Time Holders: The World of Balance

A dream...

Aldrus relaxed and sat on his bed, still tangled in drenched sheets.

He had dreamt about a girl. She was stunning, but he couldn’t remember her face, her voice or her name. The only thing remaining in his memory was absolute terror. He was convinced it was a nightmare of some kind, even if he couldn’t recall its end.

Ahh, crap...

Shaking his head, he stood up and took off his clothes.

After a short morning shower, he found himself looking outside the large window of his new apartment.

Having to leave this place just days after moving here... What a shame.

The fresh breeze took away the remaining sleepiness of his body as he inhaled deeply and enjoyed the view of the city below. Somehow, it made him feel better.

In all honesty, these past few days had not been kind to him. He felt a bit anxious.

Leaving his mother and siblings behind so suddenly wasn’t easy, no matter how much he tried to hide his feelings.

It seemed like only those unfortunate who ended up becoming Holders were the ones to enjoy the privileges the government offered, such as his new apartment. However, it really wasn’t worth it if it meant leaving the most precious things behind.

...

Some time later, Aldrus cooked a quick breakfast and enjoyed a cup of tea in the living room, reading about the latest trending topics on his phone.

[It’s that time of the year! The recruiting process for the new generation of Holders has already ended—Rowy’s Academy’s special training program will begin this December! We will keep close watch over the new heroes—

[—Which new faces will surprise us this time? How many of them will be in the main group? We can’t wait to find out! Stay tuned everyone, we might get some real value this generation.]

He scoffed and took a sip from his cup.

”Yuck, it’s cold!”

It was the end of November, and even though the southern region of the continent was always cold, at that time of the year things got even more annoying than usual.

People became ovely excited and gathered together to watch the introduction of the new generation of Time Holders.

The streets froze and subways filled to the utmost limit. Yet somehow, the atmosphere remained as cheerful as the rest of the year!

Those lunatics really get fired up over anything, huh.

Well, it wasn’t like they were really out of their minds or something. The special training program of the academy had always been a major event celebrated and streamed to every corner of the nation.

”What’s the big deal about it anyway?” He mumbled, faking little interest as he wrapped his hands around the cup. A few seconds later, a pleasant herbal smell filled his senses, and the hot, humid touch of steam reached his face. Then, he took another sip and smiled with pride.

His face froze in place for a few moments.

”...Now it’s too damn hot.”

***

Sitting on the couch, Aldrus picked up his phone, typed something on it, and took it to his ear.

”Hello?” Someone picked up on the other side of the line, her voice was as sweet as tea.

He smiled.

”Hi, Mom. Sorry to bother you, this is my new number, you know... With the academy and all.”

”Aldrus! My boy, why didn’t you call earlier? We’ve been dead worried!”

Already getting scolded...

He frowned and replied, ”Yes, sorry about that. I’ve been... uh... busy?”

”You’ve always been terrible at lying, you know that? Tell me the truth, how are you doing really?”

Sigh.

”I’m okay... Everything’s fine, really. Just getting ready for Monday, I have a lot on my mind right now. More importantly, how are those two?”

”They are excited to see their big brother on TV, Lugh can’t stop asking about you... Claire is keeping him at bay for now, she keeps making up different stories for him.”

She hesitated for a moment, and then added, ”They miss you, you know...”

He felt his guts squeezing, and uncomfortably scratched his hand with the other, laying his phone to rest on his shoulder.

She continued, ”Son, please... Tell me what happened. Please tell your mother how you got it...” A faint crack could be heard in her voice.

He froze, opened his mouth and hesitated. His face contorted with regret. His lips clenched tight, and after a few moments, he finally spoke again, ”...Sorry Mom, gotta go. I’m in a hurry, I’ll call you next time.”

*Beep*

...And just like that, he hung up.

The chat was over.

Still on the couch, he turned his head to look away and fixed his gaze in place, staring out the window.

A palpable silence drowned the living room, interrupted by a single shaky sigh.

***

Monday morning.

Aldrus leaned on the white marble surface of the bathroom sink while water drops echoed offbeat. He looked at the reflection before him; his expression was plain and serene. His shirtless, thin pale body reflected cold light against his back, and his hair was forced down by the weight of the water.

This is good enough.

Turning around, he walked out of the bathroom as his body dried up with impossible speed. After that, he dressed up with his new clothes, looked himself over one last time and headed for the door.

...

It was cold outside, the sun was just rising but it didn’t seem to help. The wet surface of the streets reflected neon and gray, and the air smelled like popcorn and smoke.

He walked slowly across the city while barely visible snowflakes kissed his skin. A deep sensation of peace and joy filled his heart.

Breathing deeply and exhaling nothing but cloudy steam, his whole being bathed in the freezing morning breeze.

He looked up to the sky, clearing his head of any thought while a small, sincere smile grew on his face.

I guess this is not so bad...

He made sure to burn this moment deep within his soul, doubting he’d be able to experience one again.

He really wanted to treasure them—

These little moments of bliss.

He looked around, devouring the everyday with his milky eyes. Nothing had changed. The city was still cold, the sky was still gray. Yet somehow, just in this moment, everything seemed a little brighter.

How ironic. He chuckled.

That was—truly, a very dangerous spark.

But he let it grow.

Just that one, just this once.

Before long, he found himself standing in front of a massive structure made of white stone and bronze. The walls were at least twenty times taller than him, and not a single speck of dust could be found in their majestic finish.

Further away from sight, the enormous complex of pure white was occasionally met with the company of clear glass. These windows welcomed every and all gazes, leaving much to interpretation as to what could lay behind.

The main gate leading inside was guarded by two men dressed with a set of slightly glowing armor and no helmet. Each carried a sword tightly sheathed on their hips. Their gazes were stern, and slid from left to right scanning every inch of land they could.

Fragment armor... These guys are no joke.

In front of the guards, about three hundred young boys and girls roughly Aldrus’s age stood across a wide expanse of beautiful, frosty lawn. They all dressed the same clothes as him, and formed an impeccable line.

Confused, he followed the crowd and swiftly joined them at the back, stealing a peek at the expression on their faces.

It turned out most were calm and collected, with maybe a touch of pride. It didn’t take a genius to guess that they were rich, upper-class kids. The type of person most likely to come into possession of a fragment.

The rest were a bit of a mixed bag: Some looked around uncomfortably, others faked composure with very funny-looking grimaces, and only a few managed to properly blend in with the aristocrats.

As he examined the new students, suddenly, an imposing figure shut his thoughts off.

Though old, the man exuded might. His eyes were like the clearest of rivers; his white beard reached his chest and was perfectly trimmed.

He dressed lavishly.

Magnificent sparks flew from his multiple golden rings and flickered endlessly through the air. Purple and yellow cloth draped his body and gracefully slid all the way down to his ankles. He wore a peculiar scholar’s hat with a long yellow tail that rested on his shoulder and swung only as he moved.

Before anyone could see him, he was already there. Before he could ask for silence, they already were.

The principal.

A true Holder of the third rank. A being so powerful he could plunge every single soul there into sleep, leaving no one the wiser. When they finally awoke, not a single person would realize they had been attacked.

So that’s how he arrived so suddenly...

No, that’s not completely right. He didn’t quite ”arrive”.

He was already there.