**Retro's POV:**
As I approached the pedestal, the relic's dark glow intensified beneath my hand. A creeping sensation crawled up my spine. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a shadow moving. I turned my gaze just enough to see a figure emerging from the darkness. His form was unsettling—black wings, a lion's tail, beastly horns, and those white, soulless eyes. His blackish-gray coat seemed to blend with the shadows, and he wore a predatory grin.
The relic in my hand pulsed with a sinister aura. Realizing the danger, I leaped back towards Atlas and Becky, wrapping the relic as best I could. The floor beneath the pedestal began to crumble and shift, the temple's structure protesting as if it were alive.
"RUN!!!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the collapsing chamber. The walls trembled and groaned as the temple's collapse quickened. I pushed Atlas towards Becky, urging him to use his time stop ability to escape.
"Are you not coming with us, Retro?" Becky's voice was filled with concern.
"No," I replied, my tone resolute. "Phantom is here and is after me alone. Take Atlas and run."
Atlas, still in shock, grabbed my shirt. I clutched his hand tightly and handed him my sword. With a gentle smile, I pushed him towards Becky. he grabbed him by the collar, and I watched as they vanished from my sight, retreating to safety.
"I guess I didn't enter his realm this time," I muttered to myself, a sense of resignation washing over me. Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain erupted in my lower stomach. I tried to turn, but only managed to glimpse the figure's wide, malevolent smile. The chilling words "You're mine" echoed in my ears.
Before I could react, the figure thrust me into a void that seemed to open beneath the temple. The darkness swallowed me whole, the world around me spinning as I began to lose consciousness. The last thing I heard was the echo of my own voice, fading into the void, as the edges of my vision turned to black.
**3rd POV**
As the ancient temple crumbled, Atlas and Becky scrambled to the edge of the collapsing walls. Becky strained to keep a firm grip on Atlas, her energy clearly waning from the effort.
(Atlas) "We have to go back. Becky, please, we can't let him stay there. Havoc is going to kill him!"
(Becky) "That's exactly why he isn't letting us go back to him. We can't help him with that god near him."
(Atlas) "I know, but you have to try something, anything. Even if I could give Retro an edge in the battle."
(Becky) "If I help him in any way, I could mess up the timeline, making it so some events in my future never happen. Because I know both of you in my future."
(Atlas) "It won't be you helping; it'll be me. I'll try to see if I can get the sword back to him."
(Becky) "Fine. But you have to make me a deal. I can open a portal to his location for 30 seconds. That should be more than enough time for you to give back his sword."
(Atlas) "What type of deal?"
(Becky) "When you get him that sword, you must agree to go back to your home."
(Atlas) "Okay, I agree."
(Becky) "Now let's begin."
Becky focused her energy, and a swirling green portal began to form in the air.
(Becky) "You have 30 seconds. Hurry, because the portal will close on the dot."
(Atlas) "Alright, catch you on the flip side."
(Becky) "Good luck."
Atlas sprinted towards the portal, his gaze locking onto Retro's struggling form. With urgency, he charged through the portal, clutching the sword tightly. As he reached Retro, he carefully laid the sword in his hands and splashed a spray of water on Retro's face to bring him back to consciousness.
(Atlas) "I hope this works… I need to rush back quickly."
With a final, desperate glance at Retro, Atlas bolted back through the portal just as it began to close. He barely made it through before the swirling green light vanished, sealing off the gateway.
(Atlas) "I barely made it, Becky."
(Becky) "I know, just in the nick of time too. Now, as we agreed, you will go back home."
(Atlas) "Alright. The cabin is back that way."
Atlas pointed in the direction of the cabin. They started walking, each step heavy with the weight of what had just transpired and the uncertain future that lay ahead.
**Atlas's POV**
As Atlas trudged back towards the cabin, the sky grew darker, and the land seemed to become more desolate. The weight of his recent experiences hung heavily on him. Just as he was lost in thought, a faint, pitiful sound reached his ears.
He followed the noise, weaving through the twisted underbrush until he found the source—a small, shivering figure huddled beneath a fraying blanket. The boy's clothes were in tatters, barely adequate to protect him from the biting cold, and his face was smeared with grime and tears.
Atlas approached silently, his shadow falling over the boy like a specter.
(Atlas) "What happened to you?"
The boy flinched, eyes wide with fear. He attempted to draw back, but his frailty betrayed him, leaving him exposed.
(Boy) "Don't hurt me... please."
(Atlas) "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help. What's your name?"
(Boy) "Nexus."
(Atlas) "Nexus... why are you out here alone?"
Nexus's eyes were hollow, reflecting a deep-seated despair. He looked down, his voice barely a whisper.
(Nexus) "I was abandoned... they left me. I don't know where they are."
Atlas's heart hardened at the boy's suffering. The bleak reality of Nexus's plight cut through the haze of his own troubles. He extended a hand, his voice soft but firm.
(Atlas) "You shouldn't be out here. It's not safe. Come with me."
Nexus hesitated, his fear palpable. With a trembling hand, he reached for the food Atlas offered, his starvation evident.
(Atlas) "I have a cabin nearby. It's not much, but it's a place where you can rest and be safe, at least for now."
