There isn't just one world. The worlds, together with the universe they occupy, are very numerous, perhaps infinite. The world can be called a planet or the universe, depending on how you define it.
....
In ancient times, about 2500 years ago, and much longer... This world was originally a magical world. It's all about magic.
There are different races in this world, like demons, elves, fairies, dwarves, humans, demi-humans and many more.
Magic is the most basic thing. Magic is used for everything from everyday activities to fighting or war.
The magical world is not a peaceful one. This world has a big problem, the invasion of the Dark Lord, the ruler of the demon race. The Dark Lord and his demonic forces have invaded the territory of each race and taken possession of it. The Dark Lord is very powerful and the most powerful being in the Magical world. The army of demons he led was also strong, so any race that tried to fight him wouldn't survive.
When the Dark Lord had taken complete control of the whole magical world, he brought suffering and misery to humanity and other races. No one dares to challenge the Dark Lord's supremacy. But some time ago, the chosen hero appeared. Together with his companions and allied forces, he led a rebellion against the Dark Lord. Eventually, using all of his skills, he overthrew the Dark Lord's power, sealing it and throwing him to the bottom of the Abyss along with the demons who were his loyal followers.
The remaining demons were exiled to the continent of Hi'af, a barren, dangerous and hostile environment. However, the Dark Lord did not give up until he used his final technique, the "Destroyer of Reality".
With this technique he has created a whole world... no, the whole universe is in a big mess. Explosions, earthquakes, storms, they're everywhere. Many people died because of this chaos. After the great chaos was over, a strange thing happened. The geography of the world has changed. The seas, oceans, continents, mountains, islands, everything has changed. And 26 very mysterious new continents appeared.
Surprisingly, it turns out that the Magical World has merged with six other worlds. The other six worlds are the Esper World, the Robot World, the Eternal Winter World, the Sword World, the Apocalyptic World, and the Supernatural World. The world in question is a planet that originated in many universes and moved into one universe through the distortion of space-time caused by the power of the Dark Lord. Then they merge with the magical world (planet).
The merging of the magical world with the six worlds created a chaos of systems and laws, and gave birth to new systems and laws. And also make the fate branched, to infinite. After that, the whole world that had merged, became one big new world. The world is called... Tarthalus.
.....
"Kiara...."
I was silent for a moment. I felt as if my heart had stopped beating. Old, buried memories were being replayed. Tears streamed from my eyes down my cheeks. I remembered all the precious treasures that had been lost, taken by the evil demons. One of them was my sweet little sister who had tragically left me.
"No..."
My voice is weak, my lips tremble and my breathing is heavy. I couldn't believe what I had seen and heard.
"Kiara is dead!!! There's no way he's still alive!!! I saw him with my own eyes, she died so horribly! There's no way you're Kiara. Who are you?!!"
I said as I snapped at her. More and more tears flowed from my eyes and washed my face. I feel like crying sobs. The girl who claims to be Kiara? I can't believe it! But how did she know Kiara's name?
The girl seemed surprised by my words. But she just smiled softly and hugged me tightly again.
"Kiara, your little sister is dead..."
Huh? If she is dead...
Why is she pretending to be Kiara? What exactly happened?
"I am Kiara from another branch of fate.
Another branch of fate? What the... Does she mean? Did I hear wrong? She said strange things...
"What do you mean?"
My tears stopped flowing. Replaced by an expression of curiosity and wonder. I don't know if I'm hallucinating or dreaming.
"I'm sorry you must be confused by what I have said. But please listen carefully. I'll explain..."
I'm still silent. I tried to listen to her explanation to understand what she was saying.
"I am Kiara from another branch of fate. You're still too confused about it, so I'll explain briefly but clearly."
She stopped for a second, then start explain.
"The world doesn't work like you think. Behind this vast world is something called fate. Fate is not a condition that determines the destiny and course of things. But it is the abundance of provisions that can create many different destiny, events and plots, each of which is different. Fate is shared. If there is one fate where a person survives a murder, there is another fate where he does't survive and dies. There was also another fate where he became the one who committed the murder instead. And there are many other fate that are different and create different destiny, events and life paths".
Then she sighed. And she looked at me.
"So you could say that I am another version of Kiara who survived, and I am the only Kiara who survived among all the countless branches of fate. I came here to release you from the chains of suffering and to tell you something very important. Something very important to you".
.....
Ah, I....
Shit.... It's very overwhelming.
I backed away, then sat down on the ground. I held my head and tried to calm down. I need to be able to think calmly. She said something that got to me. I really can't believe this. Am I really dreaming? No. It's real. Another branch of fate...
