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Archanos and Kaipo stepped into the third planet of the Time Gap Portal, greeted by howling winds and a colossal mountain that seemed to stretch all the way to the sky, where it connected to the next world. The wind whipped at their clothes, and the air was thick with a strange energy.
Kaipo gazed at the massive tube running from the planet to the fourth, the obvious path ahead. "We are taking the tube...right?" Kaipo asked, turning to Archanos.
Archanos chuckled, shaking his head. "We could, but I have other plans for you. While the Time Gap Portal may not have been intended for training, I’ll still use the planets as stepping stones to sharpen your skills. Trust me, it’ll be worth it." He flashed a grin, and though Kaipo had his doubts, he nodded.
As they began walking down a stone path that wound through a forest of barren trees, Archanos rubbed his chin. "Now, where did I leave off?" he mused aloud before snapping his fingers. "Ah, yes! Let me talk about the name Kasumi and the deep history behind it."
Kaipo listened intently as Archanos continued. "Kasumi was the name I became known for during the wars fought by the Clan of Solara. It was a title earned through countless victories, but it was only part of the story."
Archanos glanced over at Kaipo, his expression growing serious. "You see, I wasn’t just a skilled fighter. I was born with something more—a power called 'Fate.' In the Clan of Solara, many were born with god-like abilities, unique to each person. Mine... was unpredictable. Fate gave me glimpses of the future, present, and past, but I could never control it. I didn’t choose what I saw or when I saw it, but it guided me nonetheless through countless battles."
Kaipo furrowed his brow. "So, that's how you knew about what was happening outside the Time Gap Portal, even after being here for so long?"
"Exactly," Archanos replied. "Fate showed me things beyond my reach. It gave me knowledge and foresight that others couldn’t have. But that’s only part of why I’m sealed here."
Kaipo’s curiosity deepened. "What do you mean by ‘sealed’? Who sealed you here, and why?"
Archanos took a deep breath before continuing. "The Clan of Solara was once the most powerful force throughout our land. Many of the high-ranking mages and elders were determined to take over all five universes on our side, opposite to the Land of Spade. They believed it was our destiny, that we were chosen to rule. But I, as the head of the clan, didn’t agree. I wanted peace."
Kaipo’s eyes widened as Archanos continued his tale. "Despite my position, they decided to move forward with their plan, labeling me corrupt for opposing them. They said I had strayed from the ways of the Elders, who were revered for their knowledge. I was about to give in, but then something happened—Fate showed me the future. I saw the clan’s success, how we conquered all five universes. But I also saw the destruction that followed. Innocent lives lost, families torn apart... I couldn’t let it happen."
Archanos clenched his fists, his voice filled with conviction. "I had no choice but to find a way to stop them. That’s when I conceived the idea of the 10th Jewel—an Anti-Magic Jewel that could counter the power of the 9 Jewels, the very source of their strength."
As Archanos spoke, he materialized the jewel in his hand, a small but radiant object that pulsed with immense energy. Kaipo stared at it, fascinated.
"The Anti-Magic Jewel was my only hope," Archanos said. "But creating it was no easy task. I didn’t even know where to begin. I spent days in my hidden lab, searching for a way to forge something capable of countering the 9 Jewels. The 9 Jewels were kept in the Heart of Solara, well beyond my reach, and I didn’t have the power to challenge them directly."
Kaipo listened in rapt attention as Archanos continued. "Then, one day, Fate revealed something to me. It showed me that my wife would bear three children, but only one of them would be mine. And that one child would be born with a god-like ability called the 'Natural Nullification Aura.' It was the key to creating the 10th Jewel. I just had to wait."
Kaipo’s heart pounded as Archanos recounted the events. "My first child, Novachro, was born with the power I needed. With half of his Natural Nullification Aura, I was able to create the 10th Jewel. But the process took time, and I had to keep my plans hidden from everyone, even my wife. I sent her and Novachro back to the City of Solara, instructing her to denounce me publicly to ensure her safety."
The weight of Archanos’s words hung in the air as they walked. "With the 10th Jewel in hand, I set out to stop the clan’s conquest. Over the course of three weeks, I defeated every member of the Clan of Solara who stood in my way. The Anti-Magic Jewel gave me the power to nullify their magic, making me unstoppable. But my victory didn’t last long."
Archanos’s expression darkened. "The clan realized what I had done, and they formed a plan to get rid of me. They caught me off guard and sealed me in the Time Gap Portal, trapping me here for what seemed like an eternity."
Kaipo’s eyes widened, the story becoming more intense with each word. "But not everyone in the clan supported the conquest," Archanos continued. "A group of mages broke away, inspired by my actions. They formed the Kasumi Clan, named after the title I had earned, and they grew in secret. Eventually, they discovered a portal leading to a new land—the Land of Spade. And that’s how it all began."
The story left Kaipo reeling, the weight of his heritage crashing down on him. Archanos smiled, his voice calm as he concluded, "There’s more to this story, but we’ll get to that later."
As they approached the massive Mountain that would take them up to the fourth planet, Archanos gestured toward it with a grin. "Let's get this started!"
Kaipo, still processing everything he had just learned, nodded slowly. Together, they began up the mountain, the wind swirling around them as they journeyed onward, deeper into the Time Gap Portal.
The chapter ended there, with Kaipo beginning to understand the true weight of his lineage and the dark history of the Clan of Solara.
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