Siegfried Fors
All of us jumped into the veil at once. The transition was violent, and the sudden brightness washed over my vision, nearly blinding me.
"What is this place...?" Uncle's surprised voice reached my ears, echoing with a strange, hollow clarity.
As my vision cleared, I held my breath. The air here was cool, but not with the biting chill like before. My gaze was pulled upward immediately, drawn by towering columns that rose like a forest of pale stone, branching into vaulted arches far above. The ceiling seemed impossibly high, ribbed with gold-toned patterns that caught the light and made the space feel endless. Rows upon rows of chairs lined both sides of the hall. I turned to look back at the Time Veil we had walked through; it was attached to a doorframe, a very large doorframe that seemed built for giants.
If I have to explain the entire place in a single word: Holy.
Faux jumped from my head, flying in wide circles as he took in the breathtaking surroundings.
"Is this a church?" Granny asked softly.
"I am not sure. I haven't seen one this big. It is even bigger than the cathedral in the capital," Mother said, turning in a slow circle to take in the sheer scale of the architecture.
"Welcome."
The voice came from afar, near the altar. I had to squint my eyes to make them out. There were three people kneeling in the distance.
As we looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed, a sudden buzzing sound came from behind us. We turned to see a golden, translucent light covering the doorframe. Ashar stepped forward and touched the shimmering surface. "It is sealed... Is this Aethel magic?"
"No, its nature is completely different," Serena said, her eyes narrowing as she studied the barrier. "Let us ask the ones who seem to be our hosts."
She started walking toward the altar, and we followed closely behind her, our footsteps sounding unusually loud against the carpet. As we drew closer, I noticed soft daylight filtering through stained glass in the distance, scattering muted colors across a massive statue. Where there should normally be a golden figure of Aethelhum, there was instead… what looked like a man carved in… silver? Or platinum? Hard to tell.
His upper body was slightly bent backward as his hands reached upward toward the heavens. The most intriguing part was the six wings erupting from his back and a halo in the shape of an infinity symbol floating above his head.
Below the statue, the three figures remained kneeling with their heads down. They were dressed in intricate, silvery white armor with wing-shaped helmets. Only the man in the middle was without a helmet. He looked to be in his late twenties, with striking blonde hair.
"We greet the rightful deity of this land." The three spoke in perfect unison, their voices echoing with a resonance that felt far too harmonious to be natural.
Rightful deity? Hearing those words, my eyes moved instinctively to Mother. It wasn't just me; everyone was looking at her.
Mother stepped forward, her posture regal and untroubled by their proclamation. "Be at ease."
At her words, all of them lifted their heads. The movements were fluid, yet there was a subtle, mechanical precision to the way their necks tilted.
"What is this place? Or rather, the correct question is, what time period is this?" Mother asked.
Eh? Straight to that? Are we not going to ask about the 'Rightful deity' thing first? Why does she seem so unbothered by them calling her a god?
"This place is one of the sacred sites of prayer dedicated to our God, The One Above All, and the current year is 1270," the blonde man replied calmly.
"1270?" The words left my lips before I could stop them.
A ripple of surprise went through the group.
"That is twenty-nine years in the future! No. No. First eleven years and now this... I shouldn't have come here!" Uncle Erik said, his voice cracking as he began to pace in a panic.
"Shut up, Erik. We are still inside the dungeon," Mother said sharply.
"Excuse me," Aifa said, leaning forward with a puzzled expression. "I thought time dungeons were supposed to manifest in the same geographic location across different periods. How are we in a church dedicated to this God in the future?"
The man went silent, his blue eyes studying Aifa for a long, uncomfortable second.
"Um... is something wrong?" she asked, unsettled.
"My deepest apologies. I was uncertain how to address the lady without disclosing matters that ought not be revealed. As for your question, as the esteemed Lady has stated, this architecture now stands upon the very site where the Time Dungeon manifested during your era."
"Esteemed lady?" Aifa muttered, her confusion only deepening.
"Wait. Is it actually possible for a time dungeon to manifest inside a building?" Granny asked, her brow furrowing.
"It is. Though it rarely happens in human-populated areas, it may well have happened because this location remained uninhabited for centuries before this structure was raised," Lady Serena explained, though her eyes were narrowed with suspicion.
