“What have you done!?” A cruel cackling voice rasped. “Look at what you did!”

  Dante was suspended over the ground in a strange location, stirred to consciousness by a brash voice. It was not Phantasm, though. It was an external crackly masculine voice, similar to an old man who had smoked his entire life. He was hanging upside down by nothing, no strings or rope attached. Frozen in midair, he discovered he could not move, not even his eyes.

  What is happening? I can’t move! Let me go! Dante thought until suddenly he was no longer suspended. “Ah!” He fell face-first onto what seemed to be a material used for streets.

  “Ugh… where am I…?” he asked, gagging out particles. He looked around and did not recognize anything. Standing slowly, he noticed that his body ached. He felt battered and beaten which led him to examine himself. Most of his armor was destroyed. His wounds though were fully closed. No scars or cuts. Upon further inspection, he realized the module was dull and lifeless. This analysis led him to suspect an abrupt imbalance in his energy. A battery that has been drained. His wings were battered to the point of inefficacy. They lifted limply. “Great…” he said, trying to lift off the ground, but it proved that his power was gone. He has more or less returned to normal.

  To understand his current situation, he tried to assess this new environment. Immediate acknowledgment, he was in a considerable town square. Surrounded by homes and shops that were long abandoned, their fragments floating midair. Centered in the town square was a large water fountain. There was strange water that gushed through the top, however, the water did not flow. It was frozen in time. Like the nearby buildings, the water looked like it was stuck. There was a body of strange water nearby, he walked over to the shoreline, but it was also halted. Turning back around, there were multiple paths so he followed one. He passed many abandoned shops and houses, with the same destroyed look. Then, he ended up back in the town square. He turned to see how it was possible, everything looked the same!

  “What… is this place?” He asked as he took another path and passed something that looked like an ancient statue, it was crumbling due to age, but the pieces floated in the air, halted in time. He reached over and poked one of the pieces. It moved as he pushed it and stayed in place when he stopped. “Uh…” He wasn’t sure what to think of it so he kept wandering. He then arrived at a disintegrating tower from an advanced civilization. The architecture was unknown but mechanical like it could move at one time. Now it was broken – the pieces floated midair. As he passed, he ran his hand along its metallic surface. “What?” He said as he, again, found himself back in the town square with the fountain.

  Instead of becoming more lost, he stopped for a moment to think. Which was impossible, the place he was in was dead silent. Absolute silence, the strange buildings, and the fact that time was frozen distracted his thoughts. Usually, Phantasm would start complaining, but he couldn’t feel the voice inside of him anymore.

  “Hey… Phantasm… you still around?” Dante called but there was only silence. “Hey!!!” he screamed, no echo in earshot. There was no response. Dante felt excited, he was finally free of the tyrant then was reminded of his new reality. It was a place he’s never been and there was no one around to be with him; at least before he wasn’t alone.

  “You!” A raspy voice screeched, startling Dante. He readied himself for a new foe despite none could be seen.

  “Who goes there!?” He put his fists up, prepared to punch the threat.

  “You dare ask ‘who goes there’ you impudent wretch!? Look what you’ve done! Again!” It screeched behind him.

  Dante turned to face it, but nothing was there. Just the fountain, suspended in frozen time. “What did I do!?”

  “You broke the Flow of Time!” The voice was behind him again.

  Dante spun around, striking at the source of the voice, only to hit nothing. He scanned his surroundings, but no one was there. “Show yourself, coward!”

  “Coward!? Says the one that allowed his planet to turn into bits! Although… I’m one to talk… I, too, fell victim to that wicked horned beast!”

  “Sophitia? You know her!? Tell me where I can find her! So I can destroy her!” He shook his fists in rage.

  “Of course, I know her! Have you forgotten already? Hmmph.” The voice started to laugh, “You already tried that anyway. Didn’t work quite as expected, did it?”

  Dante stopped his rage to converge with confusion, “Huh? What are you talking about!?”

  “Don’t you remember? You were fighting Sophitia. You were about to finish her off when oops, she disappeared! Or maybe you remember that time you were fighting Sophitia and–”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he shrugged.

  “You don’t know? Is it possible…? Hehe… Oh, me oh my. Come, friend, come to the gate. I will meet you there.” The voice danced around Dante.

