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As Kaipo and Archanos approached the hilltop, the golden glow of the setting sun bathed the landscape in a surreal, peaceful light. On the other side of the hill stretched a vast ocean, its waves gently crashing against the shore, reflecting the vibrant hues of the sunset. Kaipo stood still for a moment, taking in the beauty of the scene before him.
“This is where I waited,” Archanos said, his voice softer than Kaipo had ever heard it. “For hundreds of years, I sat on this very hill, watching the sunset. It became my only companion.”
Kaipo’s gaze shifted from the horizon to Archanos, whose eyes remained fixed on the sun, a look of nostalgia clouding his face. They settled on the hill, the air between them thick with the gravity of what was about to be shared.
“Are you ready?” Archanos asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the sky to look at Kaipo.
Kaipo nodded. "I'm ready."
Archanos took a deep breath before beginning, his voice steady and firm as he launched into the information Fate had revealed to him. “First, let’s talk about the black aura you showed against the guardian from the jungle. That wasn’t just any power—it was your will. You, Kaipo, are the reincarnation of me and my will.”
Kaipo's eyes widened in shock, but Archanos continued before Kaipo could process the revelation fully.
“That aura is the Will of Kasumi,” Archanos explained. “The same will I had. Fate revealed to me that you would inherit it, and with it, you will one day face the Clan of Solara in an all-out battle. It’s inevitable.”
Kaipo swallowed, the weight of the words settling in.
“And that’s not all,” Archanos continued, his voice calm but determined. “You will also wield the Tenth Jewel to gain ultimate control over Essence Manifest. There will be a day when a portal opens beside you, and that portal will take you to 'the other side.' There, you will meet a man who stole the Sacrifice Jewel.”
Kaipo leaned forward, listening intently as Archanos’ words grew more intense.
“In order to gain the ultimate power from the Sacrifice Jewel,” Archanos said, “you will have to give up something valuable—99% of your life in a binding vow. This sacrifice will grant you ultimate control over Essence Manifest, a power even greater than the Tenth Jewel.”
Kaipo could feel the weight of every word pressing down on him, the future Archanos was painting feeling both distant and dangerously close.
Archanos shifted topics without hesitation. “There’s a girl named Elara. I don’t know what your relationship with her is right now, but eventually, you must teach her a specific type of healing magic. Fate didn’t reveal why, but I do know that she will need this magic at some point in the future. You must train her.”
Kaipo nodded, committing the information to memory as Archanos continued.
“Fate also revealed to me a technique on how to create your own power, and will do so for you too” Archanos said. “You will gain access to the Infinite Plane again, but only when Fate wants you to. When you find yourself there, that’s when you should use the technique Fate describes to create a new power.”
Kaipo was beginning to feel the enormity of everything weighing on him, but he knew that Archanos was nowhere near finished.
"You should also take the paper detailing Essence Manifest with you," Archanos said. "Since your method of meditation was the only way to obtain it, I believe it will play a bigger role in the future, though Fate hasn’t revealed exactly how yet." He quickly continued, "There’s also someone you should be cautious of—a dangerous individual named Joker Oginam. He’s incredibly intelligent, and Fate showed me a future where he managed to copy the technique. Even though it wasn’t at the full power of an Essence Manifest, it was still impressive."34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hven0DAiM
“There’s more you want to know about the future, I can tell,” Archanos said, his voice lowering. “One of the biggest things Fate has revealed is that Zack will betray the Areala Universe. Astralith, your High Mage, is not who you think. She’s evil and will betray the Mage Association, joining forces with Irokaj Oginam.”
Kaipo’s eyes darkened as the mention of betrayal sank in.
“But you all will win,” Archanos assured him. “You and the squad captains—along with Levi and members from the Sovereign Requiem—you’ll defeat them. But Astralith will disappear, only to reappear years later as a leader of one of the five universes.”
Kaipo clenched his fists, the future battles beginning to take shape in his mind.
“The Second Jewel War will break out,” Archanos continued, his voice grave. “And in this war, you will clash with the head of the Clan of Solara, who I believe is my son, Novachro.”
The intensity in Archanos’ voice left Kaipo reeling, but Archanos pressed on, unrelenting in his revelations.
“Even though you know this information, Kaipo, you must act as if you don’t. The temptation to act on this knowledge will be strong, but you must resist. In a couple seconds, I will reverse your memory of all of this and replace it with something else. Your current memory of this information will stay dormant until you meet the man with the Sacrifice Jewel.”
Kaipo’s mind was racing, the enormity of everything that Archanos was revealing becoming almost too much to bear. But Archanos’ next words made Kaipo’s heart stop.
“When I finish telling you everything, you must kill me.”
Kaipo’s eyes shot to Archanos in disbelief. “What?”
Archanos continued speaking through Kaipo's intervention. “I have no desire to live anymore. My will is meant to be passed down to you, Kaipo. I will seal the rest of it into you, so that I may watch from within you as you continue this journey.”
Kaipo’s breath hitched in his throat. He couldn’t believe what Archanos was asking.
“The Pure Heart,” Archanos continued quickly, ignoring Kaipo’s shock, “I don’t know if Fate will show you how to retrieve it, but Essence Manifest will play the biggest role in increasing your chances.”
Archanos then gave Kaipo one last instruction. “When you gain full control over Essence Manifest, place one within your sister Nia. She will need it one day when Essence Manifest is no longer used.”
And with that, Archanos fell silent. His body seemed to lose its energy, and Kaipo could feel the shift in the air as Archanos’ will began to seal itself into him. As he had promised, Archanos reversed Kaipo’s memory, locking away everything they had spoken about.
The Tenth Jewel glowed as it merged with Kaipo’s essence, and Archanos was absorbed into Kaipo’s being. With the process complete, Kaipo reappeared outside the Time Gap Portal, a dark, swirling aura surrounding him.
The High Mage, standing among the stunned elders, gasped, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Kaipo? How...? You were just swallowed by the portal!”
Kaipo’s eyes, now holding a depth of knowledge and strength previously unseen, locked onto hers. “I have conquered all ten planets of the Time Gap Dimension. I have become what they call... ‘The Perfect Human.’”
The High Mage and the elders exchanged glances of both awe and concern. The High Mage, regaining her composure, stared at the aura surrounding Kaipo. “What is this aura? And how did you return so quickly?”
Kaipo stood tall and answered, “In the Time Gap Dimension, I gained the power equivalent to possessing all nine jewels from the first nine planets. The tenth planet required no conquest—only meditation for a hundred years without sustenance, pushing me to transcend physical limitations.”
His gaze was steady as he continued. “In that state, I reached a different plane of existence and awakened 'The Tenth Jewel,' an anti-magic jewel capable of countering all others. My abilities have been amplified beyond anything I could have imagined.”
The High Mage studied him for a moment, her tone now one of both respect and caution. “Your achievement is beyond anything we’ve ever seen. But we must fully understand the implications of this power before we move forward.”
Kaipo stood firm, his eyes glowing with determination. He had survived the Time Gap Portal. And now, the future was in his hands.
The chapter ended there, marking the end of Kaipo’s flashback and returning to the present timeline.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnalHnz5mR
