An Alter of Time

Chapter 17

Carter's Grief and Farewell

Third Person

The scenery of the sunset greeted their tired faces. An empty field was seen below them as wind brushing up their hairs.

"So, uh.." They both tried to start a conversation.

In the middle of their conversation, Alisa mentioned Vapor. Reminiscing their good times, even if it was only for a short while. They both felt grief. If only they could bring back time, the time when Vapor was still alive.

Alisa keeps shedding tears. Carter didn't know how to comfort her. He embraced her, whispering sweet nothings to her ear. She hugged him tightly.

Carter felt the immense amount of pain she wanted to let out.

"S-sorry, It's all my fault." Alisa kept crying but Carter couldn't withstand it anymore.

He felt like he was going to explode when he saw Alisa crying painfully. He felt like he was useless, not being able to somewhat lessen the amount of pain she was suffering. So, he ran away, thinking how useless he was.

Alisa didn't know why he ran away. She tried to catch up to his pace but he was too fast. She sat there alone while wiping her own tears.

"It seems that both of you had saved the world. Am I right Ms. Blue?" A deep voice was heard behind Alisa's back.

She looked up and saw a weird woman with an alien-form body looking at her.

Alisa screamed loudly.

Carter heard her scream and was worried.

"Alisa?" He looked back, only to see that he was in a forest, lost from the cliff's location. He forgot to control his speed due to his emotions bursting out. He couldn't control them.

"Wh-who a-are you? Please sp-spare my life! Please don't kill me!" Alisa panicked while facing her back on the edge of the cliff. She kept moving backwards until when she could no longer touch the ground.

She fell from the cliff while witnessing the weird woman standing there without doing anything.

"Careful, you would not want to lose your life here if you would still like to live on the other timeline Ms. Blue." She grabbed one of Alisa's leg and lift her up.

"Sorry for being rude earlier. Thank you for saving my life." Alisa thanked the woman.

"May I know your name?" Alisa added.

"My name is Filitz. I have come here to retrieve the seven shards from you. It was an order of my Master." Filitz pointed her pouch.

"Master?"

"Yes, my Master protects the stones which are the most precious and sacred part of the calendar itself, for the seven gods reside there. Until one day, it broke apart because of the temple from your timeline broke down causing it to be no longer covered."

"When your mother was in the verge of death, a hungry goddess that wants to be freed, used your mother as her vessel. Himiko was the one who partake your mother's entirety. She was greedy for power, planning to gather all the other powers of god for herself. If that was to happen, balance will be lost and humanity will end up into great chaos."

"My Master made this timeline as the second life for the dead. Whenever a new person spawned here, it will be scattered, for Master vanished the rest of the stones into an unknown realm in order to prevent Himiko from gathering and using it for herself."

"The mission of each individual is to find the shards before Himiko does, that's why you are all scattered from the beginning, but if you die here, then you'll also die in your timeline." Filitz enlightened and explained everything to Alisa.

Alisa was able to connect the events that happened from the past three months. Filitz also warned her that after three months, they will fade away, and if she doesn't manage to go back to her timeline, she will not be able to come back to her own body and timeline.

In order to go back, Filitz will have to help them reassemble the calendar and the shards.

"So, you came here to send me back and retrieve your materials? Who exactly are you?" Alisa asked. "I am Master's right hand and my task it to send you back." Filitz responded.

Alisa asked to extend her time so she could bid her farewell to Carter. Filitz agreed and gave her five more minutes. She was about to look for Carter when she saw him running towards her.

"Are you alright? I heard you screaming out there." Carter asked worriedly. Alisa cried and ran up to him. She hugged him tightly. Carter hugged her back, blushing a little because of the sudden hug he received from Alisa.

"Don't ever blame yourself again! You've helped me more than anyone could. You've done more than enough!" Alisa shouted as she snot his robe.

"Alright, I won't ever run away and blame myself like that ever again as long as you go on adventures with me forever." Carter blushed. He wanted to confessed to Alisa.

"I am sorry. I can't stay here anymore, my task here is finished. Don't worry, I will never forget you. How can I forget my best friend?" She said laughing while crying not knowing that Carter was trying to confess at her.

Carter brushed off her rejection and weirdly had a confused look on his face.

"What task? You're leaving me?" He felt heartbroken.

"I am sorry. Please go now and find your home." She got up.

"I guess it's time. Sorry, thank you and goodbye." She shed her last tear before vanishing into the thin air.

Thoughts were running through Carter's head. The way that Alisa vanished through the thin air was so fast. He felt that it was unfair for him. He wiped his tears and tried to forget her, leaving the cliff depressed.

When they both go to their own separate ways, they knew that once they go back to their original timeline, they would forget everything. All the memories, the adventure that they've experienced would be gone in their memory.

When they reached their timelines, they will not remember anything that involves with this world, with the seven shards, the enemies that they took down and the friends they made along their adventure.

Alisa doesn't know which timeline was Carter originated and so is Carter to Alisa.

But little do they know they came from the same timeline. It's all up to fate now. If fate allows them to meet again in their era maybe they were really destined to be with each other.