(UNDERGOING EDITS) Gift of the Future (Ninjago au book 8)

Chapter 2: Into the Unknown

Lloyd looked up at Jay briefly before directing his attention back to what Acronix was saying. He waved Jay over to listen.

"He was corrupt... Dark magic... jealousy drove him... Killed... The king... He was stopped... Only by... No." Acronix paused. His eyes seemed to be studying something before him. "Devine... Only we... Powerful... Few that... Are worthy enough... Feeding off... Your power..."

Jay looked at Lloyds scrap of paper.

There was something about triplets born, a King, the high mage, and the kings guard. All three were marked 'Worthy' with an arrow connecting to 'True Potential?'.

Another section started about a war that had happened. How the reversals thought they controlled the most powerful aspect of time and decided to revolt.

That's how the king was found worthy. His leadership skills got him the title. It's not just a given for the eldest to get the title.

It's also how the youngest was found worthy, his battle skills allowed him to be admitted into the guard school to protect his brother.

Next to the middle was an arrow that pointed further down. His knowledge of herbs and basic magic helped his parents not die from some strange illness, granting him the title 'sorcerers apprentice'. Under his section in big letters was 'TURNED BAD?? WHY?'.

"Do you know their names?" Jay asked.

"No. He only says mage, guard, and high king." Lloyd spoke as he scribbled Acronix's words down.

'Devines, only ones powerful enough to defeat?'

"How long ago did this happen there? Where the mage turned against them?"

"More than a few centuries ago. Why?"

"I didn't see it on your paper." Jay chuckled.

Lloyd looked down. He hadn't written that yet. "Good catch. That could be important."

Just then, Acronix snapped up and stared straight ahead, his breathing deep and heavy. He still seemed lost in a trance of sorts.

Jay leaned forward and looked into his eyes. They'd glossed over black and looked like a sort of galaxy. "What does black mean? I've never seen black before."

Lloyd folded the sheet and rounded Acronix. "Odd."

"Jikan?" Acronix asked monotonously.

Jay looked to Lloyd. "He's talking to the others. If Acronix's time powers have been acting up, maybe it cut him off from the Devines? So he's taking his chance to do it now."

"That's possible."

Meanwhile, in the limbo between all space and time, the other time masters were freaking out.

They knew Acronix had been having these visions, but had no way to contact him. Jikan was under stress because she couldn't see past this day, it had been like that since Hirosha turned 9. Almost a year of no future being seen before her was concerning and she didn't know what to make of it.

"Jikan, what do you think?" Amargo asked.

"I don't know. Not in the thousands of years I've been up here has this ever happened. This is unknown to me just as it is to all of you." Jikan turned to the others. "Something feels..."

Kairos noticed it too. "Yeah. It's off."

Acronix called out again. "Hello? You're right there, I can see you all."

Kairos looked in his general direction but seemed to be looking through instead of at him. Slowly the second most recent time Devine walked to the area. "Ji, it's over here."