689
Chapter 689
'Why…Why is mother here?'
Zeke, dwelling within Terakan's body, fell into confusion.
At that moment, Chronos took the black-eyed child from her embrace towards the split space.
The child floated and was pulled into the fractured space.
CRACKLE!
Strong plasma currents sparked around the child's body as it tried to cross the split.
Fortunately, a translucent membrane protected the child from the plasma.
The child reached out toward Terakan with pure eyes shining.
Terakan, frozen and unable to move, shouted at Chronos.
"Chronos! Where are you sending my child?!"
Chronos ignored Terakan's cry and focused only on sending the child across the rift.
CRACKLE!
Soon the child, wrapped in a translucent protective barrier, crossed the rift and fell into Laura Agamemnon's arms on the other side.
WAAAH!
The child's cry spread from beyond the rift.
Zeke, who had already left Terakan's body and become a spirit form, blankly stared at Laura Agamemnon and the young child in her arms visible through the rift.
Then he realized the shocking truth that this scene implied.
'That child is... me...?'
He knew Arthur Draker and Laura Agamemnon weren't his biological parents.
He was curious about where his bloodline came from, but without sufficient information, he couldn't find any clues even with the Akashic Code.
But through these past memories, he finally understood where his beginning was.
He placed his hand on his heart.
'Bahamut...was my mother, and my father was…....'
He looked at Terakan who was crying out in front of Chronos.
An immortal who became a mythical figure as the legendary dragon slayer who ended the Liberation War, but ultimately lost his beloved companion and couldn't reveal to his child, Holy King Geo Lubern, that he was his father.
Chronos looked at Terakan and said,
"This is the only way to protect that child."
Terakan, who had been frozen and unable to move, gradually began moving his body and slowly approached Chronos.
He reached out his hand while looking at Laura Agamemnon and the infant Zeke visible through the rift.
WAAAH!
Zeke burst into tears at seeing the stranger.
Then Laura Agamemnon looked at young Zeke in her arms with precious eyes and sang a lullaby in a maternal voice.
Zeke unconsciously shed tears at the sound of the lullaby echoing through the rift in Laura's voice.
Just as infant Zeke was quieting down to that song.
RUMBLE!
Arthur Draker entered the cave holding Caliburn, emanating a threatening aura.
Laura Agamemnon, holding the child in her arms, immediately reached out toward the approaching Arthur Draker upon discovering him.
WHOOSH!
A golden barrier enveloped Laura and infant Zeke.
Just as she tried to disappear into the light with the child.
Arthur Draker snapped his fingers.
BUZZ!
Surprisingly, the golden light surrounding Laura's body scattered at once.
The startled Laura glared at Arthur Draker approaching her and placed the child she was holding into a basket on the altar.
Right after, as she raised her energy, golden currents began flowing from her body.
CRACKLE!
Arthur Draker sneered watching Laura opposing him.
"You intend to face me with that incomplete power?"
Arthur Draker reached his hand toward Laura as he spoke.
Then all the golden currents fluctuating from Laura Agamemnon's body scattered.
Simultaneously, her body floated and followed his gesture, becoming fixed against the wall.
Fixed to the wall in a cross shape by an unknown force, she glared at Arthur Draker and shouted.
"It will never go as you wish!"
At her words, Arthur Draker raised Caliburn and smiled sinisterly.
"A prophet saying she won't prophesy? Well, that's possible."
In that moment, Arthur Draker's eyes turned red like a demon's.
At the same time, the Caliburn he held pierced Laura Agamemnon's heart.
STAB!
Arthur Draker, who had stabbed Laura's heart, spoke to her still maintaining an indifferent attitude.
"But I can't just stand by and watch the prophet fall into another’s hands."
At those words, Laura showed sharp eyes and spoke to Arthur Draker with derision.
"...Arthur Draker. No matter how much you struggle... the wheel of fate will eventually break."
Arthur furrowed his brow at Laura's words.
Then he pulled the sword from her heart in one motion.
THUD!
Laura Agamemnon fell to the ground bleeding.
The scene Zeke had previously seen through Mephistopheles' kaleidoscope continued.
Arthur Draker tried to kill the infant Zeke in the basket, and Laura Agamemnon, even while dying, mentioned the Akashic Code to stop his actions.
Soon Laura Agamemnon's breath ceased and Arthur Draker was seen watching her.
Then Chronos reached out toward the rift.
WHOOSH!
A mysterious light burst forth from her body.
The light crossed the rift and enveloped the fallen Laura Agamemnon.
WHOOSH!
Zeke could see Laura Agamemnon wrapped in light from a different angle than during the kaleidoscope vision.
She was still breathing, looking at Chronos beyond the rift.
Laura Agamemnon met Chronos's eyes with a detached gaze, as if knowing this situation was also part of a predetermined flow of fate.
When Chronos reached out again, Laura Agamemnon enveloped in mysterious light became a mass of light and crossed the rift.
Zeke realized that Laura Agamemnon's disappearance then was due to Chronos's power.
At that moment, Chronos took something out from her embrace.
Seeing this, Zeke couldn't help but be shocked.
'The Elder Dragon's relic?'
Mysterious light swirled around the black dragon statue.
Chronos spoke toward the light.
"Laura, do you truly have no regrets?"
