22 CHRONOSIGHT

The world around me began to warp and twist, like a surreal nightmare unfolding before my very eyes. My surroundings glitched in and out, and I could feel my mind being bombarded by a torrent of memories and events. It was as if the floodgates of time had burst open, and I was helplessly swept away by the current.

I dropped to my knees, gasping for breath as an overwhelming sense of discomfort washed over me. It felt as though my very being was being rewritten, my existence reshaped by forces beyond my comprehension. Panic surged within me, threatening to drown me in a sea of confusion and fear.

In the midst of this chaotic maelstrom, Aria burst into the room. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the bizarre scene before her.

"What are you doing to him?" Aria's voice was a mix of concern and anger as she rushed toward us, pushing Siena away from me.

Siena stumbled back, her gaze locked onto me with a mixture of guilt and worry. I could barely muster the strength to reassure Aria that I would be okay. With trembling limbs, I managed to rise to my feet, but something felt off—terribly off.

I mumbled my forgiveness to Siena, trying to piece together the fragments of what had just occurred.

As I staggered out of the library, every step felt heavy, laden with a sense of foreboding. I needed to be alone, to make sense of this overwhelming experience.

The journey to my room felt like an eternity. Each corridor stretched endlessly, and the walls seemed to pulse with an eerie energy. I couldn't shake the feeling that something had fundamentally changed within me.

Finally, I reached the sanctuary of my room, closing the door behind me with a sigh of relief. Alone at last, I collapsed onto my bed, my mind reeling from the strange encounter in the library. It had felt like an eternity, but it had only been moments.

And then, just as I began to settle into my own thoughts, it happened again. My heart froze, and my vision distorted. I was transported, against my will, back to that enigmatic void.

Once more, I found myself standing before the mysterious girl in white. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall of snow, her presence both ethereal and disconcerting. The glitching phenomenon returned, and the world around us twisted and writhed in a surreal dance.

This time, though, there was something more. I saw images, flashes of events that sent shivers down my spine. Dead bodies lay scattered across a blood-soaked palace floor. The walls, once grand and regal, were painted crimson by a gruesome tableau.

Amidst this horrific scene, I witnessed the arrival of a young boy. He couldn't have been much older than I was, and a woman—older, her features mirroring those of my mother—held his hand. The boy's eyes held a mixture of awe and trepidation as he was welcomed into the palace.

The girl in white. Her hair flowed like a cascade of snow, and her presence radiated both ethereality and enigma. The glitching phenomenon returned, and the world around us twisted and distorted.

"Who are you?" I finally mustered the courage to speak, my voice quivering with a blend of curiosity and apprehension.

She turned her luminous gaze toward me, her eyes the color of pale sapphires.

"I am Clara," she replied, her voice carrying a melodic quality that seemed to resonate within the void itself. "A being beyond your comprehension, a deity of supreme existence."

My heart raced at her words. Deity? Supreme existence? It was difficult to fathom the magnitude of what she was saying.

"This was the perfect time to ask her about my appearance and purpose in this world," I thought.

"Why am I here?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Clara's ethereal form seemed to shimmer as if contemplating her response.

"I have watched over you since your point of reincarnation."

My mind reeled at the revelation. A Variant? I struggled to comprehend the implications of such a statement. "What do you mean, watched over me?" I inquired, my curiosity outweighing my fear.

"The moment you materialized in the void, I seemed utterly baffled. I was unable to find the right words as I gazed upon you.

In this strange place, Jay, your the sole individual with the uncanny ability to navigate the Void's depths and then return.

It was a perplexing phenomenon, one that could perhaps be attributed to the fact that you housed two distinct souls within you. This peculiar existence seemed to render you entirely imperceptible to the other supreme deities inhabiting this realm.

As Clara continued her explanation, she referred to me as a Variant—a being distinctly foreign to this world.

Clara's eyes held a mixture of sorrow and longing as she continued, "I have been with you, silently observing the path of your existence.

In return for the Ethereal Gaze I bestowed upon you, I possess the ability and permission to use your body in dire circumstances—to ensure your survival."

The gravity of her words settled upon me like a heavy shroud. Clara had been an ever-present companion in the shadows, a guardian bound to my fate. "But why?" I pressed, my voice a whisper.

Clara's form seemed to waver, her gaze distant as if lost in the depths of memory.

"There are forces at play, Jay, forces that transcend the boundaries of your understanding. Glimpses of the future have been granted to you, but they are a fragmented tapestry, subject to change and uncertainty."

I felt a chill run down my spine as I considered the enormity of her words.

"The glimpses I've seen," I began slowly, "they show...tragedy. A palace painted in blood, dead bodies scattered. And that boy—the one who arrived."

Clara nodded solemnly. "Events are set in motion, Jay. The future is a realm of constant flux, shaped by the choices made by those who walk its path. Some events may come to pass, while others may diverge into unforeseen outcomes."

A torrent of questions surged within me, each one vying for answers. "And what of you, Clara? Why are you here, in this void?"

Clara's expression shifted, her eyes revealing a hint of melancholy. "I was cast down, my existence marred by transgressions against the laws of the divine. Trapped in this void, I have been lost in a sea of uncertainty, unable to return to my rightful place among the supreme deities."

A deep sense of sympathy welled up within me as I gazed at Clara. She was a being stripped of her divine status, shackled to a fate she hadn't chosen. "Is there a way to free you from this void?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine concern.

Clara's eyes met mine, gratitude shimmering in their depths. "Your compassion warms my heart, Jay, but it is not a simple matter. The void is a realm beyond mortal comprehension, and my presence here defies the laws that govern our existence."

As our conversation continued, Clara unveiled more about the enigmatic nature of her being, and the intricate bond that now bound us together. She explained the Eyes of Chronosight, the gift she had bestowed upon me, which allowed me to catch glimpses of the future—a future that was ever-shifting, like the sands in an eternal hourglass.

With every word she spoke, the tapestry of my destiny grew more intricate, revealing threads of purpose and mystery that extended beyond the boundaries of my understanding. Clara's presence in my life was a revelation, a doorway to a world of possibilities and challenges that lay ahead.

As the void began to recede, and the enigma of Clara's existence faded from my sight, I couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of purpose. The glimpses of the future, the presence of a deity, and the profound connection that now bound us together—all of it hinted at a destiny that was uniquely mine to unravel.

/// NEXT VOLUME: BEYOND HORIZONS///

Edited by: JJ