  “Gate? I have no idea where I am even going!” Dante squirmed in frustration.

  The voice chuckled, “Just follow the path of all the stuff you broke. You’ll get here eventually.”

  “There are hundreds of paths! I’d be going around in circles!” Dante shouted in anger.

  “Indeed, you have broken lots of things since you came!” The voice laughed as it faded away.

  “What!? I’ve only been here for a few minutes!” He stood in silence, “Hello!?” Silence followed. Shaking his head, he threw his hands up, “Fine… whatever I guess.”

  Dante stood in the middle of the town square, unsure what to do. He set his sights on another path. As he walked through, It all looked the same—shattered towers, ancient stone buildings, twisted metal constructs, and remnants of civilizations that had no business existing in the same space. Some structures had the smooth, gleaming surfaces of an advanced society, while others were crude, made of mud and straw. And yet, none of them were intact. They were eroded, dusty, and decayed. It was as if time itself had been pressed into an unyielding pause.

  “This would be so much easier if I could fly,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. The air was thick, unmoving. Even his footsteps barely disturbed the surrounding stillness.

  He continued his direction and walked, stepping over broken stone slabs and rusted rail tracks that curved into the air and simply ended. At first, it seemed like progress. Landmarks shifted, buildings changed, and then—no. That same fountain stood in the distance, its water frozen in midair. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward. The cobbled streets turned to smooth pavement, then cracked earth, then something resembling glass. His reflection wavered beneath his feet, the sky above was hazy and motionless. An indiscernible light made everything visible and shadowless.

  He rounded a corner and halted.

  There it was again – that frozen fountain.

  Dante cursed under his breath. He spun on his heel and took another route, forcing himself not to look back. As he walked, he saw things that made no sense. A colossal ship, embedded halfway into a skyscraper as if it had crashed there—but there was no impact, no wreckage. The craft itself was pristine, almost untouched by time. Its massive sails were locked mid-motion, billowing against an invisible wind.

  Further ahead, a marketplace. Stalls lined the road, some wooden and rickety, others sleek and metallic, their holographic displays frozen in gleaming glows. Items of all kinds lay untouched—fruits that never rotted, stacks of coins from currencies he didn’t recognize, weapons rusted in some places, and shining new in others. He reached out to touch a piece of fabric draped over a counter. The moment his fingers grazed it, the cloth hadn’t moved.

  Dante pressed forward, keeping his eyes locked ahead. More fragments of different worlds’ past, present, and future blurred together—a grand castle split in two, its upper half floating like an unfinished thought; a train station where the train had derailed but hung frozen mid-crash; towering spires of glass with streets weaving through the air between them. Some roads simply ended in nothingness.

  And then, without realizing it, he was back at the fountain.

  Again.

  Dante clenched his fists. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he hissed.

  His frustration mounted as he retraced his steps, this time more deliberately. He turned corners without hesitation, ignoring the unnatural sights. The destruction should have been a guide—follow the broken roads, the shattered buildings, the places where time had frayed the worst. And yet, it felt like the city was toying with him, resetting his progress when he wasn’t looking.

  Then, something changed.

  The air suddenly shifted as he turned a corner and found himself in an open expanse, unlike the ruined city. The ground sloped upward, leading to a ridge where distant mountains stretched into a hazy sky. Waterfalls cascaded upward, bending back toward the clouds like reversed streams of silver, entirely motionless. The very air here seemed different, heavier as if he had stepped into a different fragment of time entirely.

  At the top of the ridge, something gleamed – at least that was what he thought.

  Dante felt a pull toward it. His body moved before his mind could question why.

  Each step felt heavier as he climbed. The terrain changed beneath him—grass became marble, marble became sand, sand became something he couldn't even describe, shifting underfoot like the memory of solid ground rather than the real thing.

  At last, he reached the peak.

  Before him stood a monolithic archway, its form shifting subtly, like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. The symbols carved into it shimmered, rearranging themselves the longer he stared. It felt important.

  Then, that same cackling laugh echoed through the stillness.

  A chill ran through Dante’s body.

  Once again, he wasn’t alone.

