Book 1: Chapter 22

Encased in the gray crystal, eyes closed and unmoving, Cyil was oblivious to the screaming Baccaus who pounded on the crystal wall with his powerful fists. Cyil was sleeping, dreaming, unaware of anything transpiring outside his dream world.

In this dream that Cyil took as reality, Cyil was 11 years old, again. He was with his mother and friends in Fayburn and all was well. Everyday he would go out and play with Betsy, Mundo, and Sigesar then return home in the evening to a delicious warm meal filled with all the delicacies he could hope for: meats of varying kinds, sweets as rare as crystallized elemental stones, and drinks like nectar from the sacred water spring of the elves.

When he came home his mother would smile and embrace him, lightly scold him for his unkempt appearance, then proceed to clean him. “Be presentable to your father, young man.” She would say.

Yes, of course, even his father was there; and just as his mother had described, his father was stunningly handsome and robust with a chiseled and stern face but kind eyes. His father had always been with him. There was no war with the dark ones and he had grew up knowing his father...and his mother wouldn’t have had to describe his father to him. Then why did it seem as if she had done so?

Cyil was eating a beef stew when this thought crossed his mind, but it was only for a fleeting moment. like deja vu, or the fantastical thoughts people entertain about what could be in an alternate reality. Cyil discarded the thought and doubled-down his speed on eating his beef stew; his father who had just returned from hunting, laughed on the side and his mother smiled at both her husband and son for their nature of returning home unkempt.

Cyil smiled and took in the sights, his heart at peace in what felt like a long while.

After eating, Cyil was taught by his mother on various subjects such as writing, reading, history, and daily skills. The teaching process would last long into the night, just before Cyil would have to sleep but Cyil didn’t mind because he knew he would miss his mother if she were ever gone.

“That would be very sad,” Cyil thought to himself as he slept on his feathered mattress, in his room, in their spacious two-story stoned-wall house. Cyil closed his eyes and opened them again shortly after and it was already a new day.

‘New’ in the sense that everything that happened the previous day had not happened and ‘new’ in the sense that all memories from the previous day had been forgotten (or not registered because it hadn’t happen yet).

Cyil was stuck within a time loop in his own dream. He would follow the same routine each day, with slight variations happening on some days, but nothing too major that would disrupt the reality of his dreamworld. A majority of Cyil’s days would be the exact same with no new happenings and these dreams made up 99% of the 3470 days that Cyil had (re)experience.

It was only on the 3471 day that Cyil experienced something completely new. As it happened every ‘day’, he was playing a game with Betsy, Mundo, and Sigesar when the rock he threw veered way off course to strike an old man in the head. Cyil was shocked! Where had that old man come from? Had he always been there, Cyil thought but was even more shocked because the rock was not exactly small so that old man’s head began to bleed right after it was struck.

“Which little bastard, how dare you!” The old man stood up way too fast for those his age and he knew from the exasperated faces of the four kids that one of them had thrown the rock. “Come over here, right now! I want to know who threw that rock,” the old man demanded.

Cyil exchanged glances with his three friends and told them to leave. Betsy and Mundo shook their heads but Sigesar promptly said he couldn’t get in trouble because his parents would kill him and ran off.

“You guys should follow Sigesar. This is my problem. I threw the rock.” Cyil urged his friends to go as he walked towards the old man.

Despite his warning, Betsy and Mundo followed closely after him and this made Cyil feel more confident.

“Who was it? Which one of you three threw that rock?” The old man glared at the three children before him and demanded an answer.

Cyil stepped out with his head lowered. “I did it, elder. I apologize. It was a mistake.”

“Mistake?! You think I’m a fool? The viciousness of that throw and its accuracy cannot be a mistake. You threw that rock on purpose!” The old man was out for blood and pressured Cyil.

“It really was a mistake, elder. I don’t know how but the rock flew much further and stronger than I thought. We were just playing a game…” Cyil sneaked a peek at the old man, whose face was strangely familiar.