Oh, I remembered something. I finally understood what the girl said. I knew something like this from a game I'd played with Neyla some years ago.
"So you're another version of Kiara? Is the branch of Destiny you're referring to a different timeline? You come from a parallel world that runs parallel to this one? A world that is literally our world, but the branching of history and possibility that creates events, different paths on each timeline? So a branching fate you're talking about is a branching timeline? And each of the branching timelines is a parallel world that has a different history, different events, a different storyline to this world? Do they still belong in this world? Or more simply, is it like an RPG that has a different ending depending on how we choose it?"
I asked, explaining what I understood. Her face looked bright and happy when I said that.
"Exactly. That's the kind of fate I'm talking about. I came from a branch of fate where I'm only two years apart from you. In the branch of fate I come from, you and the others died from being executed by the Demons. And I survived because there was a witch who saved me. Over the years, my powers have grown enormously. I became a dimensional explorer. Then I tried to travel back in time. I want to save you and others from the demons and change the future so that I can be with you again. But strangely, the future didn't change. I tried to change the past hundreds of times, but the result was the same. The future never changes, and it never will. In the end, I realised that if I changed the past, I would only be creating a branch of fate that would change the future, but not the future of the branch of fate I came from. Its the future of many other branches of fate. I even created many branches of Fate where I managed to save them, but it was just another version, not the original. The original is gone...."
After a long, dramatic explanation, she sobbing. She tried her best to hold her tears.
"Oh, then why don't you live with them?" I asked.
"I can't live in a lie, brother. It will only hurt me."
....
"What happened after that?" I asked.
"Then I have a new purpose, which is to save you who are still alive from all the branches of fate that exist, before you die and before a bad fate comes to you. If I can't change the fate that already happened, then all I have to do is destroy that fate before it happens to you. I will prevent a bad destiny from befalling you and make you live and be a great person. I want you to find happiness, Brother. Among the many branches of fate in which you have died, there are many other branches of fate in which you are still alive but full of suffering. So far I've managed to save 14 of you in the 14 Fates.... That's all I've been able to save. Now is the 15th.I'll save you... I won't fail again...."
The girl... No, Kiara started to sob again. I... I don't know why I feel so much pain even though I don't know much about her. She said there are many of me still alive in many other branches of destiny, but she could only save 14 from death and bad fate. As for the rest....
Not wanting to see her cry anymore, I start to hug her to make her comfortable and calm. Kiara was a little surprised, but she hugged me as well. We hugged long enough. I could feel the warmth that had been missing for a long time. I think she is Kiara. Even though she is a different version of Kiara, Kiara is still Kiara. And I miss her.
"You said you had something important to tell me, what's it?"
I asked. Kiara started to take pull herself and looked at me with a serious look.
"I want to tell you that... Your mother is alive."
At that moment, her words opened my eyes wide.
Mom... still alive...?
"You mean my mother in this branch of fate?" I asked with tension.
"Yes, your mother is alive. So save her."
"Save her? You mean mom is in danger?"
"Yes, but not today and not in the near future. In two years your mother will be dead. Now she was in the palace of the Dark Lord, which was in the bottom of the deepest abyss. The Dark Lord had turned her into a demon. And the worse is, the seal that locked the Dark Lord body has weakened, so the Dark Lord could move a little freely."
....
I was silent and speechless for a seconds. I'm glad my mom is alive. But she was turned into a demon, a creature that slaughtered my father, my two sisters, Kiara, and the entire kingdom where I was born. My heart is broken... And the most terrible is, the news about the legendary Dark Lord, his seal has weakened....
Why I feel like I'm losing hope.
But at least Mom is alive. I'll save her no matter what. But... With my current strength, If I go to The Dark Lord palace.... I'm sure I'll die in the middle of the road before I see my mother again.
"But I..."
Just as Im about to say it, my words immediately cutt off by Kiara's.
"Before you say that you are too weak to save Mother, I also want to tell you that I will give you the new power to become stronger."
"What? Power?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, power! Brother, you are weak, but not today! Today is the day of your time to shines. Today is.... the rise of Kalgallus Aaron Czechlavia, the greatest human! A humans that have the power of the 14 Branches of fate!"
Shortly after that, Kiara pointed her right hand at me, palm up. A black cube with green glowing stripes appeared on her hand.
"Hold this, brother. Inside this cube, is your powers from 14 different branches of fate. Yes, 14 of you from 14 different branches of fate, the many version of you I saved, I copied 80% of their power. And I want you to have all the copies of their power. This power is very great that you may experience big pain in the process of receiving it."
