Annshera was shocked and terrified. Was she currently living the last year of her life. She was trembling both because of the cold and the terror. She gather the courage she had left to ask the deadly question.
“When ? When was it…?”
Florian closed his eyes. He precisely came here to avoid this tragedy but he couldn’t say much. He had to avoid to be too specific.
“After the final battle. You vanished, killing our greatest enemy. When you disappeared, light almost completely disappeared from this world. ¾ of the world is struck by what we called the Eternal Night. Somehow only Hingashi escaped this fate. Well I would say more or less because the country is touch by an Eternal Twilight. It’s only switching from twilight to the night. It’s also the reason I chose to stay in Shirogane and live my life as a dijin there.”
“When was this final battle ?”
“I was 7 when you died.”
“7 ?! We barely had time together.. I didn’t even get to raise you… Who raised you ?”
“Father. Well he tried.”
“You came here to change your future ?”
“I want to save you both. You, Father and this world. Everyone is suffering. So many people died. So many people have been through traumas they will never forget. I want to fix this and I will.”
“My son… my baby… I… I need to go home. Take me home…”
They came bacl to the de Borel manor. Seeing his wife’s eyes all red and inflated, Aymeric asked for explanation. He let himself slipped in the sofa, quite upset by the revelation.
“I’m speechless ! Oh my dear son… in this timeline… am I alive ?”
“You died one month ago in my timeline. When I visited you, I found you dead.”
***
Ishgard. The city-state heart of the Coerthas suffered a lot after the Final Battle opposing the greatest army of Hyadelyn against the Warrior of Light’s greatest enemy. The Eternal Night considerably decreased the temperature in the Coerthas, turning the cold region into a very hostile place to live. Many people perished, children and old people first without sparing the bravest. Many decided to leave the city-state before it was too late but Florian’s father, Aymeric de Borel remained under Ishgard wall. He couldn’t leave his home, the place he used to be happy with his late wife Annshera de Borel. Florian visited him once a month, to check on him. Most of the time, his father was very drunk and he gradually lost his reason. Florian lost the count of the time he had to carry him on his bed. Their relationship became miserable since they barely communicated anymore but it was out of the question for Florian to give up on him.
Florian arrived to the manor. No noise. Empty bottles were laying on the floor, he picked them up and put them in the trash can. As always the house was a mess. They didn’t have servants anymore. Aymeric fired them once they discovered he was talking to himself persuaded to talk to his wife. A familiar melody caught Florian attention. The orchestrion. Indeed it was on, playing that song his mother used to sing for hil when he was a baby. “Liberty or Death”, it was warming his heart the same way it was breaking it. He put his hands on the musical device then turned it off. He finally ended up switch on the light.
His father was sat on the sofa, eyes partially opened. His skin already turned purple. He might have died since a day, his body didn’t even start rotting, it was too cold.
“Father ! Father ! No, no, no ! Not you ! Father ! Please no ! Noooo !
He knelt before him and desperately grabbed his father face. He shook him trying to wake him up even he knew it was already too late, his father was gone. He started crying and screaming. He arrived too late. He lost him, his father, the only parent he had left. He was all alone now, no family anymore, an
orphan. He threw one empty bottle against the hall and shouted a piercing scream. He busted into tears putting his face on his father legs like he used to do then fall asleep, exhausted.
Florian lost the notion of time. Stunned he couldn’t make any decision about what to do with his father dead corpse. He heard people knocking at the door and the many linkpearl calls he received but he ignored them all. “This is the end of the world. What is the point of this life ? How many years do we have left before the darkness swallow us all ? No future. No hope. Only a void.” he whispered in despair.
Florian lighted a fire in the fireplace. He remembered that man theorizing about time travel to change their fate and prevent this tragedy. He dedicated the rest of his life to search for the gates of time. Many mocked that man, calling him insane and delusional. Some others supported his work. Florian tired to retrace the researches through the book he kept from school. One serious lead was talking about Snarheim, the Northern region of Garlemald. Perhaps, Snarheimian heard about this legend. Fortunately, he had Sharheimian friends. He kept ignoring them but it was time to reach them.
