Counting to Infinity

Chapter 30

"You know, you can lean on me for support," Raine said.

Nikolay shook his head, only for the motion to send him stumbling over his feet. An arm wrapped around his shoulder and pulled him back, forcing him to use Raine as a crutch.

"I'm fine," he replied with gritted teeth. "I've held us back enough."

"For the last time, Kolya, it wasn't your fault. Consider it a part of the temple's trial."

"I just don't understand why I was affected," Nikolay frowned. "The prophecy revolves around you; I shouldn't be here in the first place."

All of a sudden, a voice boomed inside their heads.

"You are falsely assuming the temple is automated."

Nikolay whipped his head around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Reveal yourself!"

Raine clutched Nikolay tighter to stop him from falling again. It was difficult to restrain him, especially when Nikolay was already on edge from being unknowingly afflicted with the time magic.

"Please, Kolya," Raine urged. "Calm down — you'll only hurt yourself further."

His words temporarily managed to dissuade Nikolay against attempting to break free of his hold.

"I have revealed myself since the beginning," the echoing voice said. "I am before you as we speak."

The only thing in front of them was the eroded statue. Raine scanned the entire chamber to search for any alternatives, but he came up empty-handed.

"You're the statue?" he asked.

"An astute observation," Nikolay griped. "Like there's anything else in this empty chamber that it could be."

Raine decided to let it slide for now, considering how unsettled Nikolay seemed with the foreign voice in their heads.

The voice spoke once again. "It is my physical form, yes. Though technically speaking, if the statue were to erode, I would merely seek another physical manifestation for myself. But I digress; I have neglected introductions for far too long. I am the Keeper of this Temple, otherwise simply known as the Time Keeper."

"You have the Artifact of Time," Nikolay bluntly stated.

"That is correct. As you might have ascertained, Raine has already passed my trial without any complications. Thus, I shall gift this artifact to you, the prophecy's chosen candidate."

A loud rumbling noise emanated from the statue's general area. The stone slowly shifted, sending large dark clouds of dust and debris falling away from the statue. When the disturbed particles slowly settled down onto the floor, a bright glow now shone from the base of the statue.

"Here. The Artifact of Time," the Time Keeper said.

Raine stepped forward and reached for the artifact.

"Though I must warn you, getting closer wi-"

The warning went completely unheard, as Raine suddenly experienced a rush of vertigo. It was like he'd turned upside down and tumbled down an infinite hill, and yet he couldn't feel his body at all.

When the strange sensation subsided shortly after, he found himself spectating a familiar scene.

A mother sat at a dinner table with her two children: an older daughter and a younger son. The sister pushed the mashed carrots onto her younger brother's plate, which sparked a temporary scuffle, but quickly dissolved once their mother shot them a meaningful gaze.

The meal on the table wasn't anything special, and yet the family had never looked happier to be sitting there. At least, that would've been the case if Raine wasn't all too familiar with the younger brother sitting on the right.