This chapter begins within the laboratory of the Omega research team. Dr. Christon and his team of scientists have just made a breakthrough in their attempts to create a device with which to travel through time. He contacts his teenaged son, Leinad, who resides in the coastal city of Escalido, which is located on a small island in the South Zarin Sea, just south of the port of Raelgourd. Dr. Christon, Lienad, and his sister, Celina, and their servants on a high hill in large mansion, over-looking the city. Dr. Christon asks Leinad to come to Omega and see what he has made. Lienad mounts his Ephira and jets off to the Desert Citadel. He is well aware that his father plans to use him as a test subject for his invention - as he always does - and yet, he welcomes the challenge.
Leinad arrives at the Citadel and, after compressing his Ephira in a small orb, called a Valesphere, he enters a hidden back entrance. After passing through many passcode-protected doorways, Lienad comes to a Huge underground facility teeming with scientists and odd mechanical contraptions. After gaining several helpful bits of equipment and information, he meets up with the good doctor in the central chamber of the laboratory. Dr. Christon unveils his invention.
<< *- -*- -* >> Chapter Three: Dum Spiro Spero (Condensed Version) << *- -*- -* >>
The Lapis, a glowing blue stone, rests on a golden pedestal surrounded by monstruous machines and mechanical arms. The stone is encircled in a device with a keypad and view screen, about the size of a Valesphere. Dr. Christon explains the origin of the stone: Several years ago, Omega found the stone buried under the ruins of this Citadel. They discovered the potential of the stone when an unfortunate rat crawled on top of the stone, mistaking it for food. The rat hissed at the team of scientists, then began to glow with a golden light. Suddenly, the rat exploded into a million pieces. Then Omega, using special equipment, took the stone back to their laboratories. After more than twenty years of grueling research, Omega discovered the secret behind this stone. The stone and the blue aura surrounding it are trapped in a timeless void, thus, when any living matter comes in contact with it, they are ripped in every direction by the force of the fourth dimension. They later learned how to direct the force of the stone to only one era, and now they are ready for their first test. Dr. Christon sets the device for one half an hour into the future and hands it to Leinad. The viewscreen is black. Lienad looks at the doctor with a worried look. "Not perfected yet," the doctor explains, smiling at the boy. "My son, I'll be here when you get back. Don't worry... I'll be here by your side.."
With a solemn nod, Lienad places his right hand on the glass covering of magic stone. The feeling was quite wonderful indeed... his body became filled with a euphoric feeling, and all his worries left him. He was all alone, in a void of timelessness and nothingness. As long as he kept his hand on the glass, absorbing the stone's power, this would be his reality - floating about in eternal bliss. When he let go, the great feeling of omnipotency and omnisciency would leave him and he would return to the Laboratory of the Desert Citadel - a half an hour into the future. The dramatic difference between the two realities would be hard for Leinad's body to handle. Releasing the glass, he flew backward, as if he had slammed into a mountain side and recoiled. His eyes were closed and it took quite a bit of force to open them. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw lying beside him, a mutalated corpse of a lab technician, whose severed head laid a foot apart from its neck. Lienad did not gasp. He simply closed his eyes again and rolled his head aside. A scream of terror pierced Lienad's ears. He suddenly stood up, his heart beating in his throat. Leinad spotted Dr. Christon, standing in the middle of the room. Upon furthur inspection, a sickle was lodged into his neck, and he feel face first, suddenly into a pile of corpses. That time, Leinad did scream. At that moment, a horned figure sprang down from the chamber roof, slowly approaching Leinad. He wielded a ancient broadsword, stained in blood. He was wearing a lab coat. "Ah you have come back to us I see! Sorry the old man didn't keep his word." he cackled. Lienad had never seen this creature before, yet the creature cried,"YOU! I have long damned you for what did to me, you worthless bastard!" Leinad walked backward, tripping over The Lapis' keypad, sending him to the ground, unable to move.
The creature's rage turned into a grin,"What a pity, that I never returned your favor." He grasps the broadsword with both hands and with one fatal stab, puts the blade through Leinad's stomach. For a moment, the boy looks up at the creature with his eyes and mouth open wide, and then they both close in death. A voice comes from behind Leinad's body, "You fool of a Demon Lord! You thought it would be so easy!" The creature looked in horror behind Leinad, stunned and stupified. Then, stepping over the body, he engaged the unknown figure.
Suddenly, Leinad's eyes blinked open. Tears flowed in small streams down his bloodied face. Leinad whimpered softly... a soft cry tale-telling of an undescribable agony... his entired life having been changed in the course of only a half an hour. He would have given up all will to live and laid there to die, but he knew that this could not be the end... not like this....looking around for someone... something... anything of aid. His gaze finally fell upon the Lapis, only mere feet from him. Not knowing what had restored him or if this new life-sustaining energy would last long enough, he crawled along.... as in a last resort... using his only working limb - his right arm - to drag his now worthless body toward his goal. There are many explosions being heard nearby, of the two unknown men's raging battle over something that Lienad would not yet be able to comprehend. Swords clashed violently and blood flowed into the main chamber where Lienad was crawling. Finally, on his one arm alone he reached the stone. Coughing up blood and bleeding freely and profusely, the boy lifted his tired arm toward the glowing stone, dropping it several times in his attempts, and finally rested it upon the shining glass. As soon as he felt the warmth of the stone, his eyes closed for the last time and his heart beat no more, his life had ended.
But does his story end as well?
(to be continued...) |
