hjkoiro

A transient youth with an unusual name, Hoku, stumbles upon a hidden message in his late uncle's library. Provoked by a profound fascination, he encounters a distorted timeframe that reincarnates him into "The Sequel," a perilous alternate universe plagued by mysteries and fallen civilizations. Stripped of his memories and identity, Hoku must navigate this treacherous realm by forging alliances with strangers who appear to share his misfortune. To return to his own world, he must unravel the parties that purposed him to become the ‘Navigator of the timestream’. His quest pits him against the apprentices of a formidable deity known as "The Abundant Creator," forcing him to recover the past and confront the enigmatic truths that upended his grasp of his own existence.

The Covenant Of Timeless Mysteries

[This is a preview for Chapter 32.

The full Chapter will be published from Friday-Sunday of this week]

Chapter 32

His fingers brushed the dial; it felt frigid.

A faint tremor coursed through it, though it was not a heartbeat, or a mechanical whir; but something strained, as if a gear had been forcibly wedged into position.

Hoku exhaled slowly, and locked his gaze on Fleur as she readied another arrow from her hand.

A red object was forged at the back, glowing like a dying ember.

Fleur's voice carried into his ears, unexpectedly calm to the point of menace. "You've brought your pocket watch, " she giggled, easing her shoulder while keeping the arrow trained on him.

Hoku scrutinized her every move. "Are you aware this watch was forged in defiance of the timeless realm you inhabit? Thus, you wield the concept of time where none should exist."

Frowning, Hoku squeezed the compass into his knuckles as he hauled himself from the churning water.

After a brief pause, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

Fleur remained motionless as she answered, "Has no one told you that this universe is timeless?"

She laughed again, a taunting sound shrouded in mystery.

'I've been told many things, mostly that I would 'eventually understand.' It infuriated me. Why dangle answers when they have them and could easily explain?'

Hoku's scowl softened slightly as he pondered, 'Is there some point to all this?'

Fleur continued to speak over his thoughts. "Though not literally timeless, otherwise, we wouldn't be here experiencing events. The sequel doesn't adhere to the conventional definition of time. We have no future; what lies ahead is merely a realm of decay, harvested by monsters far worse than those you'll encounter here."

Hoku interrupted, "Why the sudden lesson? And why speak of monsters as if you're not one yourself?"

Fleur turned to Hoku, her expression shifting unexpectedly, as if his words had caught her off guard.

"I am not a monster. I am human," Fleur declared. "You haven't seen me in that form because Lamb currently occupies it to facilitate my ability to shift into the bodies of your familiars."

Hoku scoffed. "So, you're saying Lamb is you, and Ollie is a figment of my imagination?"

Fleur bowed her head, then shook it. "No. I am Ollie; Lamb is merely a doll. She is my elixir. The only reason she stands is because she has reserved my body for after the battle, when I will return as 'Oliverou'."

Lamb's voice cut through from behind. "Care for one more fun fact?"

Hoku fought the urge to look back, and watched Fleur's hand intently. "Everything she says... echoes my own words. Like how everyone she allows me to mimic are those who've fallen in this trial."

A sudden chill seized Hoku, lifting his gaze from her hands. '...What did she say?'

Before he could comprehend the situation, an arrow shot forward from her bow.

'Damn it! She set this up to catch me off guard!' Realization struck him too late; the arrow pierced the center of his heart.

Yet, it was not the intense pain that unsettled him.

Looking down, he saw a familiar red flower blooming at the tip, as the arrow transformed into molten crimson.

Barely a heartbeat passed before there was a thunderous BOOM!

[Chapter in progress...]

「PRVW」The Soterice Trials 「Trial I」