evidence of my tears on his shirt…
Kaizer, breaking the silence, cautiously spoke, "Um… are you okay? This is really awkward. Who are you? Did I invite you? Not to be rude, but you look lost. Are you lost?"
His words left me stunned. "What? Who am I? What do you mean? I'm... You don't remember me?"
Kaizer's blank stare betrayed pure confusion.
"Well, I know my hair's white now, and... I have this thing on my face," I tugged on my mask self-consciously. "Wait..."
A sudden realization struck me. Lucius mentioned this was a Curse, and finding Kaizer should lift it. Yet, here I stood, and the Curse clung stubbornly.
"Um… can you tell me your name?"
"Darcia," I gasped, pulling back to look at Kaizer. "Look, I know this is insane, but I'm from a different time, a thousand years in the future, and Lucius said finding you would break a Curse, but it's not working, and I ended up here, and I'm really sorry for the snot on your shirt, but we were in love, and there was this big prophecy, and we were gonna save your mother— a-and I have this mask, and it's all a bit overwhelming, and I don't know why the Curse isn't breaking, and—"
Kaizer held up a hand, interrupting my frantic explanation. "Wait, slow down. You're from the future? A curse? Save my mom? Snot? Uh— aw, come on, I just bought this. What's going on?"
The door swung open, revealing a striking young woman with disheveled, wild black hair, a nose piercing, edgy tattoos, and a box of pizza in one hand, a handheld gaming console in the other. Her brown eyes met mine, and a sly smile played on her lips.
"Hey, got us some pizza while I was out. Oh, uh—" She noticed me and extended her hand, throwing the pizza box on the bed beforehand. "This a new friend, Kaizer? Hi, I'm Kira."
"Uh… yeah, sure, new friend…" Kaizer stammered, casting a suspicious glance my way.
"Again, it's Darcia," I said, shaking hands with Kira and forcing a fake smile. Turning to Kaizer, I couldn't hide the jealousy in my tone. "So, how do you guys know each other? I'm curious."
Kaizer offered a small smile. "Oh, well, you know… we met in high school. I was the new kid, she was my first friend. Been inseparable since, really."
"Unfortunately," Kira added playfully, earning a laugh from Kaizer.
"I see," I said, and I accidentally let a searing, Vampiric hiss escape from my lips. "Ahem. So you two were classmates."
Kira nodded, and it was as if she did not even notice my hostility at all. Her beaming smile remained. "I graduated before him, since I was a senior and he was a junior. But it didn't take him long to catch up with me. Now we're roommates, attending the same college. Pretty cool, right?" Kira settled on the bed, biting into a slice of pizza.
I couldn't help but notice there was only one bed in the room.
"Would you like something to drink, Darcia? I have tea, water, soda, even some wine, if you're into that. If you want some pizza, you can have some of this too."
My tempted response about blood was quickly stifled by reason. "Um… I'm fine, thank you," I replied politely.
Kira shrugged. "Suit yourself. Hey, by the way, what's with the mask? That for a party or a rave or somethin'?" Her brown eyes glinted mischief.
I shook my head. "No… it's… just something I wear. For personal reasons. Um… Kira, do you mind if I borrow Kaizer for a moment? I'd like to speak with him in private."
"Kai, you hear that? I guess I'm getting kicked out." Kira said with a laugh.
"No, you're not, stop entertaining it," Kaizer said, shaking his head, then looking at me coldly. Kira smirked at me from behind him.
"Look, I think you might have taken some really strong acid and you're trippin' right now, so I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt— if you'd be so kind, the door is right over there. Uh— Kira, can you show her to the door, please?" Kaizer nodded as he pointed to the door.
"Of course, love." Kira replied, getting out of bed and extending an arm out to the door.
I'd never felt so betrayed in my life, even after everything. Even after my Mother. Even after Serpentara. This was beyond describable. He didn't remember me, not one bit. And I remembered everything about us.
So… this is My Curse.
I see…
"Kaizer, please listen to me—
"Ma'am, I don't know you, we've never met."
"Kaizer, yes we have! I love you! You once loved me!"
Kaizer shook his head, utterly bewildered. His shock turned into a disgusted sneer. "I do not remember that."
"Do I need to get the Glock, babe?" Kira asked casually.
"No, no, chill out, chill out…" Kaizer responded, shaking his head. "She's harmless. I can tell…"
During our brief eye contact, I caught a crimson shimmer in the sea of his black eyes. For a split second, his pupils morphed into slits like a reptile's eyes. Then, it vanished. His gaze returned to normal, Human-like eyes, leaving me questioning if I had hallucinated.
"Get out, please." Kaizer's voice lacked emotion, mirroring his eyes that once radiated life and wonder.
Now, staring into them felt like facing a stranger who didn't know my name, let alone care about me.
"Okay, fine. I'll go," I said, heading toward the door.
"But first…"
I halted.
"Explain this, Kaizer."
Turning around, I approached him, pulling the collar of his hoodie aside to reveal his lower neck, the very spot I had bitten on the back of the Leviathan. As expected, the mark lingered.
Kaizer blinked in confusion. "Oh, this. Yeah, so what?"
"That was from me, Kaizer. I bit you there."
He paused, looking at me with pitiful eyes, and offered a smile.
"You're gonna be okay. Just get some rest, alright? You'll feel better eventually."
Kira grabbed my hand, guiding me toward the door. My thoughts seemed to flow like a quiet breeze that chilled my very core.
So I'm supposed to just give up…?
After everything we went through…?
It's not fair.
They took him from me.
Mother… you took him from me.
I will always hate you.
All of you.
I won't give up on him. I can't give up on him.
Without him, I die. Simple as that. I need him.
He's my everything. My life. My heart.
"Anghyra pulsar, Kaizer."
Kaizer gasped, and Kira and I both looked to see tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Wait a minute… hold on…" he spoke through gritted teeth, clenching his fists as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "D… Darci…you're the… my classmate…the Academy…?"
Kaizer's hands were shaking, and he stretched out his arms as if to try to embrace something but his eyes were empty, devoid of emotion. Tears flowed endlessly down his face.
"Thalia… Justice…"
"… Alaric?" Kaizer's voice shuddered with every name, as if the weight of them shook his very vocal cords.
"Emma…" he began, his silent crying now becoming heavy sobs. "Emma…"
"Who's Emma?" Kira wondered aloud. "Kai, are you okay?"
I remembered who Emma was, from the memories Kaizer and I once shared. It was the little Human girl Kaizer rescued from The Forgotten Labyrinth. The girl who lost her parents to Common Vampires.
I wondered what was making him say it like that now…