The Fall and the Breakdown

Arthur Leywin's POV:

Aether is infinitely complex.

It isn't something that even the most genius of mortals could even begin to make a dent in.

The Djinn hardly even began to scratch the surface of what is possible.

…

What's happening?

Who's there?

'…'

'What's wrong Princess?'

'…'

'I… I don't know. I felt like for a second there I was being watched by something.'

'...'

'Well anyways shut up and go to sleep! Stop thinking about Aether for once you weirdo!'

'...'

'Ah, okay sure.'

…

—

???'s POV:

I sat upon my gilded throne looking down upon my realm patiently waiting for him to come to me.

Soon my love.

I licked my lips in anticipation for his arrival to my palace.

It wouldn't be long now, and then, he would be mine forever.

The grin that met my face was as evil and wicked as the devil himself.

A fitting title for you indeed my love.

—

Benjamin Leywin's POV:

I approached Arthur, he was waiting for me outside the tent that we were staying in as we made our way to Xyrus, he said that there was something important for me to know and that he would explain everything as well as the fact that everything that was about to happen was necessary for the future.

Whatever that means…

Nearing Arthur he patted the ground next to him to tell me to sit by him, I didn't hesitate to sit down on the ground that he had patted. He began his explanation.

"You may hate me for what I'm about to say, but just know that for the future what I'm going to tell you is fundamental to the continent's survival, not to mention something that can only be done with the both of us working together."

He had my attention, like hell was I going to let my continent die, no matter the cost that comes with the actions that we would have to take. But why would I hate him for it?

"In approximately half a day we will run into bandits and become separated from our family for several years, during this time events will play out that will guarantee the survival of the continent."

I was taken aback, he was telling me that we would be separated from our family in less than twenty-four hours, but why only now, as if reading my mind, he began to answer my question.

"The reason that I'm only telling this to you now is because you would have acted using that knowledge and spent more time with our family in a way that would make them question your behavior, not to mention that telling people I'm from the future is beyond stupid and would put our family in perilous danger, the less you know the safer we are, because in this world there are godlike powers in play that will try to crush us if this knowledge becomes known to the rest of the world. Playing God like I did came with a cost, that cost is the chance to live a normal life, I'm so sorry about this, I truly am."

I wanted to kick and yell that we could change things, but I knew that he knew better than believe in a childish notion like that, to change the future means two things, one is that we are putting ourselves, family and continent in perilous danger, and the second is that we'll never be able to take advantage of his knowledge of the future when it matters the most.

"I want to yell, to punch something so bad that it hurts."

I aired my feelings hoping that he may understand what I'm feeling if only a little but was surprised by his response.

"I want to do just that too, I want to kick and scream, I want to cry and weep my heart out, I want to break something so badly because of my powerlessness to influence the future in this one moment so that I can be with my family, if only for a few years longer, to meet my little sister and to watch her grow."

We… We have a sister.

"But I'm just a powerless child, and a powerless child can't change the future, it's my destiny to fall from that cliff, and it's yours too now, I'm so sorry, I never meant to cause you such pain."

I nodded, my mind was blank, I was angry, but I would follow his plan, it was the only thing that I could do to protect my family in the long run, even if that means I can't watch my little sister grow up.

Damnit…

—

Arthur Leywin's POV:

I watched as my family desperately held off the bandits on the verge of tears. I knew none of them would die from this fight but that wasn't why I was crying; I was crying because it was time that I would be separated from them.

When my dad crashed into the wall, when my dad roared at us in a voice I wished desperately to never hear again, my resolve wavered and I nearly stayed, I nearly gave up my destiny and this world's future for something as selfish as my happiness, it was only when Ben slapped me that I came back to my senses and moved.

It didn't take long, but that fall was more painful this time than last. I may not have been hit as hard by the water cannon, but it wasn't a physical pain that I went through.

Tears fell with me as I fell into the darkness of Sylvia's domain.

Damnit…

—

Benjamin Leywin's POV:

I had fallen from the cliff with Arthur, it was certainly painful, and I most definitely had at least a few broken bones in me that wouldn't heal for a while, looking around I saw the conjurer and quickly turned my head away to vomit what remained inside my stomach, I saw my brother looking at me with wide eyes.

"Oh, I probably should have warned you about that."

"No shit Sherlock!"

I tried to get up but was struggling, the fall had done quite the number on my body, my brother was in much better condition, I assume it was because he had done something to dampen the fall for us as well as heal us quickly, he confirmed as much saying that he had used magic to help with our situation but that there was an additional person that helped us to survive the fall and heal more efficiently.

I wonder who it was.

"Here I'll bring you some food and water from our knapsacks."

As he said that he struggled to crouch with an obvious grimace and opened our knapsacks pulling out dried berries and water, he began to slowly feed me the berries and water while teaching me some spells and tricks to mana manipulation.

I made more progress than I had in months since he gave me that beginner's guide of memories to work with. But after a while he showed me memories of a different type of ability, one that I had no previous knowledge of, it seemed that he lacked knowledge regarding it too as the knowledge that he gave me was extremely limited in nature.

