The Fairy of Time (2)

"Huff, huff, huff." Perhaps because I’d been lying down for so long, my physical condition was worse than it had been before I passed out. To recover my stamina, I decided to continue our conversation while I ran. Discovering the lake had been a significant boon, as it allowed me to replenish my supply of fresh water. I no longer had to climb up and down the snowy mountain for every drop, which meant I could focus entirely on my training.

"Fighting!" Chrono was crouched on the altar, her chin resting in her hands, watching me run with a bright, sunny expression. At a glance, her expression almost reminded me of Wilson.

"So, Chrono, you said you were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a fairy of time, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

I might have forgotten or simply not known, but there was definitely no god named Chrono in the original myths. Mythology is passed down through oral tradition, so there are often multiple versions of the same figure or anecdote. Regarding Chronos, the second ruler of the world, there was actually a theory that there was a god with the same name. Could this girl be the basis for that legend?

"Huff, huff. You're the daughter of Chronos?"

"Hmm... I used that expression, but I don't really know what a 'daughter' is."

"You don't know what a daughter is? That means you're the child of Chronos."

"How are children made?" Chrono asked with an innocent face.

Is this a trap? If she were the daughter of the greatest Titan, her mana and authority would be immense. Is she testing me, a mere human, by following the instincts of a god? I won't be fooled.

"It is recorded that they are created by offering prayers at an altar and throwing stones over one's head."

"You really are quite learned." Chrono clapped her hands together. "Sisyphus, you read the books in the underground, didn't you?"

"That thing, you mean."

At the start of the slope, there was a hole I had smashed open. It was the entrance to the hidden underground altar. I had tried to dig further, hoping to see if I could descend deeper, but that space was the end of it. The other areas were protected by magic that caused the earth to fill back in the moment I dug it out.

"You said this prison was created by tearing apart the authority of Chronos."

"Mm-hmm. The authority of time."

"As I suspected. I knew the laws of physics here were strange."

Back when I was deep into studying mathematics, I learned that math is closely linked to physics. While researching calculus, I had even solved something that I suspected was the theory of relativity. I realized that time and space are combined into a single concept. I had speculated on a few ways this prison’s principles—or the way its authority functioned—might work. The theory that made the most sense was that the time in this space was twisted in a deformed way. Like a Möbius strip, perhaps? That was a long time ago, though, and I don't remember any of it now.

"I was born from that authority."

"I don't know much, but isn't authority a property of the mana a god possesses? Chronos should have been killed by Zeus, so how is that possible?"

"I don't know either. But I'm here, aren't I?"

Fair point. Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky, were born from primordial chaos, so why couldn't anything else happen? A new god popping out of time is entirely possible. She did say she was a fairy, not a god. Fairies are just a slightly lower rank, but there isn't much difference between them and gods.

I started doing push-ups.

"Huff, huff. Then were you the one controlling this prison?"

Like the ability to keep respawning the roe deer. Authority is incredible. It achieves miracles that humans could never perform in an instant. Thinking about that, the girl in front of me suddenly seemed quite impressive. Those born with a 'mana spoon' in their mouths are just different.

"You really are a fairy. You came to save me, didn't you?"

Chrono answered, having perched herself on my back at some point.

"No. I'm trapped here, too."

"Useless."

"The right to use the authority belongs to Olympus. That's why I could only watch you all this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time."

I lifted the boulder. It’s gotten much heavier. How many tons is this thing? I started my squats.

"Huuuuff. Then why did you suddenly appear?"

"I told you, Sisyphus."

The voice came from above my head. Chrono, sitting on the boulder, looked down at me and said,

"Because you're amazing."

"What are you talking about?"

Chrono was the type who only said what she wanted to say. She was the kind of person who thought the other party would understand if she just used a few random words. Honestly, it’s annoying to talk to her. Above all, I’m still suspicious about the fact that she’s finally appearing now, even though she’s been watching me silently for thousands of years.

'You have to be suspicious of gods from the start.'

Gods like Thanatos who can actually hold a conversation are rare. Most have ulterior motives or are bound to go off the rails and run wild at some point.

Rumble, rumble. I rolled the boulder up. I headed toward the desert. I desperately needed protein.

"So, does that mean you don't know how to get out of here either?"

Chrono answered while walking backward on top of the boulder.

"It's certain that there's an exit at the summit."

"What? Really?"

