Siegfried Fors
Humanity in this world had faced an unbearable threat eleven years ago, a wound in history that still bled in whispers. A beast had fallen from the black sky over the Empyrean Sovereignty, its very descent wiping towns from the map. Whole villages vanished in the shock of its landing. They said its roar killed thousands, its breath warped the land, and weapons or spells alike simply broke against its hide. The mana it released drove beasts into madness, spreading chaos like wildfire.
When the armies of nations gathered to face it, the local lords were left to hold back waves of frenzied creatures on their own... without any reinforcement. Fors Barony was no different. People fought. People bled, and in the end, many never returned. Among them was Grandpa and Granny's son, Mother's brother—my uncle. At least, that's the story I heard from Silas and the soldiers.
And now, with all the introductions and painful history momentarily pushed aside, after all those years… he sat before us, alive.
"Wow, Sis, I can't believe you actually have a son?" My uncle—Erik said with a voice caught between amazement and disbelief.
"He's amazing, isn't he? He awakened at six and reached Gamma at eight, today no less." Mother puffed her chest with pride, her grin too wide for her face.
"Seriously… but…" Erik's eyes shifted to me, or rather, to the top of my head. His expression wavered.
"Sis, you actually did it, huh." His tone was strange, like a half-kept secret.
"Hmm~ I wonder what you're talking about." Mother tilted her head and swayed left and right, feigning innocence in her usual way.
Uncle only sighed and turned his attention beside me. "And you're Clara's son?"
"H-hello…" James muttered shyly, stepping closer to me as if hiding in my shadow.
"Wow… everyone has children now. It really has been eleven years…" Erik leaned back against the headrest, his voice soft, almost wistful.
"And you haven't aged at all during that time, except for the long hair and grown beard," Granny pointed out.
It's all thanks to that Time Dungeon thing. It was hard to believe such things existed. Well, I am already living with a flying fox and a mother who claimed she could lift the barony, but still, the existence of such a broken thing was mind-blowing. One could move hundreds of years into the future, which is exactly what that bloody armor, Ebony, did. And if someone from the future could travel through it, they would be able to change the past.
"So now that you are at ease..." Mother spoke up, her voice regaining its sharpness. "How did you end up in a Time Dungeon? We heard you were fighting someone in white clothes."
"Valka, we can talk about it later," Grandpa said, his voice laced with concern.
"No, Pa, it's alright. We need to address that too." Erik's hand found Grandpa's with a squeeze, then he looked at Mother. "Sis, I remember that day clearly... For me, it's like only a few days have passed." He looked at everyone before taking a deep breath.
"Remember, my squad was fighting the Crystal Turtle and other various small monsters. The turtle's defense was strong, but I was able to kill it. But as we took a breath of relief, out of nowhere, a man in white was standing near the turtle, collecting its blood in a vial. Alan moved closer to talk to him, and the next thing I knew, a hole was through his body..."
I heard Silas shift slightly near the door. I knew he had lost his eldest son back then, this Alan must have been the same person.
"The man in white with an iron mask moved like black smoke through the unit," Erik went on, voice lower. "He pierced through everyone in a heartbeat. I blocked him and dragged him away from the barony, and even in our first exchange I could tell he was more skilled than me, though our Soul Crucibles were the same level."
"Wait, he was also at Epsilon Stage?" Mother cut in, a rare shock in her voice.
Uncle nodded. "I was able to check it. I was shocked myself."
That detail thudded into the room. You could usually gauge someone's Soul Crucible only if they were at or below your own stage. I couldn't tell what level everyone in this room was at, of course, except for James, who hadn't awakened yet.
"I was merely able to defend myself while getting a few attacks in myself. We continued for hours before he started moving away. I followed him tenaciously and tackled him into a river. We fell from a waterfall. When I came out of the water and noticed the man had disappeared, I sensed mana coming from a cave behind the waterfall. I went in, moving for some time, and lost my footing. I was falling into an endless black. There were so many things there: weird monsters and beasts, human bodies with emblems on clothes I couldn't recognize, unfamiliar handwriting and symbols, and weird cave structures. While going through this, I finally ran into the man. He shouted, 'It's your fault!' and lunged at me. We fought before he got a good hit on my side, and I fell to the ground. Before he could finish me up, I heard a voice offering help, and in the desperate situation I was in, I accepted."