"Sorry, that ability is new since coming back, I also didn't give you much on mana manipulation when in regard to the spell forms, as they are something new to me as well, being completely honest we shouldn't tell anyone outside of our bonds and a few select individuals that I trusted in my past life and proved trustworthy in this life about our spell forms, they are different than normal magic."

Wait didn't Regis say that he doesn't talk too much.

"Why do you talk so much around me?"

He hummed for a moment before coming up with a response.

"Two reasons really, one, I trust you with my life and two, I can't speak to you mentally. Oh now that I think about it-"

"WOOO, I'M FREE!"

What the fuck?!

A giant ass wolf just appeared from his chest shouting loudly about how he was finally free, well I recognize that this wolf is that Regis fellow but really how many abilities does this mutt have?

Transfiguration, hiding inside people, talking… Now that I think about it, I hardly know anything about this wolf.

"Hey, can you tell me about yourself, Regis."

He looked at me with excitement on his face, oh boy, I'm in for a long discussion, aren't I?

"What have you done?!-"

"I am Regis and I'm majestic as fuck!"

I deadpanned at this chucklehead. Seriously, how could Arthur have dealt with this in his head for so long. Somehow knowing what I was thinking again Arthur responded.

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I said that this weirdo is actually a reliable companion."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, I wouldn't"

Regis looked at me almost wounded by my comment about the quality of his companionship. He began to droop and kick at rocks like a pouting child before jumping back inside Arthur.

It was at this moment now that I could move, and we had prepared to leave that I heard a voice in my head.

'Oh, you boys are ready to leave.'

I quickly jumped into a defensive stance but before I could growl out the response in my throat my brother covered my mouth and shook his head at me before he responded to the person who somehow was talking into our heads.

"Hello, I assume you're the one who helped us survive the fall off the cliff."

'Indeed, you are a sharp one Arthur, come to my dwelling, I'll help you with what you need.'

Arthur seemed to be on the brink of tears, was he familiar with the owner of the voice?

"We will accept your offer, though before you tell us where it is, would you mind offering your name miss?"

'Of course, how rude of me to not inform her guests of their host's name, my name is Sylvia young ones.'

I looked at my brother before my vision warped into a map of the area around us, showing me a path to the dwelling that she had mentioned before. My vision quickly returned to normal, and I saw Arthur nod to me, a gesture I could only guess could mean that we should trust in her and that he too saw the map in his head.

'Try to arrive before nightfall, it will be safer that way.'

We nodded before enhancing ourselves with Mana and activating Mana rotation, we quickly made our way through the forest, finding that the longer we enhanced ourselves in this Mana rich environment our bodies began to heal quicker and quicker as time went on.

I was still only a dark red core, like my brother, but we were moving like yellow cores in speed not to mention that we weren't draining our mana pools very quickly, damn, his Mana manipulation methods really are incredible, I've never seen someone use Mana even close to how efficient that we are currently, and we can only get stronger from now till later.

I hear a stream! Yes!

My brother had no need to clean himself as he was already fairly clean, but even still he seemed to want to be presentable to Sylvia. As we jumped into the stream rather enthusiastically, I scrubbed my filthy clothes clean as well as myself, my brother finished faster than me, but only by a few seconds, as we were walking out of the stream Sylvia spoke again into our minds.

'Kukuku… How pleasantly carefree.'

In a reflex I covered my privates and made myself as small as possible.

'Don't worry there wasn't much to see.'

I shuddered as I felt her wink at me through her voice.

How rude! My pride…

'Aww… don't pout. I apologize.'

Sylvia stifled a laugh at my expense.

Calm your mind Ben, a king must be calm…

The rest of the journey continued in silence as we made our way to Sylvia's dwelling. I was very curious as to what she would look like, the major thought that comes to mind when I think of her is a shota-con.

'How rude, I am not a shota-con.'

"Sorry mam."

I stiffly replied, wait how does she know what a shota-con is?

Arriving at the destination we were given we saw a cluster of rocks in front of what looked like an entrance to a cave.

"So we just walk through that entrance to the cave right?"

'Indeed, I can see that you're sharp too. Although I would recommend enhancing yourself with Mana as you enter the cave.'

Walking forward and following her directions with a shrug I suddenly felt a lack of floor under me as I was walking. Wait a lack of floor?

"AHHHHHH!- OOF!"

My brother landed deftly to my side stifling a laugh and walked nonchalantly up to a throne with a colossal demon that we had been talking to this entire time, my eyes went wide and jaw slack.

That ain't a shota-con…

Sylvia let out a melodic laugh that didn't even slightly fit her appearance at my expense and Regis leaped out of Arthur's chest and was howling with laughter after silently stifling his laughs inside Arthur this whole time.

Wait, they knew and didn't tell me?!

Sylvia seemed to take interest in Regis, raising an eyebrow briefly before turning back to me.

"Bugs will fly into your mouth if you keep it open that wide."

At that line my brother could no longer stifle his laughs as he began howling with laughter alongside Regis who was beginning to wheeze from laughing so hard.