The youngest Aeon is Nanook. It has been several dozen Amber Eras since THEIR first appearance at the end of the Swarm Disaster. That was the last time an Aeon descended upon the universe with THEIR true body.
Limited by the three-dimensionality of the universe, THEY could not stay for long. The only other time THEY descend was during crucial moments. At other times, THEY would influence the world partially through THEIR gaze, or at best, a portion of THEIR power.
It has been a long time since the universe saw an Aeon's descent, much less the birth of a new one.
Today, it happened.
As long as they possessed the ability to see THEM, Fuli's figure appeared in their eyes. The towering figure made of crystalline, pale blue ice, wore a ceremonial crown with hanging ice-like beads. A glimpse upon THEIR true body revealed sets of memories—one not foreign to them.
Herta looked at the Light Cone that condensed out of thin air. The card was split into two halves diagonally.
On the left was her facing the Droidhead;
On the right was her facing Irontomb.
Both of these instances had her back facing the card's front.
"How tasteless." She pinched the card with two of her fingers. "But it's not bad."
Something similar happened to Black Swan. A Light Cone floated slowly towards her grasp. It showed her resting her elbows atop a wooden desk. Her backdrop was that of bookshelves. It extended further before it blended into a night sky dotted with countless stars.
"Countless shooting stars streak the sky tonight."
The phrase meant for someone else prematurely came out of her mouth.
"Choose the right one, and it will carry your wishes across countless worlds."
Things weren't so smooth when it came to the hacker who got ragebaited by an officewoman. Her silver pupils examined the cartridge that appeared out of nowhere and fell in her hands.
Buzz-!
A thin silver line emerged from its bottom. It made its way through its entire body, turning the old-school cartridge into a Light Cone. It showed two identical Silverwolfs, with one of them choking the other. The city backdrop merged with the darkness shrouding the other SIlverwolf's half.
The moment she saw this, a frown appeared on her face.
"Why are they so bored to doxx me?"
She couldn't understand the intent behind this Light Cone's appearance. Silverwolf attributed it to the towering figure of Fuli that appeared out of nowhere. She stared at THEM, and then the card in her hand.
It was then she noticed a faint rainbow line separating the two contrasting Silverwolfs.
Just then, a hand reached out to grab it. The thick sleeves of his black jacket fluttered. Silverwolf was stunned, her shoulders jolting in surprise. She was completely blindsided by this 'man'!
"Isn't it impolite to take other people's stuff?"
Silverwolf gave a look of familiarity towards him. In turn, the man did not offer a reply. He closely examined the card in his hand. When he leveled the card to his eye level, the faint rainbow line let out a low glimmer.
"The present and future are disjointed."
Flick-!
The man threw the card back to her. Silverwolf swiftly caught it. Under her eyes, it turned back into a cartridge.
Click-!
The iron door to the rooftop was opened. A woman arrived. Her dark purple hair swayed slightly with the wind. The black overcoat she wore shielded her from the cold winds. She looked at the distant night sky. The tall figure of Fuli stood conspicuously. THEIR presence rend the sky into fragmented, mirror-like pieces.
"The script has changed."
The man's voice resounded. Anyone who had met the Old Ancestor back on Earth would recognize it. He bore the same appearance, but not the same soul. Such was the true identity of Elio, the Destiny's Slave.
"Finality's descent has been brought forward."
Elio turned around, glancing at Silverwolf. His eyes were unlike anything she had seen. Its body was made of blue light. His irises bore a rift, which was surrounded by several rhombus-shaped markings.
The next moment, it revealed five rings of light. A closer look revealed the names of all active Aeons present within these three rings of light.
The future left no secrets in his eyes, for they have already seen it once. This time, however, it was different. The emergence of Fuli at this instance wasn't present in the futures he had seen.
After all…
"What have you seen to grant him your identity?"
…it wasn't Fuli in the first place.
*****
Fifteen steps is all it took to approach the unapproachable Leylah. We are separated by our time, one residing in the present and the other in the future. This operation is destined to be impossible to complete. The residual power of the tribulation energy is on the level of the Dao Integration Realm. Despite our capabilities to unleash attacks at that level temporarily, it is a chasm that cannot be easily crossed.
I sought for another solution.
In our earlier days, the power of Blade Mantra supported me in fighting against higher-leveled opponents. It was a huge assistance before… and even now.
The margin between 80% and 100% is as high as the path I took when I went from 0% to 80%. Getting it to reach a hundred percent is extremely difficult. Even Amphoreus, the place where the Fourth Instant was designated, only gave me 80%.
The memories leaking from Leylah gave me a chance. These memories came from the distant future. They are carried by a Supreme who underwent a major tribulation. Any of these two could fill in that remaining 20%, much less both of them.
I took in those memories.
From there, I saw the world that diverged from our present. Wendy's divination came true. I used Amphoreus as a leverage to create a feat befitting of All Creation. It caused all of the active Aeons to gather, each harboring their own agendas.
In this future, I chose not to heed my future projection's words—
The second lies not in becoming a world.
It isn't the answer to the second tribulation, yet I took it as one. The second major tribulation erupted prematurely. Along with Finality, my body ended up as the pillar of this new world. The Imaginary Tree's half-step Tribulation Transcendence was filled in completely, granting it immense status.
In the end, I chose the selfish path of self-sacrifice. It is what created the tragedies from the future. Leylah's downfall was the one that started their descent to the abyss.
Because of me, Theresa slaughtered half of this universe's living beings.
Because of me, Seele used their souls in an attempt to elevate Samsara's status.
Because of me…
Kiana had to suffer from solitude again.