Chasing Time, Vol.1

Vol. 1 Chp 7: Aika's Past

In her childhood, Aika was a spirited girl who adored her little sister, Alya. They spent countless hours together at their favorite park, exploring every corner, laughing as they ran around the playground. One sunny afternoon, as they dashed through the grass, Aika spotted something glinting near a tree. It was an antique watch, weathered yet radiating an aura that drew her in. She picked it up, examining its intricate gears and dark golden casing. Alya, curious as ever, peered over her shoulder and asked whose watch it was. Aika shrugged, enchanted by its allure, and slipped it into her pocket, deciding she would keep it safe until she could find the owner.

That night, as Aika lay in bed with the watch on her bedside table, a sudden chill filled the room. A faint shimmering rift appeared in front of her, casting an eerie light that only she could see. From within the rift, a menacing, gravelly voice echoed, "Give me my watch back." Aika froze, her heart pounding, but when she looked over to Alya's bed, her sister slept soundly, oblivious to the disturbance. Confused and scared, Aika hid the watch under her pillow, determined to ignore the strange vision. But the encounter left a mark on her, an unsettling hint of something beyond her understanding.

Life took a tragic turn soon after. Alya fell gravely ill, stricken with a rare, lethal disease. Aika watched helplessly as her little sister's condition worsened, and despite the family's desperate efforts, Alya passed away. Devastated, Aika sank into despair, and her parents, overwhelmed by their own grief, blamed her for Alya's untimely death. Wracked by guilt and sorrow, Aika often wandered the park where she and Alya had once played, haunted by memories and the feeling that her life had shattered.

One day, as she sat alone on a swing, a strange figure appeared atop the playground. A bunny-like creature with expressive eyes and an air of wisdom, Leap approached her, his gaze intense yet somehow comforting. Sensing her anguish, Leap explained the existence of the Chronodyn, a realm beyond time, now corrupted by a sinister force known as the Eclipse Warden. "The Eclipse Warden threatens all timelines," Leap said gravely, "and I need your help to stop them."

Aika looked down, feeling empty. "I've got nothing left..." she whispered. But when Leap hinted at the powers held within the watch—the ability to alter time itself—a spark lit in Aika's eyes. An idea began to form, desperate and wild: if she could master this power, perhaps she could rewrite her past and bring Alya back.

Fueled by newfound determination, Aika agreed to aid Leap. She trained with intensity, her grief transforming into focus, and when the time came, she confronted and defeated the corrupted Warden. In doing so, she unlocked the full power of the watch, and Leap granted her the title of the new Time Warden. With each use of her powers, Aika grew more ambitious, obsessed with the idea of bending reality to her will. She began manipulating timelines, not just for Alya, but to reshape moments she deemed unfair or unjust, her intentions clouded by her own pain.

In time, she became the very corruption she once fought against, succumbing to a cycle of tampering with events and warping memories. Recognizing her descent, Leap took drastic action: he stole the watch and used his abilities to trap Aika within the Chronodyn, locking her away from the world and its histories. But even within the Chronodyn, Aika found ways to extend her influence, using shadows to reach beyond her prison and meddle in events, sowing chaos across timelines.

Leap searched tirelessly for someone who could help him stop Aika's spread of corruption. That's when he met Aaron, sensing a spark within him that could resist Aika's manipulations. Pleading for Aaron's help, Leap recounted Aika's tragic past, her heartbreak, and her descent into obsession. Aaron understood, yet he knew what had to be done. He agreed to Leap's plea, setting the stage for their confrontation with Aika in the Chronodyn Library—a place filled with books documenting countless altered timelines.

As Aaron entered the library, he braced himself for the confrontation, knowing that Aika, powerful and tormented, would not give up easily. Yet he hoped that, beneath her grief and anger, he might still reach the girl who had once just wanted to save her sister.

In the heart of the Chronodyn Library, Aaron and Aika faced each other, their shadows cast by the eerie glow of the ancient bookshelves around them. Aika's gaze burned with a mix of fury and pain, her form flickering like a shadow as she summoned her corrupted powers. Aaron steeled himself, gripping the watch Leap had entrusted to him. With every strike, every clash, he could feel the intensity of Aika's desperation, her memories of Alya haunting her every move.

The duel was fierce, with Aika warping fragments of time to dodge Aaron's attacks, hurling twisted, shadowy energy at him. But Aaron's resolve was unyielding. He pushed back against her every move, his focus sharpening as he drew upon the newfound strength the watch granted him. With a final surge, he unleashed a force that overwhelmed Aika, sending her reeling. Defeated, she snarled, her figure dimming before she melted into the shadows, escaping from the Chronodyn. Aaron took a deep breath, knowing their fight was far from over but feeling a surge of power within him, a new ability awakening in his right hand. As he focused, a radiant gauntlet materialized around his fist, sparking with the energy of time itself—a symbol of his hard-won control.

As the echoes of their battle faded, Luna, who had been watching from the shadows, noticed something on the ground. A thick, dust-covered book lay open, pages fluttering as if disturbed by an invisible wind. Intrigued, she knelt and picked it up, her curiosity compelling her to look inside. Her heart skipped as she saw the title written across the first page: The Headmaster. The book seemed to hold a story—her story. Flipping through, Luna found a detailed account of her life, from her early days to her friendships with Aaron and Leap. But as she read further, a chill crept down her spine. The pages described events she hadn't lived through yet, outlining her future with shocking precision, right up to her final moments. In disbelief, she read how she was destined to lead, to shape the lives of time manipulators, and ultimately, to make sacrifices that would cost her everything.

The weight of the revelations overwhelmed her. Luna felt the bile rise in her throat as she reached the end, reading passages about her own death, the decisions she would make, and the way history would regard her as the Headmaster. Her vision blurred, and she could barely stomach the thought of what lay ahead. Shaking, she closed the book and clutched it to her chest, struggling to process the flood of knowledge.

As Aaron and Leap regrouped, exhausted from the fight, Luna quickly composed herself, hiding the book behind her cloak. She didn't know how much Aaron or Leap knew about her potential future, but she knew she couldn't tell them. The burden of her discovery was hers alone, a future only she would carry in silence.