January 16, 2019, 4:03pm. A long time before the apocalypse, but still not long enough.

Beth's delivery is perfect. If I didn't know what happened to Akilo hundreds of years ago, I'd think she was pulling my leg.

"So there is a mana-swarm coming to earth?" I ask as Beth continues marching forward, setting a brisk pace "we have an actual incoming apocalypse?"

"I knew it," Josh says quietly as I finish. So quietly I question if I heard him correctly.

"Excuse me, what are you two talking about?" Roberts asks as he runs up beside us, "what's this about an apocalypse?"

"Apparently seventy-four years ago earth earned our place in galactic society. Any guesses as to why doc?" Beth asks.

He pauses a moment while I try to figure out what happened in 1945.

"Hiroshima," he replies, looking at Beth.

She nods before continuing, "it wasn't just the bombs though."

"Radio," Josh states, sounding surprisingly certain.

"Apparently," Beth confirms as we set foot on the bottom of the broken ramp leading up to the city. It's only now that I realize how big the city itself is. The ramp itself is at least a kilometre long. And that's before we reach the walls.

"What does that have to do with a mana swarm destroying the earth?" I ask, "the K'tharn didn't have radios or nuclear capacity when they were hit."

"You're sure? Anyway, Theglia didn't tell me. I was just told that because we broadcast our presence, a mana-swarm is on the way," she tells us while she scans the sky.

"I'm sorry, I still don't understand, what's a mana-swarm?" Roberts asks.

"It's basically a giant thunderstorm, volcanic eruption and earthquake that strikes the whole world," I answer as we step over yet another crack in the road.

"Oh, and it also triggers a massive wave of monsters in its aftermath," I add which reminds me to check my health again. Yep, still at eleven.

"Monsters like all those?" Roberts asks while gesturing back to the now-empty battlefield.

"I think so, yeah," I reply, then change the topic slightly, "speaking of monsters, one of them took a pretty big chunk out of my health. I don't suppose?" I trail off looking at Roberts.

"Hold on one second," Beth interrupts as she turns in place, looking to the east, bringing us all to a stop.

"Sorry. I forgot about my health," I reply while twirling Smoulder's fluffy tail around my finger.

Roberts is already responding, "Well, unlike a mana swarm apocalypse. Which I admit sounds rather impossible to fathom, never mind prevent, this at least, is easily fixed." As he finishes he holds out his hand which I take. When I look at him I wonder how I ever saw the face of Mr. Edwards. Then I look at his eyebrows.

Yep, definitely the eyebrows. Brrr.

"That's not what I was..." Beth starts while looking to the east. But I don't really hear the rest as I feel the wave of healing pass through me, my health returning to full. Unfortunately, that's not all that happens. It also washes over my clock.

As I watch it, I realize I'm looking far too closely before I find myself drawn in.

My last thought before I fade is that Roberts looks far more terrified than I feel.

"I'm not going," mom declared, as I put my boots on, ready to leave.

"What do you mean," I asked. It was Sunday. We always went to visit papa after church on Sunday.

"I mean I can't do it anymore Alexis," she explained.

"But we have to," I replied, pulling on her hand.

"Why? It's not like he's waking up," she sighed while looking out the glazed window of the church.

"But he might," I protested. I had to go. He needed to know I loved him.

"If he was going to wake up, he would have done it by now," mom stated as she turns to me.

"No," I screamed back at her.

"Alexis please, let's just go home," she requested, reaching for my hand.

I refused to take it, running out into the rain instead. I knew where papa was staying. We'd taken the bus before. I even had my own bus card.

Mom called after me, but she didn't try to chase me.

I spent the next couple hours at the hospital, visiting papa. I told him all about my week. Then I told him mom was busy today, but I was sure she'd come next week.

When I finally went home, I was about to buzz up to our apartment when Mr. Edwards stepped out the door. I hadn't seen him since that night a few months ago on Christmas eve.

No matter what else was going on, if I saw Edwards I could count on three things.

His hand on my shoulder as he looked into my eyes.

The smooth tone of his voice as he told me some variation of, "you know he always loved you, Alexis."

And mom's reaction to his visits.

