The first fracture hung above a sea that held no water.
Aelion and Lyra stood at the edge of a precipice.
Below them stretched a bottomless void.
Dozens of islands floated in the darkness.
Some held forests.
Some held cities.
Some were nothing more than ruins.
Yet all of them were slowly moving toward the center of the void.
Aelion stared at the sight.
"Is this one of the worlds?"
Lyra nodded.
"Looks like it."
"More precisely..."
A voice came from behind them.
"...one of the possibilities."
Aelion spun around.
There was no one there.
The voice sounded again.
"Every island is a world that once existed."
Aelion scanned his surroundings.
"Who are you?"
"I have no name."
"Everyone has a name."
"Those who are still alive, perhaps."
Mist appeared.
An old man in white emerged from within it.
He carried a staff.
His face was covered in wrinkles.
Yet his eyes shone like stars.
Lyra raised her sword.
The old man smiled.
"Easy."
"Who are you?" Aelion asked.
"The Guardian of the First Gate."
Aelion studied his staff.
"Where is the time shard?"
The old man laughed.
"Straight to the point."
"We don't have much time."
"True."
He looked up at the sky.
"Twenty-six days."
Aelion nodded.
"Then show us the way."
The old man didn't move.
"Why should I help you?"
"Because if this world collapses..."
Aelion pointed at the void.
"...the other worlds will be affected too."
The guardian shook his head.
"That's not the reason."
Aelion fell silent.
"Then what is?"
The guardian looked at Lyra.
"Because at last, the first witness has returned."
Lyra froze.
Aelion stepped in front of her.
"Don't call her that."
The guardian smiled.
"Still the same."
"What?"
"Always protecting her."
Aelion didn't answer.
The guardian pointed at one of the islands.
"The first shard is there."
Aelion looked at it.
A small kingdom stood atop the island.
A white palace.
Tall towers.
And thousands of people.
Yet all of them...
were silent.
They didn't move.
They didn't breathe.
As though time had stopped.
"What happened?"
"That kingdom is trapped in a single second."
"How long has it been?"
"Four thousand years."
Lyra stared in shock.
"Four thousand years?"
The guardian nodded.
"And for them..."
He smiled.
"...not even a second has passed."
Aelion and Lyra leaped toward the island.
The moment their feet touched the ground...
A bell rang.
DONG.
The entire kingdom moved.
A merchant dropped an apple.
A child ran past.
Horses pulled a cart.
People talked.
Not one of them realized that four thousand years had passed.
Aelion looked at the sun.
"This place hasn't experienced time."
Lyra pointed to the sundial in the middle of the city.
Its shadow hadn't moved.
"How is that possible?"
Aelion answered:
"The time shard is holding this entire region in place."
They walked toward the palace.
A guard blocked their path.
"Stop!"
Aelion looked at him.
"Who's the king here?"
"King Eldrion."
"Take us to him."
The guard raised his spear.
"Why?"
"We're looking for something."
"This kingdom doesn't accept outsiders."
Aelion was about to speak.
But Lyra spoke first.
"We're looking for the object that stopped your time."
The guard immediately went pale.
"Never mention it."
"Why not?"
"Because that..."
The guard glanced toward the palace.
"...is the reason this kingdom is still alive."
They were brought to the palace.
King Eldrion sat on his throne.
He looked about thirty years old.
Not a day older.
He looked at Aelion.
Then Lyra.
"So you've come to take it."
Aelion nodded.
"Yes."
"If the shard leaves, time will return."
"That's right."
"And everyone in this kingdom will die."
Aelion fell silent.
"Why?"
"Because they should have died four thousand years ago."
Lyra looked at the king.
"So you're alive because time stopped?"
"Yes."
"And if time starts moving again?"
The king smiled.
"We'll become what we were meant to be."
Aelion understood.
"Dust."
The king nodded.
"Dust."
Lyra looked at Aelion.
"We can't just take it."
Aelion realized it too.
But before he could speak...
The king stood.
"But I will give it to you."
Aelion was startled.
"Why?"
"Because this kingdom has lived in a single second for far too long."
The king walked closer.
"Four thousand years without change."
He looked out at his people from the balcony.
"Children never grow up."
"The elderly never die."
"Plants never wither."
"Water never evaporates."
"And the human heart..."
The king fell silent.
"...never truly lives."
Aelion stared at him.
"You want to end it all."
"Yes."
Lyra asked:
"Including yourself?"
The king smiled.
"Especially myself."
They were taken to the underground chamber.
