Alden's gaze sharpened.
Distrust and suspicion warred within, fueling his paranoia even further.
"You've given me no indication that you're trustworthy. Why should I listen to what you have to say?"
The young man stepped forward, suddenly overcome with an urge to release all his frustrations.
His future self shrugged.
"Because you must. If you want to save Cece."
He stared at the devilish grin on his other self's face, feeling a dark squall of emotions brewing in his chest.
His expression turned extremely dark.
Alden gritted his teeth, hatred and a spark of murderous intent igniting in his eye.
He clenched his fists.
Eventually, he forced himself to relax. Alden's body slowly deflated, the tension gradually leaving his muscles. His brows twitched, discerning the goading light in his other self's eyes.
'I swear I'm gonna wipe that smug grin off his face one day.'
Shaking his head, Alden sighed. He crossed his arms and tapped his feet impatiently.
The gaunt man shifted into a more comfortable position, the chains around him rattling once again. Alden ignored the loud noise, concentrating on his other self's next words.
"Listen closely. This deal is a simple one. I will grant you the knowledge you need to become stronger, and in return, you will become indebted to me."
Alden immediately shook his head.
"I wouldn't be so hasty."
The corner of his future self's lips curled.
"Remember the vision I showed you? Remember the blank expression on Celeste's face? Remember her lifeless body?"
Alden shut his eye, fighting against the surge of emotions his other self had evoked.
"If you accept my offer, you will stand a chance of surviving what's to come. Don't you wish to settle down with Celeste? Have kids? All of this will be possible if you agree to my deal."
The young man gritted his teeth, covering his ears with his hands.
"Alden… Listen. The only way to usher in a new Age - an Age of Peace - is to rid Arkanis of the Apocalypse. To do that, you need to go against the wishes of the Asterons and the Divine Sovereigns. And you… you, my younger self, are still far too weak."
"What benefit do you gain from this?"
Alden opened his good eye and gazed at his future self warily.
"Destruction of those hateful Asterons. What? It seems like a good deal to me."
The young man was still unconvinced.
"If I become indebted to you, what will you make me do?"
His future self smiled at that.
"It won't be any fun if I divulged that now. Would it?"
In the dim light, Alden thought his older self's smile seemed especially sinister.
He suppressed a shiver.
Releasing a turbid breath, Alden sighed.
He mulled over the gaunt man's words, weighing his options. Either accept, gain strength, and prevail. Or refuse and lose everything like his future self did.
On one hand, there was no limit to how strong he could become if he followed the advice of his other self. On the other, more prudent hand though, he would be obliged to complete a favour for an utterly insane and demented individual.
The latter put him off greatly.
However, the more he thought about Celeste, the more the words of his future self resonated with him. He couldn't in good conscience refuse an offer that would help save her. Alden would do anything to ensure her survival, even if it meant he had to sell his soul. So, in the end, although it went against every instinct, the choice was an easy one to make.
His future self smiled.
Alden wished with every fibre of his being that there would be no major consequences to this decision. He hoped desperately it wouldn't come back to bite him. But, as he continued to study the gaunt man with sunken cheeks, Alden became less and less certain of that.
He suppressed his unease.
He couldn't change anything, so there was no use in thinking about it anymore.
'What's done is done.'
Alden had just made a deal with the devil - an older version of himself.
…And only time would tell if it bore fruit.
A few moments later, his future self held up his end of the deal, imparting the knowledge on to him.
Alden's eye slowly widened.
He stood there, motionless, absorbing the information. Etched on his features were the marks of deep surprise and slight disbelief. It wouldn't be wrong to say his view of the world had just flipped.
Alden's brain whirred at high speed.
In the dim light of the cell, his good eye slowly gleamed.
That was the conclusion he had formed after hearing his older self out.
The knowledge really was priceless.
And although his future self hadn't divulged much, the quality and nature of the information more than made up for any perceived lack of volume.
Alden grinned to himself.
With this, he had a method of increasing his survival odds.
With this, he could live up to his title as the Keeper's Apprentice.
...And with this, he had a much better chance of resisting the Asterons.
As long as he unearthed the lost inheritance, and gathered the six legacies, he would be in a great place to vanquish the horrors of Arkanis and usher in a new Age. An Age of Peace, as his future self called it. An epoch where danger did not roam around the corner.
An era where there was no Defiled, and no Dark Races. An aeon where his loved ones and everyone else in the Sanctuary could live happy, content, and fulfilling lives.
That was free of worry.
This was the most hope Alden had felt in a long, long time. It was a strange feeling. For as long as he could remember, his life was all gloom. Finally, however, it seemed things were starting to look up.
Humming a merry tune, Alden bid his future self farewell and left his inner world.
Unknown to him, though…
The gaunt man smirked.
In the light gloom, his eyes glowed like two pools of blood. Like two pools of liquid madness.
"This should be fun."