"But such a massive building in our territory, and I have never even heard of this god before?" Granny said, looking around the vaulted hall.
"I regret to say that I am not at liberty to answer that question," the man stated firmly.
"Then call the one who created you," Mother said calmly.
Created you? What does she mean by that?
"So you noticed as well. The most interesting fact is..." Lady Serena walked closer to the blonde man. Without warning, she grabbed him by the face, forcing him to look up at her. "In these dolls, I can see my own techniques being used."
"Dolls?" I asked.
"They are puppets," Mother answered, not taking her eyes off the figures.
Wait. For real? I thought they were living people… They completely look like real people.
"But I did not make you," Serena said lightly. "The workmanship is far too crude for my standards. So tell me, who did? I am genuinely curious." Serena said, her eyes glinting with a dangerous curiosity.
"We are not permitted to disclose that information, and there is little time remaining. Should you not act swiftly, the darkness will soon spread throughout the world," the blonde man... the doll... said, his voice remaining perfectly level.
"…Did you know we would arrive here?" Mother asked. "It feels as though you were waiting for us."
At that, the blonde man stood up. He pulled out a crisp envelope and moved toward Uncle Erik, who was still biting his thumb and looking thoroughly shaken. "Please, have this."
"Huh? What is this?" Uncle asked, his hand trembling slightly as he took the paper.
"This envelope contains all the information you will require for today in twenty-nine years. We were instructed to deliver it to you, Count. Kindly keep it in your care."
So they really did know we were coming. Someone in the future planned this encounter down t…
"Count?" Uncle and I said at the exact same time.
"I... I am a Count?" Uncle looked even more confused, his eyes darting between the envelope and the puppet.
"Ah. I should not have spoken so freely. Duchess Fors will no doubt be displeased once more."
"Duchess!?" Mother, Granny, Uncle, and I all shouted together, our voices echoing wildly through the massive hall.
"We are going to be a du... du..." Granny trailed off, unable to even finish the word as her jaw was left hanging.
"Yes! Finally! I can be part of the corruption too. No more life of working!" Mother raised her hand joyfully, while uncle looked like his soul was leaving his body.
Still! Are we really going to be a Dukedom? That means we will be rolling in money in the future. Maybe becoming the Lord isn't such a bad idea if that is what the future holds. I looked at the blonde doll again. He had gone silent, and I could tell he had realized he'd said several things he shouldn't have.
"See? I told you whoever made them did sloppy work," Serena said with a smirk, clearly enjoying the chaos the doll's slip-up had caused.
"I believe enough has been said."
A nun in silvery white robes stepped out from behind a pillar. Her face was hidden behind a veil of white cloth, only strands of black hair spilling out beneath it. She pushed a small trolley forward, rows of potion bottles clinking softly atop it. "Please, take these."
One of the bottles flew straight into Lady Serena's hand. She uncorked it and took a sniff. "These are recovery potions for mana and physical exhaustion, and they are quite potent. Why are you giving us these?"
"The letter..." The nun's eyes moved toward the envelope tucked into Uncle's grip. "The instructions our 'Count' received told us to bring these here at this exact moment. So please, accept them and be on your way."
Upon hearing that, Uncle Erik carefully slipped the letter into his inner pocket.
"Hmm~ I guess I will humor you. It is safe to take. Go ahead," Serena said, glancing back at the rest of us.
"I would have taken them even if you said otherwise," Mother said as she stepped forward and grabbed a bottle. "You know why? Because this is Fors money. Which means it is my money." She laughed loudly and downed it in one go.
She is embarrassing.
Ignoring Mother's wild laughter, the rest of us moved to pick up a bottle. As the light green liquid slid down my throat, I felt a cooling sensation spread through my limbs. The exhaustion peeled away almost instantly, and I could feel my soul crucible refilling with a rush of warm mana.
Wow. This potion is incredible.
Creating a potion for recovering mana and physical fatigue at the same time is notoriously difficult. It requires the skill level of a Potion Savant at the very least, and the sheer potency of this one proves it had to be made by a Master Alchemist.
"Fuuuaaa!"
