Two hooded people walked through the ruins of what had once been a respected temple. Statue of the local gods were fallen or broken, stained glass windows were shattered, columns and walls swallowed by vines. It was a sadly charming ruin.
"Are you sure we arrived at the right time?" questioned the man under the cape.
The young woman raised her starry eyes to the sky that was visible from the broken ceiling. The stars positioned in a constellation transmitted a secret message only to her.
"Yes. We only have this chance. The passage will open at any moment."
The man sighed and moved the torch to light his way. They continued to walk through the ruins, their eyes sweeping the place feeling the memories of a fateful ceremony long ago. The grip on his chest was present once again, as if it warned them that this person was alive.
"I can't believe that such a beautiful temple has become so...", commented the young woman touching one of the statues.
"I'm surprised that it has only been so. I thought Ereghast would destroy the whole region that day", man raised the torch to light a broken statue, being the only intact one belonging to the supreme god. A feeling of amazement shivered his spine. "Although he, in fact, destroyed many things."
"Come on, we need to make sure the passage is safe from the eyes of the gods."
The two continued their ways, moving silently and secretly through the ruins.
The weaver continued to work with her needle to gather the limbs to Cale's body. She kept silent with a friendly smile on her face, moving her hands slowly and delicately despite showing a mastery worthy of an ethereal artisan.
However, not even his capricious and time-consuming manual labor attracted Cale's attention from his troubled mind. Sometimes the weaver raised her ethereal eyes to the young man, she perceived his empty eyes without any hope. Then she turned her head to the throne, where the Keeper of time also watched everything silently.
Both just waiting for the answer of the young demigod who had been abandoned by the gods of Keonna.
The question of the Guardian caused a deep and desolate silence in Cale.
Come back to life? Return to the world where he were once rejected? Just remember the look of Krynt as he passed through the portal, how coldly he stabbed him with his sword and abandoned him in the World of Chaos. The way a superior god, to which he was naively devout, turned Cale into a trash.
Would not return.
Cale did not want to face those despicable beings.
That the Universe would forgive him, but what he wanted least was to relive all the pain still burning alive in his skin.
The Guardian sighed, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. Although no words were said, the weaver understood its meaning.
"Ah, what beautiful hands", whispered the ethereal figure that sewed him. Cale looked up, realizing that she was pulling the line and finishing his left arm. "They are big enough to carry the world."
Cale's empty eyes remained in the weaver. The naturalness with which his body was restructured by those golden lines came to be amazing. Even more so for not feeling any pain.
Forcing his throat to work, he heard his own voice sound hoarse.
"I don't think I'm capable of carrying something that heavy."
"The fort's destiny is to be strong", she whispered as music, passing the needle under the skin and pulling the wire when connecting with the last arm that was missing. "And there is no curse that will stop you from it."
Those obvious words resonated in Cale. Despite the soft and almost comforting tone, the weight of the statement hit him deeply. There was no escape, there was no denial. Everything pointed to a path he never chose but which seemed inevitable.
However, his answer remained the same. Empty.
"Are you ready for your decision?" the low voice broke the silence like a controlled thunder.
Staring at the white and infinite floor, Cale had not moved.
"Go back..." muttered hesitantly. "Why should I come back? To be humiliated and hunted? What purpose is there in returning to a world that has spat me out?"
The Time Keeper watched him with deep purple eyes.
"Your suffering was immense, child. But your fate still resonates through the threads of time" Despite his words, Cale remained motionless. Rising from the throne, the guardian slowly approached. "While you hesitates here, time runs in the real world. The gods rejoice in victory, others prepare to increase their powers. Humans and other living beings under divine protection are at risk before such a catastrophe."
What did it matter to him? Cale couldn't imagine how it would affect him. He was already dead, in a way. He felt no pain nor heat coming from his body. He could withdraw into the song of death, where he would find peace and security for eternity.
One more step, and the guardian narrowed his eyes before the emptiness of the demigod.
