Zhavros laughed after my comment, not out of mockery, but because he seemed intrigued by how interesting it could be. Nymira, ever curious, turned to Aelira and asked, "Could someone actually have a power like that?"
Aelira looked at her seriously before nodding slowly. "Unfortunately, yes, it's possible." Then, her gaze fell on me, and her tone became more thoughtful. "But there's something you must understand, Darius."
I remained silent, waiting for her explanation.
"While you may be able to change some things, there are events in time that are inevitable. They are predestined, like fixed points in history." She paused, as if carefully choosing her words.
"You might think you can manipulate time as you please, but not everything is under your control. Time is not a completely predictable tool. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, certain events cannot be altered. Time has its own rules, and it plays with us just as much as we think we play with it."
Aelira looked at me intensely, as if wanting to make sure I grasped the weight of her words.
"Be careful, Darius. You can't prevent or change everything. Time is flexible, but also capricious."
Zhavros quipped, half-jokingly and with a touch of seriousness, "The princess with wings has a point."
"I'm not a princess," Aelira replied, not catching the sarcasm in Zhavros's comment.
Zhavros rolled his eyes, clearly avoiding explaining that he was being sarcastic, and continued talking. "Besides, there's something important this guy isn't telling us."
A slight jolt ran through me. I knew what he might be about to say, and I didn't like the idea of him revealing it. Zhavros, always looking to stir intrigue, glanced around at everyone before continuing:
"Let's say what he says is true, that he can jump through time. There's an important factor we can't ignore: every time he does, Darius will be consumed a little more by the chaos inside him."
He looked at me directly, with a crooked smile. "So let me ask you straight… Darius, who's to say that after your great feat, you won't turn into our new enemy?"
Zhavros finished the sentence with that damned smile, enjoying the tension he had created. "After all, you already lost control once and fought against us, right?"
I felt the tension course through me from head to toe. Zhavros's revelation left me exposed, and my voice came out louder than I expected. "That's exactly why I'm asking for your help! I want to master it and prevent something like that from happening again."
Lyris, who was beside me, noticed my discomfort. She gently took my hand, trying to calm me.
"We understand your intention is to help, Darius," she said in a calm voice. "But we need to be realistic and cautious. We don't know how long it would take you to master that ability… and we don't have time."
She paused, reflecting. "Also, who's to say it won't harm you, even if you manage to control it?"
Eldrek intervened at that moment with a calmer tone. "Darius, for now, I see it as unlikely that we can rely on that plan. It's too risky… especially for you."
Frustrated, I nodded silently. I knew they were right, but that didn't prevent the weight of the situation from crushing me. Little by little, the group resumed their conversation on other topics, but my mind remained trapped in what had just happened.
After a while, I decided to step aside. I walked up to a rock on a hill and sat down, gazing at the sky. The night's chill helped me think, but the turmoil inside me wouldn't leave me in peace.
Suddenly, I felt a presence next to me. Aelira had approached without me noticing. I was startled to see her, and I quickly composed myself, feeling uneasy. I wasn't entirely relaxed around her; I always felt that Aelira kept a close watch on me, as if she still didn't completely trust me.
However, she sat beside me, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The group remained around the fire. I could see Nymira bothering Zhavros, who was trying to brush her off, irritated but with a more tolerant attitude than before.
Aelira spoke first, her voice low but clear. "Don't get a bad impression of me, Darius," she said, without taking her eyes off the view. "In this era, I have seen many communities fall, entire towns destroyed… all because of the cruelty of darkness."
She paused, her words hanging heavily in the air. "I was there at the last battle against that being. Many communities united to face it, but it was in vain. Darkness consumed everything."
There was a brief silence before she continued. "My hatred for that darkness and everything it represents runs deep. That's why, at first, I couldn't stand you or Zhavros."
"My judgment was hasty, and for that, I apologize."
The sincerity in her voice surprised me. "I don't blame you for feeling that way," I replied. "Even now, I don't exactly get along with Zhavros."
We both laughed a little at that comment, and the atmosphere lightened for a moment. I felt a bit more at ease by her side.
"My intentions are good, Aelira," I continued, seriously. "I won't let chaos take control of me."
Aelira looked at me then, her golden eyes shining in the dim light. "You know I can sense the mana of those around me," she said in a calm tone. "And yours… it's different from the chaos I've felt in other creatures. In them, chaos is dense, pure, dominant. In you, it's different. It's like it's embedded in every layer of you, like a parasite."