The manor was starting to freeze. Florian realized he missed the delivery of wood to warm the house. He was running out of it. He couldn’t stay any longer. He would end up locked in the manor forever if he wasn’t leaving now. He gathered few things he was holding dearly, few pictures of his family. Some old toys, symbol of his early life with his two parents alive. His father favorite coat. He wore it. With the extreme cold, his father body was now completely frozenand stuck to the sofa. Florian gave Aymeric a final kiss and then never returned to Ishgard. Few days later, the city-state was completely frozen, forever.
***
“Get in the car.”
Florian recognized his best friend voice, Solus yae Galvus waiting for him. A little uncomfortable, he got in the car without looking at him. He couldn’t even tell how many days he ignored the young Prince of Garlemald. The Princess also suffered the same treatment. He was moved that his friend still bother to pick him up.
“I called you. Several times. On your linkpearl, on your phone. I was worried and I don’t tell you about Geneva. We heard Ishgard is now frozen. We were starting to think you were dead. Don’t do that to us again.”
“My father died Solus. I… I had to deal with this.”
“Man I’m sorry. Florian… I… Are you okay ?”
“I’m not. I don’t have any parents anymore. They are both dead.”
The two friends remained silent for the rest of the road. Florian didn’t mention anything about the gates of time yet. Solus parked his car in front of the last bastion of the Imperial Royal family. A young woman ran to them. As soon as Florian got out of the car, she threw herself in his arms. Mortified by guilt he hold her tight and caressed her long blond hair.
“I”m sorry Geneva, forgive me.”
Florian was friend with Geneva wir Galvus as well. Geneva was always by her brother side so Florian aslo got to know her pretty well. Geneva kept crying in Florian’s arms. Solus gently pressed her back with his hand.
“Geneva, let’s go inside, it’s getting cold.”
After the destruction of the capital, the Imperial royak family of Galvus took refuge in Solus zos Galvus, the first of his name, former fam. Emperor Varis zos Galvus died with all the Garleans living in Sniflheim when the imperial capital had been wiped out by the black hole, a spell of massive destruction. Zenos zos Galvus, current Emperor of Garlemald barely escaped alive. Along with his wife, Empress Petra yae Galvus, they decided to live cloistered in the Black Boc with theit two children, Solus II and Geneva II. It was the one of the only place still holding. Emperor Zenos’s body suffered irreversible damaged from the black hole, he was now always dressed with a black costume and wearing a mask to hide his face. Only one of his blue eyes was perceivable.
Florian politely bowed to the Emperor and Empress of Garlemald. He knelt before them to present his respect.
“Your Imperial Majesties, I apologize for the trouble I caused. To you and your children. My father died and I was in shocked.”
“Oh Florian we are very sorry for your lose. We don’t blame you, we are relieved nothing happened to you.”
“Thank you Empress Petra. Emperor Zenos I have a request for you. “
Zenos stood up and grabbed his cane he walked to Florian. “Speak.”
“What is it ? In the North of Snarheim ? I heard about time traveling theories from the late Cid nan Garlond, a Sniflheimian. He talked about the Gates of Time, passage to travel through time at each edge of the world. I want to try. To save my mother and father. To save us all and change our fate. If there is a way we could all be happy and safe I want to take that chance.”
The Galvus were listening carefully Florian speech. Geneva was very moved so was Empress Petra. Solus nodded giving his approval to his friend. Zenos contemplated him.
“North of Snarheim there is indeed the edge of the world. Only the Mt. Killarus still standing. We are surviving here in Garlemald thanks to the warmth of the volcano in the lava cave. Apparently the gate of time is inside the cave but I don’t need to tell you how hostile Mt. Killarus became and the entire Northern Tundra of Snarheim. Are you still willing to make the journey ?”