"I am willing to accept it no matter how painful it is. To save Mother!"
I say this with confidence and trust. Now I have the power. I will accept it without a second thought. I touched the cube in Kiara's palm. Then my body immediately collapsed, and my whole body felt a tremendous pain. From head to toe.
"Aaaaargh!!!"
I groaned in pain. It felt like my entire skin and flesh were being pierced by something sharp, and my bones being crushed one by one. All the pain was gone after 15 seconds. I still can't stand up. My body is weak and my consciousness is diminished. Breathing also difficult.
Kiara, who saw this scene, hugged me tightly and gently patted my back. Then she said...
"Congratulations, you have gained your new power. Now that you have become one of the strongest human in this world, you still have to learn to control your power and dont forget to gain a lot of experience by fighting with all your power. Because, great power without experience is useless."
Kiara let go of her hug. Then she stood up and held out her hand to me. I held her palm and stood up with her help.
"Now, you have to get out of this place. Oh yeah, that creature called Tree man attacked you two, right? I felt there was something strange about them. I felt they had the aura of cosmic heart fragments. If left unchecked, they will become dangerous creature. Stop them before they make this world even more chaotic,"
Kiara looked into my eyes with high hopes. I strangely understood what she was saying. I nodded, then said, "Okay, leave everything to me."
"Good, now I have to go, to explore another branch of fate again. I can't stay here too longer."
After saying that, Kiara turned around and walked away from me. Then she tore through the air in front of her and created a spacetime portal that radiated dark purple light.
"Oh yeah, I want to give you a message. Don't get too caught up in revenge, or you'll never be able to find happiness. Focus on your goals and what you should do. Don't do anything stupid. Understand?"
Kiara said that without facing me. . But I could feel deep sadness radiating from her.
"I understand." I answered with a tone that was softer than before.
"Good, then... Goodbye. This is our first and last meeting, brother" Kiara with a heavy heart and trembling hands, entered the space-time portal that she created. And finally she left, leaving me alone. The portal slowly closed by itself. Then only silence remained here. It felt the same, like the only lantern you have to light up the darkness, suddenly extinguished. And leaving behind darkness that embraces you from all directions.
"This is the most unexpected moment in my life."
I muttered to myself.
"Kiara... From another branch of fate... And she is the only one who exists. This is not the last meeting. Someday, after I save my mother, I will meet you again, Kiara. Even though you are not the original, Kiara is still Kiara. And you saved my life, I owe you a debt of gratitude."
After muttering, I turned around and saw Gord who was still lying down, he hadn't wake up yet. A few moments later, he began to open his eyes and wake up.
"Ouch... Where am I?"
Gord looks confused. Then he looked at me in surprise and disbilieve.
"Arde! You're safe too? Thank goodness. Where are we?"
"Gord, stand up. We have to go back to the village."
Then Gord stood up, even though he looked a bit difficult
"Oh yeah! We fell into a ravine! So we're at the bottom of the ravine?"
"That's right."
"So, how are we going to get back?"
Without needing to answer his question, I grabbed Gord's left shoulder and used one of the powers that Kiara gave me. For some reason, strange memories and new knowledge that I didn't have before started to appear in my head. Most of it was about my new power.
"Instant teleportation."
Shoot!!
In an instant, faster than the blink of an eye, Gord and I had returned to Fcihyn village, via teleportation. This is great! I can use teleportation. Teleportation is a high-level technique, and I can use it easily. Moreover, what I used was instant teleportation, which is different from regular teleportation. With regular teleportation, you have to create a magic circle under the user's feet or an object in order to teleport. Not to mention having to chant a rather long spell. While I just needed to think about the location I wanted to go to, and finally I moved to other place without much drama.
"E-Eh? Arde... What did you just do? We.... Are already in the village?"
Gord looked around in surprise and looked in disbelief. But it was true, The two of us had returned to the village, but the atmosphere was no longer quiet. In front of us there was a crowd. Dozens of villagers and village guards, equipped with their weapons lined up at the village border. They seemed to be waiting for something.
"Everyone get ready!!"
"T-They're coming!"
"Damn, there are too many of them..."
"Can we defeat all of them?'
The villagers and guards talked to each other. They prepared as if someone was going to attack them. I walked forward towards the villagers and village guards, and joined them. Gord followed me from behind. The villagers ignored my presence. They were focused to the front. In front of us were 100 Treemen walking towards us. Behind them was also a Treeman, but its size was much bigger than the other Treemen.
