Dating Father Time's Daughter (Book 1)

Chapter 32: Stepping Stones to Doom

A set of field lights turned off in unison, which threw a blanket of shadow over Campbell Sports Center's soccer field. The cold breeze that punished those who wore shorts and skirts was indicative of the transition into winter. Aside from distant chatter and the occasional sounds that emitted from the street, all was quiet.

BlackHole leaned against the Columbia blue barrier behind the last row of seats on the bleacher. The darkness was no stranger to him. He easily discerned the trademark components of a soccer field: the net, penalty box, and soccer ball.

His mind continued to replay his battle with the Time Keepers. The foreign pain that clawed at his chest had disappeared, but he obsessed over its source. His suspicions said that Inertia was responsible, but he resisted.

The space next to BlackHole tore open and briefly blinded him with a white light. WormHole was arriving, which meant BlackHole needed to abandon his thoughts. He stared up at the Waning Gibbous Moon in the sky as his friend slithered out of the circle of light.

"Well," started WormHole as the circle of light closed shut, "What have you learned from that Time Keeper?"

WormHole stretched his 20-foot-long serpent form above the bleachers and glared at BlackHole with his voracious yellow eyes.

"I was confronted by the Time Keepers several nights ago. Their names accurately describe their abilities. They were able to manipulate time. One Time Keeper showed the ability to not only slow me down, but speed herself up. They also fight with scythes and have the ability to create anatomical explosions" said BlackHole.

"So not only is there more than one Time Keeper, but you choose to wait this long before informing me?" said WormHole as his head bounced like a buoy in the ocean.

BlackHole felt the sting of his friend's words. He genuinely forgot to alert WormHole of Inertia's Time Keeper friends—Joe and Pixie. His actions weren't malicious. But as he chewed on the second part of WormHole's accusation, his thoughts shifted. It was an intentional decision to wait a few days before alerting WormHole of his fight.

If he had told WormHole moments after, there was no doubt that his friend would have appeared and finished off the wounded Time Keepers. That reality clamped itself to BlackHole's conscience. He couldn't allow WormHole to betray the wordless contract he made with Inertia. He couldn't allow WormHole to hurt her friends. Not then, at least.

"It was an honest mistake," answered BlackHole facing his friend.

"Fine. Tell me more, however. Those scythes, what did they look like?"

BlackHole inhaled the night air as he recollected, "They weren't anything out of the ordinary. The girl held a pink and black colored scythe and the guy was holding a double-ended scythe."

The disappointment on WormHole's face was blatant. BlackHole ran his words back in his head, but failed to detect an offense. He raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"So, you didn't come across anyone with a silver and gold scythe?"

BlackHole shook his head and recalled that Inertia never revealed her scythe. But before he could share that information, WormHole continued,

"Then that means you've been wasting your time."

WormHole flicked his head towards the moon, "The legend suggests that the current Time Keeper wields a silver and gold scythe. Those other Time Keepers must have been descendants."

"Then where is the current Time Keeper?" asked BlackHole

"Nirvana. It's a special realm where the Time Keeper conducts his duties, "said WormHole setting his eyes on BlackHole, "And that would explain why I can't find him!"