Chapter 65: "The Enchantress of Time"
The wind that swept across San Juan that night wasn't ordinary — it hummed with a strange resonance, a rhythm that made the glass towers of the city vibrate ever so slightly, as though the whole metropolis was listening to a melody only time itself could hear. The Grand Festival had ended, and cheers still echoed faintly from the lower districts, but above the Citadel of Chronos, silence reigned.
Moro stood before the balcony of Revo's hall, the weight of his victory still pressing on his shoulders. His body bore scars from the battle against the Anachron Lord, yet it wasn't pain that consumed him now — it was the thought of what came after.
Behind him, Revo walked with a regal composure, his cloak rippling in the dim light. His eyes glimmered with an emotion impossible to read — part admiration, part amusement, and something far older than either.
"You've done well, Moro Kim Jama," he said, his voice like polished silver. "The crowd hails you as the Champion of Chronos, a title not easily earned."
Moro bowed slightly, unsure of how to respond. "I only did what was right," he murmured.
Revo smiled faintly. "And because of that, you've earned not only respect… but a gift. One that might change the very course of your destiny."
From behind the shimmering curtains, a figure stepped forward — her steps light as whispers, her aura shimmering with the faint hue of auroras. Her hair, long and radiant silver, floated like liquid light; her eyes reflected endless spirals of time — every blink seemed to echo through eternity.
It was Pisya.
The room's air thickened the moment she entered. Kaya, standing to the side with folded arms, felt her pulse quicken. Her gaze darted from Moro to Pisya — and for the first time, she saw Moro's expression shift, almost imperceptibly, like his mind was being pulled into a whirlpool of beauty and power.
Revo stepped forward and announced, "This is my niece, Pisya — the Enchantress of Time, guardian of the Eighth Chrono Gate. She shall accompany you, Moro, as your ally… and companion."
Kaya's fists clenched tightly. Companion? The word rang like thunder in her chest.
Moro blinked, confused yet mesmerized. "Companion? But… why me?"
Pisya smiled faintly, the curve of her lips carrying a hypnotic grace. "Because you carry something I've been searching for — the echo of the Matrix." Her voice seemed to bypass his ears and speak directly to his soul.
For a second, the entire citadel seemed to freeze — Revo watching quietly, Kaya trembling, Herbet standing awkwardly, and Kiro leaning against the pillar, hiding the faintest smirk. He had seen this kind of manipulation before. He didn't like it.
Pisya took Moro's hand. A spark of blue light flowed between them — gentle at first, then deep and pulsating. Moro felt something within him responding, as if the Matrix inside his body recognized her presence.
"You see?" Revo said softly. "Fate recognizes its twin."
Kaya turned away, hiding the storm that was building behind her eyes. She wanted to speak, to shout at Moro to resist, but something held her back — something cold and heavy.
Later that night, under the silvered skyline of San Juan, Moro stood alone on the rooftop of the Citadel. The lights below looked like stars fallen to the earth. Pisya's voice echoed faintly behind him.
"You're troubled."
"I don't understand," Moro said, turning slightly. "You feel… familiar. It's like I've met you before, long ago."
Pisya's eyes softened. "Maybe you did — in another timeline, in another version of this endless dream we call existence." She walked closer, her bare feet silent against the polished metal floor. "Every being tied to the Matrix shares a bond — and you, Moro, are bound deeper than anyone realizes."
He looked at her, trying to resist the magnetism in her words. "You talk like you know everything."
"I only know what time whispers to me," she said, gently touching his chest where the blue Matrix mark pulsed faintly beneath his skin. "And it tells me… your path will soon diverge. You'll have to choose between what you love and what you must protect."
Moro's heart skipped. "What do you mean?"
But Pisya didn't answer. Instead, she leaned close, whispering, "You'll understand when the skies of San Juan turn red."
Then, with a graceful motion, she vanished into a ripple of light — leaving behind a faint scent of flowers that didn't exist in this world.
Below, Kaya watched from the shadows, her eyes burning with a mix of anger and sorrow. "You fool," she muttered, clenching her dagger. "Can't you see she's not human? Can't you feel the trap?"
Kiro appeared beside her silently, his expression unreadable. "Revo doesn't give gifts without purpose," he said coldly. "He's testing Moro. Maybe testing all of us."
Kaya's voice cracked slightly. "Then we have to stop it."
Kiro's gaze stayed fixed on the sky. "No. Not yet. Let him walk this path — sometimes the only way to see the truth is to step right into the darkness."
The next morning, the Chrono Citadel glowed with golden light, but a strange tension filled the air. The people of San Juan celebrated their champion, yet whispers began to spread — that the Enchantress who stood beside him wasn't of this world.
And far above them, in a chamber lined with living gears and shifting light, Revo stood before the Chrono Core — the beating heart of San Juan's time. His reflection shimmered in its surface, but it wasn't just his — there were others reflected within the glow.
Figures unseen. Watching. Waiting.
Revo smiled. "Let the boy play his part. The wheel turns once more."
And deep within Moro's chest, the Matrix flickered — as if it had just heard its own name whispered by something ancient, far beyond time itself.
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