Chapter 31 (End of Part 1 of The Lord of Time)

Chapter 31 - LOT - [unedited] (bit short, but it's the end of the part so)

As soon as Jack saw the boy at the door, he felt an instinctive familiarity. Perhaps it was due to both of them having a scar on their face, perhaps it was due to their age, or some other factor. But Jack couldn’t shake the odd feeling like this moment here was one predetermined.

“Sorry for disturbing you so late.” The boy gave Jack an apologetic stare.

“It’s fine, I was awake anyway. Can I help you?” Jack responded, his eyes curious.

“Ah, yes, let me introduce myself.” The boy finished stepping into the room, closing the door behind him carefully. He then gave Jack a cheery smile.

“My name is Liren, Liren Hiro. I was a former elite member of the Space Clan, though now my status is pretty standard. I’m one of the grandsons of the Grand Marshal, the head of the Council that interrogated you.” He bowed slightly as he introduced himself, formal and collected.

“My name is Laujack, but I go by Jack.” Jack returned with a slight bow. Liren gave a confident nod, and then continued to speak, jumping straight to the point,

“I’m here because I was quite interested in the story you were telling the Council, particularly that about the legendary Spatial Treasure, the Space Gauntlet.”

“Oh?” Jack listened with an open mind, responding,

“Didn’t your Council say they would address the matter at a later date? Wait, how do you even know about this? I don’t think you were in the Councilroom.”

“I have my ways.” Liren said, smiling mysteriously. He went on, shaking his head,

“They may have said they’d address it, but they won’t. The Council is full of old fogeys who would rather sit and wait to die off than do anything proactive.” His words carried a depressing certainty and confidence that was convincing.

Jack frowned when he heard this.

After joining up with the Space Clan here and seeing the power and strength the Councilmembers gave off, Jack came to the realization that while this clan might not hold a candle to its strength in the past, it was still a force to be reckoned with.

The remnants of the Space Clan were far stronger and more complete than the remnants of the Time Clan.

One of Jack’s ultimate goals was to reestablish his Time Clan, living freely and proudly under the sun for all to see.

The Space Clan was in the same boat as his Time Clan, and if he could borrow their strength, it would make reaching that goal vastly easier. He had cherished a faint hope that his contributions, especially for the Spatial Treasure’s location, would perhaps hold enough merit to give him some sway here. From what Jack could tell, the Space Gauntlet was an incredibly powerful tool that would raise the strength of the clan as a whole, making an alliance even more worthwhile.

It seemed that hope was but a faint dream, however. If the Clan wouldn’t even search for the treasure, Jack could hardly propose a working alliance off of this.

“If it’s as you say, then this seems like a lost cause, no? So why are you here?” Jack’s mind reached the logical conclusion of this discussion.

Liren smiled, the long scar on his face tugging at his cheek to make his smile seem somewhat sinister. A powerful, kingly air of authority swelled off of Liren as he spoke, commanding authority,

“The Council may have no interest in finding our Clan’s lost treasure, but that doesn’t mean everyone has no interest. If I can regain this this treasure, I know it will be the key to redeeming my Space Clan.” His eyes flashed in the night as he spoke, sparkling.

The feeling that this moment was predetermined, a twist of fate, rose powerfully in Jack’s mind as he heard Liren speak, knowing somehow that this was a momentous moment.

“Around three years from now, the Magma Clan will open up the Magma Lake for a territory wide general recruitment, as well as their five-year Clan Tournament. This deadly danger zone will be pacified, and relatively safe.” Liren continued,

“I propose a partnership between you and I, Jack. I can feel it in my heart, you are the same cut as me. You want to be able to walk in the light of the sun, not hide forever in the shadows, ashamed of your powers. Am I wrong?” He looked at Jack expectantly.

Jack shook his head, his heart filled with emotion. His eyes blurred slightly, his head heavy as he realized he had found a kindred soul.

“If you help me retrieve the Space Gauntlet, I give you my word I will do everything in my power to help you redeem your Time Clan, as well as my Space Clan.” Liren held out his hand.

Jack took a moment, looking at Liren with calm eyes once more. He breathed deeply. He felt, deep in his heart, that he could trust this boy before him, and that everything he said was true. He didn’t understand quite why, he simply knew his feelings here were true.

Jack took Liren’s hand.

“Your goal and mine, they do align. If one day we can see both our dreams realized, everything will be worth it. I'll take this gamble.” Jack responded, his voice as confident as Liren's own. His eyes blazed as he spoke, passion filling him.

Liren smiled at Jack’s response, a deepset happiness appearing in his eyes. A fierce, newly born hope. Hope of change, a future, a hope that hadn’t been there before.

“Hahaha excellent! From this day forth, you and I are partners, Jack! I’ll help you prepare and train here in the Space Clan. Three years from now, we will strike to retrieve my Clan’s lost treasure.”

“And after that, we will strike and bring back both our Clan’s good names.” Liren and Jack’s eyes both shined, a future of possibility unfolding before them.

..

..

Deep in the archives of the Space Clan, a wizened old man sat, his hands trembling as he looked down upon an old, faded piece of parchment. His eyes were a foggy white, his frail body seeming as if it was about to collapse.

His voice when he spoke, however, was powerful and strong, belying his figure.

“The threads of fate have been intertwined. I couldn’t see it coming, nor can I see where this will lead.” Yelo Therin, the Head of the Archives, shook his head.

He bowed his head.

“The world is in for a period of vast, vast change. Lord Rake, Guardian of Space, I only hope this old man’s poor Clan can survive.”

Silence resumed as the elderly man continued to bow his head, leaving the rest of his prayer in silence.

After a few moments, Yelo moved the faded piece of parchment from his hands to a nearby desk, sighing. A faint flash of candlelight lit up the paper, revealing an ancient, faded manuscript.

The Myriad Prophecies - The End Times

The End of Part 1 of The Lord of Time