Chapter 12 - Ascension trial(3)

John's scream lasted only a few seconds, at least that's how it appeared to an external observer due to Lord Kronos's time manipulation. However, internally, the excruciating pain John experienced felt as though it had stretched on for an eternity.

"Where the hell am I?" a familiar voice greeted John once he regained his composure. As he looked around, he saw Palas, who was swearing in frustration, while Kostas stared wide-eyed at the three primordial beings.

"This human is a tangled mess—his soul, the fabric of space and time around him, even his very essence. I assume you two have an explanation?" Lord Thanatos inquired as Kostas and Palas regained consciousness, their souls reuniting with the fragments of John's soul.

"Uhh... I mean... shit," Kostas stammered, glancing at Palas, who reluctantly began to speak, driven by the force of the entity's questioning.

"While I can't fully explain his altered nature and the distorted space around him, I employed a time travel spell crafted by the original Dragon Lord. It underwent refinement by successive lords until it reached its current form," Palas explained, his usual arrogance replaced with a softer tone.

"Thanatos, it would save time if you simply delved into their memories instead of grilling them like this," Kronos interjected, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"True, I've been out of practice with this for quite some time. My methods might be a tad rusty," Thanatos conceded with a nod, casting a penetrating gaze at Palas and Kostas, dissecting their souls.

Groans escaped both Palas and Kostas, albeit not as vehemently as John's cries.

"Hmm, I see," Lord Thanatos mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"It appears that the first Dragon Lord stumbled upon a method to traverse alternate timelines rather than time travel itself. Such a discovery would be more within a mortal's reach," Thanatos continued, his eyes on Kronos as memories played out before him.

"So, you sacrificed a significant portion of your own soul and that of the Titans, fusing it with the human, all for the sake of traveling back in time. Admirable, I must say—it takes immense courage to make such a sacrifice," Lord Khaos chimed in, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Well, that's enough for now to quench my curiosity," Kronos declared, shifting his gaze to the other two primordials, who nodded in agreement while observing the memories unfolding.

"What's the next step? Should we put them on trial? Frankly, I'm not accustomed to handling such matters; usually, the younger ones deal with this sort of thing," Thanatos pondered, directing his question to his brothers.

"Leave that to me. Thanatos, restore his soul to its original state, and Kronos, you know what comes next," Lord Khaos commanded, alternating his gaze between Kronos and Thanatos.

John's involuntary screams filled the air as the process unfolded, his fragmented soul reuniting.

*snap*

A single snap from Lord Kronos marked the culmination of the process, silencing John's frenzied cries.

"Great job, you two. Now step back a bit; I'll take it from here," Lord Khaos instructed, addressing Kronos and Thanatos, who gave subtle nods.

"How are you feeling now, kid?" Lord Khaos asked, shrinking down to John's eye level and approaching him.

"To be honest, I'm baffled. So much has gone down in such a short span, and I'm struggling to wrap my head around it all. It's like there's a fog in my mind," John admitted, only to realize that he hadn't meant to voice all that, instinctively covering his face in embarrassment.

"Haha, no hiding anything from me, youngster. Even those two can't pull one over on me," Lord Khaos said playfully, casting a glance at Kronos and Thanatos.

"Now that you're a bit more at ease, I've got a trial lined up for you. Consider it a privilege; most folks dive straight into trials without encountering a celestial, let alone us primordials," Lord Khaos said with a grin, tapping John's forehead with his right index finger.

"Huh!" John exclaimed, suddenly feeling like he was hurtling away at breakneck speed, while the world around him warped and twisted in bizarre ways. Before he knew it, he was back where he'd stood when the pope had tried to test him.

RUUUMMMMMMBLLLLEEEE

Reality itself quaked once again, leaving John stunned as he faced the unknown yet again.

"What do we have here?" Lord Khaos's voice sounded beside John as he stood there with his arms crossed.

"I... I'm not really sure," John stammered, gaping at Lord Khaos.

"Oh, don't fret. I simply wanted a firsthand view," Lord Khaos waved his hand at John, who nodded, realizing there was little he could do in this situation. How does one, after all, navigate being lost around a primordial?

RRRRRRROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRR

A resounding roar filled John's ears once more, much like the previous time he'd been here, and two claws began to rend the fabric of space and time apart, revealing those crimson red eyes once more.

"It's not time yet... I believe I've mentioned that already," the creature's roar echoed, causing John to stumble back.

Despite being seasoned in battles, John shouldn't have felt so frightened. But when one realized that the creature's presence matched that of a primordial, it was easy to grasp the unease he felt.

With an amused expression, Lord Khaos teleported to the tear in spacetime and inquired, "May I inquire about your identity?" His tone held a tinge of amusement.

"Hmmmm" the creature hummed as it looked at lord chaos, before tearing the rift apart completely revealing…