When I opened our apartment door, I knew mom had started drinking.

"You," she slurred in that too loud voice drunk people get when they think they're being quiet. As I took my rain gear off, she lurched up out of her chair.

"If it hadn't been for you and your stupid science fair, your father would still be fine," she said, pointing an accusing finger at me as I froze.

“And that man,” mom continued gesturing vaguely with the bottle, “do you remember who he is?”

“Mr. Edwards,” I replied, as the chill running down my spine grew worse. Of course, I remembered who he was. He'd been there.

“Mr. Edwards. The detective,” mom snorted as she took another drink.

“He saw you, you know,” she said while glaring at me with red-rimmed eyes, “driving to the fair with your father the day of the accident."

If I was chilled before, now I’m frozen solid.

“He said it was the strangest thing. The way the cold front seemed to follow along behind you, freezing everything in your wake,” she ranted as she stood up looking down at me.

“He said it was one of the most magical events he’d ever seen. Too bad the most magical thing killed your father,” mom yelled as she took one unstable step forward, the bottle still in hand.

That broke me out of my paralysis as I screamed back at her, "he's not dead."

"It'd be better if he was," mom cried with a sweeping gesture, the bottle slipping free.

“But you know what I think,” she grumbled, towering above me, looking down into my eyes, “I think it was more than just the science fair.”

"I think it's your fault."

Good god, I was not ready for that.

It was always like that. Every time Mr. Edwards came.

And then mom would go off. She never hit me. Because no good parent hits their child, she said. And she was the best parent. She even had the mug to prove it, she'd say.

But she did go out gambling or partying leaving us with nothing but rice or potatoes for a month. With mustard of course. There was always mustard.

Or she'd just disappear for a week or two. Occasionally she'd bring home some strange guy who was worse than she was. Like Mike.

It got to the point where I associated Edwards visits with mom’s episodes. Until he stopped coming and mom didn't change.

When I let the memories fade, I realize I haven't returned to myself like I normally do. Instead, I find myself floating in an empty white void, disembodied but with a coherent sense of self.

As I float there, I realize the void isn't quite as empty as I'd originally thought.

There's one more memory. I try to wake up instead of confronting it. I'm not afraid of it, but part of me says now isn't the time to be dealing with this.

But apparently, the memory disagrees, because noticing it seems to have been a trigger.

So I brace myself one last time.

Mom was out again. Papa and I were sitting at the kitchen table working on my science project for the school science fair. I was going to do a paper mache volcano, but mom said that was stupid, everyone does volcanoes. Papa said he had another idea. So instead we were working on several different designs for bridges. My personal favourite was the da Vinci bridge since we were able to build it using only pencils and elastic bands. I spent more than ten minutes testing its strength by putting random objects on it.

My papa interrupted me after the first minute, asking a familiar question, "what's the difference between playing and science?"

"Writing down the results," I grumbled as I grudgingly grabbed the notepad we had on the table for this very reason. We spent the whole afternoon playing with, I mean testing, different bridge designs.

For science!

The science project was my last major homework before the Christmas break.

The next week, on the night of the science fair, we were loading it in the car to take to school. We'd just put the cardboard display (printed on recycled copy paper, of course) in the car when mom called. She needed papa to come to pick her up. Now.

I wasn't too pleased. Papa was supposed to spend the evening at school with me. He'd even made sure he had the day off work so he could make it on time. If mom had been down the road it would have been fine. But she wasn't down the road. She was out of town at her friend's house, mom's car still sitting in our driveway.

She couldn't stay at her friend's anymore because, in her words, "Carrie is such a stupid b!%@#."

Papa was trying to get a word in to remind her that it was my science fair tonight, but mom just kept on ranting about Carrie and Yvonne. She's still going even as papa starts the car, after making sure I'm buckled in properly in the back seat, of course.

He leaves the phone in the armrest, where mom can keep talking but we could barely hear her.

"I'm sorry, Lexi," he apologized as we pulled out of the driveway.

"But you promised," I complained, "it isn't fair."

Sighing he nodded, "You're right. It isn't fair. But life isn't fair Lexi. It just is."

