[Book 2] Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

PHASE 18 - A BLURRY WAY

PHASE 18 - A BLURRY WAY

The more that I stay in the past, the more I’m convinced that I’ll become Aeternos. And that’s what angers me the most. I bit my lip, suppressing my anger towards that man that is supposed to be me in the future. Asumi noticed me, and he put her warm palm on top of my hand. When I looked at her, she was giving a reassuring smile.

“It doesn’t have to be that way, right?” She said. “What I saw is just a path that destiny forced you to walk upon. The future is never truly set.”

Hearing those words brightened my face.

I hate to admit it, but Asumi is a genius. I nearly forgot who I am. I’m Alaric Eisenhower, the fighter of destinies. I have prevented deaths and sometimes delayed them. I am the owner of my own fate, and fate will never own me.

“Yeah.” I clenched my hand and stood up. “I’ll definitely get back!”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Asumi pumped her fists jollily as she cheered me over and over again. “You can do it, mysterious pedophile!”

“Thanks, Asumi!” I shook her hand. “I never thought that you’ll be the one to help me out.”

“I’m a genius after all! Hahaha!” Asumi held her hips as she laughed like a winner in a spelling bee contest. “I just gave out a few words, and your soul is fully healed! Now go and destroy your destiny!”

“Right!”

“Hey, don’t be so energetic!” Asumi grabbed a scroll from her sleeve and presented it to me. “If somebody here from the past discovers your real identity, the space-time continuum would break. So take this.”

“W-What is this, Asumi?” I muttered.

“It’s a Spell Note that contains <Blur>. Use it to cover your whole appearance.” Asumi smiled.

<Blur>, huh? Aeternos also had his whole body blurred. Now I’m getting more and more like him. It’s not like I have a choice anyway, so I took the Spell Note with me.

<>

Before I go, I went in front of the girl who is my future lover. I looked at little Tiara’s adorable puppy eyes. She looks so confused and has no idea who I am, so she just ignored me. But still, I can see in her eyes that she loves me. She just didn’t know because her memories of the previous seven million timelines have been wiped out.

This adorable Tiara is busy playing her ball. She’s shaking it like a bag of flavored fries, which makes me wonder if that’s really how you play that thing.

“Magic 8-Ball! Magic 8-Ball! Y-You, contain all the answers to all questions! H-Heed thou question and unleash a true answer!” 

Tiara vigorously shook the ball as she started her ritual. Then she finally asked an obvious question that everyone could answer.

“Am I stupid?” Tiara asked.

There was silence.

The Magic 8-Ball did not answer. It did not answer for the simple reason that she’s not holding a Magic 8-Ball, but a rubberized bowling ball.

Tiara is so stupid that she does not even know that she’s holding a completely different ball. And I’m crying. This is the classic Tiara that I love, her stupidity and her cuteness!

“Tiara.”

I assaulted her with a gentle hug. Little Tiara made an “Eh!?” sound, but after hearing my throbbing heart, she finally calmed down. She must have realized that our hearts are connected. I stroke her long silky hair as I cried.