Faux's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I lifted my head to see that stupid fox sitting right on the halo of the massive statue. He was waving at me with one paw while holding a bright red berry in the other, chewing away with a look of pure bliss.
"What are you doing up there? Get down here, you stupid fox." I walked closer to the statue, scowling. "And where did you steal that from? Did you invade the pantry already?"
"It is fine. I gave it to the spirit," the nun replied calmly.
"Ah... thank you very much. I am sorry for the trouble," I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed by my familiar's lack of manners.
"Fua!" The sound came again, and I looked up to see him smirking down at me, looking far too proud of himself.
This little fox... Hmm? wait a minute.
I walked around to get a better look at the halo. From this angle, the shape started to become much clearer.
I thought it was a simple lemniscate, but it is actually a Mobius strip twisted into the shape of infinity. That is surprising. I didn't know this world had the concept of a Mobius strip, or perhaps it is something specifically related to this deity's nature.
"Fua."
Faux's voice came again, this time from behind me. I turned to see him floating in front of the massive stained glass windows that dominated the far wall.
The panels were arranged with breathtaking precision. The light shimmering through them in a thousand different hues created an atmosphere that was nothing short of heavenly. But what drew me in more than the light were the images etched into the glass. In the center stood a tall man in white, regal clothes, gripping a sword that looked like nothing I had ever seen. The sword was split down the middle into two distinct halves. The left half burned in dark reds and yellow hues, radiating the sense of raging flame and violence. The right half was black and blue, cold and suffocating, carrying a chill that seeped into my skin just from looking at it.
My eyes drifted to the two panels flanking him.
On the left was a long side profile framed by flowing, curly blonde hair. On the right stood a woman with dark purple hair cascading down her back. Their faces were obscured, yet something about them felt undeniably beautiful.
"They are quite beautiful, are they not?" The nun asked as she came to stand beside me.
"Huh?"
How could she tell…
"The finest glaziers from across the world were selected to craft them," she continued softly.
Ah, she is just talking about glasswork.
"Right, they are quite beautiful, especially the detail around the sword," I said, pointing toward the dual-colored blade.
But the nun shook her head slowly from side to side, a small sigh escaping her.
"That portion may be regarded as a shortcoming, as it failed to adequately convey the true might of the sword," she said, her voice sounding genuinely displeased, as if the masterpiece before us was a mere failure.
Is that so? To me, it looks perfect. But as I keep staring at the image of that sword, something strange is happening. It is like I am not just looking at a picture anymore. I can almost feel the weight of it... the heat and the cold vibrating in the air.
I looked at the central figure again. Twenty-nine years in the future, a massive church built on Fors territory...
It cannot be… can it?
The thought was absurd, yet the nagging suspicion pulled at my chest like a physical weight.
"Is the person in the middle your god?" I asked, keeping my voice low so the others wouldn't hear.
"That is correct." She nodded, her posture becoming even more solemn.
I swallowed.
"Can you tell me his name?" I asked, my heartbeat getting faster.
The nun looked at me for a long second, and then I felt a subtle shift in her expression behind the cloth. She smiled. "Normally we are not allowed to say the name, but since I have special permission…" She looked at the glass image, her voice softening with reverence. "He is the great Pillar of the Cosmos, Khelaris."
"Ah… I see. That is a nice name."
I let out a long breath of pure relief.
What was I even expecting? There is no way that statue could have been me. The mere idea of having a religion dedicated to me made my skin prickle.
A soft, chuckling sound came from the woman next to me. I looked at the nun, confused. "Normally, a person would be disappointed to hear that," she said gently.
"Uh, was it that obvious?" I asked, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.
She nodded. "It was. But do not worry, in a few years, Siegfried Fors will have his turn to shine."
Should she really be telling me that? The future is supposed to be a secret. I want to ask for more, to know what she means, but I need to stop. I don't want to make a certain butterfly flap its wings and ruin everything or... maybe it already did.
"Sieg!" Granny called out, her voice stronger now. Faux landed on my head with a soft thud, licking his lips as if he had just finished the best meal of his life.