“Yes,Your Grace.”
Zenos opened a closet, a magnificent Garlean Magnum was inside. He held it to Florian.
“My father used to say, we royals give this Magnum to the people we trust the most. You are one of this people. Few time before he died, Father met Queen Krystalinda, the Queen of Mermaids. She blessed this gun with her powers. If anything can help you during this journey, this will. I will search for armatized clothes to help you survive the tundra. Get some rest until then.”
Florian politely bowed before Zenos and thank him. Empress Petra pressed the young Ishgardian shoulder. They all marched out of the hall. Geneva stared at Florian then promptly left for her room. Concerned, he followed her.
“Gen are you okay?”
Geneva gave him no answer. She was laying on her bed, silent. He sat next to her, a bit hesitating.
“First you disappear without giving news. I understand your situation and I’m very sorry but it hurt me to not have news. We always talk about everything that is happening in our lives. Now you want to travel through time. We have no guarantee it will work. You can be trapped in some obscure dimension forever. I wouldn’t be able to handle this. I refuse to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me. I… we need to try. If we have any chance to build a future, where all the people we love would be alive, where the world would be safe and we would be all happy, we have to take it. Think about it, you in the castle that belongs to your family, where you belong. Where you were supposed to live, peacefully. I could visit you there, don’t you want this ?”
Geneva finally looked at her friend. Florian could see she cried a bit. He put his hands on her cheeks, she dove her eyes into his.
‘I know it’s selfish but what if we are not together in this new timeline. I’m aware our world is chaotic and many people suffered but I don’t want to be separated from you.”
“Geneva… We will never be separated. I believe that no matter the timelines, we will always be together.”
Florian’s words comforted his friend, she nestled again him reassured by his presence. She believed in him, he was the son of the Champion of Light, her legacy. If anybody could do something, it had to be him. Geneva was seized by a sudden resolve. She dove her blue eyes into Florian’s eyes and kissed him.
“If you have to leave, I want at least to be true to you and what I feel for you.”
She felt his hesitation and put a finger to his lips. He removed it to take her hands and drop it a soft kiss. She responded with a smile and started progressively taking off her royal gown.
“I want us to have our moment…”
“Wait… hmmm can we lock the door at least ?”
***
Florian woke up alone in Geneva’s bed. He stretched his arms and stood up. On the table he saw his equipment. A warm and elegant armatized coat, a scarf, a pair of gloves and boots, a katana, the Magmun, a consequent sum of gils. All he had left to do was to get ready.
“I’ve prepared everything.”
“You woke up early for this ?”
“Yes and I wanted to take time to talk to my parents a bit. They are waiting for you, get ready.”
“Okay, hmm about last night…”
She put her finger in her lips and had a little giggle. He sighted amused, he started wishing she would come with him but he knew her parents would never accept this. He would miss her a great deal, especially after sharing such a special moment last night.
***
Florian paid his respect to the Galvus and thank them for everything they did for him. He hugged his best friend but felt a little awkward about showing too much tenderness to Geneva, they fist bumped. He bowed one last time before the Emperor and the Empress. The Emperor had a few words for him.
“If it works, you will come back in very troubled times in our world. You need to be extremely careful especially if you cross my young self. Yet, I’m sure you can find a way to reach him, the same way your mother reached me many years ago. You are the friend of my family, the friend of Garlemald. I wish you good fortune. Don’t forget, if something goes wrong, use the gun.”
“Use the gun.” Ah ! The gate of time. Any gate needed a key. Florian remembered Zenos’s words. Krystalinda put her powers in this gun, “To open the gather !” shouted Florian. The gate was the volcano and the gun the key. Nobody could survive jumping on that much lava. Either the plan would work and the lava would not kill him but teleport him instead, either he would died melted. There was only one way to find out.
“Mother, Father : I’m coming to you both.”
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