“Rubbish! I don’t care if it is a mistake or not! I am injured and I want compensation. Bring me to your parents!” Behind the man’s angry face, a greedy glint could be seen in his eyes.

Cyil’s head began to hurt as he was confronted with this old man. Today wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be perfect. Cyil looked at the old man again, closer this time; he noticed that the old man was missing his left arm and that his back was heavily bent. The old man’s clothes was in horrendous condition, too.

I can outrun him, Cyil thought. He doesn’t know where I live and-- Cyil caught himself and felt bad for even thinking those things.

“Come on! Lead the way! Hurry it up!” The old man demanded when Cyil did not answer.

Betsy and Mundo gasped in horror and kept tapping on Cyil’s shoes with the tip of their shoes, a sign indicating that they should run. But Cyil was frozen there, just thinking.

“You…” Cyil began, a bit uncertain as the thought had just struck him. “You’re my grandpa?”

When the old man heard this he sucked in a mouthful of breath and his eyes widened. Just as he was about to answer Cyil everything vanished and Cyil woke up to his mother’s singing and freshly baked bread.

“Today is going to be a great day,” Cyil thought. “A perfect day.” He jumped out of bed and went outside to wash his face and begin his day anew, completely forgetting about the old man.

….

Baccaus was ejected from the dreamworld, his face pale. To be more precise it was Baccaus’ consciousness that was thrown out of the dreamworld, but nonetheless it was an unpleasant feeling. Baccaus’ head was spinning and throbbing, as if he had been struck with a hammer to his brain.

“Argh, so close! I could actually talk to him this time!” Baccaus quickly retreated back from the gray crystal and only stopped when he was next to Kara who quickly tended to the wound of his consciousness/soul.

“Don’t rush it Baccaus. You have to take care of your health, too. I can see that you’re making progress so don’t strain yourself so much, okay?” Kara said all of this with a worried look on her face.

“I know. But I just can’t help it. I don’t know how much time have passed out in Nakrul or what has happened to Cyil. If this is indeed his conscious then what thing is controlling his body now? That Death God?”

“The Death God. That’s highly likely. I haven’t seen that entity around since the time it crystallized. I don’t know how we would help Cyil regain control over his body if his mind has to contend with the mind of someone infinitely close to godhood. We can only try to wake him up.”

Baccaus agreed with a sigh. “We can only wait for him to wake up.”

Kara wanted to hug the defeated Baccaus but knew she couldn’t touch him; hence she only smiled and continued to heal him…

4000 days

4500 days

5000 days

5500 days

Finally on the 5555 day, Baccaus opened his eyes, withdrawing from the gray crystal that was thrumming with power. “This is it!” He declared with absolution.

And as if waiting for Baccaus’ announcement, the gray crystal shattered and spat out the encased Cyil who tumbled towards Baccaus’ outstretched arm. Midway through his tumbling, Cyil’s eyes shot open and he looked around in a daze, only to be more confused when Baccaus embraced him.

“Grandpa, where am I? Where is the Lightning Emperor? Where is Betsy?” Cyil was still groggy from having just escaped from the time loop so he resumed a similar line of questioning to when he had first woken from his 5 year slumber.

“Don’t worry child, everything is okay. I’ll tell you things one step at a time.. Oh, and there’s someone I want you to meet. She is very important to me.” Baccaus gently guided Cyil towards Kara who stood still smiling at the two who had reunited at last.

“WHO DARES?!”

A thunderous voice blasted out from behind Baccaus and Cyil. The origin of the voice belonged to the shattered remains of the gray crystal, that in the blink of an eye was reforming into a person. And before their very eyes the pieces of gray crystals combined and transformed into an exact figure of Cyil! This figure released a menacing aura and seemed ancient. It slowly approached Cyil and Baccaus who had instantly been locked into place, unable to move.