Intermission (Aamon)

"Haaa..."

Slowly opening my eyes, I noticed that my head was resting onto the blonde elf woman's shoulder. Raising my head slightly, I turned my head all around to see if we're there yet.

"Ema."

"Hmm?"

Looking at me with a confused expression, she tilted her head to the side before asking.

"Yes?"

Letting out a sigh, I shook my head.

"No... It's nothing."

I leaned my head to the window while looking at the field outside.

'Future, huh...'

As I thought of that, I suddenly remembered something about what the man said nine years ago.

***

It was a few months before Celestia was about to give birth to our son, Athan, when that person appeared.

With white hair, and red eyes, the man in front of me held a small hourglass on his hands. With his clothes that look like from a different era, he gave me an amiable smile.

"I see that you're here earlier than expected."

"Who are you?"

While playing with the hourglass using his fingers, he let out a chuckle before answering.

"You can call me 'End'. Also, no need to speak formally because this will probably be the first and the last time we'll meet."

With a confused expression, I continued looking at his direction as if questioning what he meant.

"I'll get straight to the point since my existence can't last anymore longer in this world."

Taking a deep breath, he looked at me seriously before starting his explanation.

"I want you to do exactly what I say. If ever you somehow failed the task I'm about to give to you, this'll also affect the future... badly."

Flicking his fingers, the man summoned two large chairs for us to sit. After he took a sit comfortably, he rested his chin onto his palm on the armchair before saying.

"I know you might not believe this at first, but I'm from the future."

"Eh?"

Taken aback from what he said, I tilted my head to the side, and I looked at him as if confused from what he just said.

"Future?"

"Yes."

The white-haired man immediately answered my question as he let out a long exhausted sigh.

"Since I can't keep myself long here, I might as well show it to you so that you can understand what I meant."

Flicking his fingers once again, the floor below me disappeared. I soon fell after this happened. And, not long after I fell, I finally hit the ground.

"Ow..."

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw that everything was white. Standing up and wiping the grass from my bum, I began looking around... Grass?

Crouching down and picking up some grass, I began inspecting it.

"It's real...?"

Then...

I was carefully inspecting the grass when a small pink leaf suddenly fell on top of my nose.

"Huh?"

I let go of the grass, and quickly wiped my hands using my pants before taking the small pink leaf out of my nose.

"This is...?"

While I was inspecting the pink leaf, I noticed a big pink tree just within the distance.

It's not like I'm sure but somehow, the big pink tree at the distance looks kinda similar from what it is said to be the features of a "Cherry Blossom" from a certain book that I've read at the forbidden library.

All I could say, it was beautiful...

Standing up and walking forward to check it, I noticed a man in his twenties, sitting under the cherry blossom while looking up.

He had a beautiful appearance. He was tall, lean, and had a nice body balance. Though, some of his clothes were torn apart while some of his body is covered in bandages.

The color of his hair is black, while his eyes were different from each other. The left one was prismarine and on the right one was red; that sparkled like a ruby that was being reflected by the sunlight. And lastly, within his fair skin looked like they were sparkling.

He currently wore a bright smile, while holding a book as if he was reading it.

I saw that the name of the book he was reading is called [I Ascended From The Top Without A Talent] when I used an enhancement on my eyes to see clearly.

I don't know why, but somehow I felt that I've seen this man before.

"Who are you?"

It didn't take long for me to realize that the person in front of me was none other than Athan.

How did I found out he was him?

I don't know... But I'm somehow sure of it.

Suddenly, a fragments of light appeared somewhere in his body.

'His disappearing!!'

I thought in panic. So, I began running.

By looking at his current figure, It felt like it can almost explain everything that he'd been through.

Unbeknownst to me, a small drop of tears fell from the side of my left eye.

"Athan!"

I shouted, as I began speeding up my pace.

Just when I was about to reach him, he glanced at me and nodded before fully disappearing, turning into a fragments of light.

I stopped running after I reached the tree before falling on my knees. While holding onto his sword that was stabbed right on the ground, I murmured his name once again.

"Athan..."

Then... It happened.

Right where I was about to stood up from my knees, the whole white sky turned black. Briefly looking at my back, I noticed a long stairway that leads towards the three thrones above.

And there he was, sitting alone on the right side of the three thrones above me.

Like the first one, his eye's color was the same while his hair is black, but was a couple of inches longer that also reached his shoulder than the other Athan. For his clothes, he wore a long black cape and a similar duke-like clothes.

But unlike the other Athan I saw earlier, his body was fine... I mean, it was in perfect condition... like he didn't suffered from anything.

He wore a wide smile on his face, but... I could tell that the smile he was making was neither because he was feeling sad nor happy. When his eyes reached directly at mine, It gave me a weird feeling like... He already gave up on everything... No. It was more like he was bored.

Instead of feeling sad or happy by his current figure, I felt... more scared when I see him...

Like I was looking up on a higher being than god itself.

It was scary... really, really, really scary that I can't even look directly at his eyes without my body quivering and falling on to the ground.

Right where I was about to sink in fear because of his gaze, I was sent back from where I first came from. Slowly, I opened my eyes just to see the space-like room I was in earlier.

Turning my head up, I once again saw the white-haired man I met earlier.

Smiling, the man opened his mouth slightly and spoke up.

"What you saw is merely a possibility of what can happen in the future. I supposed there is also another one, but..."

Standing up and fixing my clothes properly, I looked at him before asking.

"But, what?"

Letting out a long sigh, his expression suddenly became serious.

"Unfortunately, I can't show it to you. Because seeing the reaction you made earlier after you saw the second possible future of Athan, I could already imagine what you'll look like after I show the third one to you... It is much worse than you think."

***

"We're here."

Stopping the carriage on the side of the road, she looked around the surroundings before opening the door of the carriage for me.

I stood up from my sit, and carefully walked out of the carriage with the help of Eva, holding onto my arm.

"Are you sure that you can get there by yourself?"

With a worried tone, she looked at me and asked.

Hearing this, I gave her a brief nod and an all-knowing smile before answering.

"Yes."

Eva let out a long sigh seeing me determined by my answer before shaking his head, looking at me seriously.

"I think you should hurry up by now. You can't be late meeting your family..."

Her tone was sad... yet, she held back knowing what'll happen next.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded in return before turning my head around to face the road, filled with people from different race's other than humans.

It was rather peaceful at the moment...

Though, from the three possible future I saw that can happen, I know that this peaceful days won't last.

It was already timed... The future is absolute.

This world is merely an experience for him... for them. I know that. But, knowing what may happen in the future doesn't seem to suit my taste.

"Huuu... I really wish I can see them do it..."

~~Announcement~~

Yo guys! In the future, I'll be releasing a "Special Chapter" about the third possible future that could happen.

I'm not sure if that "Special Chapter" would become your liking, but I'm sure you'll understand why the white-haired guy's expression became serious when he mentioned that.

All I can say about it, he'll become the villain among the villain.

[Project -A.N.T.I-]