I was still standing in the center of the Heartfire Temple.
Everything was quiet…
But the air trembled with an invisible pain—
A soundless echo that only the soul could hear.
The Spiral Rod in my hand flickered gently—
Caught between red and gold.
---
Tomo (softly):
"Bro… the Spiral gave you a flame.
But this one… isn't someone else's memory.
You synced with it."
---
Me:
"Whose memories… are these?"
---
Tomo:
"…Bro…
That flame… isn't someone's past.
It's your future."
---
I brought the Spiral Rod close to the flame.
The moment it touched—
the world blinked.
---
[FLASH]
---
Another world.
Another me.
---
I stood in the middle of a massive Spiral field.
The sky was white.
The ground was empty.
There were no shadows.
Then—
a voice echoed.
My own.
---
Cindros (narrating):
> "I became the Timekeeper.
I defeated every Spiral fragment — Eira, Echo, Void… all of them.
Time was finally mine to command.
Everything was perfect…"
---
But the screen changed.
Aika's figure faded into mist.
Disappearing.
---
> "But to save one timeline…
I had to erase a thousand.
Each one had people—
Living, breathing…
And I burned them all."
---
Eira turned to dust.
Tomo's laughter faded mid-sound.
Aika vanished in flame.
And finally—
A white Spiral Rod pierced through Cindros' chest.
His Spiral mark turned into black fire.
---
Cindros (soft, hollow):
> "I won.
And after that…
Only silence remained.
And a question."
---
From the depths of the Spiral came a single voice:
> "Now that you've won…
Who will you live for?"
---
Cindros said nothing.
He couldn't.
His eyes were empty.
That…
was the exact moment I died—
And Cindros was born.
---
The sky blackened with Spiral symbols.
And then—
Cindros screamed.
Not in pain.
But in emptiness.
---
[FLASH END]
---
I collapsed to the ground.
My Spiral mark burned across my hand.
Tomo rushed to my side — his voice cracked and breaking.
---
Tomo (low, shaken):
"Bro… that was you.
A future version.
Completely… broken."
---
Cindros stepped forward.
Ash trailed softly behind his feet.
There was no rage in his eyes.
No sorrow.
Only… a cold peace.
One forged from ruin.
---
Cindros (calmly):
> "Now you understand.
I'm not the villain.
I am… you.
The version who did everything…
And lost everything.
Now I want only one thing—
To burn time itself.
So no other Aren has to walk this path."
---
I looked at him.
No anger.
No hatred.
No pity.
Just understanding.
---
Me (quietly):
"You lost, Cindros.
But I…
I wasn't born to lose."
---
Cindros closed his eyes.
Then spoke:
> "Then come.
Go deeper into the Temple.
To the final Spiral Core.
And there…
You will either stop me…
Or become me."
---
To be continued…