  “You made it, excellent,” the voice cackled, its tone both intelligent and maniacal. The laughter echoed, reverberating through the surreal surroundings.

  Dante froze before the ornate gate, “Where and what are you?” he demanded, trying to pierce the oppressive darkness that seemed to accompany the voice.

  “Oh, hasty hasty hasty, little thing,” the voice mocked. “Here you are, wallowing in defeat by the harbingers of destruction. Having the gall to make such requests. Harrrrrr”

  Dante’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want from me? Why can’t I see you? Who are you? Why am I here!?”

  There was a brief pause before the voice spoke mockingly. “Ahhhh questions questions questions! Such an inquisitive little failure. If only I had the time to get to know you alas all I have is time! Heheheh!!”

  Dante begins to feel impatient with the maniacal voice, “Okay creepy voice, cut the crap and answer me!”

  Silence, then maniacal laughter fades in and out. “Oh ho! Temper temper! Alas, I am not an enemy nor am I a friend. I know what happened to you and what will hehehe!!”

  “What are you talking about?” Dante calmed down, getting angry was not going to make anything any better.

  “Ohhh hahah hooooo heheheheh! Ok, ok, ok. Impatient! So as I understand, you are the one who let his world down. You were promised ultimate power and fell in love with one of them. Just to be betrayed by the very bringer of that power. Sound familiar!? Plus your little voice went away. Shattered into pieces. Follow me?”

  “You know about Phantasm, what happened to it?”

  “Oh yes… all too well. You see when you grabbed the Amulet of Ezekiel, your power combined with his. It was a catalyst that caused a time and space severance within your overpowered body and soul along with Phantasm’s limitless energy. Had you just simply touched the amulet, he would have teleported away. However, hundreds of you with a piece of Phantasm now exist across time and space. One of you is trying to fix it, quite miserably I might add, hehehe!”

  Dante’s mind was blown, “One of me is trying to fix time? You mean… another version of myself is trying to fix time?”

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  “Heheh. Oh, this is hilarious. He doesn’t know. Hahaha!” Suddenly, the voice was whispering to itself. “What? Tell him what to do!? Ugh…. Fine…”

  Dante leaned in towards the voice, “What? Who else is with you? Why can’t I see you!?”

  “That’s not important. What is important, Dante, listen closely: You must find my brother, Ezekiel, he is the owner of that amulet. Find him, listen to him. DO NOT let Sophitia have the amulet…if you can help it… hehehe!”

  Dante shook his head, “Why me? I’m just a nobody. I don’t have power anymore. Besides, I can’t fly. I can’t do anything!” He threw his hands up.

  The voice sighed, “Look laddie, look. Turn around.”

  Dante turned around. His eyes scanned the city before him. It stretched out for miles, and he could see the different architectures. The many buildings spider-webbed out from the base of the hill.

  The voice was now next to his ear, “Now. Look. What do you see?”

  Dante rolled his eyes, unsure what this had to do with anything he said, “A conglomerate of an advanced dilapidated city, a modern place, and ancient buildings of times lost long ago?”

  “Now, look at this hill. You see… this is the trunk of the tree.”

  Dante cocked his head towards the ground, “Huh? The trunk of the tree?”

  “Yes. This hidden realm, the Flow of Time, is where the material and subnet realms interconnect. Imagine a large tree. It has roots and it has branches. Your world that you lived in, was part of the branches. The subnet is its roots. This location is the trunk. You broke the trunk. Now there are so many branches and roots, all because one little insignificant termite came in to destroy the tree! That termite was YOU!”

  Dante felt the resonance of the voice’s words, “I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to get that amulet. I didn’t know this would happen. How was I supposed to know otherwise!?”

  “Hehehe, excuses, excuses.”

  “I… I don’t understand…” He squatted down with his head in his palms.

  The voice surrounded his ears, moving from one to the other. “You broke the Flow of Time. So you see. It is your responsibility. No matter how small you feel you are. It is time to buck up. Take responsibility for what you did.”

  “I didn’t do this!” Dante pleaded.

  “You did! You did! I saw it with my own eyes. You came and destroyed everything!”

  “I didn’t intend to!” He held his hands behind his head.

  “A part of you did. A part of you wanted to. That same part that wants to destroy Sophitia. It has tried… repeatedly.”

