A Journey Into Unknown

by Aditya Kumar

  After some moment, he got calm down and then said, "So tell me your important thing... for which you made me sleep for five hundred years."

  "This is not about being angry... kid," Vacrain said.

  "Yeah... and this is also not about trying to pretend that you know everything... but in reality, knowing nothing," Mark is still angry.

  This really hurt the guts of Vacrain, but he hadn't any other way. Only Mark could have helped everyone. Still he said, "From the starting of universe, we have done…"

  "Okay... let me stop you here. You can brag about yourself later," Mark interrupted, "If you know everything, then tell me who is our enemy?"

  After a bit of silence Vacrain said, "I don't know exactly... but I have something else... much more terrifying."

  "And what would be that," Mark asked.

  "Come with me... I will tell you everything. Then he took Mark in a secret chamber and started telling, "You think you live in reality... you think that your every choice and action will affect the future. Well for a moment, anybody can think it like that. What could be a doubt in what you hear and see out there, but you don't understand what is happening. You don't see the hidden secret behind this visual reality. You..."

  "Would you bother to tell me about the hidden mystery quickly," Mark said.

  Vacrain replied, "The fact is we are not in the first iteration of reality. Whatever we are doing, the similar thing already had happened before."

  "What does this even mean," Mark asked.

  Vacrain said, "It means that we all are trapped inside a time loop... and all the suffering and worse thing that you faced, and saw will happen again in next iteration... if you couldn't break this loop."

  Well... this was the only thing Mark had to hear after all the mysterious thing, he came to know in these past years. So, it added the some more to the previous mystery where that 'some more' tend to infinity. But he had to believe the fact.

  ◆◆◆

  CHAPTER 28

  Universe Calls You Without Calling

  They all are in a time loop set up by someone unknown. A mysterious time frame that tells nothing... however first time, they could able to reach until now and Mark is alive yet. Their dream has something new to be told that this is not over yet... they will make the thing happen and one day they will laugh on destiny or more importantly to say that they will laugh on that unknown who set up the time loop at first. What was their wish? Is that an accident of creation itself or someone else took the advantage of weakness of nature at some point in time?

  There will always be some unanswered question, but it can't prohibit the activity of human life. Actually in these cases, curiosity makes a person more awake and alive... destined to run on the path made for them. But whatever they are having right now... it would never be easy to find the answer. But more important thing is to understand the way to break the time loop and provide everyone the thing that they demand without demanding anything.

  How anyone who is inside time loop can ever be able to recognize what they are into. How can they understand where their action will lead to... and how future may welcome them. Flow of time is not a straight line for them, but it makes a circle... a complete loop. After some point in future, they all have to come back to start from beginning without knowing anything that they all have done this... not once or twice, but there is no way to find out that how many times, they all have went through same trauma.

  They say that whatever we do that affects us in future. But what is future in this case... in a way future is same us doing the same thing with a little difference. 'Vast Horcune' recognized this anomaly at first, so they kept track of all the activity they did in previous iteration... so that in next iteration of time loop, it would help them to make a better path. With each iteration, they tried to improvise, but they can't control their powerful enemy at their own will. Acouch will always come in each of the iteration and will always do, what he has to.

  People will cry... scream... beg for mercy and all that, but it has to happen in its directed path. All the thing will lead to nothing because at some point in future, this all will be reverted to past... resetting the memory of every living and non-living except the book 'Knowledge' because its origin is a huge mystery that maybe thrown into some unknown dimension because someone don't want to reveal some things which is not important, but they must have their own reason.

  "Are you serious," Mark said, "How can this be possible? I have seen... I know..." then he started stammering.

  "Yeah... this is fact that is eating all of us alive. That's why Xoguar made you sleep to change the regular flow of time. I am not sure if this worked or not, but evidence is in front of us that you are alive yet for the first time. No one before you could able to reach till this activity. You are the first one. The maximum anyone before you could able to survive was until getting trapped in dark universe... and gets killed there, but you made it through..." Vacrain continued, "You are the link... and only you can do this. Towards you only, we all see... all the living creature watch towards you without knowing anything. No one knows what they are into, but no one wants to suffer again... and again. This whole universe calls you without actually calling you."

  Mark asked, "So... how I can break this time loop... and recently a stone used to come in my dream... a very strange stone... cube shaped with a mysterious sign of some unknown thing... it feels to me as if this sign indicates the creation itself. I can't understand what this stone is trying to tell me... Do you have any idea? Are these things related anyhow?"

  "Oh... you remembered," Vacrain said being surprised, "You are the true successor of Tecton. But I would like to clearify... that is not a stone, but a box... cubical box. That will play crucial role in breaking the time loop. But you can achieve that box only after destroying the upcoming enemy from dark universe. After that you could be able to open that box and a completely undiscussed and mysterious wall would be visible to you. You will have to use the key to open the gate of wall... and will have to go on the other side. Then only time loop will break."

