Chapter 20

Issac paced back and forth across General Zarek's room, his mind racing as he tried to process the flood of new information. His breath came in shallow, uneven bursts, while his hands kept flexing, betraying his agitation. Meanwhile, Alfred sat perched on the edge of the table, his catlike features unusually thoughtful, his kaleidoscope eyes flicking between Issac and Jaren.

General Zarek, sitting at his desk, observed the tense silence. His sharp gaze landed on Alfred. "What are you thinking about, Alfred?" Zarek asked, his voice cutting through the quiet.

Alfred cleared his throat, shifting slightly before answering. "I believe I can figure out what's happening," he began cautiously, "but only if the two of you conduct a proper guiding session. We need to see what's really going on between your powers."

Issac halted his pacing, narrowing his eyes at the suggestion. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," he muttered, hesitation thick in his voice.

Jaren, sitting across from the general, met Issac's gaze, his expression steady but firm. "It's probably the best course of action right now. If we do this, we might finally understand why only I can guide you."

Issac clenched his jaw, the reluctance evident in his posture as he crossed his arms. His eyes flicked between Jaren, Zarek, and Alfred, weighing his options. After a few more moments of inner turmoil, he finally exhaled sharply, nodding. "Fine. Let's do it."

They moved to the table, sitting across from each other. Their eyes locked, the tension between them almost palpable. Alfred settled himself between them, balancing on the table near their soon-to-be-linked hands. "Whenever you're ready," Alfred said, his voice calm and steady.

Issac nodded to Jaren, bracing himself as he prepared for whatever was about to happen. Jaren took a deep breath, extending his hand and reaching out with the warmth of his guiding powers. As soon as their hands touched, the flood of energy rushed between them—only this time, something else came through as well.

Both of them froze.

In an instant, they yanked their hands apart, as if burned, wide-eyed and startled. The shock was mirrored on both their faces, and they stared at each other, unable to speak. General Zarek sat up in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?" he asked, his tone sharp.

Issac raised a hand to his mouth, as if trying to stop himself from speaking too soon, his face pale with shock. For a moment, no one spoke, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Alfred sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "They broke contact too soon," he muttered. "I couldn't get a proper reading." His eyes flicked to Jaren, whose face was now bright red.

Jaren struggled for a moment, his words catching in his throat. "We... we felt each other's emotions. Not just the guiding," he stammered, finally managing to get the words out. "It wasn't just energy—it was everything. Every sensation, every feeling."

The room fell silent again, this time a more contemplative silence. Zarek's gaze grew even more intense, but before he could speak, Jaren turned to him, his face still flushed. "Hey, Dad… Miss Rosa? Could you give us some privacy for a moment?"

Zarek exchanged a look with Rosa, who had been standing near the doorway. After a beat, they both nodded and quietly exited the room, closing the door behind them.

Issac and Jaren were left alone with Alfred. The air between them was still charged, but now there was a new layer—something deeper, more intimate, that neither of them had expected to encounter.

Issac finally calmed down, the shock settling into a strange sense of acceptance. He silently thanked Jaren for asking for privacy—because if they truly felt each other's emotions during guiding sessions, and if Issac felt pleasure every time… well, that was a recipe for embarrassment, especially in front of others. It wasn't something he wanted to explain while everyone watched.

Issac wordlessly extended his hand again, his eyes meeting Jaren's. Jaren understood, his hesitation brief before clasping Issac's hand with both of his own. They exchanged a silent nod of agreement before Jaren initiated the guiding once more.

The moment Jaren's power flowed between them, they both jolted—this time, more prepared, but still overwhelmed by the intensity. Jaren could feel Issac's pleasure, not just as an observer but as if the feeling belonged to him. Their emotions blended, merging into a shared experience, yet they could still tell which feelings belonged to whom. Issac's emotional storm, a mix of turmoil over his evolving body and the crushing weight of loneliness, crashed against Jaren's steady resolve and unyielding sense of duty.

Both hunched over the table, struggling to control the sensations overwhelming them. The guiding wasn't just about energy—it was raw, emotional, and more intimate than either of them had expected. Then, a thought crossed Jaren's mind, a dangerous curiosity that Issac instantly caught on to. Jaren wondered: What if I output more power? What would happen?

Issac initially resisted, feeling the potential disaster that could follow. But curiosity gnawed at him, and soon, they agreed to test it. What followed was a decision they both regretted.

The moment Jaren increased the flow of guiding energy, the world around them shattered. Memories flooded in, not just vague emotions or fleeting images, but entire lifetimes. Jaren saw Issac's past lives—the pain of watching Jaren die in the first timeline, the countless cycles of suffering, betrayal, and isolation. He saw Issac's slow descent into the haze of madness, trapped in the red, without proper guidance for countless timelines.

Issac, in turn, saw Jaren's life—the strict but loving military household, the tragic day when Jaren's mother was killed in a hostage situation, targeted simply because they were the family of a high-ranking general. He felt the weight of Jaren's grief, the protective walls Jaren's father had built around him, driven by fear of losing his son too.

The exchange was too much. Alfred, sensing the danger, finally spoke up. "That's enough." His voice cut through the intensity, pulling them back to the present.

They let go of each other's hands, both of them shaking, their faces pale from the emotional overload. Alfred, being Issac's system, had witnessed everything too, his expression uncharacteristically serious.

After several moments of silence, they composed themselves and invited General Zarek and Rosa back into the room. As they entered, Alfred awkwardly cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the gravity of what he had just observed. "I, uh, have news. It seems that the two of you are actually… linked."

Issac blinked, still trying to process what he was feeling. "Linked? How is that even possible?"

Alfred shifted, his catlike tail swishing anxiously. "Your power wavelengths are responding to each other in a way I haven't seen before. It's just a hypothesis, but I think the miasma from the boss monster is to blame." He paused, his kaleidoscope eyes focusing on Issac. "I went through your memories of that fight, and both of you were covered in its condensed miasma right before you died."

The color drained from both Issac and Jaren's faces as the weight of Alfred's words sank in. Alfred continued, his tone uncharacteristically grave. "And there's something else… I've noticed that I'm also connected to Jaren through my interface."

Issac's heart dropped. He and Jaren exchanged a look, both understanding what that meant. Jaren, too, was now tied to the time-traveling nightmare Issac had been enduring alone.

Jaren's voice trembled as he finally spoke. "I'm… going to be dragged into your timelines, aren't I?"

Issac nodded, his expression filled with dread. "Yeah. You're coming with me now."