Hello everyone. This is a novel I started recently based on the game. The People of Time. And yes, I haven't been able to play lately due to this. Please tell me what you think about it. I haven't worked out all the loopholes in the plot yet so if anyone's willing to help, especially the veterans, I'd appreciate it very much. Enjoy.
Chapter 1
The Chronicler and the Chord
And everything was completely devoured by the darkness. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything, feel anything. I felt a cold breeze brush my face. It was a gentle soothing gale. The wind tasted like pineapples and ice cream on a hot summer day. I remembered everything.
I could feel someone tugging at the hem of my sleeve. I raised my head, my eyes feeling as though they had been glued shut for a year. I couldn't make anything out as everything was in a complete haze. For a moment, I had trouble even remembering my own name. My ears also didn't feel too eager to work, but I could hear faint screeching noises which sounded a lot like metal bars being dragged along the marble stone floor. When my vision finally began to clear, I realized we were in a class room, a well lit rectangular room with a table at the far end and rows of old-fashioned wooden armchairs rising in levels. People were packing their bags and chatting merrily all around me. I figured I must’ve slept through Professor Claire’s lesson.
“Thanks,” I muttered sleepily, rubbing the tears off my left eye. Apparently, I was awoken by a girl with long blonde hair and, well, my eyes were still not functioning at full capacity so that’s pretty much the only thing I could see at the moment. I don’t think she heard me though. She was heading to the exit long before I could say another word; not that she would've missed out on anything of course. After all, it wasn't like I was someone special.
If there was one thing special about me, it would only be the hideous gash-like feature on my face had been so well renowned for. My birthmark, if you may. It was black, with the appearance of a scar being ripped from all sides, running from a little above my left eyebrow down to the bottom of my left cheek. It really just looks like a badly drawn map, but from everyone else’s point of view, I guess it looked closer to a disgusting disease that was quickly spreading throughout my face. I wasn't like the other kids, and that’s likely why the other kids didn't like me.
I didn't grow up knowing my parents. As far back as I can remember, I've just been living with a woman I refer to as my mother. She said she used to be friends with my real mom. However, when the war between the lands of <<Time>> and <<Darkness>> broke out several years ago, <<Death>> was forced to choose sides despite its intention to remain neutral. My parents tried to stop the warring sides, but died in the end. I never saw them once.
I was handed over and made to live my life here, as a <<Chronicler>> in the land of <<Time>>. Even though I possess <<Time Quanta>>, the natural energy embodied in “time”, no one seems to be quite convinced thanks to that one huge black spot on my face. People say it may have been the result of some <<Darkness Quanta>> lodging itself into me. Honestly, I myself don’t have the slightest clue as to what this could be.
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I walked past the golden armor statues lining the hall, peering down my schedule and probably muttering things to myself along the way. There were a lot of other students bustling over the crowd, some running wildly, winding through even the smallest gaps they could see, and some walking with a pace and face that said school was the last place they’d ever want to be in. It was still the first days of the academy, but most of them already knew someone and were going in pairs or groups of three. I was the only odd one out.
According to the list, I was free for one hour and a half, an awful lot of time for eating lunch. I made my way to the front oak doors, where the two giant statues of Pythagoras and Euclid towered on either side, both holding a quill on one hand and a book on the other. Right above hovered the symbol for infinity, a mobius band, deep piercing red, enclosed in what looked like a ball of golden light. The <<Mark of Time>>. I always thought this just looked like the figure “8” lying horizontally.
A pathway stretched out into the main gate, winding in a circle halfway through, cutting down and separating into two the wide grass lawn where a number of stone benches and tables stood. I looked around, wondering if someone else d doesn't have a class to go to at this hour. It had only been a few days since the start of school, so I suspected most of the students would be a little more than happy to skip a few classes. To my surprise however, there was barely anyone at all. I proceeded to sit on one of the benches. I didn't feel like eating at the cafeteria, but not because of the food. It’s just that I’d be sitting by myself there as well.