  Dante shook his head, “So how am I any different!?”

  “You are… the original. Now. That is why you are here. For me to tell you this tale. Plus to tell you to find Ezekiel.”

  Dante looked around as if Ezekiel was within eye range, “And how exactly? Where is he!?”

  “Hehehe! As you can see, Ezekiel is not here. He is in another land. I can help you. I can send you there.”

  Dante shrugged, “Where is this other land?”

  “Hehhehe the look on your face, hilarious! What splendor!” The voice laughed as though there was no stopping it.

  The creep tried Dante’s patience, “Enough! How do you get me to this other land.”

  “Heheheheh. Alas, I am the one that guards the Flow of Time. I have seen a thousand possibilities!” The creepy voice then went silent.

  Dante’s confusion deepened, still he had little choice. He took in a deep breath and steeled himself. “Okay…?”

  The voice then erupted in maniacal laughter. “Ohhhhh, right, let me tell you, let me tell you!! Come closer to the gate!” the voice commanded.

  Dante stepped toward the ornate arch, “Ok, and this ‘gate’ will take me to this other land?”

  “In essence, yes. It will take you there. Take heed. Your journey is not going to be easy. You will make friends, literally and figuratively. You will lose them. Don’t worry. I have foreseen it all! Weeeehehehehe!”

  Dante shook his head to lessen his irritation. He then nudged himself closer to examine the ornate gate which suddenly exposed a whirlwind of colors and vibrancy. Voices emanated from within. Dante hesitated to peek inside, “What is this?”

  “Arrrrghhhh! Stupid! It’s a portal to the Subnet, don’t you know anything!? You’ve been through it countless times!! Oh… right.” The voice stops cackling.

  “You keep saying these things as if I am supposed to understand or get what you are going on with. Is there any way back here?”

  “This is the last you and I will meet… at least in this reality! Good luck Dante. See you in another life heheheheh!!!” Dante felt himself forced into the portal.

  The moment he crossed its threshold, a whirlwind of colors and sensations enveloped him. Voices whispered in strange tongues, images flashed past in rapid succession. A powerful force pulled him in every direction.

  Dante witnessed many instances of his world being destroyed by the Kaleidoscopians, each from a different perspective. However, a few stood out as particularly strange. He saw himself battling Sophitia—and winning. He was able to destroy her somehow – at least that’s what was indicated by the vision. Then, once the amulet is involved, the vision stops. He didn’t know what it all meant, but it wasn’t the only anomaly that caught his attention.

  Many others formed and dissipated, focused mainly on three major themes. A possible decision to join the Kaleidoscopians. A possibility to fight Sophitia. And finally, an opportunity to touch the Amulet. Each decision created different possibilities, different versions of himself, and even different versions of the Kaleidoscopians. Each one stops at a certain point involving the amulet. As though it was the nexus of all decisions.

  There was one final instance that was most particularly mind-boggling. In this finality, he was the one who pulled the trigger on Earth’s destruction. Then, when the moment came with the amulet, like all the rest, the vision stopped. A truly baffling experience nonetheless.

  He wondered what it all meant. “That weirdo said there are more than myself around… are these visions? Or memories? They’re not mine.” He said as he meandered through what seemed to be an endless tunnel. It had to be the subnet. It mercilessly thrashed him through a multitude of connections. He bounced against the barriers. Each hit jarring a memory or a vision to his face. Some were his, some were not. People he would never see again. People or creatures he had never seen before.

  “So this is what Tyr meant. The subnet is a dangerous place!”

  He smashed against the walls of the conduit numerous times until his senses overloaded, he slipped into unconsciousness. Lifelessly, he bounced against the walls until he fell through the conduit and slammed onto grassland with a heavy thud. There he lay sprawled out in a dark, serene, otherworldly forest.

  The forest trees stood tall and alien, their metallic leaves shimmering in hues of blue and silver. A beam of light pierced the canopy, casting a warm glow on his face. Beneath him, the grass was soft as a cushion. He wasn’t asleep nor awake, yet the world around him carried on – indifferent to his rest.

