Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

In the entire dream world, it seemed only the sound of the wind blowing could be heard. The earth shattered, and even the sky became incomplete. This apocalyptic scene, though Luviya had described it, and Shard had expected it before entering the dream, still felt terrifying when he truly saw it. He was very grateful that it was just a dream, because though the scene appeared frightfully eerie, it merely frightened him simply.

If it were reality, he couldn't imagine how chaotic the elements here would be.

He even suspected that living in the verge of losing control within the Unclassified Level Relic [Interstice of Life and Death] was preferable to living in a place like this. But fortunately, it was only a dream.

Turning his head to look up at the high spot on the roof, intending to find the cat from earlier, he raised his head only to see the dream's owner, Luviya Annette, sitting there holding Mia.

The Luviya appearing at this moment seemed somewhat more mature, wearing a black long dress stained with dust. Her somewhat tangled brown hair was no longer shoulder-length but nearly waist-length instead.

As he drew closer to the cat she was holding, he noticed the lazy cat licking its paws was somewhat different from Mia. Its eyes were not the bright amber color but rather a sickly silver-white, as though afflicted by an eye disease. A normal cat couldn't possibly have eyes of this color.

In the dream, Luviya sat there dumbfounded, gazing at the scene before her. Her purple eyes welled with tears, and her sorrowful appearance made Shard feel an indescribable heartache as he witnessed it.

He carefully stepped on the tiles and gravel, bending down to walk closer. Initially, he thought the dream's "her" wouldn't notice him, but Luviya's hoarse voice came forth as her cracked lips parted:

"Shard, do you understand what this scene means?"

Shard continued upwards, slipped once before finally standing beside the purple-eyed girl seated at the high point of the roof, gazing together at the apocalyptic scene before them. Under the dim yellow sky, even the Divine Afterglow on his body appeared exceedingly dull. The entire world seemed to have died, and the dream seemed so real:

"The apocalypse, is it?"

Suddenly, Luviya lowered her head and began to sob, and even without looking, Shard could imagine the cat in the dream showing a disdainful expression as its fur got wet.

He stared blankly at the scene before him:

"So, why did it become like this? Is it related to The Chosen or the Poem Chapter?"

Luviya shook her head while whimpering:

"I can't, I can't tell anyone about the past, I have to pay a price."

"Is it because of the price paid for crossing the torrent of time?"

The purple-eyed girl merely replied with a "hmm", then buried her face into Mia and continued sobbing.

Shard sighed softly, then carefully supported himself on the tiles, sitting down beside Luviya.

Without hesitation, he reached out and put his arm around Luviya's shoulder. The crying girl, as if having long waited for him to do so, leaned into his embrace. Though her appearance seemed more mature, she seemed even more fragile than the real Luviya.

The active contact in the dream signified deeper understanding, and "she" whispered in Shard's ear:

[She is indeed the master of this dream, but she is not the Luviya Annette you know, she is...]

"Luviya's 'alternate self', the one whose body is incomplete and whom I occasionally see when Luviya performs Special Divination."

Shard sighed softly in his heart, having fully understood everything.

She continued sobbing uncontrollably for a long time before her reddened eyes joined Shard in looking at everything before them, as if only the two of them were left in this apocalypse, staring at the pitch-black setting sun.

"Can you tell me the 'current' time point?"

After Luviya calmed down a bit, Shard asked again, and the sobbing girl shivered as she spoke:

"I can't tell you anything, I can't, really can't..."

Shard's grip on her shoulder tightened, trying to help Luviya calm down a bit. Of course, he could also empathize with how she felt at this moment:

"It's okay, it doesn't matter. I'll investigate this myself. And no matter what this scene is caused by, I'll change all of it, Luviya. Before, you didn't have me by your side, but now I'm here. Haven't I always been doing well?"

He spoke softly, and the still-sobbing girl wiped her tears and then gently bit his neck:

"Shard..."

"I promised her, which means I promised you, I will change all of this."

"Alright, but, don't, don't tell her, not now, it's not the right time yet."

Her combined sobbing and speaking appearance was both pitiful and somewhat amusing.

"I won't tell Luviya, but I think she must have some awareness. You are a very smart girl. It's truly unbelievable, Luviya, that your secret truly is this, that things like this really exist... Carrying all this, it must be tough."

