Honestly, I never had a fully ford opinion about Chronas. Even so, it’s impossible to deny the difference between the two forms. While his human appearance gave a sense of calm and familiarity, his true form — the one I see now — stirs a kind of nostalgic joy within .
Amid that strange, hard-to-define feeling, Chronas and I stood still, face to face. Our eyes t—steady, silent. Chronas’s gaze was locked on , and I returned it with the sa intensity. While my expression showed indifference, his revealed coldness—a complete absence of emotion.
By the way, Victor, Emily, and Laura were still standing motionless a few steps behind . I could clearly see them watching Chronas — each reacting in their own way. Laura looked puzzled, her brow slightly furrowed; Emily watched Chronas with curiosity; and Victor, on the other hand, couldn’t hide his anxiety — his restless fingers giving away his nerves. In the end, I couldn’t really bla them for feeling that way.
Compared to “Sara” in her forr human form, her true appearance made her completely unrecognizable. The transformation was so profound that not even her most familiar features remained — as if every trace of humanity had been erased. And, in a way, it made sense: at that mont, Chronas looked like the cosmos itself had chosen to take on a human shape.
The first voice to break the silence was Victor’s. His tone carried a noticeable hesitation, laced with an almost tangible unease. The words ca out trembling, as if he wasn’t sure whether he should speak them at all: “Are you... really Sara?”
When Victor’s voice reached us, Chronas and I finally snapped out of the trance we’d been in, tearing our gazes away from each other to fix them on him. Behind him, Emily and Laura stood just a few steps away, watching the scene unfold with a mix of bewildernt and curiosity.
For a mont, silence seed to stretch between us — until Laura shot a quick glance at Emily, searching for so unspoken confirmation. Emily only responded with a subtle shake of her head — barely noticeable, yet clear enough to show that whatever was happening wasn’t supposed to continue.
The very next mont, Chronas’s lips, right beside , finally moved. I could clearly hear Victor swallow hard. His hands clenched tight, his knuckles turning pale — an involuntary reflex of the nervousness he was desperately trying to hide. A faint tremor ran through his fingers, subtle enough to escape human eyes... but not mine.
Then, Chronas’s voice broke the silence — steady, calm, unshaken: “Yes” A single word, simple and direct: “I’m still , brother”
Chronas’s usual expression softened for a mont. A faint, fleeting smile appeared on her face — so brief it might’ve gone unnoticed — before fading away, replaced once again by her familiar mask of indifference.
At the sa ti, Victor let out a short breath of relief, his hands slowly unclenching as if an invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“Well...” he murmured, his voice low and uncertain, yet still clear enough for Chronas and to hear.
Monts later, Chronas and I were standing before the vessel Althea had created earlier. It had the sa stature and appearance as Sara, every feature ticulously replicated.
In the end, what it lacked was at least a shadow of the authority that Chronas naturally exuded. Still, the “Flow of Ti” probably wouldn’t notice the difference, even if Chronas and the vessel were standing side by side, right in front of it.
Nekra and Nyara continued to watch us from a distance; Nekra’s gaze was indifferent, almost detached, while Nyara’s carried a subtle but constant attentiveness.
Eryanis, on the other hand, seed largely unconcerned with the situation. She sat in a chair, delicately holding a teacup, taking slow, ritual-like sips as if each one were a small ceremony.
Honestly, it was easy to tell she genuinely enjoyed tea — even when eating or drinking wasn’t necessary for us. But, to be fair, I can’t really judge her; I’m a huge fan of ice cream myself and never miss a chance to enjoy it whenever I can.
As these thoughts ran through my mind, Chronas raised her hand — smooth and deliberate. Slowly, a strange energy began to gather in her palm, swirling and pulsing as though alive.
The light that emanated from it had no defined color; it was, all at once, every color — a kaleidoscope that danced intensely, reflecting hues reminiscent of distant stars and cosmic nebulae.
Chronas lifted her hand, holding it for a mont in front of “Sara’s” chest. The clone stood motionless, eyes closed, breathing in a chanical rhythm.
A “living” body shaped by Althea — yet devoid of true essence. rely a simulacrum performing basic functions, just enough to fool a casual observer.
The subtle rise and fall of its chest and the faint twitch of its fingers mimicked life, but there was sothing in its rigid posture and lack of warmth that betrayed its artificial nature.
Of course, despite the clone’s superficiality, I wasn’t the least bit worried about it being discovered.
Chronas didn’t seem concerned either. In the end, even as an imperfect copy, the clone would serve well enough for our current purpose.
Then, a sharp thud echoed through the air — Chronas’s hand pierced the clone’s chest. At the point of impact, a vortex opened, spinning endlessly as the tallic sound of grinding gears reverberated — deep, discordant.
