After the grueling hours of his first combat, which had drained his vital energy to the marrow, Eiji stood in the silence of his room. It felt narrow and alien now, as if the familiar walls no longer belonged to a reality that had cracked open into the unknown.
He slowly raised his left hand. The Chrono-Ring sent out faint blue pulses, syncing with his racing heartbeat. With an involuntary motion charged with awe, a shimmering light portal tore open in the center of the room, rippling like the surface of mystical water.
Eiji stepped through. The air pressure shifted abruptly. Instead of his simple bedroom walls, he found himself in a place overflowing with serenity and light emanating from ancient marble walls that glowed like pearls.
This was the "Aethron"—the pulsating heart of operations in the temporal universe. It was a celestial palace built of ethereal materials; pillars of solid light and vast halls where flecks of floating gold drifted through the air.
Atsurai appeared in the distance, standing with her usual dignity, her silver hair shimmering. She looked at him with sharp eyes, assessing his exhausted physical state and monitoring his every move.
Atsurai: "You arrived faster than expected. It's a good sign that your body is responding to the dimensional shift. But do not think the mission will be a stroll; the true hardships begin now, Dimensional Guardian."
Eiji: "I feel as though my bones have turned to heavy lead. I exhausted every spark of Pulse Energy in that first clash. And this Grimoire... it confuses me. Every time I try to understand its symbols, my head spins."
As Eiji struggled to catch his breath, a man and a woman emerged from behind the luminous curtains, radiating an incomparable royal aura. They wore robes woven from the threads of time, and beside them stood a younger boy watching Eiji with cautious eyes.
Atsurai: "Eiji, this is my family. My parents are the rulers of this realm and the primary counselors of Time. And this is my younger brother."
A heavy, sudden silence fell over the Great Hall. The Ruler's—Atsurai's father—eyes scanned Eiji with cold precision until they landed on the mysterious mark stretching from Eiji's left hand to his eye.
The Ruler's expression shifted in a flash. The royal dignity vanished, replaced by a terrifying mixture of shock and violent rage that made the crystalline floor beneath them tremble.
The Ruler (Voice trembling with rage): "That cursed mark! This is impossible! Atsurai, how dare you bypass every law and bring the bearer of this stigma here?!"
Atsurai: "Father, please, calm down. He didn't come by chance. The Time Gate System chose him itself. He is now the new and legitimate bearer of the Eternal Mark."
The Ruler: "Curse this System if it leads us to annihilation again! That mark means the same dark fate—a fate that nearly erased the temporal universe from existence in ancient times due to the recklessness of his ancestors!"
The Ruler stepped toward Eiji with heavy strides, his piercing gaze fixed on the boy who stood bewildered, unable to understand this sudden hatred rooted in the past.
The Ruler: "The previous bearer of the mark... was your grandfather, boy! Through his greed and ignorance, he caused the 'Great Collapse' that tore our dimensions apart. You are nothing but the remnants of that catastrophe we have struggled for centuries to repair!"
Eiji (Shocked to his core): "My grandfather? What are you saying? My grandfather was an ordinary, quiet man... no one ever told me he belonged to this world or caused any collapse!"
The Ruler: "I want to hear no justifications. Your presence here is an existential threat. Either choose to return to your human dimension now in peace and abandon everything, or we will be forced to erase your memory entirely. You will remember none of these powers or dimensions!"
The Ruler advanced menacingly. Eiji felt an immense gravitational pressure threatening to shatter his shield. But at that critical moment, the mark on his eye and hand ignited with a warm purple glow.
A faint whisper emanated from the mark, growing louder until it filled the hall—a voice carrying ancient tenderness and profound wisdom, appearing to come from beyond time itself.
Voice of Grandmother Elara (Through the Mark): "Enough, my son... stop terrifying the boy. Things are not as you have imagined all these years. Fate does not always repeat itself in the same way."
Everyone froze. Silence fell as the Ruler trembled, hearing a voice he thought had vanished forever into the abyss of oblivion.
Eiji (Confused internal thought): "What is this? Who are you? And how is your voice living inside me?"
Voice of Grandmother Elara: "I am Elara... your grandmother who lost her life in the Temporal Collapse. But my soul did not depart; it merged with the fabric of the System. I am now your cosmic guide, the secret that binds you to the Great Gate."
The Ruler stepped back, his pale face masked in bewilderment as he stared at the light emanating from Elara's grandson.
The Ruler: "Elara... this is impossible... I saw you fade and merge with the Void before my very eyes!"
Voice of Grandmother Elara: "We chose Eiji to correct the historical error his grandfather made. The power of the mark he carries is not a curse, but the final chance to mend what was broken. You must give him a chance to prove his worth."
The whisper faded, and silence returned. But the Ruler continued to watch Eiji with suspicion, before making his final decision.
The Ruler: "I will grant you one chance. I am not convinced by this 'System' or this 'chance,' but you must prove you are not merely the echo of an old disaster that will burn us again."
The Ruler: "We will prepare a miniature temporal trial for you in the Experimental Dimension. If you succeed, we will accept you as a Guardian under my daughter's supervision. If you fail, we will wipe your memory and you will return as an ordinary student who possesses nothing."
Eiji (With determination, eyes gleaming with challenge): "I accept the trial. I won't run away and leave my grandfather's truth a mystery. I want to know the truth of the Lost Rhythm that called to me from the beginning."
Eiji transitioned to the Experimental Dimension—a place where minutes intertwined like tangled threads. With intense focus, he used his "Temporal Sense" and his ring to correct a flaw in the flow of time, utilizing simple spells from his Grimoire.
He returned to the hall, gasping from exhaustion, but standing firm before the Ruler, who sighed deeply upon seeing the boy's success despite his lack of experience.
The Ruler: "Fine. You have passed this simple test. Despite my doubts, I will keep my word. Atsurai... this boy is your responsibility now. Ensure he does not repeat the mistakes of the past."
Atsurai: "You have taken the first step, Eiji. But it is time to learn the true basics. You cannot face the Echoes of the Phantom again without mastering the control of Pulse Energy."
Atsurai: "I will take you now to an ancient master, someone with a deep understanding of time dimensions and elemental control. He is the only one capable of forging you quickly."
Eiji opened a new portal. At the end of the tunnel of light, the silhouette of a mysterious master appeared, surrounded by an aura of golden sands swirling in perfect rings, filling the horizon with a cryptic rustle.
Eiji (Inner Thought): "If my grandfather caused the collapse, then I will rebuild every shattered atom. I will find my true rhythm amidst these sands."