Kael’s legs were barely holding him up now. Every step was agony. His muscles screamed for rest, but there was no time.
He stumbled behind a moss-covered boulder, gasping. His body dropped with a dull thud, hidden just enough to buy a few seconds.
Blood smeared the rock as he leaned against it, trying to catch his breath.
He didn’t have much time.
With shaking hands, Kael reached inside his coat, a small pocket. One he had prepared in advance, just in case everything went wrong.
And everything had gone wrong.
"Come on... please..." he whispered through dry lips, fingers fumbling with the flap.
His hands were numb from fatigue and blood loss, but finally, he managed to rip it open.
Inside was a small glass vial. The liquid inside shimmered with a faint golden glow—the elixir Cecelia had given him before.
He clutched it tightly.
As the creature’s distorted body slithered toward his hiding place, Kael’s mind flashed back to Cecelia’s words:
"Use it when you really need to. It won’t last long, maybe a minute—but for that one minute, it will boost your strength."
"If you’re ever in danger... just call me."
She had smiled when she handed it to him, her tone light, but her eyes serious. Kael had nodded, promising her he’d only use it when absolutely necessary.
And now... that moment had come.
But still, he shook his head.
No. He wouldn’t call for help. Not even her.
This was his fight. His responsibility.
He wouldn’t drag anyone else into it.
As the Shadow Leech let out another ear-splitting shriek, drawing closer, Kael uncorked the vial with his teeth. The scent was sharp—like crushed herbs and raw lightning.
With no hesitation, he tilted his head back and drank.
The effect was instant.
A burning warmth surged through his chest, rushing down his arms and legs. His wounds didn’t vanish, but the pain dulled.
His limbs no longer felt heavy. His heart steadied. The world seemed to slow just a little.
His sword hand steadied.
His legs no longer trembled.
His eyes, once cloudy with fear, now burned with determination.
He knew the boost would only last for a short time.
One minute was all he needed.
The Shadow Leech lunged, jaws wide open, shrieking as it attacked Kael with terrifying speed and hunger.
But somewhere else in the forest—far from where they were fighting—Elysia stepped out from the thick shadows of trees.
The cool mist clung to her uniform as she paused, listening. Behind her, the dense brush rustled faintly with the wind, but there were no footsteps.
She glanced over her shoulder, checking the path she had taken.
Everything was still.
Her excuse had been simple: she told her team she needed a quick break for a short and quick toilet. A normal, harmless reason. Her teammates nodded and continued on without question.
They didn’t suspect a thing.
Elysia took a deep breath and in her eyes there was resolve.
(Kael... it’s been over an hour since the trial began. He must be tired. Injured, maybe. This is the best chance I’ll get.)
Her fists slowly clenched at her sides, her fingers tightening until her knuckles turned white. She wasn’t just here for the trial. She had a second, far more dangerous goal.
A flicker of doubt crossed her face—but only for a moment.
Yes, she had come from the future. She had time travelled, dragged back to the past with memories of the world’s fall.
And somewhere in those memories—blurry and incomplete—stood Kael.
A boy once insignificant. Quiet. Easy to overlook.
But that boy had changed.
(He had grown into something else—a figure of blood and flame, standing amidst a battlefield of ash and corpses. A shadow who had destroyed everything.)
(I can’t remember his face clearly when I was in the future... just the feeling. The fear. The destruction he caused.)
(I failed to stop him in the last timeline. I waited too long. But I can’t let him grow.)
Her heart pounded faster.
(This time... I won’t make the same mistake. If I take him out now while he is in the worst condition, I can change something.)
She turned, her eyes narrowing.
(This is for the future. Even if no one understands, I know what must be done.)
She stepped deeper into the trees, her movements swift and silent, some animals were moving in the fog.
Kael had no idea someone was hunting him.
He was too focused on surviving, too battered and broken to notice the danger that lurked beyond the trees.
There was no room for doubt anymore. No more hesitation. In her memories of the future, Kael wasn’t just a villain—he was a catastrophe.
The battlefield had been drenched in flames and screams, and in the center stood Kael, eyes hollow, his sword dripping with blood—heroic blood.
Even though her memories were unclear and shattered by time travel, that image burned bright.
Elysia finally reached the edge of a small clearing. The broken glade. She knew this place—at least, parts of it.
She slowed down and crouched behind the cover of a thick tree. Her sharp eyes scanned the area, and then—she saw him.
He was lying slumped at the base of a tree, barely conscious. His school uniform was torn in several places, soaked with sweat and streaked with blood.
His chest rose and fell with shallow, pained breaths. One arm hung limply at his side, and in his other hand—he clutched an empty glass vial.
So... he already used it.
(He’s done. He can’t fight anymore.)
This was her chance. No more chances for him to rise again.
Elysia’s expression hardened. She reached behind her back and drew her swords.
Her steps were silent. Not even the grass bent beneath her weight as she began moving swiftly toward him.
"This is it," she murmured to herself. "This is where your story ends, Kael."
Each step brought her closer. Her heart pounded, not from fear—but from the finality of her decision. She wasn’t just fighting an enemy. She was stopping a future disaster before it ever began.