The Treeman had three faces, a large and tall body, and tendrils that glowed blue. Another difference was, the Treeman didn't have leaves on its head.
That Treeman.... Was it the big tree from earlier, right? Did all the leaves it had fall off? Ah, more than that, I felt something strange and terrifying from the big Treeman. It must be the cosmic heart fragment that Kiara mentioned earlier.
"Attack!!"
The villagers chanted a spell, then conjured fire magic. They shot it towards the Treeman. The fireballs exploded, and burned all the Treeman. But they kept walking towards us, and the flames that burn their bodies start to extenguished.
"Everyone, attack with ice magic!"
The villagers and guards start to chanting a spell again. Then they made many fist-sized blue ice bullets appear that were burning. Then they shot them towards the Treemen. When all the ice bullets were very close to the Treemen, the ice bullets exploded, and the area around the Treemen was surrounded by a cold white mist. Finally, all the Treemen including the largest one were frozen.
"Yes, we did it!!"
Crack!!
A cracking sound was heard. It came from the Tree men. All the frozen Three men started to return to normal. Then they walked towards us again.
"W-What?!"
The villagers and the village guards were shocked and shuddered, seeing the Tree men who were able to escape from the freeze.
Then all of the tree man, pointed their hands towards the villagers and the village guards. Something sharp grew from the Tree men's hands, and they shot it at high speed. It was a large wooden thorn that made me and Gord fall into the abyss.
With one index finger pointing forward, I stopped all the wooden thorns fired by the hundred Tree men and made them stop in the air. Then I rotated my index finger, made the Treeman's thorns turn around and shoot towards the Treemans at supersonic speed. The wooden thorns hit all the Treemans, and shattered them into pieces. This was another of my new powers, Telekinesis.
The villagers and the village guards who saw it were immediately shocked and amazed.
"W-What did he just do?!"
"He destroyed all those Tree men!"
"Amazing!!"
I ignored their words and walked forward to the villagers and village guards. In front of them, there was still one large Tree man who was still alive, even though his body was full of holes from the high-speed wooden thorns. The holes in his body regenerated, and then he shot towards me. I also shot towards him.
"Azheryo, Fulfill my call!"
After I said that, a large sword with a bright blue blade appeared in my right hand. I held it tightly and slashed it towards the leg of the large Tree man in front of me. Then, the Tree man's leg was cut off, and it fell backwards. It didn't stop there, its glowing tendrils moved towards me at high speed. I slashed all the tendrils and cut them off.
However, I didn't realize that there's two tendrils wrapped around my left leg from underground.
The tendrils that wrapped around my left leg began to elongated, then slammed my body repeatedly on the ground, threw me until I hit a tree and made it broke. Strangely, I didn't feel any pain at all.
"Eh? Thats the best thing you can do?" I taunted with a grin.
I took my sword, then raised it above my head, and pointed it up into the sky. The blade of my great sword emitted a very bright blue light, also emitting a cold aura that made the surrounding area slowly freeze. This is my technique, one of my new powers.
"Slash... Heavenly frozen wave!"
Swoosh!!
I swung my sword from top to bottom. Then a wave of blue light shooted towards the big Treeman, who had no more power to stand. And finally, its entire body got a hit by a wave of cold light, and it froze. I approached the big Treeman, then kicked its head. As a result, its head destroyed... Followed by cracks that spread to all parts of the Tree man's body. It didn't take long, the creature's body shattered into pieces, becoming pieces of ice that would soon melt.
"Oh, what's that?"
I saw something near the Tree man's body parts. It was a purple crystal that was very small, like a piece of human nail. I felt an extraordinary aura from the crystal. That was... The cosmic heart fragment that Kiara said? Memories of that object began to appear in my mind. I felt dizzy, but also satisfied and happy. Then I took the purple crystal and put it in my shirt pocket. Finally, the problem was solved.
I turned my body toward where the villagers and guards were. I saw that they were dumbfounded.
Hey, their faces looked silly.
Were they amazed because I had defeated the creature?
"Amazing!!!"
"Amazing, that adventurer is great!"
"He defeated it easily!"
"We are safe!!"
"He saved us!"
While saying that, they applauded me. I could hear all their praise.
This was the first time in my life that I could do something big like this. At first, I always failed in many Quests and battles. Usually, when I fought a strong monster, I would run away and be scared like a loser. Of course, many people laughed at me. But now everything has changed.
I... Can I turn my situation from initially pathetic into Full of pride. This is the beginning of my next journey—to save my mother!
To be continues