Time Holders: The World of Balance

”Aghh!” Aldrus grunted, thrown to the ground.

Ouch... Damn it.

”You have to learn to be less repetitive, Aldrus. You’re doing the exact same moves, just like back then,” the blond boy said, waving him up.

”...I know. It’s just not as easy as it sounds... Ugh... It’s like it’s burnt into my bones. I just can’t help it, no matter how much I focus—cough!”

It had been a week since Aldrus woke up. Since then, the students had been hunting in pairs, exploring the nearby areas and preparing everything before their departure.

Aldrus had asked Cedric to help him train; he had grown certain that he couldn’t win just relying on his powers. If he were to face a situation like the one at the cell again, he’d have to get out with his own strength.

Granted, he had won against Cedric once, but he knew it was only because of [Visione], which vastly outmatched the blond boy’s. However, he was convinced he could learn a trick or two from him, given his combat experience.

”Hmm...” Cedric thought for a moment, resting a finger on his chin. ”You know, Aldrus, you struck me as the type of guy who can take a punch. After all, I had you on the ground back in the woods, yet you stood right back up like it was nothing.”

Aldrus grimaced. ”Come on, now. It wasn’t as easy as you think.”

”Oh, I didn’t mean you had it easy; I just said you stood up ’like it was nothing’.”

The black-haired boy tilted his head. ”Isn’t that the same thing?”

Cedric smiled. ”Not at all. I’m saying that, even though it was hard, you were still able to keep fighting in peak condition. Ignoring the pain, of course.”

Now that he mentions it... It’s true that I don’t have many issues maintaining my pace even when hurt...

”And also—” the blond boy added, ”you did it again with broken ribs. You know, against the jailer. I don’t know about the others, but I’ve broken a bone once or twice... as you might know. And let me tell you, keeping a clear head with that kind of pain is impossible for me, never mind fighting in such a condition.”

Aldrus felt a shiver run down his spine, recalling his friend’s shattered leg.

”I mean, that makes sense... But again, what does that have to do with anything?” Aldrus asked.

The blond boy crossed his arms, seemingly pleased with his question. ”I think you’re our tank,” he said, closing his eyes wistfully.

...huh?

”What the hell are you talking about? Is this some kind of game?” Aldrus frowned.

”Tch tch tch. No, sir. This is a classification I’ve just come up with to designate optimal positions for our party,” Cedric said with a smug smile.

”...”

”Hmm? What’s wrong, Aldrus?”

”Oh, it’s nothing. I just... I didn’t take you for a shut-in,” he said flatly.

”What?! Hey! I’m not a shu—”

”It’s okay, Cedric. I used to play games with my siblings, too... a long time ago. Don’t be ashamed,” Aldrus said, standing up and walking back into the cave.

”Aldrus! Hey, wait! Listen to me! I-I was just lying! I don’t do those things, it was Aiden’s idea!”

***

Sigh.

Some time later, the four sat in a circle around the mat, exchanging hesitant glances. They had been sharing their thoughts on the approach they would take for the journey ahead.

They’d grown to learn that each of them had a particular, useful area of expertise. Alice was well-versed in the outside’s fauna, including dangerous beasts, monsters, and potential food sources. However, that information was irrelevant if they didn’t know exactly where they were to begin with.

That’s where Aiden came in.

”Well,” Aldrus said. ”I guess it’s time. Den, tell us.”

The silver-haired boy looked at him, leaned back, and began to explain. ”W-Well... I’ve been studying the area these past few days and... I-I think I have good news... and bad...”

The three students gulped in anticipation.

”You see,” Aiden continued, ”I’m fairly sure I know exactly where we are, which is a good thing. However... we are nowhere near the city... at all,” he said, looking away.

Upon hearing those words, Cedric turned to him with a concerned expression and asked, ”H-Hey... what do you mean by that? Like, how far exactly are we...?”

Aiden scratched his head. ”I mean, we are not outside the continent, if that was what worried you. But we’re still about a month away from home on foot.”

”What?!”

”A-Aiden... please don’t joke with us.”

A month... Damn it! That’s more than enough time to get killed!

”I-I’m not joking! I’m sorry, but that’s what I think...” the silver-haired boy said. ”You see, I studied this place with my father when I was little. This is not an unknown zone. It’s a wide stretch of land that goes for hundreds of miles, eventually bordering with...”

”With what?!” Aldrus asked.

”Hahhh... Well, that’s where the bad news comes in. It borders with the Fog Island...”

”...”

”...”

Ha... Hahahahaha!! Of fucking course it does!

”N-No... Aiden, if that’s true, then—” Alice’s voice cut through the silence.

”We’re dead,” Cedric said, cutting her off.

”...”

No one uttered a word. Everyone knew of such a place.

The Fog Island. The sole reason the southern nation couldn’t keep expanding further down. A zone of pure and utter gray, where silence and screams coexist, and vision is near impossible. The government had tried to clear it in the past, yet it only ended with a mountain of missing corpses and fallen high-ranks.

No one alive actually knew what was in there, and third- and fourth-rank Holders were too valuable to risk sending.

”No. Aiden, tell us what you’re thinking,” Aldrus said, now dead serious.

He knew Aiden was a scaredy-cat; the boy wouldn’t be so nonchalant about it if the Fog Island was the only way back home.

Aiden nodded. ”Yes, uh. Well, we are currently much further south. Normally, to head back to the city, we’d have to traverse the island, but given our situation, we can instead divert to the eastern nation and wait for rescue there...”

”Are you kidding me? Doesn’t the island stretch through there as well?” Cedric said.

”It does,” Alice joined. ”However, it’s the thinnest part of it. If we can survive our way through for one night, we should be able to get out on the other side and reach the eastern nation. Isn’t that what you were thinking, Aiden?”

The silver-haired boy sighed. ”Yes... I’m sorry, I really don’t think we have another choice. We can’t go west because we’d stumble into the seventh desert; we can’t go north because of the Fog Island, and we can’t go further south because... well, you know, it’d take us beyond the continent.”

Aldrus shuddered. He didn’t know much about geography—or at least, not about the dangers of the wilds as much as Aiden did. However, if what his friend stated was true, they really didn’t have much of a choice.

The Fog Island...

Shit, what should we even do?!