58. A Fractured Future

Vall-eran sat at the peak of the tower, exuding an overwhelming aura of power. Sam and Sage Sandh lay sprawled on the ground beneath him, their bodies weak and unresponsive to the power that Vall-eran had unleashed. The dark energy around them was suffocating, binding them in a cruel grip.

Vall-eran's eyes burned with triumph as he looked down at his enemies. "Finally, I have control over this body," he sneered, his voice full of pride.

"This body is the perfect vessel for my return."

His voice echoed with sinister filling the void and empty sky. The dark aura started to cover the entire sky as it moved through the veins of Sambh. Sambh was lost in his own thoughts lying in the pool of water and ice everywhere.

He murmured to himself," Am I dead?"

Tehre was no reply in that lonely place as his eyes fell deeper and deeper in his thoughts with endless memories. There was probably no answer to these all questions when he was left there alone.

"Was my end lying here full of loneliness and and savage thoughts with no answers." His mind covered in the blinnk where he could just wonder the thingss all out to himself with no answers.

Sam, struggling to lift himself, spoke through clenched teeth, "Don't overestimate yourself. You're the same person who was killed by a time traveler."

Vall-eran's eyes narrowed with fury. "How dare you remind me of that? I can't die anymore. These people here... they're too weak, too sweet," he snarled, looking out at the panicked crowd, his creatures swarming in all directions.

"They'll make fine sustenance."

Yon, his face etched with dread, turned to Sam. "Is this the end for everyone here? Is there no hope?"

Sam watched helplessly as the creatures continued their hunt, people fleeing in terror. "When Vall-eran fought in the Divine Land, there was no one who could rival him," Sam explained, his voice heavy with regret. "He even killed the Majesty and was set to establish his rule there... until a time traveler appeared and killed him."

Vall-eran's face twisted with anger. "He was a coward who attacked me from behind," he spat, his voice full of venom.

Just then, Sage Sandh stirred. "There is a way," he said, his voice calm but filled with resolve.

Vall-eran, skeptical and amused, approached Sage Sandh with a mocking laugh. "Really?" he asked, his tone dripping with disdain. But as Vall-eran moved closer, Sage Sandh suddenly freed himself from the dark energy binding him. He lunged forward, gripping Vall-eran tightly with surprising strength.

Sage Sandh whispered in Vall-eran's ear, his voice steady, "Sambh, you protected me when I was trapped in Earth and the Divine Land, despite your mere technology. Now, I will protect you."

As Sage Sandh's grip tightened, the very ground beneath them began to shake. A blast of energy erupted from Sage Sandh's body, sending shockwaves through the tower. The entire building collapsed, and everything nearby was destroyed in a violent burst of energy.

Sage Sandh looked around, his eyes filled with purpose as the destruction settled. His gaze softened as he saw Sambh meditating in his consciousness. "Sambh, wake up," Sage Sandh called.

Sambh stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He saw Sage Sandh standing before him and greeted him with respect. But Sage Sandh's response was unexpected.

"I am not Sage Sandh," he said softly, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "I am Sayera."

Sambh's confusion deepened. "Sayera? What do you mean?"

Sage Sandh explained, his voice quiet but urgent. "When he was struck in the tunnel, his technology collapsed. I hacked into his system and took over his body. I discovered that he was an AI created by your father to assist him in building the time machine."

He paused, his gaze distant as he recalled the memory. "At the end, he was ordered to kill you, but he couldn't. So, he pursued you to fulfill his final command."

Sambh shook his head in disbelief. "I can't do anything anymore... It's too late."

Sage Sandh's eyes softened with understanding. "When Earth was on the brink of extinction, he stored all the knowledge of the time machine and his AI in a human brain. But I manipulated the neurons in his brain and took control of his body. With the knowledge of the time machine, I redesigned the neurons to function as a time machine — one that can only be used once."

Sage Sandh took a deep breath before continuing. "Once you time travel back to the monastery, the entire body and everything surrounding it will be destroyed."

Sambh's heart sank. "But... that means—"

"This is my last farewell," Sage Sandh said, cutting him off. "I hope you will protect those who remain. It is not just my wish, but the wish of everyone."

With those final words, Sage Sandh vanished, leaving Sambh to confront his fate.

Sambh awoke with a jolt, finding himself lying in the snow. The cold air bit at his skin as he struggled to sit up, disoriented. He heard the sound of a crash nearby and turned to see a car that had been struck by another, its metal frame crumpled under the force of the impact.

A woman emerged from the wreckage, cradling a baby in her arms. Sambh's eyes locked onto her, but his attention was quickly drawn to the monks standing nearby. His hand instinctively reached for his sword, his fingers tightening around the hilt.

"Mom..." he whispered under his breath, the weight of the situation crashing down on him.

Before he could move, technology-wielding assailants attacked, their weapons crackling with energy. Sambh's sword sparked with lightning as he blocked their strikes, his body tense with the urge to protect.

"This is it," he muttered, his voice resolute. "I'll stop them here."

As the battle raged on, Sambh felt the weight of Sage Sandh's words heavy in his mind. The time machine, the destruction, the sacrifice — it was all leading to this moment.