"You always say stupid stuff like that when mom calls," I pouted, glaring out the window.

"Language Lexi," he chided in his automatic dad voice before adding, "you know your mother isn't the best at making plans."

"Or showing up," I grumbled.

An exceptionally loud curse reminded me that mom was still ranting on the phone even as we talked.

"I'm sorry Lexi, but I have to go. You know what she'll be like if I don't," papa said, looking at me in the rearview mirror.

I felt the chill spread then, as I watched ice form on the edge of the windows while papa shivered before reaching to turn up the heat. It continued to radiate as I pictured papa getting stuck into the snowbank underneath the ugly tree. If he got stuck, he couldn't pick up mom. Then he'd come to my science fair instead, I thought. But we didn't get stuck. We drove by without incident.

I didn't want to accept it before, but as I watch my perfect memory play out, I can clearly see the ice forming outside, climbing up the tree. As I look on I see it crack from the sudden onset of cold, one branch hanging loose.

It's while we were driving by the ugly tree that I saw Mr. Edwards. I knew him. He was my father's best friend. They'd been in the military together.

He was standing there, Starbucks in hand, looking out at us. His eyes watched the car as we drove past, meeting mine while mother ranted in the background, one hand raised in a little wave. Then he shivered as if hit by a massive chill, and I could see the Frost coat his hair. As we left the area I watched him step back inside the coffee shop.

When papa dropped me off, he left me in the care of my teacher telling her he'd be back as soon as he could. Family emergency.

Turning to me he said, "I'm sorry Lexi," as he gave me a hug.

I didn't respond. I didn't hug him back. I didn't tell him I loved him. I didn't even wave goodbye when he left. I just felt cold inside.

I spent the rest of the night by myself at the science fair numbly going through the motions. I was angry at my father for always choosing mom over me. I was angry at mom for being selfish. I was even angry at Carrie for being "such a stupid b!%@#".

I won first place, all because of him, but it tasted bitter in my mouth. I ignored my friends when they came to congratulate me. I ignored the other parents who asked where my parents were. I tried ignoring my teacher when she came to get me. It was getting late and papa still wasn't back.

Then I heard what my teacher said.

There'd been an accident.

Papa wasn't coming to pick me up.

…..

I was taken straight home that night. The teacher didn't have a booster seat, which I protested, because papa said I was always supposed to have one. After some cajoling she got me buckled in, taking me home. We didn't drive past the ugly tree. It was closed off due to the accident. I tried asking my teacher to take me to the hospital, but she said she'd been told to take me home.

When we got there Mrs. Thatcher, our next-door neighbour was waiting. She took me inside, saying how awful it all was. That horrible ugly tree should have been cut down months ago. But I shouldn't worry, my father was going to be just fine. He was a fighter she said. And they'll take care of him at the hospital.

I could barely hear her.

She stayed with me until she fell asleep next to me on the couch while watching some musical on tv. Turning off their musical escapades, I suited up to go outside.

I didn't just walk to the hospital though. Not like I thought I remembered.

I walked to the tree. The area had already been cleaned up. Traffic must flow after all. But I could see where the car had hit the tree. I could see where the branch had sheared off.

The one which, as Mrs. Thatcher had inadvertently mentioned, landed on my father.

Even now, the crack where the branch broke is still covered in a thick layer of ice.

Lying at the side of the road is the branch that fell when my papa lost control on the black ice and hit the tree. He'd been knocked unconscious by that branch. It'd also taken his arm when it crushed the car.

As I walked up to the tree, I could see the coffee shop where Mr. Edwards had raced out, calling for emergency services after my father had crashed. Not that I knew that then.

Turning from the tree, I saw my eyes reflected in the coffee shop window.

Brown frigid eyes, with a ring of icy-blue, stared back.

The same eyes I saw reflected in the coffee shop window as we drove by.

The eyes from my nightmare.

Because mom was right. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't because papa had to go pick up mom. It wasn't the tree or the branch's fault.

It was mine.

Bright light filters through my shuttered eyelids as my brain starts processing reality again. Neither of these memories weighs as heavily as seeing my father in that bed.

I'm still reeling from the unplanned trip down memory lane when a jostling motion makes me realize I'm being carried.

