Kill The Time
I started to fall down the mountain, the chill of the cold air whipping across my face as I tumbled. In that surreal moment, a smile crept onto my lips as I welcomed the refreshing touch of the breeze.
"It's really so cool," I murmured, almost in disbelief at the invigorating sensation.
Even as I fell, my thoughts drifted to the unexpected liveliness that had awakened within me after a long sleep.
"I didn't expect it to become so lively after I slept for a while," I said aloud, marvelling at how the very air around me seemed to pulse with renewed energy. I glanced downward, watching the ground rush up to meet me.
"Anyway, it's really cool breeze," I remarked, attempting to make light of the perilous descent.
But fate was not so kind—my head struck the muddy ground with a harsh impact, and a sharp pain flared through me.
"Ouch!"
I cried out, the sound echoing off the rugged slopes as my body jolted from the collision. Stunned and momentarily disoriented, I gingerly touched my throbbing head.
"I didn't expect the land here to have grown so hard these days," I observed, more to myself than to anyone else. As my vision slowly cleared and the world began to spin around me, I continued in a low, reflective tone, "This place has been so boring now. Once upon a time, there was a situation when the mountain used to crash, and I used to step over it."
My words held a bittersweet nostalgia for a past when even the harsh terrain held a certain charm—a challenge that I once met with a sense of daring adventure.
As I struggled to regain my bearings, my gaze wandered upward toward the distant horizon. There, partially shrouded by the lingering mists and fading light, I noticed the faint outline of a beautiful lady. Though her features were blurred by distance, she glowed softly in the bright light that broke through the clouds, her steady stare fixed upon me. It was as if she had come from another realm—a silent witness to my plight.
I found myself lost in memories as I recalled a time when I had wandered these lands in solitude, feeling the deep loneliness of endless nights.
"There was also a time when I used to wonder here all alone, silently and full of loneliness," I thought, my inner voice heavy with reminiscence. But now, everything felt different; the world around me had grown lively, brimming with the pulse of life that I had long forgotten.
In the midst of these reveries, my mind wandered back to darker times—memories of eternal darkness and far-off journeys where I had sought escape from the emptiness that once consumed me.
It was always the enigmatic Parasite, descending from one of the ancient eggs, who had been there to relieve my solitude. His arrival had marked the beginning of something both mysterious and transformative.
Before long, sleep began to claim me again, and I lay on the cold, hard ground for a while, my mind drifting between wakefulness and slumber. My brief respite was shattered when a loud, insistent protest erupted around me—a chorus that seemed to come from everywhere at once:
"Kill the Time"
"Kill the Time"
"Kill the Time"
"Kill the Time"
Slowly, I opened my eyes to find a mesmerizing display of lights shimmering in hues of blue and green. My attention was drawn to a crowd gathered near the central land—a place that, while distant, was still clearly visible from my position. Their collective presence stirred a strange mixture of weariness and curiosity within me.
As I took in the scene, my eyes were inevitably pulled toward a magnificent palace. It rose proudly before the assembled throng, its walls aglow with a brilliance that seemed to absorb every stray ray of light. The palace, a dazzling beacon in a landscape once dominated by darkness, filled me with a sense of wonder.
"Wow! They have made a beautiful place there," I whispered, marvelling at the transformation. I remembered the early days—when I had first hatched from my eggshell and the entire land had burst into vibrant colours, banishing the shadows that once loomed large.
"Wow! I didn't expect that my eggshell has been still glowing after years and years have passed, filling the light herein this plane which was once lost in the darkness," I reflected, my heart swelling with memories of my birthplace. Compelled by the sudden rush of nostalgia and wonder, I teleported silently from behind the crowd, determined to witness the unfolding events for myself.
All around, the people chanted in unison, their voices merging into a singular, resounding plea: "Kill the Time!" The protest reverberated through the air—a cry that I struggled to comprehend.
The meaning behind their words eluded me, and driven by curiosity, I approached a young man standing nearby. He clutched a sword in his hand, and a vibrant blue aura emanated from him, marking him as one of the island's formidable warriors.
"Do you know why they are shouting?" I asked him casually, my tone betraying both my confusion and genuine interest.
He regarded me with a gentle smile and replied, "You didn't introduce yourself; you just asked a question instead." His tone was light, teasing even, yet beneath it lay an unspoken understanding of the gravity of our surroundings.
I grinned, accepting his playful rebuke as a cue to introduce myself properly. "I am Ean Zerith," I declared, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of thoughts inside me.
With a matching smile, he introduced himself. "I am Kai Rhea." Before he could add more, a clear and melodious voice joined our exchange.
"And I am Seraphina."
She emerged gracefully into our midst—a vision of ethereal beauty with a fiery smile. Dressed in a resplendent garment that evoked the image of a phoenix, she radiated strength and nobility.
Casting a warm glance toward Kai, she spoke with conviction, "What do you think? We must Kill the Time."
Her words struck a chord within me, and without hesitation, I joined her fervour, shouting with the others, "Yes, we must Kill the Time."
"Yes, Kill the Time."
"Kill The Time."
For a moment, the clamour subsided into a profound silence. My mind, caught in the sway of her passion, compelled me to question further. I stopped shouting abruptly and, with a trace of curiosity, asked her, "Who is this time?"
The colour in her face shifted instantly, and she smiled wryly as she replied, "Are you serious?" Her tone carried both amusement and a hint of exasperation.
Kai interjected softly, "He came to me to ask the same question." A heavy silence fell between us, filled only by the distant echoes of others still chanting, "Kill the Time!"
Seraphina's expression grew resolute as she explained, "Time is a most dangerous devil who lives at the other side of the 'Land Beyond Time.'" Her voice lowered, becoming almost a whisper laden with foreboding.
"It's said that Time is totally faceless, bodyless, and spiritless. None ever knows how it looks. However, the people out there always suffer with its presence—as soon as they are born, they suffer endless pain before they die."
Her eyes burned with intensity as she continued, "This is all the work of the devil who lives there called 'Time.' They can't live like us, remaining unchanged throughout their lives; instead, they are forced to be born, to grow old, and eventually to die."
Rage and determination flashed across her face as she declared, "So we must free them from the endless sufferings of Time. This is our prime duty, the very reason we have gathered here."
Kai's voice rose in agreement, steady and firm, "Once the sun and star evolve out from their eggs, we will lead the entire citizenry here to fight the eternal darkness."
At that moment, I remembered the stories I had heard whispers of a being known as Parasite, often equated with the eternal darkness that haunted these lands. A faint smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I listened to Seraphina's next words.
She continued, "So we are going to participate in the trial of stone awakening. Everyone who passes the trial can easily participate in this war and will be led by the Star." The passion in her voice was palpable—a rallying cry for all who believed that change was not only necessary but inevitable.
Finally, with voices united in defiant resolve, they proclaimed, "We will kill the Time."
I stood there, rendered wordless, overwhelmed by the ambition and fervour that filled the air. In that moment, amidst the mingling of past memories and future promises, I felt a surge of hope. The oppressive weight of endless time and unyielding fate seemed, if only for a brief moment, within our power to challenge.
As I gathered my strength and prepared to rejoin the throng, I could not help but marvel at the strange tapestry of our existence—where even as we fell from mountains and struck our heads on harsh earth, we still found beauty in the breeze and solace in the light of a palace that had once been born from the glow of an eggshell.
Our lives, woven together by destiny and defiance, were a testament to the relentless spirit that refused to be subdued by the relentless march of Time.