FATE (Volume 1)

Chapter 4: ​🇷​​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇱​​🇦​​🇹​​🇮​​🇴​​🇳​​🇸​

The cavern seemed to constrict around them as the tension hung heavily in the air, the malevolent image of Paradox still haunting their thoughts. Jacob clung to the Blade of Humility, his knuckles turning white as the whirlwind of confusion stormed in his mind. Yehezqel, now Link, watched him with a furrowed brow, concern etched across his face. "Jacob," Yehezqel began, his voice a mixture of gentleness and determination, "You've got burning questions, and you deserve to know the truth. It's high time you understand what the Watcher's been up to and how he's tangled up in your life." Jacob nodded, his expression a cocktail of unease and curiosity. "Lay it all out for me, Yehezqel. Tell me about the Watcher, what role he played in the craziness of my life." The guardian of the timeline sighed wearily, never breaking eye contact with Jacob. "The Watcher, the way you've known him, he's been pulling the strings of your life, steering it toward a destiny you can't escape. He saw something in you, something you couldn't dodge. The harsh truth is, Jacob, you've been nothing but a pawn in his grand game." Jacob's fists clenched, and a surge of anger pulsed within him. "A pawn? This is insane! So what's my role in all of this?" Yehezqel persisted, his voice soft but unyielding. "The Watcher's grand design hinges on using your potential, shaping you into a weapon against the Paradox. You were always meant to be a pivotal piece in his intricate puzzle." Jacob couldn't contain his exasperation. "The Paradox... he knew about the Watcher's scheming, didn't he? He must have!" Yehezqel nodded gravely. "Indeed, he did. The Paradox, older and more cunning, yearns to break free from the eternal loop. He's aware that you have the power to either aid him in this endeavor or become his greatest roadblock." Jacob was caught in the turbulence of his emotions. "So, Yehezqel, where do you fit into this mess?" Yehezqel locked eyes with Jacob, the weight of unspoken sadness pressing on him. "I'm loyal to my father, Link. My duty is bound to safeguard the Nexus Crystal and execute his will. But I can't ignore the inner battles you're grappling with." In that fragile moment, an eerie energy seemed to emanate from the Blade of Humility. It danced around Jacob, enveloping him in a shroud of ominous darkness. The very blade, it appeared, had developed a consciousness, responding to the emotional turmoil that consumed Jacob. Yehezqel continued, "Jacob, the Blade of Humility isn't just a tool the Watcher uses for manipulation. It's a reflection of your choices. You're the one who must steer your own destiny." Before Jacob could reply, a sinister resonance filled the chamber. The ground trembled, as though it mirrored the turmoil within. Before their eyes, Oreveu and Epouchioum, who had stood nearby, were wrenched from their current timeline and thrust back into their original one. The transition was swift, leaving Jacob and Yehezqel momentarily stunned. It felt as if a chunk of their world had been brutally ripped away. The sisters vanished, leaving behind only echoes of their presence. Jacob found himself bewildered, trying to make sense of the sudden void. In their vulnerability, the Paradox seized the opportunity. He manifested before them, his malevolence a palpable presence. "Lost something important, Jacob?" the Paradox taunted, his eyes glinting with malicious glee. "Those two sisters were never meant to be here. Meddling with time always has its consequences." Jacob's heart raced as the gravity of his choices and the stark reality of the Watcher's manipulation descended upon him. He now confronted the Paradox, who had ruthlessly exposed the fragility of his understanding. Yehezqel, torn between his loyalty to his father and the empathy he was growing for Jacob, observed the impending confrontation with a heavy heart. With a flash of his ice-gold sword, the Paradox lunged at Jacob, his intent unmistakable – to eliminate the young guardian. In that precarious moment, as the blade descended menacingly upon Jacob, he summoned the power of the Nexus Crystal, the Forbidden Rewind. Time itself began to unravel, and Jacob found himself transported back to a moment just before Yehezqel's revelation. He alone retained the knowledge of what was about to unfold, as the threads of time rewound and swirled around him as the Nexus Crystal crumbles into pieces.

