14 RIFT OF TIME

14 RIFT OF TIME

"When you're among mortals, people have seven similarities, but with us, only one can survive if it has had several partners. And the one that should survive is the strong and intelligent. Besides that, you also have something special that makes you unique among your same faces. But don't worry, Vincent. The person you caught is only human and has no connection to you."

"Save for nothing and anger at our expression, you know how to laugh, Cleof, but I still love the untruth."

“So, there are six other ‘Vincent’ here, Kim?” Kim silenced for a moment before she responded. “That’s possible, however, they are different people. They might only have similar parts of their features but other than that. There’s nothing.”

Evade sighed in relief. And Vincent sneered at her. “Why? Having more of you is totally draining.” She said unanimously.

“Seems like it is good news for you.”

“Skip that. We are not here to look for similarities with the mortals, Just continue your task. Appearing in this place has reason for us to investigate. The presence of the barrier in this school, only an Augustia can cast this power.” Kim said and they all nodded. Unfortunately, their eyes widened in shock as they felt a sudden plunge of energy around them. They both looked at each other before they ran out of their base.

“WHAT THE H**L HAPPENED!” Vincent cursed out his tongue as he witnessed how the world turned to gray and the people and other living beings had stopped. As if they are frozen and only them are out of its care.

“THE RIFT OF TIME.” Cleoff murmured. The rift of time means disobeying the flow of the time and countering it. Once it is committed to a certain timeline, it will force the current flow of everyone who is affected by it. It is good technique for a good cause, but if it is used inappropriately that will cause the lives of many, then it is a threat. That is why the kingdom abolished it to pass down the knowledge of the rift og time. And the people who know it tried to flow back in time to change how they view it but they were all stopped and banished from using the core of their power. The rift of time shouldn’t be able to show up here, all people who are connected by it were executed, even the innocent one.

“This world is clearly connected to our Augustia.” If one member of that ‘FAMILY’ was able to escape that fate, it only means that is a threat to their existence.

“But it's too early for the rift of time to appear! And that can’t be happening here! Why are we not affected by it instead we witness it ourselves!” Vincent is not part of the Royal Nobles, but he is completely right and he knows the existence of this power that is banned to be spilled out. Royal Nobles have the power to withstand the rift of time of not getting caught up in the frozen gap, Other than Cleoff who is one of the royals, the other members should be affected by it.

“Also in this world, we are not considered dead or alive, that is why the rift of time couldn't reach us. Once we are transported to the time that this power will bring us, everything that we had started will change course.” Kim commented.

“Damn, starting it again is totally a hustle.”

“BEFORE THE FROZEN TIME LAST, LET’S LOOK FOR THE SOURCE OF IT.” Evade tried to persuade them but Kim blocked her.

“It's no use; that person's energy is fading. Even if we locate their position, the seconds it will take us to reach them will be the same as witnessing their soul's demise." The Rift of Time is not an easily mastered power; it is a sacrificial one. One life for one timeline. And with the level of faint energy they detected, only one person could have performed it. Therefore, they would be brought to a single timeline.

Unfortunately, witnessing a soul's destruction would only trigger the hunger of their zombie state. While Vincent might not be fully afflicted, his fate was also intertwined with this mortal world. If Vincent witnessed it again, it could endanger him and worsen their situation. They would be trapped in a state of limitless hunger, potentially exacerbating the world's already dire circumstances.

“Kim is right, just prepare yourselves. We couldn’t take any risk anymore. And this might be good, we might investigate the mutation of our zombie state from what we discovered now.” Cleoff suggested. They close their eyes and they hear a slight gust of wind from afar and the loudly sound of the crack of time is ringing in their ears that spit them blood and weaken them.

IT TOOK A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR THEM TO COPE UP TO when they had been brought. “15 days before our origin.” Evade spoke as she calculated what timeline had been sent.

“And worst, there are people who are currently fighting with a shard of Augustia power.” Vincent jumped up to the second floor’s canopy. “They are concealing their direction!”

Cleoff followed him and also jumped to the next one and they reached the roof. “That’s depressing. Another Augustia is also here. Hide your presence.” Vincent nodded and they hid themselves behind the block.

And the said person appeared, he opened the door of this floor. “Vincent.” Cleof muttered as he recognized that person. He didn’t see any Augustia in mortal Vincent but the thing that he’s holding has the presence of an Augustia.

“I’m here.”

“Not you, but the Vincent of this world is here.”

"Unbelievable." Vincent wanted to see his alternate self in this world but was stopped by Cleoff, who quickly ducked his head out of view and leaned against the wall. Cleoff had clearly seen it: the other Vincent had taken out a small piece of an Augustia's heart. This Vincent in this world turned out to be extraordinary. Possessing that heart meant he had preyed on an Augustia, devouring their heart as if it were mere mortal food.

Kim was absolutely right; this place was clearly connected to the Augustia Kingdom. "He detected us," Vincent murmured, pulling Cleoff away from their hiding spot. They jumped down to the second canopy and slipped through a broken section of the jalousie window into the room. "This world isn't as simple as we thought."

“Damn, why didn't we notice it before?" Vincent regretted their oversight. They hadn't detected anything unusual among the mortals of this world, except for the slow spread of the zombie state originating from Augustia.

"And someone is fighting not far from our location. They're concealing their energy, but it's not the same pattern as ours. It's possible there are other Augustia who escaped to this world, or they might be traitors from the kingdom. What I'm sure of is, they're not aligned with us."

“They should know about this.”

“Before that, the concealing energy of the people who were fighting had disappeared. I couldn’t detect their power anymore. It bothers me.” Vincent palms his face in disbelief. “Damn! seems like we are now in the flesh of the predator’s prey, Dang it.”

“Vincent, you should keep an eye on the other version of you.” Vincent's forehead creased. “What have you seen from him?”

Cleoff sighed, he didn't want to say it but

“ He’s eating a HEART OF AN AUGUSTIA.”