  "What is on the other side of wall," Mark asked.

  Vacrain said, "We are not in position to even think about finding what is on the other side of wall. Some says there is the whole control of this whole creation. Any one that will go on the other side will have the power to control all the non-living and even living thing. Someone says that is the place of death... a world where soul of dead body lives. Some says there is nothing... a place beyond time and space... maybe some other dimension. I don't know what is there... but I am being honest, you may die out there. So... the real question is that can you make this sacrifice in the worst case. Do you have the courage to go on the other side of wall where you may die?"

  "I can... and I will go there because everyone would need to have this sacrifice made," after a bit of pause Mark turned towards Emily and tear in her eyes was more that thousands of word.

  Vacrain asked, "Okay... so now tell me... what you saw in the dark universe?"

  "Can you believe, if I would tell you reality," Mark said.

  "Come on... now tell me," Vacrain said, "It can't be that much scarier. I have seen..."

  Mark interrupted, "A whole Rogue Space Time is coming to invade our universe as well every other universe."

  "What...?" Vacrain couldn't believe.

  "I have seen them... their universe, their powers and ability... that is beyond our imagination. I saw their universe... that was completely odd. There you could see different moment in time. There space and time was completely reverse to our universe... and you know the scarier part, they made that from nothing... they can manipulate flow of time... they can reverse it, even they can randomize it. For a moment, you will see everything in your surrounding is changing. You will not get anything... your loved one will be thrown in some other time, and you will struggle in some other moment... they will make our universe chaotic, and we all will die with huge suffering."

  "What are you
saying..." Vacrain said. There was nothing that anyone could have trusted.

  Mark said, "Emily felt that pain for a little there. You can ask her... what it was like, because I know... I sensed her, and it was far worse than what Acouch did to any living creature. You will feel that real pain when your different body parts will be in different time, because they will make our universe like dark universe. How can we even be able to do anything to some Rogue pattern? They call himself Crayton... he and his minions also got a human shape now, to be able to enter in our universe. They are ready for their best... and our end. No one has yet come, but Crayton is ready now... and we don't have much time left." After a short pause Mark asked, "Is there anything written in 'Knowledge' about upcoming war... its consequence or how could we approach for it?"

  Vacrain instantly called a meeting of all the elite member to provide this information to everyone. They all were afraid. Purpose of this meeting was also to gather all the information from other member to make it together and make some real sense. Vacrain forwarded Mark's question to them to see if anyone know anything.

  Xoguar said, "I have seen almost all the aspect of that book... any information that this book contains is, until a warning to stop Mark from going in dark universe. Wait... but we saw the information about Wormpeiner... I don't know what I am trying to say..." he is in pain. He said, "It feels like half of my mind is going against other half..."

  "Let me stop you here for a moment," Aleina said interrupting Xoguar, "We didn't saw information about Wormpeiner... you saw and then you told us creating some kind of illusion to make all of us believe that I am realizing now."

  "What are you saying..." Xoguar and Ascab both said together.

  Aleina said, "I want you to check again about Wormpeiner in 'Knowledge'. I feel that there is something wrong."

  "But we saw that," Ascab said.

  "No... we didn't," Aleina said, "Xoguar made us believe that we saw."

  They checked 'Knowledge' again and found that there wasn't anything there like Wormpeiner.

  "Why did you lie," Ascab asked.

  "I don't think he lied," Aleina said, "All that thing he told... about Workstein cave... the possible problem there... all that was truth. He knew about Wormpeiner, but he also didn't know. It could ony mean one thing that someone wanted to unleash those programmed viruses on multiverse to end the humanity forever."

  Aleina continued, "You all are so proud on him because you think that this is the first iteration in which Xoguar become the elite member. So, any contribution made by him as an elite member of this organization will be crucial in creating the difference from previous iteration. But... I feel that something is wrong here too... Can you check about him what he was in previous iteration?"

  "But... do you think that we have that much time," Vacrain said pointing that enemy is coming. No one noticed the stammering Vacrain, as he was hiding something.

  "I have also seen some aspect of 'Knowledge'," Aleina continued, "He is right here... it will only take a moment to check this."

  "She is right," Ascab said supporting Aleina.

  They took Xoguar to secret chamber, where 'Knowledge' is kept. They tested about him... but when the result came...

  "How this can be possible..." Vacrain said, "Check in previous of that iteration..."

  After that iteration check, again he said, "Go to one more previous iteration."

  After some time, they all felt exhausted. Ascab said, "So this means that this is the first iteration where Xoguar exists. Does this mean that somehow his birth happened in this iteration of time loop?"

  "No... I don't think so," Aleina said, "When we went to Workstein cave, it was like Xoguar knew everything... like he was there... he just doesn't remember, but he had some life. Something happened to him, but we don't know what."

