CHAPTER 190: TUMULT OF THE TWO WEEKS: PART 2 - ONE SNAP

The world remained motionless.

Primrose had been killed.

Blood splattered everywhere in a stream, staining the snow. A knife stood at the spot. Asahi, about to break, cried out to the endless snow.

"What did I do?!"

But like before, nothing but his own screams accompanied him. He looked to his left and then right, feeling the chill of loss rattle his bones. Not only could he not get hurt, he had to watch as everyone he had met got slain by the forces of the unknown. What made it worse was that the comfort from his sister’s voice could not help him. He was left completely and utterly alone.

In hope of finding somewhere else to hospitalize, he used all the strength he mustered to carry her. The gentle smile, the laugh, the giggles all replaced by a streaming and boiling brewing of hatred and unfairness. In his mind, what did he do to deserve this? Yes, he had touched the Orb of Immortality, but that hadn’t really affected his emotions.

Though he was practically invincible, his mind was that of a lost child, buried under the ruthless villains of the snowy mountains like the castles.

The air tightened around him, the sticky warmth of his own blood anchoring him to the ground. He forced himself forward, watching a flurry of movement sweep across the blood-soaked plains. Only two days had passed in Astait, yet a crushing despair washed over him, deeper than anything he had felt since witnessing the world’s end. His world, his people, his nation—everything had been stolen by the merciless people that dared to destroy them.

With no other choice, he went to the closest shore, carrying Primrose in his arms. He watched as the snow storms engulfed the plains with fog. Blood dripping onto the snowy white. It had reached night time, out in the wilderness not speaking once after witnessing the massacre. Using the warmth of his own skin, he rested underneath the canopy, trying to heal Primrose; but she was far beyond saving. With no other choice, he carried the corpse with his frost-bitten arms and scrambled to the forest of icicles. The snow storms grew stronger than ever; cold as stone.

Yet he could not die.

He watched as the trail of corpses dotted the city far in the distance. The snow was falling relentlessly. Polar bears tried to attack him but no matter what, he simply could not die. With no other choice, he hunched in despair, in loneliness, screaming out as the blue essence swirled in his mind.

(What did I do to deserve this?)

It had now been five days since the incident.

He had crossed paths with no one and uttered not a single word. Existing had become his only act, a hollow echo of life.

Kendra was nowhere to offer solace; not even Kali could reach him now. Wordless and numb, he wandered to Tower Valley, hoping to return the orb, or perhaps just to find an end. Even the likes of Aletha, Primrose, Kendra, and Ubel—names that once carried weight—were powerless to help. He wondered if they still searched for him in distant Linuxinia. Still, he pressed on. Hunger gnawed at him, so he tore into the frozen flesh of fish and bears. Asahi plunged his arm into the biting ice, seized two, and devoured them with a wild desperation.

Afterward, his eyes wandered among the ancient towers, lingering on the silent statues that watched over the frozen world.

Though some statues lay sealed in ice, their features unmistakably mirrored Asahi’s own. Were there more villages entombed beneath Astait’s frozen crust, or had they vanished like the rest? What fate had befallen the castles? These questions drifted through his mind, but, like so many others, he found himself unable to care.

Eight days have passed. He hesitated to arrive in the city, especially with his blood-tainted clothing. So for the remaining week, he helplessly built a makeshift house just from the remaining trees, gathered some stuff from the remains of the castle, and built a campfire. It was true, the sayings, Astait was nothing but a hellscape.

After staying silent for thirteen days, the last one, he saw the entire city dim and flicker, with corpses scattered everywhere in the chaos. From back and forth the valley surrounding, animals have died. Truly, this was the worst fate. The girl and the man had sabotaged the energy supply and took over Erkunshinkdle, causing all chaos to break loose.

Several dozen lost to the eclipsing snow storm.

Asahi fell down to his knees, collapsing and breaking his emotional status.

"T...They are all..."

All these innocent souls, gone in a heartbeat. If anymore were to be lost, he would surely...

"Grrrr, WHY DO THIS TO ME?!" Asahi screamed, blood curdling and trembling, after fourteen days of silence. "Answer! What did I do to deserve any of this!? Is it because I was too late? IS THAT WHY?! Answer... n.... now!"

Only silence answered, broken by the shimmering moonlight that scattered across the ground, while Asahi’s emotions splintered like glass in the cold night.

Retreating into the heart of the snowstorm, Asahi curled into a trembling ball, hopelessness wrapping around him tighter than the cold. Snowflakes drifted down, indifferent to his pain, and only the icy embrace of winter seemed to hold his shattered spirit. He slowly closed his eyes,

. . .

"Tell me, what is it that you’ve earned? Why cower?"

A woman with long dark hair and a golden halo appeared behind a watery horizon of ankle-deep shallow water. Her soothing, deep voice resounded over the pool of water as she rubbed Asahi’s head.

"Why cower now as an immortal? Lost? Afraid even?"

Asahi did not have the answers to these questions. All he wanted was peace.

"Do you need my comfort? Or perhaps, someone else?"

Asahi squinted, breaking his emotions into one foul swoop.

Before him, was a white-haired girl, running over to him, tears flying in her eyes.

"Asahi!"

Asahi slowly turned up, seeing Telos gather behind her.

"We meet again in this space, Asahi."

