"Oh shit, my head."Timothy's hand moved to touch his forehead, his sight slowly adjusting to the world around him, 'what a weird dream that was, a magical ring and a mysterious man? those do sound like some of the tales Nana used to tell me, I guess I must have missed her a lot that my mind manifested such a dream oh well-' before he could finish up his inner monologue a familiar face appeared in his field of vision
"You are awake now, good." Timothy's mouth immediately went dry, and his words got stuck in his throat because he recognized the man this was Josh Belling from his- 'Was it not a dream? It was all real all of it Josh, Richard-' Just then realization hit him, slowly raising his hand a majestic and ancient ring rested on his middle finger, its cyan gem releasing a faint glow that made it appear mysterious and beautiful.
"It's all true." His words sounded more like a whisper but they did not pass by Josh's sharp ears unheard."What Is?" Josh moved closer to sit on the bed where Timothy was resting.
"You, this, everything is all real." Timothy's voice was filled with genuine disbelief, Josh smiled nodding his head at Timothy's statement. Bits and bits of Timothy's memory surfaced and he finally recalled what happened, Timothy's eyes widened, and almost jumped out of the bed
"What did that lady mean when she said I am the true salvation of all the planes of existence? She called me the Forsaken one, The lost child of the 'source', The exalted messiah. I am not a hero, I am a boy who has just lost his grandmother in a manner I still can't wrap my head around. I am not looking to be a savior, I am searching for answers, I want to uncover the strange mystery behind my Nana's death, and only then can I be at peace. I am not some knight in shining armor, I do not care about anything other than myself that is why I have never bothered anyone else with my problems because they are mine to handle ." Timothy's Tears fell as he spoke, Josh looked at him his smile never fading from his lips. What Timothy remembered was the scene from the illusion he had cast on him, to him this was a test of Timothy's character, because he believed that all heroes died one way or another and he would rather be the teacher of a living villain than a dead hero.
"You can abandon that destiny, you can derive away from what the hags had planned for you and it all starts with a simple task, investigate and solve Sif'ur's missing children and foul Arcanum case or leave it be," Josh explained his voice calm and firm
'What will you choose, moirai? Investigate and solve the case and be the hero of this tale or allow me to guide you into the path I have laid out for you.' Josh quietly observed Timothy's facial expression.
Timothy's eyes became unfocused as he was busy conversing with Richard, "What do you think I should do? " Timothy asked hoping Richard would give him an answer he would be pleased to hear but his expectations were quickly thrashed aside
"Do what you think is best for you and your growth, there's nothing I can do to help you in this case, for this decision has to come from the heart," Richard spoke his tone bearing a calm laziness that irked Timothy off but he could vaguely understand what Richard was hinting at, so he took in a deep breath relaxing his body before he could announce his decision to Josh.
"Let us leave and head for the sanctum." That was all he said, Josh with a smile nodded but then the smile turned into a smirk and he asked "Would your decision be the same if I told you that I have found a solid lead to the case?" Josh's tone was different, almost arrogant. Timothy's disbelief shone in his eyes 'How? When ?' Were the first two questions that he had, but instead of quickly responding he took in a deep breath he understood that Josh's statement just now was bait, a tempting bait but still bait nonetheless so he steeled his resolve and he nodded before he spoke: "yes, it would not change."
Josh's smirk returned to a smile and he clasped his hands " Interesting choice Moirai, the path you chose is filled with thorns so be prepared to bleed." Josh spoke, standing up, he straightened his clothes and left Timothy with his words still lingering in the air
'I am prepared to bleed until I have found the true cause of your death I will not rest so forgive me, Nana, forgive me .' Timothy thought staring at the urn that had his Nana on the table by the window with a wilted flower vase next to it. The morning sun peeked through the curtains and the bustling sound of the city made its way to his ears, normally he would not be able to hear it but ever since he had started bathing in the pseudo-divine spring. The effects were divine, Timothy's constitution had improved and all of his physical traits had partially improved but the real improvement was not physical rather It was on a spiritual level, for the first time Timothy felt connected but to what ? He could understand, his dreams were now all about stars and many other strange realms he had never seen before at first he thought that it was just his mind conjuring this but then he realized that the rate at which these dreams were occurring was not normal at all and the stuff he saw became more and more absurd but there was this one dream in particular In this chilling dream, he found himself transformed into a monstrous silver-black wolf, his fur bristling with an unnatural intensity. With eyes ablaze with crimson fury, he stood amidst the eerie silence of the night, fixated on the star-studded sky above. The atmosphere thickened with an oppressive cold, seeping into his bones like icy tendrils of dread.
As the seconds stretched into eternity, a sense of foreboding engulfed him, suffocating any semblance of peace. Suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness gripped the air, sending shivers down his spine. Without warning, the quiet night shattered into chaos as the once serene sky erupted into a cacophony of cracks and fissures.
From the gaping maws of these ominous ruptures, came a legion of grotesque, burnt hands with razor-sharp claws, reaching out hungrily towards him. Each hand was twisted and contorted, releasing an aura of malevolence and decay. Their jagged claws scraped against the fractured sky, leaving behind a trail of darkness and despair.
The night air became filled with anguished wails and guttural snarls, echoing through the void as the hands clawed relentlessly at the fabric of reality. With each passing moment, the terror increased, reaching every fiber of his being with a primal instinct to flee. But no matter how fast he ran, the monstrous hands pursued him relentlessly, their twisted forms casting sinister shadows against the backdrop of the fractured night and then he woke, almost every night he would have this dream. What did it mean? He did not know but he too could feel that in the end, he could end up like the monstrous wolf if he continued chasing after the bizarre.
Removing the bedsheets covering him Timothy went to stand by the window and he stared outside taking I'm one last look at the city he had called his home 80 seasons. But in the end, he could not feel any attachment to this place, to him this place stopped being his home the day his sister Evelyn disappeared.
"Well one thing is for sure, I can't wait to get out of this shit hole. "