A crystal stood there.
It was as large as a human body.
Golden light swirled inside it.
Aelion immediately felt the pressure.
The time shard.
The First Pillar.
He reached out his hand.
But just as his fingers were about to touch the crystal...
A little girl ran into the room.
"Father!"
The king turned around.
The girl hugged him.
"Are you leaving, Father?"
The king knelt down.
"No."
"Why does everyone keep saying you're going to leave?"
The king smiled.
"Because I have to go."
"Where?"
The king didn't answer.
The girl began to cry.
"I don't want you to."
Aelion watched them.
Then he looked at the crystal.
He understood something.
"How old is your daughter?"
The king answered:
"Eight."
"Since when?"
The king looked at his daughter.
"Four thousand years ago."
Aelion fell silent.
The girl had never grown up.
Never changed.
Never had the chance to become an adult.
Lyra crouched in front of her.
"What's your name?"
"Elena."
"It's nice to meet you."
Elena looked at her.
"Are you going to take my father away?"
Lyra fell silent.
Aelion answered:
"Yes."
Elena clutched her father's hand.
"Don't."
The king closed his eyes.
"I have to."
Aelion looked at the crystal.
"If this shard is taken..."
The king nodded.
"The kingdom will return to normal time."
"And you?"
"We'll die."
Aelion asked:
"Is there any way to save you?"
The king smiled.
"You're just like him."
"Who?"
"Yourself."
Aelion fell silent.
"Every Aelion always asks the same question."
"And the answer?"
"There isn't one."
Aelion looked at Elena.
The girl was still holding her father's hand.
For the first time since arriving in the first world...
Aelion hesitated.
Night fell.
They didn't sleep.
Aelion stood on the palace balcony.
Lyra arrived carrying two cups.
"Drink."
Aelion accepted one.
"What's this?"
"Tea."
"I'm not sure this is safe."
Lyra smiled.
"If it's poisoned, at least we'll die together."
Aelion laughed.
They stood side by side.
"What if you were that king?"
Aelion asked.
Lyra looked at him.
"I don't know."
"If you had to choose?"
"I might do the same thing."
"Why?"
"Because a life without change isn't a life."
Aelion nodded.
Lyra looked at him.
"Why are you asking?"
"I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
Aelion was silent.
Then he said:
"Afraid that one day I'll become like him."
Lyra frowned.
"Like who?"
"Someone willing to sacrifice himself for the world."
Lyra smiled.
"Isn't that what you're doing?"
Aelion looked at her.
"Yes."
"Then you already are like him."
Aelion let out a quiet laugh.
Lyra took his hand.
"But there's one difference."
"What?"
"I'm still here."
Aelion fell silent.
"So don't make every decision on your own."
Aelion looked at her.
"Okay."
Midnight.
Aelion woke up.
He sensed something.
Magic.
Not from the palace.
From outside.
He went out.
The sky turned black.
The time shard began to shine.
Then a voice rang out.
"Aelion."
Aelion raised his sword.
"Come out."
A shadow appeared above the palace.
The figure they had encountered before.
The first Aelion who had changed.
His body was covered in black cracks.
He smiled.
"You're too slow."
Aelion attacked.
The figure vanished.
It reappeared behind Lyra.
Aelion immediately stepped in front of her.
BOOM!
The attack slammed into Aelion.
His body went flying.
Lyra screamed.
"Aelion!"
He got back to his feet.
"That was close."
The figure laughed.
"I didn't come to kill you."
"Then what do you want?"
"The shard."
Aelion raised his sword.
"You won't get it."
"I don't need it."
The figure looked at Elena.
"She'll give it to me."
Aelion froze.
"Don't."
The figure raised a hand.
Black shadows engulfed Elena.
King Eldrion shouted.
"NO!"
Elena began to disappear.
"FATHER!"
The king ran toward her.
But he was too late.
Aelion used magic.
Moon Step.
He appeared in front of Elena.
His sword slashed through the shadows.
SHING!
The shadows were severed.
Elena fell.
Aelion caught her.
But the figure was already standing in front of the crystal.
Its hand touched the time shard.
Aelion shouted:
"Don't!"
The figure smiled.
"Too late."
The crystal cracked.
KRAAAK!
The entire kingdom trembled.
Time began to move.
Elena's hair began to grow.
The king's face changed.
Wrinkles appeared.
The soldiers began to age.
Buildings collapsed.
Four thousand years returned in a single second.
Elena cried.
"Father..."
The king ran to her.