  After the modulation, he had lost the ability to dream. Sleep was no longer a necessity. Burdened by thoughts, his consciousness stirred, pulling him back to awareness. As his eyes opened, he focused on the blades of grass beneath him. For a fleeting moment, he let himself believe he was home. But a single glance at the towering, alien trees shattered the illusion.

  “Now where am I?” He muttered to himself as he jumped to his feet. Excitedly, he attempted to launch into the sky, forgetting that his power had dissipated. His wings contracted, and he fell to the ground abruptly.

  “Great, my power really is gone. It wasn’t a dream after all.” Dante brushed himself off. Then he set off to investigate the forest. “Phantasm? Are you… gone too?” Again, a sigh of relief came over him. “Creepy Voice what about you? Got anything to say? No!? Thanks a lot for putting me here!” His shout echoed through the forest – bringing unwanted attention unbeknownst to him. “Well, no sense staying here. Guess I should see about getting out of here.” He said, maneuvering through some metallic brush towards a path. The brush scraped his skin with a metallic sound but did not leave a scratch. Unsure of which route to take, he picked the most sensible direction to set his destination.

  The surrounding forest was more than just trees. The flora was mechanical. He couldn’t understand how it was possible, it was a strange world. Attempting to push it in the back of his mind, a noise happened behind him. He scanned the area, despite his X-ray vision being absent. He became a useless husk to his knowledge.

  As he followed the path, it abruptly ended in a dead end. “Wonderful…” he muttered, turning back the way he came.

  Yet, he couldn't ignore the faint but deliberate rustling of leaves behind him.

  Again.

  “Who’s there!?” He spun around, his senses firing all around him.

  Nothing.

  He turned around to be ambushed by a growling humanoid of bear descent, armored in tough leather. It pinned him to the ground with its fangs mere inches before his face. He held its gaping jaws from his face while the bear pushed toward him.

  With effortlessness, Dante shoved the bear-like creature away with his feet. The force sent the creature airborne into the bushes. The bear-man spread in the dirt, huffing and puffing, “Oof… so strong…”

  Dante launched to his feet, brushed himself off, and let out a sigh of relief. “Least that part of me is still here.” The bear creature emerged from the brush, ready for another attempt. Dante stepped back to anchor in preparation for the bear-man’s next strike.

  The beast-man leaped and struck Dante in the face with a swipe of his mighty claw. However, the strike proved useless as he stood unaffected by the bear's forceful blow. The bear struck again and again. Not a scratch was left on Dante’s torso or face. The bear looked confused at his claws as they were nothing more than nubs. Dante nudged the bear and the beast fell on its hindquarters. The bear sat still, befuddled, staring blankly at the ground with its mouth gaped.

  He suddenly heard a second sound but didn’t bother turning around. He waited for it to reveal itself, unfazed. If this was all the creatures could do, he was safe. The rustling leaves fell silent.

  “Fugg, stop this instant! I told you to— oh!” came a commanding yet surprised voice. A figure emerged from the shadow, a beastly man with the features of a tiger, sharp eyes, and orange fur with black stripes. He, too, was armored in tough leather.

  I must be on a planet where animal people were created instead of men… Dante thought to himself. It did not seem like there was any way creatures like these would simply evolve. They were intentional to the world.

  Fugg, the bear-like creature, growled one last time as he reluctantly ceased his next assault. The tiger-man approached his gaze both curious and assessed him. “Hmm… a strange Furthian, here in the dark forest?” The big cat-man motioned around Dante, studying him closely. “Not quite a Furthian though – perhaps a High Furthian? Wings are broken… armor weird and broken. Not a single scratch, quite dirty, smells of strange things, very bizarre indeed.” The tiger man leaned in and sniffed, “Oof, desperately in need of a bath… Yes, interesting… Quite interesting indeed.”

  Dante looked into the beast’s catlike eyes. Unsure if he should trust this cat-man sniffing around him like an animal would. He was about to say something then the cat-man’s ears twinged and eyes narrowed.

  The cat beast bowed his furry head, “Oh where are my manners! My name is Roak and this dimwit, though the strongest of all Athros, is Fugg. We’re mercenaries investigating some disturbances in our lands. This forest included.”

  Dante didn’t want to overload the cat-man with too much information so he held back a little. “Ah… I fell and uh hit my head, so I don’t remember anything… I do know that I’m looking for someone.”

