After all I had seen, I couldn’t let Kyle suffer. I decided to move covertly and take care of it as best as I could.

My first thought was to teleport the parents into the mansion and then nourish their body with vitality with magic.

I was even thinking about erasing their memories. The memories of the torture they endured and reset their minds to the time everything was doing well.

Yes, it seemed doable. I couldn’t find any fault with my reasoning.

Well, I had promised Kyle to become his servant should he bring me out of those ruins. I was so alone at that time after a thousand years of waiting for the fated master, that I had nearly lost my mind.

This time, I would take my role as a servant up a notch and take care of everything for him. He was a good and kind kid and it was a pity that his mind was already fractured. It would be a pity if that good part of him was lost forever.

I prepared one of the empty rooms in the mansion for the arrival of the parents.

I remembered that Kelly was still sleeping on the ground in the garden. I came back outside wanting to teleport him to his bed and as I teleported him a rift opened itself before me and a familiar figure appeared in front of me.

It was the white bird that granted wishes.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to go find your master?” I asked surprised to see it.

“Oh. The trail went cold. The one I believed was my master’s apprentice turned out to be another Ancient Codex from another universe just passing through.” It said as it looked around.

“How many of you are there?” I asked curious.

“As many as there are universes. I am the 919th one.” It said.

“So? What did you come here for? I’m busy.” I asked.

“Hey, is that any way to treat your friend? Can’t I come say hi every once in a while?” It appeared hurt.

Friend?

That shouldn’t be it? I suppose ‘acquaintances’ should be more accurate.

But it did help me, so I should be at least welcoming.

“Sorry. Sorry. But I am right in asking you what you want. I don’t believe for a second that you’re here for sightseeing.” I said.

“Well, I came to see how you’ll manage the mess those lunatics in the Trost empire made.” The white bird said.

“You know something I don’t?” I asked. It was apparent that the white bird was holding back some information from me.

“Well I saw the destruction of the planet by your crazy protege. Once he found out how his parents had been treated for the last 19 years, the Shadow devoured what was left of him and then decided that the humans should pay for allowing his parents to suffer for nothing.” It said.

“I’m sure I would’ve stopped it.” I protested. I was already in the midst of salvaging everything I could.

“Really? But everything is going as predicted. What you are thinking of doing, I saw it and it won’t work. The timeline was still untouched before I appeared before you, we’re in a new timeline now as we’re having this conversation.” The white bird said.

“Wait! So your meaning is there’s a timeline where everything will still happen as predicted? Destruction of the planet and all?” I asked. Not really sure that I understood what the concept of timelines meant.

“Yes. I figured I should let your friend have a chance at a blissful life.” The white bird said.

“But why? I had a plan.” I was confused at that point.

“Well, why do you fail to understand that you’re not the only involved party? Who gains the most in all of this.”

It was at that moment that I had an epiphany, “The Shadow!”

“Yes. Seeing that it was cornered it crossed you and shared its power with Kyle. Kyle was at the front seat before the memories of torture of his parents. With the Seer’s power’s access to the past, it was like he was there with his parents as they were being tortured.” The Bird said.

It was then that I thought of something that I feared to know the answer to,“What is my fate in that timeline?”

“It’s best if I show you.”

A white light came out of the bird and then entered my head as I collapsed onto the ground.