Caius stood in the center of the rune-inscribed chamber, his heart pounding. He could still feel the weight of time around him—but he couldn't touch it.
No matter how hard he reached, no matter how much he focused, his power remained silent. The threads of time that once whispered to him, that once coiled around his mind like a second sense… were completely still.
Selene leaned against the wall outside the circle, arms crossed. "So, what's it feel like?"
Caius flexed his fingers, uneasy. "Like losing my sight. Or my hearing. Everything feels… wrong."
Selene tilted her head. "Good. You need to get used to that."
He shot her a glare. "Thanks for the support."
She smirked. "Come on, Timeborn. Let's see if you can actually fight without breaking reality."
She tossed him a wooden practice sword. He caught it, but the moment he did, she lunged.
Fast.
Caius barely managed to raise his blade before she was on him. The first strike rattled through his bones, nearly knocking the weapon from his hands.
He had fought Selene before. With his power, he could see her attacks before they landed, adjust before she even moved. But now—
Now he was just another fighter.
Selene didn't hold back. She was relentless, pressing forward with quick, calculated strikes. Caius backpedaled, struggling to block, his body already screaming from exhaustion.
He had trained with Garran and Elias. He knew how to fight. But this was different.
This was survival without a safety net.
A strike to his ribs. Another to his leg. He barely dodged a third that would've hit his shoulder.
He gritted his teeth. Think, Caius. You don't have time magic, but you still have instincts.
He adjusted his stance. Instead of reacting, he started predicting—not with his power, but with what he knew.
Selene was aggressive, but she had patterns. Small shifts in her feet before a lunge. A slight tightening of her grip before she struck overhead.
Caius dodged left instead of right—just in time to avoid a strike aimed for his ribs.
Selene's smirk faded. "Not bad."
She came at him again. This time, Caius didn't just block—he countered. Their blades clashed, and for the first time since the fight began, Selene had to retreat.
Caius panted, sweat dripping down his face. His entire body ached, but he was learning.
Maybe he wasn't useless without his power after all.
But just as he started to adjust, Selene changed her rhythm.
A kick to his stomach sent him sprawling. Before he could get up, she was already there, her blade at his throat.
She grinned. "Dead."
Caius groaned, slamming his fist against the stone floor. "That wasn't fair."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "You think the Hollow Legion is gonna fight fair?" She sheathed her blade and stepped back. "You did better than I expected. But you're still too reliant on tricks."
Caius forced himself up. His entire body protested, but he refused to stay down. "Again."
Selene looked surprised, then nodded. "Alright. Again."
And so they fought.
Over and over, Caius lost. But each time, he lost a little less badly.
By the end, he could barely stand. His breath came in ragged gasps, his arms felt like lead, and every inch of him was covered in bruises.
But he had done it.
For the first time, he fought without time magic.
And he survived.
Later that night, Caius sat alone in his chamber, staring at his reflection in the dim lantern light. His mind was exhausted, but his body refused to sleep.
And then—
The world shifted.
A pressure he hadn't felt before crashed over him, dragging him somewhere else. His surroundings blurred, melting away like wax, and suddenly—
He stood on the ruins of Evernight.
The castle lay in flames, its towers broken. The streets were soaked in blood. Bodies littered the ground—some he recognized.
Garran. Elias. Selene.
A shadow loomed over the carnage. A figure clad in black armor, its presence warping the air itself.
Caius couldn't move.
The figure turned. Though its face was hidden behind an obsidian helm, Caius knew—it was looking right at him.
A voice, deeper than time itself, rumbled:
"You cannot stop what has already begun, Timeborn."
The vision shattered.
Caius gasped, nearly falling off his cot. His entire body was drenched in sweat, his heart hammering in his chest.
That wasn't a normal vision.
That was something else.
Something is coming.