I took out a small lunch box and took off the lid to find two sandwiches lying inside. The wind blew gently over my shoulder as I began eating my lunch. The <<Sundial>> at the center of the circular pathway, a bright yellow arc shaped like a crescent moon suspended in thin air, with a chain hanging down through three blue spherical balls in decreasing size, showed that I finished in less than ten minutes. A hundred more minutes to go before my next class. I should tell you something. I really wasn't the type of guy who loved waiting. I’m not sure if you’ll understand or not, but the more I wait for something, the longer time seems to stretch. It’s like the only adrenaline rush I ever get are those in times of waiting, and the thought of doing nothing for more than one hour is enough to send my fingers into hyper drive. It’s torture I tell you.
I wheeled around, searching for the slightest thing that might keep me from an hour’s worth of boredom. My eyes darted from a couple of older students snuggling under a tree, to a girl flying over the Forest, to a girl in a black cloak, sitting by herself with her back to me, to a guy wait, did I just say a girl flying? I mean she had wings and all, but sure enough, when I looked back at the direction of the woods, she wasn't flying anymore. I could still see her through the leaves though, sitting on a high branch with little bits of white which I suspect are her wings.
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I think I remember the headmaster saying that the <<Forest of Reminiscence>> was temporarily out of bounds for God knows what reason. I had an urge to go there and tell the human butterfly danger may be lurking in the forest. Thinking that I’ve got nothing better to do anyway, I slipped my bag across my shoulders and began running the length of the field. It really doesn't look that far but <<Time>> is quite a playful element. By the time I reached the edge of the forest I was almost out of breath.
Panting heavily from the sprint, I strained my eyes for any sign of the girl, but it seems I've already lost her. Now I know what you’re thinking. I probably shouldn't have come here at all. I should just go back and tell no one of this incident. After all, my almost out of bounds wandering may very well lead me into big trouble. What’s more, everything I saw may have been my imagination. Yeah, the sun was probably just playing tricks on me. And what if it wasn't? Well, she flies, doesn't she? If a mad flaming raccoon suddenly jumped out of nowhere, she could easily flutter away to safety. That said, I have no business here whatsoever.
I should just gone back, but something caught my attention and honestly, I wasn't able to resist. It was normal for the view under a forest to be a little dim as the canopy of leaves blocks most of the sunlight, but was it normal for it to be dark? It wasn't like “night” dark, but the forest seemed to lose color as it grew deeper. It was a weird sight. I could see the nearby trees on either side of me in their normal reddish brown color, but as they went on, they began to turn gray, kind of like those old black and white movies, until the farthest end looked like a tiny black slit that was carved through space.
My curiosity unfortunately took the better of me, and before I knew it, I found myself trotting inside the forest. I even completely forgot about the flying girl and was focused only on what the slit of darkness was. As I kept walking, I began to notice something unusual. The darkness never came. I thought it was something in a fixed location, that it would grow larger and larger as I trudged onward or something, but it didn't. It was like my whole body was the source of light, of color, and everything I was close to gained color while those far away from me slowly lost theirs.
I was fully convinced there was nothing interesting about the forest, until I turned around in resign, ready to go back, and saw the thing that made my heart leap. I could sworn I've been walking for atleast five minutes already, but there was light just up ahead as though I hadn't traveled more than a twenty meters. And perhaps it would have been for the best if the situation was what I thought it was, that it just so happened that nobody can enter the forest. It’s forbidden. You’ll just keep walking on and on towards a black spot you’ll never reach, as though in an inescapable trance, when in reality you’re barely even moving, and only when you turn around will you realize that you've been stuck in the same square. How I wish that was the case, but unfortunately, there’s a lot more to the forest than meets the eye.
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As I made my way back, I noticed something peculiar. Where there should've been a wide field of grass and the view of the school’s main gate, there were only trees. More trees. My stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. I ran as fast as I could, the rustling of leaves heavy on my ears, and found myself at a huge circular clearing which seemed like the only area unoccupied by trees. Definitely not the way out, I thought. My head was racing now. Was I lost? I was clearly lost. This was obviously not a normal forest, and I can’t believe I was stupid enough to actually come here in the first place, completely unaware of the possible dangers I just told myself I’d get into.