At her words, the light began taking shape as it moved away from the dragon statue.
Soon, the light taking Laura Agamemnon's form spoke to Chronos.
[Lord Chronos, if my choice can break this terrible wheel of fate... that is what I wish to do.]
Chronos continued after Laura Agamemnon's answer.
"It will be a long and difficult wait."
Laura turned her head to look beyond the rift.
Now the rift showed Decker holding the child.
It was the moment Arthur Draker gave the child the name 'Zeke'.
[Zeke... With Lord Chronos’s power, I too glimpsed the future fate that child holds. A rough, difficult, and more painful thorny path than anyone else's awaits that child.]
Golden aura flowed from Laura Agamemnon's body that had become light.
[I want to become a guide showing the way for Zeke, who was born with the fate of a savior.]
Chronos nodded at Laura Agamemnon's words.
She was unknowingly shedding tears at Laura's noble sacrifice.
Soon Chronos held out the Elder Dragon's relic toward Laura Agamemnon who had become light.
Then Laura Agamemnon's form changed back into bright light and was drawn into the Elder Dragon's relic.
WHOOSH!
With a strong vibration, the light merged with the black dragon statue.
Seeing this, Zeke instinctively shouted despite being in spirit form.
"No!"
Laura had sacrificed everything to save the cursed Agamemnon family.
Now she chose another sacrifice for Zeke's life.
Since this was already past memory, Zeke's cry scattered meaninglessly.
When the golden light had all seeped into the Elder Dragon's relic, messages appeared before Zeke's eyes.
[The broken Kabbalah System's core is replaced with a noble soul.]
[The Kabbalah System's operating system is being updated.]
[System 'Laura' is activating.]
Zeke's eyes widened seeing the message.
'System Laura?'
Zeke blankly stared at the system message appearing before him.
He had only thought of it as part of the Kabbalah System until now.
Many of Zeke's numerous choices until now were directions created by quests presented by the system.
He realized that many choices he had simply thought were system arrangements and coincidences were actually help from Laura Agamemnon, who sacrificed her soul to become part of the system.
"...Mother."
Though not his birth mother, Laura Agamemnon had been helping him since he obtained the Elder Dragon's relic and opened the Kabbalah System.
Realizing this fact, Zeke unknowingly shed tears.
Though they had barely crossed paths in the past, Zeke held dear feelings considering her his mother.
Although he learned she wasn't his birth mother, he couldn't contain his explosive emotions upon learning that Laura Agamemnon had waited for him for over a thousand years and became his guardian spirit.
Meanwhile, Terakan, who had approached right in front of Chronos, cried out to her.
"Chronos!What have you done with my child?!"
Laura Agamemnon's soul had settled in the Elder Dragon's relic as Chronos turned to Terakan.
She looked down at him and said.
"That child is the future savior, and the only hope to break the wheel of fate."
Terakan released killing intent and shouted.
"Chronos! Not content with using me and Bahamut, now you try to fit the child into your prophecies?! I don't need saviors or fate! I only asked you to keep that child safe! How could you...!"
Terakan drew Zahak, enraged enough to strike Chronos down.
Chronos looked at the murderous Terakan with eyes of pity.
"The time has come. Terakan, Immortal of Misfortune. The child of salvation will appear before you again. Prepare for that time. Prepare to fully awaken Bahamut's power dwelling in the child."
With those words, Chronos's body began turning into bright light.
WHOOSH!
Chronos, now a mass of silver light, seeped into the black dragon statue like Laura Agamemnon.
Terakan shouted at Chronos.
"Chronos! Don't run away! Give me back my child! Chronos!"
But Terakan's words didn't reach Chronos.
Soon the silver light completely merged with the black dragon statue. At that moment, messages appeared before Zeke's eyes again.
[Time watcher Chronos's soul is absorbed into the Kabbalah System.]
[The Time Dragon's soul reacts with the Three Divine Artifacts' power to recreate the Chaos God's power.]
[The recreated primordial power 'Reset' combines with the Elder Dragon's power Promised Power.]
[All conditions for activating the power Irrevocable Promised Power have been met.]
WHOOSH!
With a strong vibration, the dragon statue emitted light and disappeared somewhere.
Simultaneously, the rift connecting across a thousand years closed, leaving Terakan alone in the clock tower.
Left alone, Terakan collapsed to his knees on the altar.
Looking desolate after losing everything, Terakan appeared haggard and tired just as in the Ark's footage.
Spirit-form Zeke watched Terakan.
His real father he had long searched for.
The hero from a thousand years ago, Terakan Draker, no, Siegfried Draker who shared his name was his real father.
Spirit form Zeke slowly approached the despairing Terakan.
But in this place made of memories, there was nothing Zeke could do for the frustrated Terakan.
But then.
"...I never knew I would meet you like this across a thousand years."
At that voice, Zeke looked up.
In the distance, the bandage-wrapped Watcher appeared.
With the despairing Terakan between them, Zeke and the Watcher faced each other.
Looking at Terakan who became a Watcher bound to the Final Tower, Zeke slowly spoke.
"Why did you make this choice? You still had the Holy King, Geo Lubern, but you didn't reveal yourself to him... why…?"
"I tried to find you."
He looked at Zeke with shining eyes and continued.
"To find my lost son, I chose to be bound to the tower."