The air was still, the realm around Isaac finally at peace after the chaotic fractures had been healed. But as Isaac stood there, catching his breath, a strange sensation washed over him. It was faint, barely noticeable, but Isaac could feel it—the remnants of the forces he had just tamed.
Kronos watched him silently for a moment before speaking. 'What you felt, that was an echo of the power you wielded. Time leaves traces, Isaac. Even when it is restored, there are always echoes.'
Isaac turned to Kronos, his brows furrowed. 'Echoes?'
Kronos nodded, stepping forward to stand beside him. 'When you manipulate time, you leave behind impressions of your power. The greater the task, the stronger the echo. You must learn to sense these, for they can become unstable if left unchecked.'
I hadn't expected that. Even after fixing the fractures in time, it felt like something was lingering. It wasn't dangerous, at least not yet, but I could feel it—a ripple in the air that pulsed quietly beneath the surface.
'Is it something I should worry about?' I asked, still trying to understand the nature of these echoes.
Kronos's gaze was steady. 'Not yet. But if you leave too many of these traces behind, they could attract... attention.'
The seriousness in Kronos's voice unsettled Isaac. He had been so focused on fixing time that he hadn't even considered the lingering effects of his power. Kronos had always been there to guide him, but as Isaac's mastery of time grew, so too did the consequences of his actions.
For the first time, Isaac realized that restoring balance wasn't always the end of the task. There were always ripples left behind—unseen forces that could one day come back to haunt him.
'Then I'll need to be more careful,' Isaac said, determination filling his voice.
Kronos nodded approvingly. 'Yes. And soon, you will need to learn how to erase those echoes, to make sure no trace of your power lingers. That will be your next lesson.'
Two Weeks Later
Two weeks had passed since Isaac had restored the fractured realm. In that time, Kronos had begun teaching him how to sense and neutralize the echoes left behind after manipulating time. It was a more subtle task than Isaac was used to—less about direct action and more about precision.
Isaac had spent countless hours training, learning to feel the faint traces of his power and smooth them out, preventing any instability from forming. But it was slow work, and even after two weeks, he hadn't mastered it.
Every time I thought I had gotten it right, I could still feel the echo—a faint whisper of the power I had used. Kronos said it would take time, that this was one of the most delicate tasks I would have to learn, but it was frustrating. I was used to fixing things, to taking action, but this... this was different.
Isaac was deep in concentration, focusing on smoothing out the faint traces of time he had manipulated. The energy felt like a hum beneath his fingertips, subtle but constant. He closed his eyes, letting his senses stretch out, searching for any trace he might have missed.
Suddenly, the hum grew louder—a ripple of power surged through the air, stronger than any echo Isaac had felt before. His eyes snapped open, heart racing.
Kronos was at his side in an instant. 'You feel it, don't you?'
Isaac nodded, his pulse quickening. 'What is that?'
It wasn't just an echo anymore. It was something else—something stronger, more deliberate. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of it.
'What's happening, Kronos?'
Kronos's expression darkened. 'There are forces in this world that respond to disruptions in time. You've gotten stronger, Isaac, but that strength is like a beacon. The echoes of your power can attract attention from entities that exist beyond the flow of time itself.'
Isaac's breath caught in his throat. 'Are they dangerous?'
Kronos nodded. 'Some. But you've trained for this. You'll be ready when the time comes.'
Later That Night
Isaac stood alone in the quiet of the temple where he had been training. The echoes had subsided for now, but the hum of their presence still lingered in the back of his mind. He had learned to control time, to shape it, but this was different. These echoes were like a shadow, something he couldn't fully grasp.
But he would figure it out. He had to.
Isaac took a deep breath, letting the calm of the night settle over him. He had come far, but there was still so much more to learn. The forces Kronos had warned him about were out there, waiting, and soon, Isaac would face them.
I stood at the edge of the temple, looking out into the night. The stars above me flickered, tiny points of light in the vast darkness. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me from beyond the flow of time. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but it was there.
I didn't know when or where they would come from, but I would be ready. I had to be.
Kronos watched from the shadows, his eyes following Isaac's every move. The boy had grown stronger than even he had anticipated. But with that strength came new dangers. The echoes of power Isaac left behind were not just remnants—they were signals, markers for entities that existed outside of time's normal flow.
For now, Isaac was safe. But the day was fast approaching when those forces would come for him.
End of Chapter