  Roak’s expression remained stern. “You… fell? My apologies but it looks more like you were beaten to a pulp. By what though, I haven’t the slightest clue. Seeing how you cast my friend here aside like yesterday's dinner.”

  Dante appreciated Roak’s senses, “I fell far into this forest. I’m not sure what, but something hit me, so here I am.”

  Roak stroked the scruff of his chin, “I see. Yes, that makes sense. Strange happenings occur in this forest. You would do well to leave before you attract more danger. I suggest you make haste to Artemis Roost.”

  “Artemis Roost?” Dante inquired, the name sparked his curiosity. Would it be so likely that a place like this would use the same name as the Greek goddess? Definitely fits here, he thought to himself. But… how? Why? I don’t feel like this cat thing could really provide me with a meaningful answer.

  Roak furrowed his brow and bristled his tail, “You must have truly hit your head hard. It is a famous fortress that honors the name of Artemis, our Forever Queen. You’d do well to remember that and keep wary of yourself.”

  Dante sensed the offense he placed and bowed his head, “My apologies! Yes, I did hit my head very hard, probably from a tree when I hit the ground. I will do better to make sure I think before I speak! Please direct me to where I should go.”

  Roak was the quiet and reserved type while the other appeared to be nothing more than a moron as it stood next to the big cat and stared at the ground. The big cat bowed and pointed Dante in the direction of the town, the direction was albeit a mystery to him. “There will be a river, follow its flow, and then you shall find the fortress. There is a doctor who can tend to your wings. Also, a half-decent hot spring for bathing. You may be able to find whom you are looking for in the pub.”

  Dante returned the bow without further questions and possible intruding offenses, he made his leave. He heard murmurs from the two animal men.

  “Him?” Fugg rasped.

  “I don’t know, come Fugg we must hurry to the Quadraseph. Our Forever Queen must know of these happenings.” Roak’s voice faded as the distance increased.

  Dante followed the suggested path deeper into the forest. The metallic trees seemed to close in around him. A thick fog rolled in, creating an unclear path ahead. Despite the eerie beauty of the surroundings, he pressed on, driven by the hope of finding Ezekiel.

  Halted in the middle of the forest, he stared up at the sky. Despair hit him like a brick to the face. He fell to his knees. “Why am I even doing this? Everything is gone. Now I’m stuck in some world with strange beasts. I know nothing. What’s the point of all this!?” He expected someone to answer, but there were only environmental sounds. He was half hoping to hear Phantasm make some kind of cruel and sarcastic remark, but there was nothing. It was just him. It must’ve died after all. He thought, unsure if he was happy or not. Without the voice pushing him, it all seemed pointless to press on.

  Dante punched the ground, again and again. “I’m supposed to fix time? How am I supposed to fix the Flow of Time, especially since I’m already doing it!?” He sulked, “My world… It was all destroyed! Destroyed by that witch Sophitia! Urgh! How am I supposed to do anything now!? My power is gone. Who knows where Ezekiel is or if he would even help me? What am I supposed to do!?”

  Dante almost lost his mind that day on top of his world. Then he thought about Tyr.

  “Tyr… you believed in me. You believed I was something that I’m not. And you knew about Phantasm. Now it’s gone! It’s all gone!” He slammed the ground, “Then you said my world is not gone!? It’s like you knew… you knew all this would happen! Why did you not tell me!? Was it part of your plan all along? You knew that by me touching that jewel, this would happen. But how… how would you know… unless…”

  Dante realized that something was pulling the strings, he wasn’t sure what, but he was convinced. Quickly, he took off running through the forest, as fast as he could. He hopped over fallen logs. All the while metallic leaves and vines whipped his face, regardless, he ran unfazed. A new energy overwhelmed him. A new meaning, a refreshed purpose, and he was going to find it. Something compelled him to keep going. Perhaps it was destiny. Whatever it was, the power he was given and then taken away, plus Phantasm’s disappearance, all for a reason. He vowed to himself to keep going instead of giving up. There was still hope. He didn’t know all the answers. How could he? It was only a short amount of time. He was alive after all that happened. Still alive with a semblance of power.

  One way or another he would find a way.

  That was his oath.