Fear flashed in his good eye, and it took everything he had not to tremble under Morrigan's Transcendent aura. His valiant - if not foolish - effort only lasted a brief moment, before her brutal and crushing presence overwhelmed him.
It was just that tyrannical and domineering.
…Just that inexorable.
It was complete and utter domination.
She wished to suppress the space around her, and the world could do nothing but acquiesce to her will. That was how powerful the Keeper of the End was. She did not look like it because of her illness, but beneath that frail figure, lay a frightening individual, who had transcended above all others.
A person like that could never be weak.
Alden cursed himself for unconsciously being swayed by Morrigan's feeble state.
The young man couldn't breathe - no, he couldn't even muster any will to exist, let alone breathe. All that occupied his senses was a vast, ruthless and severe presence cloaking the uppermost floor of the Donjon like an annihilating shroud.
It felt like his soul would be torn asunder at any moment.
As if space would rend and reality would fracture.
…As if his body would shatter.
If this continued, Alden had no doubt there was a very real chance of his frame exploding, his remains splattering across the floor in a bloody, and very messy paste. Goosebumps erupted, proliferating like blooms all over his body.
The Keeper's Apprentice glanced urgently towards his master, discerning the mixture of surprise, shock and barely-suppressed fury rolling off her figure. Strangely, there was also a hint of worry there as well.
Alden knew that asking Morrigan was a calculated risk. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine she would show this kind of reaction, though.
"How do you know him? Who told you?!"
Alden's gaze darted about, trying desperately to come up with an answer that wouldn't reveal the existence of his future self shackled inside his core.
'Think, think, think!'
The pressure flared, reminding him that he was completely at the mercy of the de-facto leader of the Sanctuary. Alden gulped, a large bead of sweat sliding down his temple.
Time slowed to a crawl.
Just when Morrigan's aura reached its peak, Alden had a sudden epiphany. A cold calm overcame him, as enlightenment flooded the confines of his mind.
It all made sense now.
As Alden reached for the nebulous link connecting him to the celestial firmament, he exhaled:
Morrigan's aura abruptly vanished.
A quiet stillness washed over the uppermost floor of the Donjon.
At the same time, a deep chuckle reverberated in Alden's mind.
'Clever. You really are… my younger self.'
In the next moment, the channel between him and his future self became unclear, as if it had turned faint - Alden's sponsor had closed off the connection from their side. Alden blinked, suddenly aware of just how tremendous this discovery, or rather, putting two and two together, was.
Alden internally kicked himself for not reaching that conclusion much sooner.
After all, the description of his Sponsor had read:
[An anomaly… a singularity in the flawless tapestry… this being will help shield you from the prying eyes of other Asterons.]
The annotation written by the System was quite vague. However, at the same time, it also revealed a lot. At first, Alden thought it could have been any Asteron - theoretically, there was no limit to how anomalies could exist in this world. However, the fact his Sponsor was a singular existence, and a "singularity in the flawless tapestry", whatever that tapestry was, helped to significantly narrow down Alden's options.
…Not that he had a whole list of potential otherworldly beings in his mind.
Still, it was too big of a 'coincidence' for him to ignore. The last, and perhaps most glaring piece of evidence was that by contracting with his Sponsor, Alden would remain hidden from the prying eyes of other Asterons. No other entity had motive to conceal him, other than his future self.
…At least, as far as Alden was concerned.
In any case, all the information he had pointed towards his future self being his Sponsor.
Alden didn't really know how to feel about that.
He was doubtless in a stronger position with his future self as his Asteron, but that also complicated their relationship just that bit more. Which was an unnecessary addition to all the mystery surroundeding him and his older self.
Suddenly, Alden realised something he had completely overlooked.
By becoming an Asteron, the older version of himself had turned into what he despised the most.
Would the same fate befall Alden?
He certainly hoped not.
The mere thought terrified him.
The young man sighed, sensing an approaching headache come on.
He rubbed his temple, finally snapping out of his thoughts as he recalled he wasn't alone, and that he was still in the Keeper's Donjon. He glanced towards Morrigan, fearing he would invoke her transcendent wrath again.
However, the Keeper did not react to his brief look; her milky-white eyes stared into empty space, her brow furrowed, as if she was confused. Then, it seemed like she was listening to something, before her expression eased.
A few moments later, the old oracle turned towards her apprentice, a solemn air swirling around her figure.
"Never casually mention the Hero again. Not to anyone in the Sanctuary, and certainly not to the Four Clans. Trust me… it's for your own good."
"I don't know why your Sponsor revealed his existence, or rather, former existence, but nothing good will come out of learning his story. Knowing you and your curiosity, though… that might just be a very tall task. So, I will give you a small excerpt from his diary - the only possession of his I possess, and hope that will satisfy you."
Alden nodded and held his breath.
Anticipation caused his heart to thump in his ears.
He watched as Morrigan laboriously stood up and shuffled over to a corner, where a lone shelf stood. She retrieved a worn-out page, its corners yellowed out with age. The Keeper then hobbled back over, and soon, the excerpt lay in his grasp.
…Alden eagerly scanned it.