"Mm-hmm. I don't know why, but... I just know."

Chrono’s face as she looked back at me didn't look like that of someone telling a lie. We can really get out of here? Without realizing it, strength surged into my arms.

"Eek! I almost fell."

"Who told you to climb up there?"

My pace quickened involuntarily. For all that long time, I wondered if I had been climbing the mountain without even knowing what true hope was. I had assumed that even if I managed to push the boulder to the summit, it would just fall to the other side, and I would be stuck in a cycle of meaningless repetition. We can get out. That certainty alone gave me strength.

"Hey, Chrono, do you want to get out of here too?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What are you going to do once you're out?"

"Hmm... that's a secret."

"Can't you go by yourself?"

Chrono shook her head from side to side.

"There's a scary kid at the summit. They get angry if you don't bring the stone."

"So there's something even you can't touch?"

That wasn't welcome news.

"Mm-hmm. Because I'm not the only one who has authority."

Does that mean there's another fairy like Chrono? This girl never explains things in detail, so there are parts I have to infer.

"You said you'd grant me what I want if we get out of here."

"Do you have something you want?"

Hop. Chrono jumped down and stood beside me.

"Tell me. I'll give you anything I can."

"There's one thing I'm most curious about. Since you have the authority of time, I should ask you."

Now that the possibility of escaping has arisen, there is a fact I must confirm.

"If I get out of here, do I return to the time I was originally from, or what happens?"

If my guess is wrong and thousands of years have really passed outside, my past life in the modern era might have long since vanished, replaced by a cyberpunk or apocalyptic world.

At my question, Chrono smiled brightly.

"Don't worry. Sisyphus will return to the time he was originally from."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm. I swear it on the River Styx."

"Good. I promise, too."

I gripped my hands tight.

"I will definitely reach the summit and escape from here."

"And?"

"I'll go back."

"And?"

"I'll give those gods a piece of my mind."

"Clap, clap, clap. Want to high-five?"

And so, we made our promise.

But no glory could protect one from the fear and pain of death. Skin roasted by lightning, muscles torn by tridents, and invisible enemies stabbing at the throat.

'It hurts.'

Why do they do such painful things? The handsome youths who enjoyed watching their own blood. Their eyes were filled with greed. The strong body of a Titan only served to make the suffering last longer. She experienced the pain of not just her body, but her soul being torn to shreds.

'It hurts, it hurts. Why is the world only full of pain?'

She asked, but no answer returned. No matter how much she screamed into the void, all that returned was the echo of her own voice. For her, who existed only as consciousness through her authority, even screaming was not permitted.

—Crackle...

When she finally opened her eyes again, the scenery she saw was the start of a mountain slope.

'...I think I'm alone.'

The authority separated as Chronos's soul was torn apart became Tartarus. The authority of time was used with nothing but malice, intended for the prisoner who would one day be confined there. Her consciousness, born from that authority, was trapped there, forced to gaze upon a scene that would never change for all eternity.

'...I'm lonely.'

She couldn't just spend her time blankly. The hell where the final scene of her heart being pierced repeated infinitely like a nightmare continued. The knowledge she had viewed through Chronos's perspective was partially inherited along with the fragments of her soul. No matter how much she searched and delved into those tiny scraps,

'Why was I born to suffer?'

There was no answer to that question.

One year passed. Ten years passed. When an eternity had nearly gone by,

"Awoo!!"

A roar echoed through the mountain range where only silence had seemed to flow forever, and she opened her eyes in surprise.

"I really don't want to do this."

The time that had been stopped began to move. The man pushed the boulder up. It rolled down. And he pushed it up again.

Thump, thump.

A feeling she had never felt before began to bloom. No, for her, it was the moment she first realized the existence of emotion.

'Do your best.'

A desire to cheer him on.

'You can do it.'

A desire to watch over him.

She knew better than anyone what pain was. She had experienced suffering for a long time. It must hurt for him, too. But he does not give up. She found herself wanting to watch his every move without missing a single moment.

"Hoo, hoo. Let's rest a bit, Wilson."

The name Wilson. Somehow, it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt like he was calling her, and every time he did, her heart warmed. The man rested his back against the boulder and caught his breath. She—Chrono, the fairy of time—hid quietly inside the boulder where his eyes could not reach, and as she slowly leaned her back against his, she was able to smile for the first time since she was born.