She paused before asking, "Tell me, Darius… your magic isn't natural, is it? Everything makes me think it was given to you by someone or something."
Her question left me speechless for a moment. I was surprised at how accurate her observation was. "Wow, you really seem like you're straight out of a book," I said, trying to process what she'd just said.
"Everything you said is true… I come from a completely different world."
Instinctively, I reached for the pendant hanging over my clothes, feeling the weight of the memories it carried.
"In my world, after a great loss, I found myself in the deepest despair. It was during that period that something appeared in my dreams… it promised I could reunite with that person in this world and that it would grant me certain abilities to achieve it. And that's how I became what I am now."
"I see," Aelira said, without showing any emotion. "I suspected it might be something like that. I'll help you counter it."
That statement surprised me even more. Help me? I barely knew Aelira, and yet she was offering her support to help me control the chaos within me.
"Chaos isn't something innate to you," she continued, watching me closely. "I get the impression that you could turn it into something else… do you understand?" She paused briefly, as if reflecting on what she had just said.
"But it's just a theory. I've never met someone with your… characteristics."
"I don't fully understand," I admitted, feeling the confusion seep through my mind, "but I'll gladly accept your help."
Aelira nodded, and for the first time in my presence, she showed a faint smile before leaving.
"Good night."
"Good night," I replied.
I didn't expect the night to end this way. Somehow, the conversation with Aelira left me with a pleasant feeling. After a while, I lay down in my tent and prepared to rest.
— — —
The next morning, Eldrek woke everyone up early. "Vaelor and his people have gone to decide what to do. In the meantime, we'll proceed to imbue your weapons with mana."
From his tent, Zhavros grumbled, "Did you really have to wake us up so early, Eldrek? I had a few drinks last night, and my head hurts. Plus, I was the hero yesterday; I deserve a little more rest."
Nymira, from outside the tent, retorted, "That's not true! The real hero yesterday was my teacher. Without her, we wouldn't have made it out unharmed."
Aelira calmed Nymira so she wouldn't continue arguing, but Zhavros, never losing his character, responded from the tent, "Let me tell you something, girl: your teacher is indeed powerful." At that moment, he stepped out of his tent and, with his typical superior attitude, added, "But even with her power, she couldn't beat me."
He leaned down to Nymira, looking at her challengingly, and then directed a sly smile at Aelira. Lyris and I exchanged frustrated glances. We were used to Zhavros's humor, but Aelira, apparently, took him seriously.
"Was that an official challenge?" Aelira asked, looking him in the eyes as she stood firmly before him. Both stood over six feet tall, and her seriousness contrasted with Zhavros's relaxed demeanor.
The rest of us, surprised by the situation, tried to diffuse the atmosphere. Eldrek also intervened, but Zhavros just laughed. "Relax, princess, I wouldn't dare fight you… for now." His playful tone didn't help to ease the tension.
"You couldn't beat her!" shouted Nymira, sticking her tongue out at Zhavros from afar.
Finally, Eldrek put an end to the bickering. "Enough. It's time to get to the important part."
We gathered around Eldrek, who brought out the objects he had forged. The first was a bracelet for Nymira. With enthusiasm on her face, she asked, "Can I put it on now?"
Eldrek nodded and knelt before her. "Stand up." When Nymira did, Eldrek took her small hand in his massive palm and, with his other index finger, touched the bracelet. "Now focus. I want you to channel your magic into the bracelet."
Nymira closed her eyes and began to concentrate, following Eldrek's instructions. When she felt her energy flow, Eldrek channeled his own skill and helped to focus Nymira's magic into the bracelet.
The object began to glow with the color of her magic, lightly flickering. Eldrek withdrew his hands, satisfied with the result.
Nymira opened her eyes, amazed, looking at her bracelet with delight. "I feel as if my magic has become stronger… it's a strange sensation."
"Now you'll be able to handle your mana better," Eldrek explained, smiling. Nymira couldn't hide her happiness.
Eldrek repeated the process with Zhavros, Lyris, and Aelira. However, after each channeling of magic, Eldrek seemed more exhausted, and his movements grew slower. I approached, concerned.
"Are you okay, Eldrek?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he replied, though his voice betrayed a hint of weariness.
A few steps away, Zhavros, always mocking, shouted at him, "Don't let time get the best of you, Eldrek! You're too old for this."
Before he could react, Lyris smacked him on the back of the head with an open palm, making Zhavros jump. Nymira burst into laughter as Zhavros turned to complain, visibly annoyed while rubbing the sore area.