His body had already grown old.
Yet he was still smiling.
"I'm sorry."
Elena held his face.
"Don't go, Father."
"It's time."
"No!"
The king hugged her.
Aelion stood several yards away from them.
He couldn't move.
The king looked at him.
"Take it."
Aelion looked at the crystal.
"If I take it..."
"We'll die."
"Yes."
"Don't hesitate."
Aelion gripped the crystal.
Light flowed into his hand.
BOOM!
The first shard was absorbed.
At the same time...
The entire kingdom turned to dust.
Elena closed her eyes in her father's arms.
Their bodies disappeared.
Aelion lowered his head.
There was no sound.
No life.
Only dust blowing in the wind.
Lyra stood beside him.
Aelion looked at his hand.
The time shard revolved in his palm.
One of seven.
Yet the victory felt like a defeat.
The black figure stood in the distance.
Aelion looked at him.
"You did that on purpose."
"Yes."
"You made me take it."
"Because you never would have done it while they were still alive."
Aelion clenched his fist.
"You made them victims."
"No."
The figure smiled.
"You made the choice."
Aelion fell silent.
The words cut deeper than any attack.
The figure vanished.
But before it left...
it said:
"Every shard will require a sacrifice."
"How many?"
"Six."
Aelion closed his eyes.
Six worlds.
Six sacrifices.
Six choices.
And every choice would bring him closer to becoming the monster he hated.
They returned to the Guardian of the First Gate.
The old man was still standing there.
But now his face had changed.
He looked older.
"Why didn't you help us?"
Aelion asked.
The guardian answered:
"Because I'm not allowed to."
"Why?"
"A guardian only shows the door."
"Who decides who dies?"
The guardian looked at Aelion.
"You do."
Aelion shook his head.
"I hate that answer."
"I know."
The guardian raised his hand.
A path opened.
"The next six worlds."
Aelion looked at them.
One world was covered in snow.
One world was burning.
One world was covered by the sea.
One world had no humans.
One world was inhabited entirely by shadows.
And one world...
was hauntingly familiar.
Aelion froze.
"The last one."
The guardian nodded.
"What is it?"
"The Kingdom of Lunaris."
Lyra immediately looked at Aelion.
"That's..."
"Yes."
Aelion stared at that world.
Lunaris Palace.
Moonveil Forest.
Mount Vael.
Everything was there.
But there was one difference.
In that world...
Lyra stood on the palace balcony.
Waiting for someone.
Aelion stared at her.
"She..."
The guardian said:
"A version of her who never lost her memories."
Lyra fell silent.
Aelion squeezed her hand.
"We're not going there."
The guardian smiled.
"You don't have a choice."
"Why not?"
"Because the second shard is there."
Aelion stared at that world.
And for the first time...
he was afraid to see a possible life of his own.
In the distance, a shadow stood atop the ruins.
The first Aelion.
He looked at them.
"One shard has been taken."
Another voice answered from behind him.
"And he's beginning to change."
The first Aelion smiled.
"How many more?"
"Six."
"And after that?"
The voice laughed.
"He'll have all the power he needs to save two worlds."
The first Aelion looked at his hand.
"But he won't have a reason to save her."
Aelion and Lyra stood before the gate to the second world.
Aelion held Lyra's hand.
"If I change later..."
Lyra cut him off.
"I'll remind you."
"What if I forget?"
"I'll remember for you."
"What if everyone forgets me?"
Lyra looked into his eyes.
"I won't."
Aelion smiled.
"Don't promise something you might not be able to keep."
Lyra stepped closer.
"I'm not making a promise."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I'm making a choice."
Aelion fell silent.
Lyra opened the gate.
Light engulfed them.
Before stepping through, Aelion saw words appear in the air.
DAY 5 OF 30.
Then another sentence appeared beneath them.
ONE WORLD HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM TIME.
Aelion looked at Lyra.
"Ready?"
Lyra nodded.
"Always."
They entered the second world.
But the moment the gate closed...
A woman's voice came from the darkness behind them.
A voice Aelion knew all too well.
Lyra's voice.
"Aelion..."
He stopped.
The Lyra beside him fell silent too.
The voice sounded again.
"If you truly love me..."
Aelion looked ahead.
A woman's figure appeared in the snow.
Her face was exactly the same as Lyra's.
But her eyes were filled with hatred.
"...kill the Lyra who's with you."
Aelion froze.
Lyra gripped his hand.
And in the sky...
DAY 6 OF 30.
To be continued.