"It was that weapon, Ebony," Granny said.
"Yes. From what I heard, he saved me," Uncle nodded.
"What stupidity! You should have escaped when he started to move away. You knew you couldn't win," Mother said, her arms crossed, and her frustration clear.
"Valka!" Granny scolded.
"I know, but..." Uncle slammed his curled fists on the bed. "After how he killed Alan and everyone in cold blood, I just... I just couldn't let him get away with it!"
Silence settled around that admission, heavy and real. Most faces bowed, heavy with the same grief that had lived under our roof for years. Mother's eyes were hard; anger had edged into something fierce. She won't be doing anything for this situation. I knew, with a sudden, heavy certainty, that it was up to me.
"Um… Granny." My voice slipped back into a child's innocence, allowing a tone of simple curiosity to color my voice.
"Yes, Sieg?"
"What is a Time Dungeon?" I asked, genuinely curious about the mechanics of such a broken thing.
"I would also like to know that," Grandpa added, folding his arms, his steady gaze pinning Granny with a look that said he had waited for this answer too.
"I am sorry for before," Granny said. "I didn't want any information to slip out."
"It's alright, I understand," Grandpa said, waving off her apology.
I didn't know what they were talking about, but the issue seemed resolved.
"Ahem, so Sieg, James," Granny began, slipping seamlessly into her teacher mode. "Do you know how normal dungeons come to be?"
"Oh, I know!" James piped up before I could open my mouth. He hopped forward like an eager sparrow. "When a large amount of environmental mana gathers in one spot, which normally happens under the ground, it swells into a bump. That bump keeps growing until magic beasts or monsters move in, digging holes and feeding off the mana."
He forgot to mention that the concentrated mana ends up becoming the dungeon's physical core, stabilizing it and allowing mana stones to appear, but I kept the thought to myself. She only asked how they formed, after all.
"That's right, James. You've been studying well." Granny's smile softened the lines on her face.
James giggled, practically glowing under her praise.
"Time Dungeons follow the same pattern," Granny continued, "but the difference is they form where time anomalies occur."
"Time anomalies?" I tilted my head. "What does it mean?"
"To tell the truth, I don't fully know. But it's some kind of disturbance in the proper flow of the time stream. What I do know is when a Time Dungeon forms, it exists across different times in the same place."
"So if a person goes in, they can travel through time, right?"
"To be exact, one can only travel to the future."
"Just future?"
"In my teacher's exact words: time flows like a raging river. When one rides that river, they can only move forward. They cannot go against the current. From all the records and research we have, this proves true. A Time Dungeon only carries someone into the future."
So the past was forever sealed. It almost felt like a mercy, because if the past could be reached, wouldn't everyone be scrambling to rewrite it, to chase back lost moments, to snatch loved ones from death?
"And we need to close it," Mother said firmly, her voice carrying no hesitation.
"That Ebony mentioned it lies northwest of our barony, hidden behind a waterfall," Granny recalled after a pause.
"I remember that place," Grandpa said, arms crossed in thought. "A river runs north, and the waterfall lies at its end. Half a day's journey at most."
"Then I will deal with it eleven days from now," Mother decided with a simple nod.
"Huh? Why eleven days?" I asked, puzzled by the delay.
"Because those knights will be healed by then," Mother explained. "It is better to bring along people already aware of the situation. And..." her gaze shifted toward Erik, "he should be able to walk in eleven days."
"You mean to take Erik?" Grandpa's face tightened with worry.
"I do," Mother replied without flinching. "Time dungeons are unpredictable, full of strange dangers. Field experience will be invaluable, and Erik is at Epsilon Stage. He can manage with me."
Grandpa still looked unconvinced. He looked at Granny, as if expecting her to intervene.
Granny finally spoke, calm yet resolute. "From what I have heard about Time Dungeons, she is right."
Grandpa was about to protest, but Granny raised a hand, stopping him. "I will go with them too."
That line pulled various reactions from everyone.
Erik leaned forward at once, his voice sharp. "Ma, it's too dangerous."
"Today showed just how much an alchemist can help. You will need me," Granny said, her tone steady, unshakable.
"Then I—" Grandpa began, but Granny silenced him again with a raised hand. "No. Someone must remain in the barony."
