At the same time, far from the battlefield, in a region shrouded in reddish mist, the mysterious man who had appeared before Léon and the Jason from the future—while Jason was still unconscious—walked calmly and steadily.
In front of him stood an immense, dark mansion, towering like a castle forgotten by time. Gothic towers pierced the sky, and stone gargoyles loomed over the entrance like silent sentinels.
He paused for a moment before the massive iron doors. The wind swept through his long black cloak. Then, without knocking, he placed his hand on the door. It creaked open, as if the house itself recognized its visitor.
He stepped inside.
The interior was even more haunting. Torches on the stone walls barely lit the long corridor. At the far end of the grand hall sat a throne carved from black stone. A figure rested upon it.
The man bowed.
— "I return from the contact point."
Silence.
— "Jason is alive. But he's weakened... He lost much of his energy crossing the temporal lines."
The figure slowly raised its head, revealing two eyes—pure white and almost inhuman.
— "And the boy? The one who was with him?"
— "Léon. He doesn't know anything yet. But I believe... he already feels the weight of what's coming."
The figure leaned forward on the throne.
— "Very well. Then destiny is in motion... Do not lose sight of him."
The man nodded.
— "There's something else..."
— "Speak."
— "The seal of time is unstable. If Jason doesn't regain his strength... the cycle will collapse. And chaos will rule."
A long silence fell over the hall. Then the voice replied coldly:
— "Then prepare the ritual. The moment is near."
The man bowed once more, stepped back into the shadows... and vanished.
The unknown man, still lurking in the shadows of the castle, knelt before the pale, imposing figure seated in the dimness. His voice, low and full of respect, broke the heavy silence.
— "I have a favor to ask... not an ordinary favor, but a great one. I want to become one of your knight captains."
A faint smile appeared on the lips of his superior. With a calm, almost disdainful gesture, he raised two fingers and flung Black into the air, crashing him against the ceiling of the hall. The impact made the stone tremble, then he violently threw him to the ground.
— "Black, do you realize the weight of the favor you are asking of me?"
Black, panting and wounded, felt fear flood his heart. He slowly got up, knees trembling, and begged with a broken voice:
— "I beg you, have mercy... I will do whatever you ask."
The cold, merciless gaze of his superior pierced him through.
Black, panting and wounded, felt a dark power fill the air around him. The silence in the hall thickened, as if time itself was holding its breath.
The superior, now standing, slowly approached Black, his white eyes shining with a supernatural glow.
— "You are not ready yet, but the favor you seek will not be granted without a price."
He placed an icy hand on Black's forehead. An intense pain coursed through his entire body, an ancient and terrible energy seeping into him.
— "Accept this pact, and you will become more than just a warrior. You will be a leader among darkness, a scourge to our enemies."
Black staggered, but in his eyes, a new determination took shape.
— "I accept."
A flash of energy enveloped them, sealing their agreement.
— "Prepare yourself. Your training begins tomorrow. Destiny will not wait for you."
Right now at Leon and Jason's from the future
Léon stayed by Jason's side, whose body still seemed weak and unconscious. The atmosphere around them was heavy, charged with the tension of the recent battle. The red moon bathed the destroyed city in an eerie light, and shadows danced to the rhythm of distant flames.
After several hours, Jason slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was heavy, but a spark of determination burned deep within. Léon felt a relief mixed with worry.
— "Jason… you're awake."
Jason tried to sit up, but pain forced him to fall back down.
— "I must… stop this," he murmured hoarsely. "Time… the moon… it's all connected."
Léon nodded, clenching his fists.
— "Then we have to leave this place, find a safe refuge. There are other children, other survivors. We can't leave them behind."
Jason weakly agreed, then whispered:
— "But I can't stay awake for long. I need to recover my energy, or… chaos will win."
In the distance, police sirens and the panicked cries of civilians mingled with the deep growls of monsters still prowling the city.
Léon nodded. They got up, helping Jason to support himself, and began their escape toward a secret shelter — a glimmer of hope in the heart of chaos.
To Be CONTINUED