Trying hard not to panic, I rummaged through my stuff for anything I could use. I guess I wasn't trying hard enough, as the best I could probably get out of my backpack was a pair of worn out scissors. I tried to sit on the ground, which I noticed was actually sand, and calm myself down for a moment.
By the looks of things, I am currently at the very heart of the forest. Was it possible for the forest to reverse directions? That currently seemed to be the most plausible theory, I thought. If the forest did disorient me and switch north and south without me realizing, then maybe all I have to do is go back the way I came. However, now that I think about it, this forest doesn't seem like a forest at all. Sure, there were lots of trees, a little too much if you ask me, but I don’t think I've seen any animals out here yet. No birds, no nothing. It was just way too deserted to be called a forest.
I looked up at the sky and sighed. I wondered why this place was called the <<Forest of Reminiscence>>. A small breeze ruffled across the cloud of leaves, sending a few to rain down upon me along the way. I felt like I could almost forget all my problems and live here forever. It was so peaceful and the air itself made me feel quite at home. A familiarly beautiful woman patted me on the shoulder. Her hand was soft and warm, like a blanket especially woven for the Gods. I looked up. I remembered how she used to tell me stories and sing me to sleep as I gazed into those deep brown eyes. Even from that distance, I could smell the scent of her naturally wavy hair. Mom threw me a smile, and handed me a tray of cookies and a warm glass of milk.
I could feel something rubbing down the length of my back. I turned around to find a fox-like creature staring longingly at me. I patted its head. It had long rabbit ears and milk white fur, with two round eyes a deep blue color. Its nine furry tails, each almost as long as its entire body, wrapped fervently around my arm. I tried to move them off and stroke the underside of the creature’s chin.
It felt so… nostalgic. I gazed around, at the dark ebony windows lining the ivory white walls, the aging grandfather clock mom had dusted so often, and the multitude of miniature hourglasses sitting on an old wooden shelf. She took me by the hand and helped me stand up. She led me to the front door, a shiny tint of scarlet. I saw us there, the slightly blurred reflection of a middle aged woman and a messy five-year-old boy with ink on his face. She opened it and together, we walked outside into the blinding sunlight.
I opened my eyes. The house had disappeared, and for a moment I thought I had lost my mind, until I remembered I was in an out-of-bounds forest and the reality of everything came flooding back inside my head.
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My body went frozen for half a second. Someone was holding my hand. I turned to look at who it was, and found to my astonishment a girl with her head slightly inclined and giving me a bewildered look. I could tell by the uniform she was also a student at the academy. She was beautiful, electric blue eyes, flawless white skin and long flowing blonde hair, but the most interesting feature was the pair of white, feathery wings subtly attached to her back. They didn't look anything like butterfly wings. They were bird wings.
My mouth instantly went dry. I s would've said something more polite, like “Who are you?”, or atleast something that made sense, but instead I said “Are you an angel?”. I couldn't see my face but if I did, it probably looked ridiculous as she held her hand to her mouth and stifled a hearty laugh. She actually laughed a lot longer than I expected. When she was done, she raised her hand as though trying to reach for something I couldn't see, still trying hard to keep herself from giggling. Then, a light cerulean flute with wavy lemon yellow carvings began to materialize out of thin air. As she began playing soft notes on it, her angelic wings disappeared with the wind.
“<<Wings>>,” she said, holding out the flute for me to see. “I’m actually a <<Chord>>.”
For a second, I thought she said cord. “Ummm, excuse me?”
“Oh sorry. I guess most of the starting <<Chroniclers>> wouldn't be familiar with it yet. <<Chords>> are people affiliated with the element <<Air>>. The thing you saw earlier, <<Wings>>, is actually one of the most famous shield artifacts of <<Air>>, although I just use it mostly for flying long distances.”
Yeah, that definitely doesn't look anywhere near a shield at all, I thought to myself. “Wait, what were you doing here in the forest?”
