Chronicles of a Chronomancer

Chapter 2: Echoes of the Forgotten

Lian lay on his narrow bed, staring at the cracked ceiling above him. The events in the archive room replayed in his mind: the rogue Chronomancer's voice, the visions, and the strange awakening of his powers. Sleep had eluded him, leaving him with only the unsettling echoes of his fragmented memories.

He rose and crossed the room to his desk. His leather-bound journal, which had mysteriously emptied itself earlier, lay closed beside a stack of notes. He hesitated before opening it, half-expecting the blank pages to mock him again. To his relief, the pages were intact this time, the neat handwriting chronicling Echo Stones and their fragments.

Flipping to a fresh page, Lian wrote down everything he remembered from the rogue's words: "Lian… you must remember. You were one of us."

The phrase lingered, an itch he couldn't scratch. He needed answers. Digging through a drawer, he retrieved a small, worn key. The archives had a restricted section—one that was supposed to be off-limits. If anyone could uncover the truth, it was him.

---

Hours later, he stood in the restricted wing of the archives. Dust motes floated in the dim light of his lantern, and the smell of old parchment filled the air. Hidden behind shelves of forgotten tomes, he found a sealed door etched with runes that glowed faintly at his touch. His fingers trembled as he used the key, the lock clicking open with a satisfying finality.

Inside, the air was heavy with power. The room was small, almost claustrophobic, and at its center was a pedestal holding an artifact—a golden disk inscribed with strange symbols.

The moment Lian touched it, the symbols lit up, and his vision twisted.

In an instant, he was no longer in the archives. He stood on a battlefield beneath a darkened sky. Figures in shimmering robes clashed, their weapons sparking with raw energy. In the distance, a colossal machine loomed, its gears turning with deafening noise. At its core was a pulsating crystal—the Heart of Time.

He recognized himself in the vision, his younger face hardened with determination. He was commanding the battlefield, bending time to his will. But then he saw the rogue Chronomancer, standing at his side. They weren't enemies. They were allies.

The vision ended abruptly, leaving Lian gasping for air. The artifact had gone cold in his hand. His thoughts were a mess as he stumbled out of the restricted room. He didn't understand what he'd seen, but one thing was clear—his past wasn't what he thought it was.

And someone didn't want him to remember.

---

The next morning, Lian's powers began to manifest in ways he couldn't control. As he walked through the market, time seemed to stutter. He watched a fruit vendor drop an apple, only for the scene to rewind, the apple landing back on the cart. It happened again and again, looping until Lian moved away, breaking the cycle.

His heart pounded as he ducked into an alley. He pressed his hands to his temples, trying to calm his racing thoughts. The rogue's words echoed in his mind: You've buried your true power.

Back at the Chrono Guard headquarters, Kael was already waiting for him. The older man's sharp gaze pinned Lian in place.

"You've been acting strange," Kael said bluntly. "What are you hiding?"

Lian forced a laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kael's expression darkened. "Don't lie to me, Lian. I've seen the way the anomalies follow you. If you know something about the rogue Chronomancers, you'd better start talking."

Before Lian could respond, alarms blared throughout the building. The headquarters shook as explosions rocked the lower levels. Kael swore and drew his blade.

"Come on," he barked.

Together, they fought their way through the chaos. Rogue Chronomancers were everywhere, their magic distorting time and space. Lian's instincts took over as he manipulated the temporal flow around them, slowing down attacks and creating openings for Kael to strike.

When the dust settled, Kael turned to him, his expression unreadable. "That wasn't normal," he said. "You've been hiding something, Lian. I want the truth—now."

---

Kael didn't give Lian a chance to explain. He hauled him into an interrogation room and demanded answers. Lian tried to deflect, but Kael's frustration boiled over.

"Do you know what you are?" Kael demanded. "The things you did out there—those aren't the abilities of a normal recruit. They're not even Chrono Guard techniques."

Before Lian could respond, a messenger burst into the room. "Captain Kael! There's been another attack—this time at the eastern temple."

Kael cursed under his breath and released Lian. "This isn't over," he said.

The eastern temple was an ancient structure said to predate the city itself. As they approached, Lian felt a strange pull, like something was calling to him. The temple was in ruins, its walls covered in glowing runes.

Inside, they found another artifact—a broken shard of the Heart of Time. It pulsed faintly, its energy resonating with Lian's. Kael watched warily as Lian approached it.

"This feels… familiar," Lian murmured.

The moment he touched the shard, another vision consumed him. He saw himself standing in the temple, holding the shard as the Heart of Time shattered. The rogue Chronomancer was there, whispering something in his ear.

Lian snapped back to the present, gasping for breath. Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "What did you see?"

Lian hesitated. He didn't trust Kael—not yet. "Nothing," he lied.

But the look in Kael's eyes told him the man wasn't buying it.

---

With the city in chaos and the Chrono Guard stretched thin, Lian decided to leave. The rogue Chronomancer's words haunted him, and he knew he wouldn't find answers here.

Kael caught him sneaking out and confronted him. "If you're going after the rogues, I'm coming with you," he said.

Lian didn't argue. He didn't trust Kael, but he needed all the help he could get.

Their journey took them to a remote village frozen in time. The villagers stood like statues, their faces twisted in expressions of fear. Lian's powers reacted violently to the anomaly, and he realized this was no natural phenomenon—it was a warning.

At the edge of the village, they found a portal crackling with unstable energy. It led to an ancient temple hidden deep within a fractured timeline. Inside, they faced trials that tested their resolve, forcing Lian to confront his fragmented memories.

The final chamber held a surprise: the rogue Chronomancer himself, standing beside a massive hourglass filled with swirling light.

"Welcome home, Lian," the rogue said, his tone dripping with mockery.

Kael's blade was in his hand instantly, but Lian raised a hand to stop him. He locked eyes with the rogue, his heart pounding.

"Who are you?" Lian demanded.

The rogue smiled. "The one who remembers everything you've forgotten"