The shadows of the night sky covered the uncharted island, the radiant moon illuminating the beach. The once beautiful shore was now a devastated battleground, scarred by craters from Mio's lightning storm. A flickering campfire cast a warm glow, Mike sitting beside it with Mio on his lap. He gently caressed her long, blue-hinted white hair, his eyes filled with concern.
Mio's eyelids slowly flickered open, her vision clearing. She jolted upright, her face burning red. "I-I...I'm sorry," Mike apologized, his head bent in remorse.
Mio's curiosity got the better of her. "Uh...why are you apologizing?" She asked, her eyes locked on Mike's.
Mike hesitated, collecting his thoughts. "For pushing you too far...and—"
Mio cut him off, her voice firm. "Don't you think you should explain why you did it in the first place?" She waited, her eyes expectant.
Mike took a deep breath, his eyes searching for the right words. "I do have a reason..." he began.
Mio's expression turned stern. "Then let's hear it, you jerk!" she snapped, her patience wearing thin.
Mike winced, but Mio's anger seemed justified. He deserved it. Mio stood before him, her arms crossed, her face a mix of emotions.
The silence between them stretched, the only sound, the crackling of the campfire. Mike finally broke the silence, his voice low. "It happened when I passed out earlier."
Mio's eyes widened, and she gulped, her expression changing from anger to concern.
"As soon as I spoke the...last word on the letter I...."
Mike continued, hesitating to pronounce the last word on the letter as if it would trigger another episode.
"A-And then...What happened?"
Mio inquired, her eyes anxious and her tone soft but curious.
"I saw flashes...no, detailed memories of...."
He paused a bit, and took a glance at Mio who was still standing. His eyes hesitant but he continued, seeing as there was no escape to Mio's glare.
"It was the day we made that promise 8 years ago," Mike began, his voice low and measured. "You think you got home that day, but that's not what truly happened."
Mio's eyes widened in shock, her jaw slackening as she stared at Mike. She looked like she'd been punched in the gut, her face pale and her lips parted. Mike's gaze faltered, and he looked away, unable to meet her accusing stare." "We were attacked...no, they came to take you away."
The story unfolded like a dark nightmare. On their way back after the promise, they both got transported to a different space. Multiple figures in black cloaks surrounded them, their faces hidden in the shadows. Without warning, they charged at Mio, trying to kidnap her.
Mike's eyes seemed to glaze over as he recounted the events. "I used a strange ability to kill ten of the cloaked men in the blink of an eye." His voice was detached, but Mio could sense the underlying tension.
The Mike from that time seemed different from the present one. He was already using his abilities at a young age, and his maturity level was almost...adult-like. Mio's anxiety grew with each word, her eyes fixed on Mike's face.
As Mike continued, the scene came alive in Mio's mind. She saw herself clinging to Mike, her eyes shut tight, her hands trembling with fear. Mike fought off the aggressors, protecting her with an unsettling ease. Tiny purple-black orbs shot from his hands, piercing through every helmet, armor, and skull like it was nothing. It was literally unstoppable.
Mike never flinched at the sight of blood as if it was a normal thing, it seemed Mike could handle the situation. The Mike of that time was like someone who has seen and fought many battles, so a mere blood wasn't enough to faze him.
But then, Mio screamed painfully as she was shot with a taser gun by an invisible foe. Mike's expression turned desperate as he grabbed her unconscious body, struggling to break free from the telekinetic force holding them.
It seemed that some of the assailants were ability users, even though a wave hadn't struck earth yet at that time.
As they drew nearer to the enemy's grasp, Mike's frustration grew. "I won't let you take her!! Not this time, not ever!!!!" A burst of purple-black energy erupted, engulfing and erasing everyone and everything except Mike and Mio. Even the different space they were in was destroyed, so they were now back to reality.
When the energy dissipated, a feminine figure approached, face masked and hooded. "Erase her memories of this incident and implant new, believable ones," Mike said, his voice detached, as if the figure was an acquaintance. "As for me...I'm nearing my limit, I used a lot power and now the paradox is finally catching up, my consciousness is fading, in a few minutes my Present consciousness will fade and soon the original will take over. There's no time, Seal some of my memories inside him...he might need it...one day and tell my mom about...."
Mike's words came to a sudden halt, as he slowly collapses leaving Mio with the hooded lady who was already performing some kind of spell on her.
****
The crackling of the campfire disrupted the silence after Mike's story, he finally summoned the courage to gaze upon her face.
Mio, who was now sitting near the fire just opposite of Mike, she seems to had sat down half way through the story. she was in a daze, her lips parted, and her mind reeled as she struggled to process the revelation.
"You don't believe it, do you?..."
Mike asked, his tone soft and nervous and immediately came Mio's interrogative voice.
"I still don't see why you made me go through that hellish training of yours."
Mio was glaring daggers at the already nervous Mike, feeling the intense glare, he replied....