Ignoring the gluttonous fox, I turned toward Granny. Everyone looked recovered and ready, their faces set in grim determination. We were led by the nun through the silent corridors of the building until we reached a set of open double doors. A Time Veil was stretched across the frame, a golden surface shimmering over the familiar black. The nun slightly raised her hand, and the golden sheen dissolved, and a familiar, stinging mana came pouring out of the veil.
"The source of the darkness lies beyond this," the nun said, stepping aside to let us pass.
The air beyond the doors felt heavy, like it was pressing back against my chest, unwilling to be disturbed.
"That mana... there is no doubt it is the source," Aifa said, her voice dropping into a whisper as she stared at the veil.
Mother nodded and walked forward with a heavy, purposeful stride. She stopped as she reached the nun, looking the woman up and down for a quiet moment, "I do not know who you are," She placed a firm hand on the nun's shoulder, "but thank you for all the hard work."
The nun simply stepped back a little and offered a graceful, shallow bow in return.
Mother scoffed, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "So stern. Seriously, who raised you?" she asked with a short laugh before stepping into the Time Veil without a second thought.
Uncle Erik started to follow, but the nun's voice stopped him. "Please keep the letter safe, Count."
"About that... should I read it after leaving this place? Or wait until a specific time in the future?" Uncle asked, scratching his head with a look of genuine conflict.
"It is up to you when to read it or if you choose to give it away to someone else. The decision is yours, and I believe you will make the right one," the nun said.
"How can you be so sure?" Uncle asked.
"Because in my time, you already made the right one."
At those words, Uncle Erik offered a solemn nod and vanished into the veil. Ashar, Tavian, and Blake followed suit, offering quick, respectful bows to the nun before they were consumed by the veil.
"Elara, you go first," Lady Serena said, turning to Granny.
Granny nodded and walked to the edge of the veil. "Thank you for the potions. They saved us more than you know," she said to the nun.
"... It was an honor to talk to you like this," the nun replied, her voice thick with an emotion she was clearly trying to suppress as she performed a deep, lingering bow.
"... I see. I feel the same," Granny said softly before stepping through.
Lady Serena followed her, pausing only for a split second to glance at the nun before she, too, moved in.
So this is the final stretch.
"Anything to say to me?" I asked the nun with a smile.
"All is already said." She bowed deeply toward me. "May Khelaris's blessing be with you."
With that final farewell echoing in the hall, Aifa and I moved together into the veil.
The transition felt like being pulled through a needle. The holy air of the cathedral was instantly replaced by a thick, suffocating pressure that tasted like ash and rotting metal.
When the light faded, the building was gone.
We stood on a floating island of stone, suspended in a sea of absolute darkness. The void beneath us churned and twisted like something alive. On both sides, dark walls stretched endlessly, rising high and sinking low, forming a vast valley that felt abandoned by everything that once breathed.
"It is here," Mother said.
She stood at the edge with Serena beside her. Their weapons were already glowing with silver and purple light, the only vibrant things in this suffocating nightmare.
"Let's get this over with. I need a good shower," Serena remarked, her feet lifting off the stone as she drifted into the air with practiced elegance.
"Hmph, who cares about a shower? I am hungry," Mother countered, jumping off the ledge to join her.
Mother's axe burned with a silver aura that pushed the darkness back. Serena pulled her staff close, purple light spiraling around it, dense and focused.
As they readied their attacks, I peeked over the edge of our floating island. Once again, I saw a stir in the dark below. Something was slithering down there…
"So this is what it feels like..."
The familiar voice echoed around us, vibrating through the very stone beneath my feet.
You have to be kidding me.
"Entropy."
The entire dungeon, the very air we breathed, began to shudder with a violent vibration.
"Time."
The massive walls on both sides started cracking and splintering, the sound like a thousand mirrors shattering at once. Mother and Serena stopped their advance, circling back toward us as the environment itself began to warp.
"And the darkness itself."
The wall to the right exploded outward as a massive being pulled itself out from the debris. It looked entirely different than before. Its body was a void of absolute black, far larger and more menacing than the monster we had fought earlier. But there, centered on its head, was that same large skull mask, and that annoying, twisted grin remained plastered over its face like a cruel joke.
"Knowledge/Reason… War/Conflict…." The demon said, its long, shadowy finger pointing directly at Mother and Serena.