Opening my eyes further I discover Rufka's furry chin moving back and forth above me. At least I'm pretty sure it's Rufka. She's the only tawny brown K'tharn I've met so far. I only stare for a second before Rufka notices me stirring.

"Oh ho. She's awake," Rufka mentions, stopping then setting me down gently.

"Well, at least she wasn't out long," Beth notes moving closer while Smoulder gently smacks into my ankle. Gentle for her that is.

"I'm quite sorry Alexis. I don't know what happened," Roberts apologizes as they all gather around me as I collect Smoulder for some cuddles. And head scritches of course.

"It's not your fault," I respond, "backlash from my condition being fixed."

"Are you okay kid," Beth checks.

"No," I reply honestly. "I just need a moment," I continue as I take a deep breath. Then I shake my head vigorously trying to clear my thoughts.

While I'm recovering I check my health. It's at one hundred percent, 48/48. Then I give my notification log a quick glance.

"Skill reassessed: Ice Manipulation (3 to 28)"

"Quest Completed: Establish the basics. Rewards: 3 iron rank integration points, classes unlocked: Aeromancer, Alloymancer, Aquamancer, Cragmancer, Cryomancer, Shadowmancer, Terramancer, Voltmancer, Primal Elementalist."

"Updating. Class synergy detected Between Chronodancer and Primal Elementalist. Class unlocked: Cataclysm Seed."

“Quest received: Master the basics. Description: Raise all elemental manipulation skills to 100. Requirements: 0/9. Rewards: 11 iron rank integration points, increase mana edge by 1.0.”

"Skill increased: Temporal Manipulation (26 to 27)"

"Quest Completed: Repair Temporal Inconsistency. Reward: Class unlocked: Paradox (Forerunner - Facet specialization class). 1 remote Nexus access activation point. Temporal Inconsistency condition removed."

Holy crap, that's a hell of a lot of unlocked classes. And remote Nexus access. I didn't know that was a thing.

A quick check of my conditions confirms that Temporal Inconsistency is finally gone.

I'm taking another deep breath when Beth prompts me, "so, you gonna be okay, kid?"

“Yeah. He healed my condition. Took a lot out of me,” I reply.

"Good. Cause we need to move. Now," she states while pointing, "we've got company. Coming in from the east."

Looking over I can't make out more than a green glimmer, but then it's gone. Whatever Beth spotted is hard to see, but I trust that her vision is better than mine at this point.

Leaning on her smooth white staff, Tipan starts talking rapidly.

"We must get into the city, they won't follow us there," Tipan tells us, gesturing to the city that lies less than a hundred meters to the south.

"We could stay and fight," Rufka suggests with a grin.

"And risk killing them? No, the whole point of this escape was to avoid needless bloodshed," Tipan replies shaking her head back and forth.

While they're talking, Beth has already given a hand sign to the rest of us to group up and follow her. I'm a little disoriented still, but I fall in behind her.

"We're going in," Beth tells the K'tharn when they don't respond to her gesture.

As I move up next to her, I turn to Rufka, "thank you for getting me here. You don't have to stay you know."

"What, leave now? We're just getting to the good stuff," Rufka claims, flashing her teeth as she sprints ahead.

As we follow Beth, Josh comes up beside me, glancing at the sky.

"That seemed rough," he notes while I look up as well. There's still nothing but an occasional cloud.

"It was. Is. I don't know. But I'm back. I'm glad you guys are back on your feet too. I was pretty worried about you two being bound and kept in a stupor. That couldn't have been good for you," I reply as we all pick up the pace at Beth's urging.

"It's pretty unreal. In the last couple of days, I only have a couple of brief memories. It feels like it's only been a couple hours since I saw you get trapped under that monster, you know," Josh tells me as we jog up the ramp that leads to the gate. I really love stamina.

"Wow," I respond. Between my travels, Uthica's vision of her past and my own memories it feels like it's been months since that fight at the church.

I'm about to continue when Beth calls out, "down, get down."

Following her instructions, I hit the ground as Smoulder hops out of my arms. I can feel the wind whipping through my hair as I look up to see where several rocks just struck the ramp.

