There were just silhouettes around me, but one of my hands was being held by a woman with extremely long hair that blew in the wind, while the other was in the hand of a man who had shoulder-length hair.
There were no other colors that deciphered their appearance, but I knew without a doubt who those two individuals were as we seemed to walk towards a swirling portal of light.
With a blink, it was gone. The magic in my spheres faded away as I returned my attention to my older self, who nodded in approval.
"Does that give you the answer you're looking for?"
"Yes," I replied with a tender smile. "I...don't know what to say."
"Well," he began as he closed my fingers over the gem, "you can simply accept this. I'm sure you know what this is, seeing as your friends have something similar."
I slowly nodded as he let go of my hand and took a step back. He took in my appearance for a moment before he seemed pleased and turned around.
"I, the God of Wisdom, have blessed you with what has always been destined to be in your possession," he declared as his words boomed around us. "With knowledge comes power, and know that with such a key element on your side, you can conquer any obstacle."
He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder to acknowledge me.
"Your friends need you. Brianne especially will need you. Do not fight with your sword. Fight with the light that swarms inside you. When the tip of death is at your neck, do not fear it. Accept what is being pushed into your corner, for it will end up being an unexpected victory."
He turned away and began to walk towards a path that faded into the distance.
"K-Kaito!" I called out to my future self, and he paused in his walk. "Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me," he said with a hint of amusement. "I am you, and you are me. Just as we carry an inner child within our souls, we also carry our higher self, who seeks nothing but to aid you on this path of awakening. Remember, Kaito. You're destined to be a great being of hope one day. Until then, enjoy this journey of fulfillment until the day comes for you to aid those who have lost their way on this path called life."
He began to walk away again, and the world around us faded away - until he was blue sparkling dust that floated upon the gust of warmth that passed by.
I held the stone within my hand, and I sensed the approaching threat that charged towards me as the world of pastel beauty began to fade entirely.
The gem glowed with power as streams of light gushed out of my grasp until I opened my hand up to let the magic do what it wished.
The clashing of metal drew me back to reality. My eyes locked onto Master ZenSu's proud ones as I held my stance with the new sword that was in my possession. He pushed off the ground as he soared back to create distance between us, giving me the opportunity to see the glorious sun that was in the sky as bits of the night continued to fade at the horizon.
I wasn't sure how long I'd been within the dome of darkness, but it didn't matter anymore, for I'd found what I'd been looking for.
As I stared down at the sword in my possession, my eyes began to water in this realm of truth. I allowed myself to feel the emotions that overtook me.
Master ZenSu walked towards me, and when he reached where I stood, he placed a hand on my shoulder and he patted it gently.
"What did you conquer, Witchling?" he whispered in question as my glassy eyes met his glimmering ones.
"Fear of failure," I whispered as my tears fell. "That...and the fear of darkness."
Master ZenSu's smile widened further as he allowed his sword to fade. I did the same. I clung to the gem with all my strength as sobs began to escape me.
My happiness was impossible to describe in words, but it was like finally being free from a prison cell you'd been trapped in for years.
Master ZenSu moved to hug me, and I allowed myself to sob into his shoulder. This was the moment of weakness and vulnerability I needed, and what better way to do it than with someone who wished for nothing but my success?
I was free, victorious, and had gained a new role as the wielder of the God of Wisdom. I'd embrace this moment in time and admire the pure sanctuary this place has brought to me.
After this...my eyes will be back on the new prize: protecting those I love.
1
Where There's Darkness, Light Can Prevail
~KAITO~
* * *
“This is brilliant! The best plan I've had! Your boyfriends are trapped in the little glass box and after they’ve watched your death, they'll soon join you! I'll kill all those you love, and anyone connected to you. That way, you won't come to this world again. No more reincarnations. No more dealing with everything being stolen from me. That double tried to take you away from your fate. To be your best friend so he could shield you from me. But I fixed that. I meddled in his life until it all came crashing down and he was bitter. He didn't know what I'd done. How badly I'd interfered. From the beginning of the semester, I paved the path to this very moment and now we're here! Here!”
Walking into the wild scene of utter chaos was like opening the doors to an intense food fight that had no end in sight.
My eyes immediately landed on the sole individual who seemed to have everyone's attention through the tense madness.
Brianne Marie Harlow.
My eyes widened at the sight, for it wasn't something I expected to see. All those nightmares of piercing needles had to be a warning of the future, for that was exactly what disabled our Notorious Queen. Her body was filled with black needles as the darkness worked on consuming every bit of her.
I could see her fear as clear as day, the darkness already consuming her body and rising to her neck which made her nostrils flare in an attempt to compensate for the sudden lack of oxygen. Those orbs of thrilling magic that burned intensely with orange and gold immediately moved to the glass box - as if time were slipping away from her and she needed to see what was inside that box with transparent walls.
I couldn't help following her gaze. My eyes took in the chaos happening within the boxed space. My comrades - my fated brothers - were fighting enemies of their own, but it was becoming obvious that they were beginning to lose their battle.
Jax was what caught my attention. His head was turned to watch the very woman of his past life as the darkness stole away every ounce of life within her.
Those orbs of fire widened, seconds before they bled to black and projected a level of destructive force that made me shiver. I returned my eyes to Brianne, noticing how her eyes were the last part of her body to be consumed by the darkness.
She used those few seconds of life to give the most pleading look, and I knew without a doubt what message she was trying to get to Jax - or in this case, Jaxsin.
She didn't want him to lose control. To repeat the past that somehow gave them a chance of returning to this world to do their destined duties. She was so selfless, and maybe that was the exact reason Jaxsin lost it the first time.
The glass that did its part in keeping them trapped suddenly was shot with black that spread like wildfire until it began cracking from various places. It only took seconds before it shattered with such force it went flying everywhere. The heatwave that rushed out was close to lethal to a common human.