"After the memory was revealed, there was a hidden message..."
"And?!" Mio came on, as if the anticipation was unbearable.
"He...umm...I mean the...me from the past appeared in my mind and said.....
"YOU AND MIO MUST BECOME STRONGER TO SURVIVE THE COMING APOCALYPSE, THE FATE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD RESTS IN YOUR HANDS."
Mio's expression shifted from shock to skepticism, and she raised an eyebrow. 'You're telling me the fate of the world rests on our shoulders, and that's the best you've got? It sounds like a cheesy line from a bad movie.' Her tone was laced with amusement, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity, betraying her skepticism."
"It's not a joke or a movie line"
Mike came on, his voice firm and serious.
"Then say "the word" again, if it triggers something then I'll believe you."
Mio snorted trying to stay logical.
"I-I really don't want to.."
He replied, his tone soft. And Mio called immediately...
"Then don't!, and just come clean with the truth alre..."
Before Mio could shoot him down anymore Mike in a deep but loud tone said the words...
"The Timeflux Resonates!"
A sudden pause came after those words, and the silence grew until...
"See nothing happened, now you'll have to tell me the...."
*whooooosh!*
Mio's words couldn't continue as she saw Mike whose legs we're tired after the intense training standing, completely engulfed in a flame-like blue energy.
Mike walked closer to Mio, his eyes glowing in a radiant blue and his lips stretched in a smile.
"{It's good to see you again, how are you, my dear Mio}"
He came on, his voice calm but echoing, reverberating across the entire island.
"M-Mikey?!" She could only mutter as his presence was overwhelming, a stray tear rolled down her cheeks giving life to her conflicting emotions. She couldn't help but cry on seeing the Mike that had been lost...her 'Mikey.'
"{...please don't cry, he and I are one and the same, although not from the same timeline but...what I feel, he feels, what I want he wants and believe me what 'we' want the most, is to be with you, so please, don't scar me any further with your tears. A Godess shouldn't cry you know! }"
Again came the echoing but reassuring voice from Mike as he wiped away the tears from...his Mio.
"{ it seems I've exhausted my time here, this might be the last time I manifest so I'll leave you with this important information }"
The glowing Mike said as he scribbled something on a nearby rock without touching it, he just made gestures with his fingers and words appeared on the rock, it seemed he was using telekinesis masterfuly.
{ good bye Mio... } he concluded and suddenly Mikes appearance became normal again as he collapsed.
"Mikey!!" Mio called as she barely caught him, breaking his fall.
*****
Mike woke up to a soft, squishy and exilerating feeling on his face, he could have just stayed like that for a while but...
"Mmm...wiioo, am sufacasing"
~Mmm...Mio, I'm suffocating ~
He said in a muffled tone. Mikes face were stuffed into the soft -squishy heaven of Mio's chest as she was holding him in a heartfelt embrace.
"Shut up you dummy!" *Smack* she smacks his head gently, her face heating up and her cheeks reddening With a delicate blush as she added... "That's what you get for scaring me you jerk."
"But I didn't..." Mike paused, noticing the writing on the flat rock beside him and asked... "Mio, what's that?"
Mio picking up the rock says.. "Oh this?!, well he...no you wrote it, in your...cool state, hehe!
"It was him wasn't it, the me from the past?"
"Yeah..., what's it say Mikey?"
She asked leaning close to Mike who was now sitting and holding the stone tablet.
"It says...
FIND CHLOE, EVEN THE LITTLE SUN HAS A ROLE TO PLAY.
"Huh?, Chloe?! What has that bitch got to do with any of this?!"
Mio snapped on hearing the name 'Chloe'
"Hey you shouldn't call her a bi..." Mike choked on those words as he felt the heat of Mio's glare.
"Anyways, what's important right now is to train and become stronger!!"
Mio quickly changed the topic sounding enthusiastically.
"Huh?! But I thought you were against it earlier" Mike inquired, his expression, confused.
"Well I never said I hated training, it's just that I didn't enjoy the way you went about it, but now I know why, I guess I can forgive you just this once."
She said while patting him on his cheek like a baby.
"O-Okay, umm...I guess since today is April 6th, we have 10days before...The Apocalypse"
He said feeling the weight of the word 'Apocalypse' his voice grew weary.
"Mio's voice rose in excitement, her enthusiasm infectious as she tried to shake off the heavy atmosphere. 'Alright, so we have 10 days to train our butts off!
"Please don't say it like that" he said releasing a sigh.
"Hehe" she chuckled. "Okii Mikey"
She said while making the most adorable face know to man, 'puppy dog eyes'
"(Cuuuuuute...!). "
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Hurray!, we've finally reached 10 chapters.
For those that think some of the last few chapters were boring, I apologize, it was a necessity to develop the characters more, but I promise from here on out every chapter is gonna be exciting. Remember to leave reviews, drop comments and gift me power stones, your support is my motivation to create more wonderful scenes thank you guys!