"Move people," Beth calls from ahead, setting an example as she charges the last few meters to the gate. I see Rufka and Roberts reach her, Tipan just behind.

This is when Josh and I are interrupted by the giant K'tharn, the tiger-striped one who I'm pretty sure goes by Ivicka, landing in front of us. The force of her landing sends a wave crashing out from her, knocking both of us from our feet. Even as she makes her whirlwind of a landing, the dragon roars overhead, thudding against my ears.

As we make our way back to our feet Josh steps in front of me, blocking me from Ivicka. But she's not looking at us. She's staring at Tipan.

"First, you steal the outlanders away, then you hide behind the relics of the Builders. I honestly thought you'd do better when you betrayed me sister!" Ivicka declares with a dangerous looking smile on her face.

"I couldn't just leave them to suffer at your hands. Not again," Tipan snaps back. Uh oh. Josh and I really need to get in there. I'm not sure what's keeping Ivicka out, but it's clear she's unwilling, or unable, to step over that line.

"Ah yes. So noble, just like aunt Certhen." Ivicka mocks while inspecting one hand before lifting her gaze back to Tipan.

Gesturing to Josh, I indicate he should sneak around one side while I take the other. Shaking his head, Josh indicates we should both sneak around to the left. Deciding it's better to move than to sit here arguing, I nod.

"I would much rather be like auntie Certhen than like you," Tipan yells back.

We start inching our way forward. I cringe at my first step. My metal boot screeching against the stone. Tipan flicks her gaze at me. Ivicka however, doesn't turn. Josh keeps moving forward while I cover my boots with a layer of dirt, cushioning my steps.

"I think you're more like your pu'shaha. No spine and as intelligent as a rock," Ivicka taunts while grinning with far too many teeth.

Josh and I are almost at the entrance when Ivicka's gaze falls on me.

"Ah. You must be the Elementalist," she says not even sparing a glance for Josh until he steps in front of me. Much to my dismay, she sends him flying with a single motion. I don't see her lay a hand on him but I can feel the air currents as he's torn away. He lands with a dull thud in front of the others, inside the gate. He stands back up, attempting to get back to me but slams against an invisible barrier.

I'm unable to keep watching because Ivicka has moved closer, completely obstructing my view of the others. Left facing her alone, I know I should be afraid, but I'm not feeling it. Instead, I feel annoyed. I just joined up with the others, now, here Ivicka stands, trying to keep me from them.

She takes my chin in her hand, looking down at me as if I were a particularly interesting piece of fruit. While she's inspecting me, I start channelling mana for a Cyclone Blast. She's between me and the others but I'm sure a massive wave of air will fix that.

"Now, now, none of that," Ivicka states waving one paw back and forth. I can feel her disrupting my mana structure as if I was trying to form my spell outside my control area. But with way more turbulence. Her disruption forces my spell to collapse.

"I think my sister has made a mistake. She has stolen the others, yes. But she has left the most interesting prize where she can't get to it," Ivicka practically drools as she tilts my head while pushing back my hood with another paw.

Clearly, she can dispel mana but I have an idea. Before I can act though, a flaming ball of death hurtles towards Ivicka from the side.

As Smoulder approaches, Ivicka raises a paw while taking a small step to the side. Smoulder smashes off the translucent shield attempting to redirect herself midair but she's going too fast. Smoulder joins the others behind the invisible barrier. Just like Josh, Smoulder throws herself against the barrier, trying to get out. I can hear the others asking Tipan what's going on but I can't afford to pay them any attention at the moment, because I suddenly can't breathe.

"You have formidable defences to be unaffected by a dragon's roar, but I've found all creatures need to breathe. And very few seem to prepare proper defences for such an obvious weakness," she comments as I feel her manipulation of wind mana forcing the air around me to stillness.

The urge to rip at my throat to break free is mysteriously absent. Probably because she didn't rip the air out of my lungs. But I have no doubt that if she maintains this for long, I'll lose consciousness.

Before that can happen I reach out to my facet. It's there ready and waiting, knowing what I want.

With a twist, I bring a barrier into place as I do the one thing I can think of.

I stop time.