Nexus accepted the offer with a faint nod, his hollow eyes betraying a flicker of hope amidst his despair.
As they walked towards the cabin, the sky darkened further, and the cold seemed to close in around them. The cabin loomed in the distance, its dilapidated form barely visible against the encroaching night. The isolation of the land seemed to echo the loneliness of Nexus's situation.
Atlas led him to the cabin, feeling a sense of unease. He knew that this boy's presence was not just a chance encounter but a dark omen of the future to come. The boy's suffering mirrored the desolation Atlas felt within himself, a harbinger of the challenges yet to unfold.
He settled Nexus inside, the flickering light of the cabin's meager fire casting long, distorted shadows on the walls. As the darkness closed in around them, Atlas couldn't shake the feeling that Nexus's presence was a grim reminder of the battles still to come, both for the boy and for himself.
**Retro's POV**
The warmth of the sun against my face felt surreal. I had expected my end to come in the dark void beneath the temple, but here I was, sprawled on a grassy hilltop in an unknown forest. I groaned, trying to piece together how I had survived. The last memory that clung to my mind was that searing pain from being stabbed in the back.
Pushing myself up, I scanned my surroundings. Tall, unfamiliar trees loomed over me, and I could feel the familiar weight of my sword in my hand. "Damn it, kiddo, I gave you the sword because it drains too much mana from me. I still have the gem by my side though. I can't blame him," I muttered to the empty air.
I was alone, lost, with no clear way home. I began to move, letting my aura spread out. It seemed more potent than before, perhaps due to the new gem. When I checked my sword, I saw that the gem had found its place in the hilt slot. How it had ended up there was a mystery to me.
Deciding to test it, I swung the sword above my head and then back to my waist. There was no draining fatigue, no loss of mana. Instead, I felt a surge of power, a regained control. With renewed determination, I pushed forward.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The forest grew colder, and I felt more isolated. I began seeing shadowy figures darting in and out of view, adding to the sense that I was being haunted—or worse, hunted. I endured relentless attacks, and my sense of security eroded with every encounter.
After five months, I stumbled over something in the forest. The object was a dead body, its presence a grim reminder of the dangers lurking around. As I glanced around, the forest felt eerily familiar—it was the same place where I had first met Atlas.
I released my aura to find him, but there was no trace. With no other direction, I made my way towards the house. The chill in the air intensified as night fell, but I pressed on. Eventually, the house came into view.
To my surprise, I saw a small figure outside, playing in the fallen leaves. He looked like a younger version of Atlas, though his fur color was different. When he noticed me, he vanished. I blinked in confusion and felt a sharp pain in my stomach. The kid had punched me—fast and with surprising strength.
As I staggered, I noticed the door to the house was ajar. Before I could react further, something heavy collided with my head. My vision blurred, and I hit the ground with a thud. CT
"Agh, my head," I groaned, looking up to see Atlas standing there, his expression a mix of relief and annoyance.
"Just trying to make sure you don't kill nexus," Atlas said, referencing the kid with the pink scarf who had attacked me.
I looked up at Nexus, who now stood almost at my height. It had been months since I last saw him, and I was stunned to see him now looking like a younger version of himself. The kid, nexus, was also wearing a pink scarf, a peculiar detail that made me question everything.
"What the hell's going on?" I managed to ask, still trying to process the surreal scene before me.
I pushed myself up from the ground, trying to clear the fog from my mind. The shock of being attacked and the confusion of my situation made it hard to think straight. I rubbed my head where the frying pan had struck, still trying to process what had just happened.
Atlas's gaze softened as he saw me struggling, but his concern was clear. "You alright? I didn't expect you to come back so soon."
I glanced around, trying to understand why I had ended up in this place. The house looked familiar, but something was off. The kid with the pink scarf—Dark—had vanished, but he reminded me so much of Atlas.
"Who's the kid?" I asked, still on edge. "He looked just like you, but younger. And why the pink scarf?"
Atlas hesitated for a moment, his expression growing serious. "That's Nexus."
My confusion deepened. "Nexus? But how…?"
Atlas sighed, his face reflecting the weight of unspoken burdens. "Nexus is my adopted son. I haven't told you much about him, but he's important. He's been through a lot, and… it's complicated."
Nexus had punched me with surprising strength and then disappeared. I had barely processed his presence before being knocked out. Now, seeing Atlas in this context, I was more confused than ever.
"I need answers, Atlas," I said firmly. "What's going on with Nexus? Why is he here?"
Atlas's gaze shifted to the horizon, his expression conflicted. "Nexus's story is a long one. He's been through many trials, and it's a story of pain and loss. I brought him here in hopes of giving him a semblance of a normal life, but things haven't been easy."
I looked at Atlas and then back at the house, realizing that there was a lot more I didn't understand. The forest had been my prison for months, but now I had to come to terms with the fact that this place held secrets I had yet to uncover.
"Alright," I said, trying to steady myself. "I'll need to hear everything. But first, I need to make sure I'm not a danger to anyone around here."
Atlas nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Let's get inside and talk. I think it's time you know the full story."
As we headed into the house, I felt the weight of the past few months pressing down on me. I was back, but nothing was as I remembered it. With Atlas and Nexus—-here, I knew that my journey was far from over.