Book 1: Chapter 24

Cyil had watched the battle between Kara and the crystal Cyil through dazed eyes. The flashes of light were so quick he couldn’t make anything out clearly, but he knew the blinding warm light had lost after just a short exchange. Cyil then watch as Baccaus casted a protection spell on him and charged with furious silence towards the triumphant crystal Cyil.

Cyil could sense his grandpa’s anger and distress so he didn’t say much and obediently stayed within the protection spell. Just as soon as Baccaus had disappeared Cyil heard sharp whistles, like high pitched notes strained too far, that caused him to close his eyes and cover his ears.

When the noise died down for a bit and the quiet emptiness returned, Cyil finally opened his eyes again and saw that his grandpa had already moved next to the glowing figure. Still, in this situation Cyil remained put. All of this was too much for him to understand; he knew that. Ever since he had waken in the cave with Baccaus and been told that he had been sleeping for 5 years, Cyil still hadn’t the time to digest that change. The flurry of events that soon followed all seem so unreal, too. Magic, flying, aging. But it was his meeting with Betsy and seeing her again that grounded everything. Seeing someone so familiar having changed and telling him about the years that he had missed was what allowed Cyil to slowly come to terms with what had happened.

Unfortunately, the Lightning Emperor had came and then everything spiraled out of control again. Cyil felt helpless and weak and had given in to those tempting voices promising happy days. Those happy days lasted for 5555 days and Cyil loved each of them, but he knew he had to wake up. To find his mother, to avenge Betsy, to fulfil his promise with Baccaus. So with Baccaus’ help, he woke up only to be thrown into another chaotic and incomprehensible situation with no explanation. That’s why Cyil no longer asked too many questions and only observed. He knew he wasn’t strong enough and was only a burden to Baccaus.

Floating there in that darkspace, Cyil began realizing many things all at once and his bright clear eyes dimmed, replaced with a sharp glint. Cyil breathed out a long breath as if he had held in too much air for too long time; his posture slightly straightened and he seem taller, more resolved. Cyil did not notice these minute changes but the sum of their parts had crafted a new Cyil.

“I need to get stronger!” Cyil promised himself this. “No longer will I be the boy who sleeps.”

As Cyil gathered his conviction together, Baccaus and Kara had already concluded their argument, coming to a rather upsetting conclusion for Baccaus. Cyil could see his grandpa’s disgruntled face and unlike his old self, didn’t ask too many questions when Baccaus told him once again that he wanted to introduce someone.

Cyil obediently followed Baccaus and was promptly startled when he could see that the golden figure who had just been fighting was a delicate, flawless beauty. Aside from her ethereal golden glowing skin, she was the most perfectly proportioned woman Cyil had ever seen. Instantly, Cyil’s mood became much better and he already felt close with the woman.

“Stop gawking at your grandma,” Baccaus coughed, his serious expression softening a bit.

“Grand-ma?” Cyil gulped and couldn’t help but look from Kara’s peerless face to Baccaus’ wrinkled old face. “Really?”

“Hmph, of course!” Baccaus puffed out his chest and strained to straighten his back.

Cyil swayed. This news was even more shocking than discovering he was a Saint!

Kara heard the two and laughed: “Baccaus, stop fooling around with our grandchild. Change back to your real appearance.”

“Fine fine,” Baccaus willed it and he soon began to change from an old man to a young man who seem to be no more than 30 years of age, in the prime of his life. This man next to Cyil was so handsome that he could drive countless women crazy, and perhaps some men,too.

Cyil no longer recognized Baccaus and he saw no similarities between the old Baccaus and the new Baccaus except for the missing left arm and the familiar aura he felt.

Cyil opened his mouth but Baccaus raised his hand up to stop him: “Don’t ask any questions for now; I will tell you later.”

Cyil closed his mouth again and turned to Kara, who was smiling at him.

“Such a fine young man! I am so proud to be your grandma!” Kara adopted an energetic youthful tone as she spoke to Cyil.

Facing this beautiful goddess who was smiling at him, Cyil could only blush and say, “Grandma, you are very pretty.”

Kara laughed after hearing Cyil’s answer, satisfied with her cute little grandson.

Baccaus also laughed off on the side as he saw the two interact.

As their laughter rang out, a solemn aura exploded outwards from the seemingly dead crystal Cyil.

“Stay behind me,” Baccaus shoved Cyil behind him as he and Kara sheltered him behind their sturdy backs.

Forbidden Spell: STEALING LAPSED TIME REVERSAL!

Right in front of their eyes, the wounds on the crystal Cyil began to heal at an astounding rate. Pieces of broken crystal flew back into place and the black blood flowed in reverse back to whence it came! This was the reverse of time!

“This mad man!’ Baccaus was both shocked and enraged. The price for this forbidden spell was enormous! He didn’t know the exact price but the book of the wizened had recorded a Time Saint using this spell to bring back his loved one. The time around that person was reversed and it ultimately brought them back to life, but only for a short amount of time before death returned to claim that person as time resumed, catching up. Not only that but the Time Saint could no longer communicate with the weaves of time, essentially rendering him unable to cast anymore time spells or advancing his mage rank or level.

That the crystal Cyil was doing this would surely affect Cyil, too!

“Run,” Kara whispered to Baccaus. When Kara noticed what was happening she knew that their previous plan would be of no use. She was supposed to ensure that entity would stay in a weakened and comatose state until Cyil was ready to combat the entity in a battle of consciousness. Baccaus would then be responsible for slowly help Cyil train in the darkspace until this was possible but now that was no longer an option. Thus Kara could only stake it all here.

Baccaus saw the look of despair in Kara’s eyes and he understood what she was planning to do. “No!” Baccaus shook his head adamantly and turned to Cyil who was closely observing the time reversal over at the crystal Cyil.

“Cyil,” Baccaus brought Cyil’s attention back to him. Without saying anything, Baccaus directly transmitted his thoughts to Cyil’s brain in a flash:

“Take this spiritual stone and use it to get out of this darkspace. I know you can do it. Just like last time you were in meditation, this should be the same place that you entered. When you exit, this spiritual stone will hold your soul and you’ll have have 24 hours to find another suitable body for you to inhibit. To make sure there are no clashes with the existing soul, the body should be a freshly deceased one without serious wounds. Also, take my spatial ring and use the resources as you see fit to help you become strong enough before you come back to challenge this Death God. There isn’t much time to go over everything but remember that if you ever feel tired on your journey to becoming a mage, then don’t worry about anything and go live a happy life in that new body. Now, go!”

The information registered in Cyil’s mind and Baccaus pushed a diamond-shape rock along with his rustic spatial ring into Cyil’s palms. Before Cyil could say goodbye, Baccaus waved his one good arm and a gentle wind carried Cyil away.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds; and just as Cyil was sent away by Baccaus, the time reversal came to an end to reveal a disgruntled but otherwise perfect-shaped crystal Cyil.

Baccaus and Kara, already nearly depleted from their previous fight stood side by side ready to face off against the entity that called itself the Death God.

The crystal Cyil righted himself and standing up he cracked his neck. “I’ve got 2 minutes before my wounds return. I’ll finish you off in 10 seconds.”

And, without another word, the crystal Cyil attacked!