  "Maybe she is right," Mark came suddenly, "When you all were arguing about him, I went to Coramus where wormhole is... to check about this device... and it works. It can even close the wormhole as well as open that. Xoguar knew about this. His mind must have to contain his past life, but I can't sense anything."

  On seeing this type of intense argument, Xoguar was complete silent. He didn't have any idea what was happening to him and about what this all this is.

  "What you would have done if I couldn't able to reach you there to save your life," Mark asked.

  "I was ready to die," Xoguar said, "I had planned to put that liquid onto me... so all those programmed viruses would have come to me and Aleina could have gone to save you."

  "So, someone is trying to keep you alive even by making some sacrifice," Emily said pointing towards Mark. She continued, "I am sorry... but when we achieved desired thing without making sacrifices... never. We must make sacrifice," she had a lot of reason to be angry on Xoguar, "They must be our friend."

  Scene: Unknown place in unknown time

  "Do you think... that you made a mistake," a creature from unknown time Acron said.

  "You are doubting me," their leader Ypritte said, "You don't really know me who I am."

  "Yes, I understand. But your plan was to get Xoguar killed, but you seem no-where close to this," Acron asked, "But I yet don't understand why you want to save Mark?"

  "I never wanted to kill Xoguar. He is my loyal servant... and it took a lot of effort to make him like this. You will never understand... because this is not your place to understand," Ypritte said being angry... then Acron left.

  Ypritte whispered, "My purpose was to unleash that virus, but you stopped it Mark. You are my enemy, still I have to save you Mark because I need you. But you are more than what I have expected... yet you know nothing..."

  ◆◆◆

  CHAPTER 29

  Into the Unknown

  Xoguar might be someone else completely, but then what they would do. Threats are not far away... they are on the door... knocking. Everyone there had seen their potential. They now understand what will happen to them, if they lose... but how they can even imagine to win. But there is something yet to be disclosed... the unidentified ability of Emily to see a new world that doesn't really exist. A virtual universe that is the result of their time-travel.

  "I think we should tell them about your ability. We all need to be together in this time," Mark is still trying to convince Emily.

  "You still trust on them after all this they did to you... after all this they did to me. Just understand that they have a mission and to accomplish them, they can go to any extent. They will not care for you... once this all will be done. They will leave you somewhere, because you are nothing to them," Emily said.

  "Yeah... but they will leave me only when this all will be over... and this is far from over. And don't you want to make this happen... don't you have dream to make a peace everywhere? They have a mission... but our mission is also the same. They are different from us, but our war is same. If we can't win this, whatever we have done will go in vain. All our sacrifice and struggle will have no meaning. After certain point everything will be reset and this all will revert to a particular point of time. Don't you want to avoid this?"

  "Ok fine... but I want you not to do any more sacrifice. I want you to win this war, but we will do this together... and once this all will be over, we will make our own world to live rest of the eternity together. Just promise me that you will be there for me after this," Emily said exploring her dream.

  "I promise..." Mark couldn't resist to promise to be there for her even after knowing how the war will end and who she really is. He knows that everything will be over in either way. It wouldn't create much difference for him that they would win the war or lose.

  Mark left hiding his face, so that Emily could not see the tear coming out of his eyes.

  "I have to tell something," Mark said to Vacrain, "I know it sounds weird, but the time in which we should have to come out from dark universe... we came a little early."

  "How much early," Vacrain asked. By this time, he had rough idea of dark universe. />
  "Actually we came out... before we went there," Mark said.

  "What..." everybody there was looking at Mark. Vacrain said, "So did you tell yourself anything to change the future? Don't say that you created another time paradox."

  "No... I didn't tell earlier me anything. I didn't create time paradox in a way, but I changed future," After a bit of pause Mark said, "I saved Xoguar from dying and many more who would be having dead by now due to those programmed viruses."

  "Yes...," Emily came there, "But that's not important point. Important thing is that I saw a glimpse of that universe which got created accidently. I saw a glimpse from that virtual world where Xoguar was dead and those programmed viruses has been spread a lot."

  And then, "Oh... no, I saw something else. I saw Crayton entering into our universe," Emily said with continuation.

  "How can this be possible," Mark said, "Oh... so, you are getting vibe for everything you saw at least once."

  "No... There is one thing common in all these vibes," Emily said, "Their fate may have changed due to that incident."

  "How can you say that," Mark asked.

  She continued, "Because I didn't saw you yet... I have seen Crayton before, but I didn't think of them in any way. I saw many people... and I think I can conclude that this is about an alternate future. But there is something more..."

  "What is that," Mark asked.

  Emily said, "Xoguar wasn't dead there when I got his vision. I couldn't understand that then... but he was someone else. In that vibe, I saw him waking up in some different form... that I haven't seen yet. He was not one of us... he was one of them..."

  "Who are they," Mark asked.