After waiting for the frozen days to hear Aletha’s voice again, Asahi embraced Aletha tightly, clutching her hands and crying.

"Aletha... y... you’re back."

"Only in dreams," Telos added as The Establisher watched the two reunite. "We are trapped in your soul, Asahi. Thanks to your youngest sister, Aiyana. She had bound all of our souls. Nothing can separate us, for now."

"We have watched everything you did," Aletha said as she slowly parted away, twiddling her thumbs and shaking her head. "All that time you carried... her. The encounter with Trid. Everything."

Asahi’s eyes widened.

"Even the Orb of Immortality?"

"Yes, even that," Telos said, crossing his arms as he knelt down immediately to The Establisher. "Do you understand who woke you up?"

"To this space?" Asahi added. "The Establisher, if I presume."

Telos felt like he had to get something off his chest, but he decided to bottle it up instead. Instead of his explanation, The Establisher introduced herself.

"Greetings, I’m an enforcer of the cosmos, The Estalbisher. I am delighted to meet you, Asahi Adtraic."

At first, Asahi wanted to punch the woman. Not of ill intent, but out of fear, unable to know who or what she really was. He had only seen her when he and his sisters left the world. Now, with her as the reason the world had survived so long, the golden and magenta lights split the path ahead, making it difficult to decide whether to trust her.

"Worry not. I am not here to hurt you." Her voice, gentle yet brimming with an unspoken gravity, filled the silent space. "I am Kartara. One of the Four Creators of this universe. I have contacted you through dreams, my only link to this world as of the present. Understand, it is no small thing—of all possible worlds and souls, I chose you."

"Me?" Asahi questioned, pointing at Aletha and Telos, who facepalmed. "Why choose me? Did you see what I did there? I’m useless. Just a hopeless brat that wastes time and can’t save anyone, even if I’m immortal."

"Did you also witness yourself saving the entire world and universe by fighting that mighty dragon there in that place called Linuxinia?"

Her counter kept Asahi frozen at the words.

"How about the time you entered a city in the clouds? Or fighting the individual known as Tear? Can you recollect that? Have you saved a nation?"

After Asahi fell over at the words of Kartara. All these questions were true.

"How about you escaping the Forbidden Book? Do you remember..."

"Okay, I get it!" Asahi yelled as Aletha chuckled in the background. "I understand what you mean. I DID do all of that."

"So then why are you denying?" She asked.

"Because... of my disbelief," Asahi said. "I don’t think I would ever get this assistance, especially after what I have been through. I... saw death staring me in the eyes the moment I grasped the Orb of Immortality. I never knew it was that. And I regret..."

"And yet you’re sad? After being given the most powerful ability of immortality, not even the Rulers above can get it? Tell me, what is it that you want?"

After having a thought in his mind, the flash of that pink-haired girl, all of it came to fruition like a tree ready to blossom.

"Give me a second chance," Asahi said, holding onto his breath. "All I ask for. To save everyone.’

"Second chance?" Kartara said as she slowly snapped her fingers. "Like The Forbidden Book?"

Asahi’s gray eyes broadened.

"You mean... You can do that?"

The woman chuckled, summoning a golden luminance on the palm of her hand.

Telos stepped forward on the expanse of water with Aletha, saluting Asahi in this pursuit.

"Of course she could do that. Answer me this, Asahi, do you truly know who this person is?"

As Aletha waved goodbye, Asahi answered.

"The one who," Asahi said. "Saved my world."

Telos mixed his humor with a chuckle, shook his head and muttered.

"So.. I’m correct, then. You know nothing of the woman. Sigh."

While Asahi and Aletha and Telos vanished into the watery horizon, the soothing voice of Kartara filled these words.

"Whenever you are ready. Snap your fingers. When in need of restart, all it takes is a snap. Don’t hold it for more than fourteen days, or else..."

"A Snap?" Asahi muttered.

Before any more questions were made, Asahi snapped his fingers and immediately the expanse dissipated, returning too...

(SNAP)

"Asahi get up."

A sudden crack of thunder split the silence in the background.

Asahi glanced left, then right, before his gaze dropped to the glowing orb nestled in his arms. Power stirred, winding around him like a snake. Without hesitation, he ran through the stone hallway and charged toward Trid, ignoring Primrose and Grandpa. When he saw Trid falter, Asahi veered toward the carriage. Shards of ice streaked through the air, each one aimed at the dark haired man.

"What did I say? Shouldn’t you be--

Suddenly, a hasty voice came from the cloud of icicles.

"Oh, another threat. That’s okay... all it takes is..." He threw four icicles straight at Asahi, hoping to attack. But all that was left was smoke and dust.

"It appears I have been too late." He said with a growl. "The Orb of Immortality was so out in the open, they just SNATCHED it away from me. You dumb fiends, look at the product of your chaos."

Asahi inwardly celebrated, although hiding his emotions.

It was this time that Asahi realized... he had been given a second chance.

Similar to the situation of the Forbidden Book, Asahi had awakened moments after he had touched the orb.

The corpses, the several blood mangled bodies haunted in the back of his mind. The power of such an ability was remarkable, but he never thought it had been possible.

With just a snap, he was set back into a previous position, moments after he had touched the Orb of Immortality. One question remained.

How can one possibly save everyone with the power of immortality and time at their disposal?