A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 120 | A Glimpse into the Past

****** Fifteen Years Ago ******

In a sudden burst of light, Emmaine materialized in the small, cluttered apartment, her presence commanding the attention of the startled couple within. Cid, a man of humble demeanor, stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief, while his wife, startled from her morning routine, gripped a kitchen knife, her hand trembling.

Emmaine, the Time Keeper, exuded an aura of calm authority despite the chaos she had just stepped into. Her eyes, a deep shade of violet, glimmered with the wisdom of countless ages. She surveyed the room, taking in the worn furniture, the faint smell of coffee, and the palpable fear emanating from the couple before her.

"Who... who are you?" Cid stammered, his voice barely a whisper. His wife remained silent, her knuckles white as she clutched the knife, poised between fight and flight.

"I am Emmaine," she replied, her voice smooth and reassuring. "I mean you no harm. I've come because your lives are intertwined with a destiny far greater than you can imagine. We do not have much time left." Emmaine's voice reverberated through the small apartment, her urgency palpable.

She had sought out this man first, knowing he was crucial to her plan in this alternate timeline, the linchpin that would bring everything together.

Isis, regaining some composure, lowered the knife slightly but did not release it. "Much time for what?" she demanded, her voice shaking. "How did you even get in here?"

Emmaine extended her hand, a soft glow emanating from her fingertips. "I am the Time Keeper. I have powers that allow me to traverse the timelines and guide those who play crucial roles in the fabric of our world's history."

Cid took a hesitant step forward, curiosity mingling with his fear. "What do you want from us?"

"We need you to build the academies. The soldiers must be trained. A war is coming, and the children will find you. I am here so you understand the importance of their future and to guide you in protecting them, to ensure they fulfill the course we have set them on."

Before Emmaine could explain further, a deafening alarm sounded in the far distance. The man and his wife exchanged a worried glance, the normalcy of their morning shattered by the arrival of this mysterious intruder.

Cid's wife, bewildered, interjected, "What academies? What war?"

Cid, his confusion mounting, ventured closer, his voice wavering. "I don't understand. What children? Why do we need soldiers?"

Emmaine nodded, her expression grave, and placed a handful of shimmering crystals on the kitchen bench. "I must locate the other children," she said urgently, her voice tinged with desperation. "Establish the academies. The children will find their way to you. Protect them, Cid, until the time is right."

With a swift movement, Emmaine vanished, leaving the bewildered couple staring at the radiant crystals in silence.

Speechless, the couple found themselves engulfed in a cacophony of alarms from their apartment, intensifying their sense of urgency. An urgent evacuation alert blared through the streets, adding to the chaos. Cid and his wife clung to the kitchen island for stability as the building shook from the violent attacks raging outside. The once-quiet streets were now filled with the sounds of destruction, the world around them crumbling as they struggled to comprehend the events unfolding before them.

****** ******

Breaking from his reverie, Cid struggled to process the overwhelming madness that had unfolded before him. "What... what is all of this?" he sputtered out, his disbelief echoing in the tiny broken apartment that he once called his sanctuary, his home. "Why are you doing this?"