"There are those who desperately seek salvation. The divine laws must be respected, but the universal laws prevail victorious before war. Be the pillar of such laws, Cale Arkalis."
The way he spoke really made Cale feel that he was capable of anything, but just seeing the weaver finish sewing his arm brought him back to the problem.
He was incapable.
The presence of the higher gods was overwhelming.
Their power seemed infinite.
And he was cursed to lose forever before them.
The fingers of the Guardian touched Cale's neck. Under the rag that was his shirt, he pulled a thin string with a dark dragon scale of pendant. Cale did not even know how it had ended up in him, but it made him remember someone specific.
A certain warrior who fights bravely to fulfill his duty, always facing the horizon with his stoic and proud expression.
"Aries..." murmured.
The time keeper's purple eyes turned to Cale.
"You have found your soul. The Universe continues to bless you, while asking in return to be its pillar" Moving away slightly, the Guardian continued. "Will you let your loved ones be targets of the gods as you were? "
Tum-tum.
The heart vibrated inside his chest.
Only that he remained silent. The Guardian dared to continue a little longer.
"Tell me, Cale Arkalis, will you let your blood and your companions take your place, becoming targets of the fury, envy and arrogance of the gods?"
"They are stronger than I", Cale whispered, trying to quiet the heart that was racing with such agonizing thoughts.
"They may be. However, they will not be able to go against the higher gods who once served the Universe." Realizing that Cale was looking at him now, the Guardian held his gaze while he continued. "You already have what it takes to restore order."
A cheesed smile sprang from Cale's lips. The irony of the situation was ridiculous and hopeless. Depending on it was the dumbest decision that the universe could make.
"Their blood is being shed. Their cries are full of agony and fatigue."
Tum-tum.
Tum-tum.
"Hurt those who sympathize with your injustice, is the satisfaction that caresses the thirsty ego."
Hurt them? Did he mean that his family could be in danger?
Tum-tum.
Tum-tum.
The memory of his father reaching out, looking at him desperately trying to save him. His family was the only one on his side. Fear rose through Cale's spine, along with the terror of imagining his family going through the same hell that he went through in Nuria's hands.
Never!
Who would dare to touch them?!
Cale's fingers moved trying to close in a fist, an unconscious act. The gods' greed was even more infuriating. Not even heard the explanations of Gaspar at that time.
"If I go back...", Cale began, the voice now loaded with a cold bitterness, "If I have to bear once more the weight of this world... then I swear that those who made me suffer will pay. I want revenge. I need revenge to even consider enduring the sunlight again. That is my condition."
The guardian raised his head and pondered silently. When the female figure finished his work, the guardian looked at her and received her nod, confirming some silent question.
Just as he did at another time, the guardian stared deeply at Cale. Perhaps it was to evaluate his sincerity, his desires... or was just to scare Cale. But the boy seemed accustomed to his presence after the time he sat being sewed and listening to the answers of the questions.
"The Universe has its laws that must be followed. As long as you follow them and fulfill your destiny to restore balance, use whatever method you wish."
The female figure lightly touched Cale's chest, and he felt a wave of heat spread all over his body. It was as if something inside him was being awakened, something that has always been there but he never dared to recognize.
Cale felt a squeeze in his chest. He knew that his choice was not just an act of courage, but a condemnation. Going back meant bearing the weight of your destiny, but also carrying your anger like a living flame. To take revenge on the gods who betrayed him was not just a desire — it was now a necessity.
If Cale could take revenge... make those gods feel the same pain he felt... the same sense of injustice, then he would be able to face the human world back.
He would make them pay for every torture that the gods of Keonna put him through. For every tear he shed, for all the fear he felt in his life. If even the guardian of time gave him permission, who would be able to stop him?
"I'm ready", he said more to himself than to others.
The golden light began to envelop him, spinning in spirals around him. The keeper of time stood up and raised a hand.
"Get up, Cale Arkalis."