The silence that followed was heavy. Grandpa lowered his head, knowing she was right.
Granny turned toward Mother, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Letting the others heal for eleven days isn't the only reason you chose to wait, is it?"
"Of course not," Mother said softly, then wrapped an arm around me. "We will leave after the evaluation ritual is done."
Ah, the Evaluation Ritual. From what I remembered, it was done at the church to find the elements, proficiency, and abilities of a person. We knew for now I possessed the Force elements, but whether I had others or not still needed to be found out.
"Evaluation ritual..." James murmured beside me, his eyes sparkling with wonder.
I found myself smiling. "So we'll be going tomorrow?"
Granny shook her head gently. "It is normal to wait a few days after reaching Gamma stage, to let your body stabilize."
That was something I wasn't aware of.
"Let us go ten days from now," Mother said decisively.
I nodded, my chest tightening with anticipation. My body trembled with excitement. Soon, I would discover what elements I could command. Soon, the unknown would take shape before me. This will be incredible.
Then came a low growl, followed by a flicker of movement. Faux phased straight through the door, landing neatly on my head as always. At the same time, Silas opened the door, and the little green cub padded inside.
Hmm? Faux felt heavier than before. Did he grow again?
"And who are they?" Erik asked, his gaze fixed on the pair.
"This is my familiar, Faux. And this is the green cub I saved from... you," I said carefully.
Uncle's expression shifted, realization dawning. "Ah... did I attack him?"
Grandpa explained the situation in his steady voice, but my attention lingered on the cub. I had half expected him to lash out at Erik. That's why I hadn't brought him along immediately. Perhaps the armor had hidden enough of his scent, face and mana that he didn't recognize him.
"I have hunted beasts before, but..." Erik's eyes lowered to the cub at my leg. His voice carried guilt. "I feel bad. I am sorry."
"It's alright. You didn't know," I answered quickly. Him feeling guilty over what that cursed armor had forced was almost strange.
"So…" Silas's voice came from behind, light but pointed, "does the young lord intend to keep him?"
I turned at once toward Granny, the true pillar of our household, my eyes pleading for her word.
She sighed softly, shaking her head. "After all we went through, not keeping him would be a waste."
Relief washed over me. I glanced at James, who nodded eagerly. I lifted my hand, and he smacked his palm against mine. "Yay," we both cheered, our voices ringing in unison.
"So, what will you name him?" Grandpa asked.
I looked down at the cub. His round eyes met mine without wavering. A name… I thought hard, and an old memory flickered, of a children's book in my past life, about a man-cub raised in the jungle by wolves.
"Baloo. That will be his name," I declared, chest swelling with pride.
"Baloo?" Granny asked, curious.
"Sounds good to me," Grandpa said with a faint grin. Erik gave a short nod of agreement.
A deep rumble answered, and Baloo nuzzled against my leg, his warmth pressing close.
"Looks like he likes it," Mother said, amusement lacing her smile.
"As long as he is happy," Granny added, softer this time.
"Then it's settled," I said firmly. "He is Baloo from now on."
Everyone smiled, some small, some wide, but all carrying the same quiet joy.
"I will see to it that the soldiers are informed," Silas said smoothly from behind.
"Now... It has gotten quite late, shouldn't you children go to bed now?" Granny's voice carried that finality only she could manage as her gaze fell on the old clock. The small hand had already crept past twelve.
I nodded quickly, trying not to yawn. "Let's go, James."
"Then," Mother said suddenly, her hands slipping under my arms and lifting me up with ease, "since your room is destroyed, you will sleep with me."
Eh? Absolutely not. The memory of her crushing embrace came rushing back, last time I had nearly suffocated in my sleep.
"Now that I think about it," she continued, "you didn't get to clean yourself after coming back from the forest. Let's take a bath together." She turned toward the door without hesitation, carrying me like a sack of grain. A bath? At this hour?
"No, wait!" My eyes darted desperately to Granny, hoping for rescue. She only gave me a small, knowing smile and waved me off, as though to say I was on my own.
"Good night, Sieg," James called out cheerfully.
Don't good night me, traitor.
Mother marched off with me in her arms like a hunter carrying her prize, I realized once again that against my mother's will, I had no chance of victory.