Through that warped fissure, sothing began to condense inside the clone’s body: the sa energy radiating from Chronas — weaker, dim like a distant reflection, yet unmistakably the sa.
Chronas slowly pulled her hand away from the clone’s chest. Her fingers slid gently out of the vortex, leaving behind a faint trail of shimring energy that soon faded into the air. Then she turned toward — the sa cold, impenetrable gaze as always.
For a mont, the silence between us felt heavy, until her lips moved and a single word echoed — steady, emotionless: “Done”
I watched Chronas for a few seconds before turning my attention to the clone. I took a few slow steps, circling the copy carefully. The “Energy” radiating from it was noticeable — faint, almost wavering compared to Chronas’s — like a drop in the middle of an ocean. Still, it was there, pulsing subtly beneath the surface. The “Flow of Ti” would never be able to tell Chronas apart from her replica.
As I studied the clone and nodded, satisfied with the final result, Althea approached with her usual ethereal grace, gliding through the air a few inches above the ground.
“Looks like everything’s ready” she said, her lodic voice contrasting with the cunning sparkle in her eyes. A faint smile curved her lips before she continued: “Now we can move on with the plan. All we need to do is send the clone into the Flow of Ti... and then, finally, I’ll be able to claim my reward”
A chill rippled through the air as her peculiar laughter — a sharp, discordant “Uhehehe...” — echoed around us.
The mont I heard her voice behind , followed by that unmistakable laugh, a shiver ran down my spine. It was as if sothing inside recognized the danger before my mind could even grasp it.
Keeping my breath steady, I slowly stepped away from her, feeling the weight of every movent, and spoke in a firm voice — perhaps firr than I really felt: “Just rember one thing — I’m not doing anything we shouldn’t be doing”
Althea let out a short, amused chuckle, tilting her head slightly in agreent. Personally? I didn’t believe her for even a second.
Either way, in the next mont, I decided to ask what had been hamring in my mind — and as a result, all my sisters turned to look at at once: (So... how exactly do we send the clone into the Flow of Ti? Anyone have an idea?)
Facing their stares — which made it painfully clear I was supposed to know what to do — all I could do was shrug. What else could I do? I an, I don’t rember any of this. And even if I did, I doubt I’d know how to send the clone to that “Place” Still, it seed Chronas already had everything under control.
“Leave it to . I can send it using my own authority — after all, that place is also my ho” Chronas’s voice sounded calm, almost cold, carrying a tone of disinterest that made her words feel like re formality.
Personally, I wanted to do it myself — even knowing there was no chance the “Flow of Ti” would notice anything wrong. Still, that didn’t change the fact that I wanted to keep Chronas as far away from it as possible.
In fact, I had the feeling I could’ve done it easily if I could use that sa energy that had been radiating from Chronas earlier. The only problem? I had no idea how to generate it again.
Anyway, about Chronas’s proposal — of course I’d known from the start she was capable of sending the clone through the Flow of Ti. After all, if anyone knows the way ho better than anyone else, it’s her.
However, there’s a reason I’m reluctant to rely on that thod. It’s simple: for it to work, she has to go with it.
Knowing that, I spoke to her without hesitation: (I’m going with you. I’m not letting my little sister go alone with that annoying guy)
Chronas blinked her beautiful eyes for a brief mont before nodding. At the sa ti, her lips twitched, revealing an almost imperceptible smirk — too quick for anyone distracted to notice.
Soon after, I explained the situation to Emily, Laura, and Victor, who until then had been unaware of the latest developnts. However, their reactions — so distinct and unexpected — left completely perplexed.
“Observing the Flow of Ti... sounds fascinating. If it’s not too much trouble, could you take along?” Emily said, her soft voice tinged with curiosity, her eyes shining with a mix of wonder and anticipation.
“I wanna go too!” Laura exclaid, her excitent gleaming just as brightly as Emily’s.
Victor was the last to speak. For a few seconds, he remained silent, his gaze distant, as if weighing sothing important in his mind. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his head to make him hesitate for so long — and when he finally spoke, his words didn’t really surprise , at least not from my point of view.
“I want to go” Victor said, his voice firm, filled with conviction: “I know I won’t be much help... after all, I’m just a regular human. Even so, if possible, I’d like to go with Sara”
Hearing Victor’s words, I turned my gaze toward Chronas, who stood quietly by my side. Personally, I had nothing against Victor going — but the final decision was still hers to make. Chronas noticed my look and, after a brief pause, turned to face . Her eyes t mine, and then she nodded slightly — calm, yet resolute.
(You don’t have to be so serious. If you want to go, I don’t see why I should stop you) I said, my voice sounding casual and indifferent.
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