"Oh? what now?" asked Yehezqel with an inquisitive gaze, Jacob used it again... the rewind, in that suspenseful moment he was thinking, making sense of a puzzle piece that seemed to disconnect themselves everytime he tries to attach. He almost died. At the moment, he was still making sense of the vast chessboard ahead of him, him as pawn to a greater game of the Watcher, but now he has a closer threat to dodge. As he thought deeply, Yehezqel leaned closer to him with a concerned expression, "The hell happened to you?, you look like you've just seen a ghost, you alright?", by this Jacob was instantly pulled back to reality, he gazes towards Yehezqel, his distraction and horrification evident, his eyebrow furrows and cold sweat drips down his forehead. He opens his mouth to speak but just as he was about to, The cold ice and glimmering gold sword swished past him, barely missing his left ear. "Whoops, dirty me... were you about to say something?" Jacob turns his gaze to a seemingly odd-looking Paradox, wearing a bright-yellow overalls, a neon-green jester hat and a thin and pale build, gold pupils and a wide smile across his cheeks, black fluid seeping though his eyelids. "What? cat got yer' tongue?", Jacob's eyes widened, realizing what he had just done. "I fucked up." he says out loud, staring at the ground with a hopeless expression playing on his face. He knew well, he knew damn well... He didn't travel in time, he was transported to another timeline, another universe perhaps. He looks at the evidently deranged Paradox mumbling to himself in a heavy scottish accent as his fists clenched, his disappointment evident through the rage, that was until it dawned to him... If he was there, in this alternate timeline... the Jacob existing in this timeline would be switched from his place back to his own. "I just murdered myself didn't I?" he mumbles, his voice wavering with fear, sadness and horror. Yehezqel's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the bizarre exchange between Jacob and the eccentric Paradox. The alternate version of Paradox chuckled maniacally, reveling in the chaos he had just caused. Meanwhile, Jacob was left grappling with the consequences of his impulsive use of the Forbidden Rewind. Yehezqel steadied himself, his gaze shifting between the two versions of Paradox and the distressed Jacob. "What in the Nexus just happened?" he muttered, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in events. The air crackled with an unsettling energy as the timelines seemed to collide and intertwine. Paradox, still wearing his outlandish attire, approached Jacob with a twisted grin. "Well, well, looks like you've stumbled into a different corner of the multiverse. Ain't it a wild ride?" His voice echoed with a mocking tone, sending shivers down Jacob's spine. Jacob, overwhelmed by the revelation of his drastic mistake, managed to gather his composure. "This isn't right. I need to fix this. I can't let an innocent version of me suffer because of my arrogance." The deranged Paradox cackled. "Innocence, arrogance, morality—such quaint notions in the grand scheme of things. But go ahead, try to fix it. I love watching timelines unravel." With a determined look in his eyes, Jacob focused on the Blade of Humility. The ominous darkness that had surrounded it before was now replaced with a subtle glow, as if acknowledging Jacob's internal struggle. He raised the blade, and a surge of power emanated from it. "I have to find a way to restore balance," Jacob declared, his voice firm. He concentrated on the Nexus Crystal, seeking guidance. The swirling threads of time responded to his plea, and he felt a subtle shift in the fabric of reality. In an instant, the atmosphere changed. The eccentric Paradox froze mid-laugh, particles hung motionlessly in the air, just then, a voice breaks the silence "You are not restoring anything anymore, Gabriel, you have put me through that much hassle, I am GOD and I shall rewrite you, this story of yours will be no more. The loop must continue for the sake of the universe.", Jacob's eyes widened, "The Watcher...", he turns to Yehezqel hoping indefinitely that he will help him, much to his surprise, Yehezqel turns into sand... Along with everything else. Jacob's eyes scrunched as he face the Watcher hovering above him with a grim expression, Jacob scowled but there was nothing he can do. He notices behind him that the surroundings are ceasing to exist, turning into sand one by one. He turns to his back, runs as fast as he can as he gasp for air with the Blade of Humility contained in its sheath, he hesitates, giving the sword an intense and deciding look. He pulls it out and gathers the last of his strength - he then cuts the air hastily, revealing another timeline. Jacob's fists clenched as he ran as fast as he could in the galactic rip made by the sword as the Watcher blasted him.