Twilight Aether: New Era

A Shattered Timeline

When we arrived back at the alley where the crystal was supposed to be, all we found was a note. Terra's familiar handwriting scrawled across the parchment in hasty strokes:

"The labyrinth is under attack by an unknown group of magis wearing robes. They're trying to break into my room. I can't hold off both them and keep the crystal stable. I've left this note in the crystal to warn you-find me in the past version of the labyrinth. Break me free from the crystal I'm trapped in."

"What are we going to do now?" Rea asked, her voice unusually tense.

I crumpled the note in my hand, frustration bubbling up inside me. "We have to find Terra in the labyrinth."

"But the labyrinth wasn't discovered until twenty years from now," Rea pointed out, her logical mind already calculating the difficulties.

I clenched my fist. "Then we'll force our way inside."

After altering our appearances so we wouldn't stand out, we began our journey to find a way into the labyrinth. We broke through the barriers, descending down to the seventh floor. The labyrinth was eerily quiet-no monsters had appeared yet, likely because Terra's mana wasn't flowing through it. That worked in our favor, giving us a chance to move quickly without distractions.

But as we reached the final floor, something felt... wrong.

The air was thick with a strange, pulsating energy. The walls seemed to hum with an unnatural vibration, as if the very essence of the labyrinth was alive and waiting. We opened the gate to the last room, and there, looming over us, was a three-headed dragon. Its massive form coiled around a glowing crystal, and trapped inside that crystal... was Terra.

The dragon let out an earth-shaking roar, its eyes locked on us.

"Lise! Rea! Dodge!" I shouted as flames burst from the dragon's mouth, scorching the ground where we had stood.

We dove behind a nearby rock, the heat from the blast searing the air around us. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan. This thing was enormous-dodging its attacks wasn't enough. We had to outsmart it.

"That dragon's too big to avoid our attacks. We need to use that to our advantage," I said, peeking out from behind the rock.

"Got it," Rea said, her voice firm. Her eyes gleamed with determination, ready to act.

We rushed forward, attacking in unison. Lise summoned every element she knew, hurling fire, ice, and lightning at the dragon, but its thick scales shrugged off her magic like it was nothing. Rea's Dark Arts and Spirit Arts sliced through the air, but still, the beast remained unharmed.

My fists connected with its body, and for a moment, I felt the satisfaction of breaking through its scales-but it healed, the wounds closing almost instantly.

"It's draining Terra's life force to heal," I realized, gritting my teeth. "We need to break that crystal first."

Rea nodded, her voice sharp with urgency. "Once we free Miss Terra, I'll trap it. Ray, you'll finish it off."

"Good plan," I said, determination building inside me. "Let's do this."

I darted toward the dragon, distracting it as Lise focused her power on the crystal. Terra's form inside the crystal was growing weaker, her aura dimming with each passing second. Lise poured her energy into breaking the crystal, and just as the dragon was about to strike me down, she shattered it.

Rea wasted no time. With a powerful surge of magic, she cast a trap that bound the dragon, pulling it into the ground. But just as I prepared my finishing move, the dragon let out another deafening roar. Its power surged, breaking free from Rea's trap and sending us flying into the walls. I hit the ground hard, pain shooting through my side as I struggled to stand.

The dragon reared back, ready to strike us down, but then-

Terra woke up.

With a single, fluid motion, she pushed the dragon back with a force that shook the entire room. Her eyes burned with fury as she moved faster than I could follow, severing its tail, legs, and two of its heads with ease. In a final, crushing blow, she destroyed the dragon like it was nothing more than an insect.

"Are you girls alright?" Terra asked, her voice calm despite the chaos.

Lise winced, rubbing her leg. "I guess. My legs hurt."

Rea, who had been thrown the farthest, was slumped against the wall, bleeding heavily. "Rea!" I rushed to her side, panic rising in my chest. My Mystic Arts could only heal small wounds, and this... this was bad.

Terra knelt beside her, placing a gentle hand over Rea's injuries. "Let me handle this," she said softly, using her Nature Skills to cast Revival. A soft green light enveloped Rea, and slowly, her wounds closed.

Rea groaned as she regained consciousness. "I'm okay... I think. Is Miss Terra alright?"

Lise nodded, relieved. "Yeah, she is."

Once Terra was fully restored, we filled her in on everything that had happened-the erased memories, the danger in the future, and the urgency of returning to our timeline.

Terra listened carefully, then nodded, determination sparking in her eyes. "I see. So I need to create a portal back to the future?"

I sighed, exasperated. "Yes, Terra. And your future self is in danger."

Terra smiled mischievously, teasing me. "I'm just making sure I understand."

I rolled my eyes. "You're over sixty years old. Stop acting like a kid."

She pouted. "Who are you to say that to me?"

"Just shut up and make the portal."

Terra chuckled, shaking her head as she created a rounded crystal, pouring her mana into it. "Alright, you mean boy. The portal's ready."

We stepped toward the crystal, our path back to the future waiting for us. Terra gave us a small wave as we prepared to leave.

"Good luck, you guys," she said, her voice soft.

"Thanks, Miss Terra," I said, offering a rare, genuine smile.

And with that, we stepped into the portal, ready to face whatever awaited us on the other side

Thank you for reading! See you on the next one!

Sayōnara