“Nothing,” she said, twiddling her two forefingers together. Women and their secrets, am I right? “Just gliding around. I should really be the one asking that question, you know. Why were you here, charging head first into the heart of the forest?”
“Well,” I stuttered. “I- I was actually looking for you. I didn't expect to get lost in the woods. I just got worried when I saw someone hovering over the trees. Since I didn't have lessons for another hour, I figured I’d come to warn you.”
For a moment, I thought I saw a slight twinkle in her eyes. Then she resumed in a sermonic manner, “Well, that doesn't change the fact that this place is forbidden among students. It’s not called the <<Forest of Reminiscence>> for nothing, you know.”
“Yeahhh, about that. What exactly is this place?”
“Well,” she said. “It’s designed to relive your memories, depending on the situation.” She spared me a sideways glance and I could tell from her eyes she wanted very much to hear about the things I saw earlier. I quickly looked away.
“So,” I started, trying to change the topic of the conversation. “What’s a <<Chord>> doing here at a school in the land of <<Time>>?”
“Oh, didn't I tell you? I’m actually a <<Half-Blood>>.”
“Excuse me?”
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“A <<Half-Blood>>. They’re people who possess more than one elemental alignment.”
“Woah, so people like that actually exist?”
“Yes. I happen to be affiliated with both <<Time>> and <<Air>>, so I guess you’d call me something along the lines of <<Chord Chronicler>>.”
“Well, okay… So how do we get out of here?”
She looked at me, one brow raised and a weak smile as though the answer should’ve been obvious from the start. She closed her eyes and blew a long, sharp note on her flute. Suddenly, the wind dissolved into a pair of white angel wings, her so called <<Wings>> shield. The flute then disappeared and she held out her hand.
I didn't know what to do at first. I grabbed her hand and just like that, a feeling of extreme lightness spread over me. I was lighter than a feather. It felt like I would float upwards to the stratosphere if I didn't force myself down.
With one flap of her wings, we were off the ground and soaring into the endless blue sky. I could feel her warm hand on mine, and the cold wind on my face. Down below, the <<Forest of Reminiscence>> looked like moss lying on the surface of a seaside boulder.
“By the way,” I called out over the rushing wind. “What’s your name?”
“Heather,” she answered. “You?”
“Synth.”
“What?”
“Synth. I know. It’s a weird name. I have absolutely no idea where in the world my mom got that.”
We landed a short distance away from the edge of the forest. At the far end I could see the school building just right where it should be. A sense of relief ran through my body.
“Ummm, don’t you have any more classes to go to, Synth?”
“Yeah, but it’s still---“
My mouth fell open. When I turned to look at my watch, it was already 12:58. “What time is it?” I frantically asked, hoping that my watch had just decided to malfunction on its own. My prayers were in vain though.
“It’s 12:59 on mine,” she replied, glancing over a pink wristwatch on her left arm.
“What! That’s impossible!”
But she just gave me a pitying look that told me we two were on completely different levels of intelligence.
“What?”
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“I know I should told you this earlier," she sighed, clapping her hand to her head as though unsure how to teach a child why he can't eat rocks. "Time flows differently inside the <<Forest of Reminiscence>>. What you think was half an hour may have been actually five. These setbacks usually happen without you knowing and can be quite severe, especially when the forest starts playing a part of your memories. Are you telling me you went to the forest without knowing this?” she asked in incredulity.
“Uhh, no.”
She stifled another laugh.
“Hey, it’s not like I can fly too you know. Anyway, I have to go. Professor Skinner would go mouth rifle on me again if I came late to <<Composite Archaeology >>.”
“Bye!” she called out as I left running for dear life. I can’t believe how narrowly I dodged this bullet. My first week at school is already this problematic, but I should be thankful for it. For there were far more troubles ahead of me, each one more treacherous than the last. If only I knew. I looked back, but the girl was already gone, probably circling around the forest as she had been doing so earlier.
As I made my way back, I couldn't help but think that her face looked oddly familiar.