When his legs moved for the first time, it was as if the world were pulsating with life again. He felt the ground under his feet, solid and real. His muscles, still weak, cried out in protest, but he did not care. He was whole again, and this feeling, more than any other, brought him back to reality.
"Go, Cale Arkalis. Prove that you are worthy of the balance you seek to restore."
Cale was enveloped by the light, feeling his body pulled back to reality. But this time, he wasn't the same. The golden marks shone on his skin, and within him a new flame had been kindled.
The Guardian took a step back, the light around him intensifying. His voice, at once grave and compassionate, sounded one last time:
"Balance is not something that can be achieved without sacrifice, Cale Arkalis. Remember this when the path seems impossible."
Everything around him faded away, and for a moment Cale felt immense pain where there was the golden seam line of his limbs. The pain was so much, that his throat burned and hurt from shouting. Not even his voice would be able to express such agonizing feeling.
Finally, he did not pay attention to what was happening around him as he left that space of the guardian of time. And in a few seconds, Cale lost consciousness without bearing the pressure.
"Are you feeling that?", asked the young woman as she raised her eyes to the center of ruin.
Quickly the man took his sword and stood up, attentive to any movement.
"The sun will soon rise and so far nothing of this passage open. I do not doubt that some god has noticed our presence and sent someone to hunt us."
The young woman bowed her head, ignoring her companion's angry tone. Her eyes shone as the energy around the ruins began to change. A cold wind cut through the night, and the dry leaves in the vines hanging on the walls danced as if they had life of their own.
"It's here", she muttered, a slight smile touching her lips.
The man turned the blade of the sword in his hands, the metal emitting a sharp sound in the silence that followed the whirlpool. He took a step forward, positioning himself between the young woman and the rune that shone brightly.
Then the swirl intensified. The ancient rune on the ground pulsed, radiating a golden light that seemed to swallow everything around it. A roar of energy echoed through the ruins, so loud that the structures shook.
"Watch out!", the man shouted, covering the young woman with his own body.
A burst of light blinded them momentarily, and when the gale ceased, they opened their eyes to find a figure fallen in the center of the rune. The young man gasped on the ground, golden marks shone on his arms and legs. His chest rose and fell rapidly, as if he was struggling to breathe.
"He is here - said the young woman, with a triumphant gleam in her eyes." The universe brought him back."
Without hesitation, the man shot up to the figure fallen on the ground, kneeling next to him. His fingers trembled as they held the boy's face, turning it gently to see better his features. The bond in his heart pulsed like a rhythmic beat, synchronizing with his presence. It was an overwhelming feeling, at the same time strange and familiar.
"Finally... you came back", he whispered, his voice charged with emotion.
The young woman approached with firm steps, also evaluating the boy for injuries. The starry eyes narrowed to notice the details of the marks on his arms and legs.
"He seems whole" she murmured, almost to hermself, but there was a bit of doubt. "This is the work of the Guardian, isn't it?"
The golden marks on his body began to shine more intensely, as if they responded to the presence of both. The man retreated slightly, disturbed by the light.
"These marks..." he muttered, frowning.
The young woman leaned closer to the unconscious boy, pressing her fingers against his chest. The heat he felt under his fingertips confirmed her suspicions. He was alive, but something in him looked different, more intense.
"The Theiodesmos bond... is stronger now" she said, with a mixture of reverence and concern.
The man sighed, his arm passing under the neck of the sleeping youth and welcoming him into her embrace. Breathing deeply, he noticed a slight tremor coming from his body.
"You are back, Cale Arkalis", he said, the voice charged with a silent gravity. "I hope that this time you are prepared to face what awaits us."
The young woman looked up at them. The gentle and comfortable touch she gave on her colleague's shoulder was warm and welcoming.
"He will be. We'll help him."
The light around Cale began to dim, and he took a deep breath, a hoarse sound that broke the silence. His eyes trembled for a moment, but they did not open. Still, the movement brought a spark of hope to the boy, who held his hand firmly.
"Finally got you back... my master."