Shard's hand brushed through her brown long hair, its dry texture felt completely different from the damp touch after a bath a few hours prior.

The slightly mature girl leaned against him, tears streaming down her face:

"I never thought you would truly be able to know all of this. Thank you for always seeking out these truths. And, there's more."

Every time Luviya said a word, her body trembled slightly with sobs:

"Though I cannot tell the stories of the past, if you want to know everything, there exists one, only one Time Key to return to the 'now.'"

"Return to now? Time Key? What?"

Shard was taken aback.

"It's not the usual Time Key made of living wood; it's made of black, dead timber. That Time Key, is the Dead Key."

He looked at the girl he held, her face smeared with tears:

"Where exactly is that sole Time Key to the 'now' in my location during the Sixth Era?"

"In the southern Kingdom of Carsonrick, in the City of Stonemasons, Spring City—Randall Valley City. The specific location, you have to find it yourself. Don't try to use divination; it's useless. You have to rely on yourself. Once you see it, you'll immediately understand that's what you're looking for. You don't belong to any era; when you come to the 'now,' perhaps, perhaps..."

She buried her face into Shard's arms, her ashen cheeks illuminated by the golden cracks on Shard, which allowed her to hear his powerful heartbeat. Though she continued to sob uncontrollably, Luviya had calmed a touch. She never imagined she could one day share all this with Shard. This man, who shouldn't even exist, truly accomplished it.

Shard recalled the map of the Old Continent. If he remembered correctly, in the city divisions of Carsonrick, Randall Valley was also a quite significant city, located in the southwestern part of the United Kingdom, near the harbor, adjacent to the valley, with very convenient waterway transport.

The United Kingdom of Carsonrick marks the blooming of the local renowned "Randall Flower" as the sign of spring's arrival, hence the city is called "Spring City." It's called "City of Stonemasons" because the stonemasons from Randall Valley are famous throughout the Old Continent.

"I will find that key, then go to the 'now' to find you and search for the answers of the past."

Shard promised. The girl curled up in his arms lifted her tear-streaked face to look at him, and then said while sobbing:

"In the future, don't enter my Dream. This Dream has very terrifying influences on any existence. We shouldn't meet often. Shard, Shard, embrace me, explore my secrets... Can you let me feel your warmth?"

"What?"

"Do you despise me, looking like this?"

The tearful purple eyes seemed about to weep again.

"Oh, what are you talking about, Luviya."

Then, the crying girl kissed Shard's neck and began to pull at his clothes:

"Please warm my soul, even if, even if it's just a hint of warmth."

Such things in dreams, he had never experienced before. He didn't know if this could be called a "spring dream."

[You have touched a soul cursed by Time. You are cursed.]

[Father of the Infinite Tree blesses you, the Time Curse is ineffective. As punishment, the next Time Key is delayed two weeks from this moment for use.]

[Outlander, you have touched Miracle, Whisper, Enlightenment, Desecration. You have gained insights into Time, Space, Sun, Moon, Balance, Dark, Light, Creation, Death, Knowledge, Chaos, Earth, Fate.]

[Outlander, you have obtained 'Witch Echo: Luvia.' Due to the witch's continued survival, this echo has a special nature, your Low Ring Ascension Words are ineffective against it.]

"Hmm? What? Witch Echo?"

Shard was stunned; he didn't expect this. Leaving an echo in any circumstance meant a Demigod Witch and a formal seat in the Council.

In the meantime, a flood of complex mysticism knowledge poured into his mind. Unlike the previous knowledge brought by Witch Echo, this time it was all Sixth Era knowledge. It filled the gaps in Shard's foundational courses during his Low Ring period excellently, and even provided deeper understanding of contemporary Divination Studies.

"Shard, please don't stop."

The still-sobbing girl clung to his neck and said.

"Oh, sorry."

"My power only extends to this much right now. Hope, hope this can help you... continue forward, Shard, my... lover. May the First Silvermoon guide the final direction. That door, The Chosen One, apocalypse, the departing gods, you and I... the answers, lie at the end of this road."

The cat in the dream, with its back to a dim yellow sky, looked at the two tangled on the rooftop. Tail curled, head raised, wind and sand blew through its whiskers and small ears, silver eyes gazed at the black sun, the sun's reflection mirrored in the cat's eyes.

Dusk was falling, and surely the sun would soon disappear, too.