A long, long time seemed to pass. Or maybe it’s just a year and two months.
It certainly felt like an eternity to Aion, Eon, the Chieftain and his barbarian warriors.
The Chieftain was chasing Eon. Eon was chasing Varian.
And Varian...
"Follow me, my loyal minions!" Varian waved his arm, casually lifting Aion with it, as he pointed forward.
An onlooker might’ve assumed him to be the leader of this strange group, leading them to an attack.
"Y-You..." Aion, dizzy from the run, knew better.
This guy was a member of Ares tribe, the only group closest to their madness.
At least that’s what he foolishly believed earlier.
The entire tribe of Heaven was killed in an explosion. The golden city was blasted to pieces.
Only he survived, thanks to the overwhelming power of a peak rank 2. Aion was only spared thanks to his protection.
Yet, this guy...
’The life force on him, he spread his life cores and resurrected after the explosion.
He managed to sneak them away from the city before the war, bypassing our highly advanced surveillance systems!
Why would he prepare such contingency against an enemy that appeared so weak?’
Aion’s weak heart thumped violently.
The old scientist’s mind reached the implausible yet the only possible conclusion.
’He’s from the future. He really is.’
"You barbarian! Leave my brother!" Eon yelled, green aura surfacing from his body.
The flow of time was distorted quickly and his speed accelerated.
"Stop! You newcomer! And stop, you blasphemer!" The chieftain yelled.
The space around him shifting as he covered large distances with small, effortless steps.
The scenery changed in a blink. The forest zoomed in before it vanished and the open plains with the depressing grey sky came into view.
"If you’re not going to spare him, then I’ll take you down with me." Eon’s fury seemed to strike the heavens, as his aura blasted up and the entire sky turned a sinister green for a moment.
But only for a moment. It reverted in less than a second to the depressing shades.
The ruler of this realm, Eon, used to command the weather as he pleased. But now, he couldn’t even control the sky for a moment.
"B-Brother!" Aion tried to yell but couldn’t get his voice across.
Held by Varian, the merciless kidnapper who gave absolutely no damn about the hostage’s well being, he was stacking new injuries like cards from a rare event.
The old man’s face repeatedly hit the ground, particularly the rocks, bruising his face at good times and piercing him at bad ones.
’Why the hell are you running along the rocks in this plains? Even if run with your eyes closed, it’d be better!’
Aion, held upside down, tried to glare up at Varian.
"Hm?" Varian glanced down, a smirk on his lips.
’Ah!’ Aion remembered how he treated this ’lab rat’ until recently. ’I’m screwed’.
When the old scientist felt rocks no longer slamming his face, he opened his eyes weakly.
Varian paused.
Eon appeared a few steps away, still running towards them.
"You better leave my brother or els—"
Thud!
Eon collapsed onto his knees, coughing out blood, as he slid straight to Varian. This whole journey with such terrible injuries had taken its toll.
"Threatening to kneel if I don’t comply?" Varian slammed Aion to the ground, forming a small crater on impact.
As the hot blood splashed onto his face, Varian crossed his arms at the kneeling ruler.
"I’ll kill you!" Eon’s aura flared up.
Aion’s muddled head finally cleared. Too much happened in too little and the fog on his mind was only beginning to lift.
So, he used the origin to communicate with his brother instead of resorting to aura or voice—as he should’ve earlier.
’Brother! He is from the future! Future! Heaven tribe went extinct! We went extinct!’
That seemed to do the trick.
Eon froze.
Before he could utter another word, the space rippled and the chieftain stepped out.
His face was slightly flushed and he looked at Varian with unmistakeable wariness.
For a mid rank 2 like him, the severely injured Eon and the dying Aion posed no threat.
But this new comer...
"Are you an accomplice of these blasphemers?" Tightening his staff, the Chieftain asked.
Varian didn’t answer. He looked at the tribal leader. The latter felt as if Varian was staring at him, through him and also behind.
Staring at him—for asking such a ridiculous question.
Through him—as he seemed to sense his underlying fear.
Behind him—at the army wouldn’t catch up until a while.
The Chieftain swallowed, beads of sweat dripping on his forehead as he realized he’s facing a dangerous threat.
"I need answers." Varian lifted a finger and pointed at Eon.
The ruler tensed, preparing for an attack. Instead, Aion flew out of the dusty crater and crashed beside his elder brother.
"In exchange, I’ll save you from him." He pointed to the Chieftain.
A silence ensued before a scoff rang.
"You’re weakened too." The Chieftain said, his eyes shining as he examined Varian. "He told me. Indeed, I can smell it now. You resurrected not long ago. You’re not as strong as you originally are."
"I’m weaker than usual." Varian acknowledged with a light nod and smiled. A confident smile. "But I can beat up the three of you and your army."
The Chieftain blinked, wondering if he was mishearing things. Then, he laughed—an unbridled laughter as he mocked Varian in his heart and his own self for treating this guy as a threat.
Eon, on the other hand, glanced down at his brother and let out a defeated sigh.
"If you’re indeed from the future and Heaven tribe is indeed destroyed today," The injured peak rank 2 paused. "Then, saving us is meaningless. We are...not real, are we? We’re just projections. A memory that repeats."
Varian glanced at Eion, whose body was healed by a green glow, before turning to its source, Eon.
Yes. They were both dead anyway. This projection would collapse sooner or later.
There’s nothing he could do to save those that died billions of years ago.
No exchange. No leverage. No trade.
The Chieftain looked at them in confusion, his brain unable to comprehend the exchange.
But he wasn’t really giving them time. Tapping his staff and whispering strange syllables under his breath, he seemed to be communicating.
The army was also approaching. Once they’re here, the Chieftain would act.
Varian’s thoughts raced and he identified the only thing he could give the Eon brothers.
"Revenge. I’ll kill the guy who did that explosion."
Eon blinked. So did the Chieftain who grasped the conversation this time.
They both laughed.
Eon’s was a wry, weak, powerless laugh.
Chieftain’s was a loud, mocking and boisterous laugh.
Even the ’eyes’ imprinted in his soul seemed to laugh.
It’s the third laugh that disturbed Varian the most.
Furrowing his brows, he said. "I’m your only chance."
"Fi—"
The sky suddenly darkened. Endless spears rained down.
The army was here!
"Puff!"
The sound of a blunt object hitting soft flesh rang.
When Eon reacted, the Chieftain’s staff already lodged itself into Aion.
And then—
"NO!"
Space rapidly compressed in Aion and then it happened.
Aion exploded into pieces of blood, flesh and bones. And then, the spears, imbued with the power of space arrived.