[Behind the Curtain-4]
*Boom–*
The sound of a giant explosion erupted, and the sky filled with firelight, lighting up the early morning night sky as clear as day.
On a building not far away, several dozen figures hiding in darkness watched the glow of the fire here, seemingly having known the blast was going to occur.
??: Truly a grand sight.
After some time, one of the people exclaimed these words, without a hint of shock in their voice in the face of this disaster.
??: This is a scene of this world?
Another person walked to the edge of the roof, wishing to see what was going on in the firelight more clearly.
One person gave the leader a discreet glance, eyes full of dread.
The leader pushed down lightly on the bill of his cap, a half-smile of contempt on his face. The silver hair under his cap sparkled brilliantly under the glow of the fire light.
That person understood immediately and said in a hushed tone:
??: Those spacetime authorities will be here soon. We better go.
??: Too bad. We’ll come play again another time.
At those words, their forms all disappeared from upon the high building, accompanied by a subtle warping of their surroundings.
Flickering flames and a savage shadow enveloped that ancient white building and every corner of the square, and the panic-stricken eyes of the people.
The blast from the explosion blew a piece of newspaper up in the air. It fell by a young man’s foot, with the year “1908” showing prominently on the logo.
The young man stood in a corner of the square, neither crying out nor fleeing as he surveyed the scene.
He had a pair of calm eyes, eyes that I’d seen somewhere before — it was that old man named “Charles”. I could even see from his profile the resemblance to his older self.
He still held that pocket watch in his hand, giving it an unusually long look as if checking the time. The man looked completely out of place with everything going on around him.
Just now, from I know not where came the sound of a piano, melodious yet placid, sounding particularly jarring at this moment.
The hand on the watch suddenly backed up a tick on its own, but it didn’t stop. It started spinning backward faster and faster, and then suddenly stopped again together with the piano music.
The fire from the explosion was still burning, but the shouts all around had abruptly ceased, as if everyone at the scene had fallen into a brief daze.
The young man took hold of the hand and resumed the watch’s spinning, with a complex look on his face. Not far off behind him came the voice of a boy both excited and confused.
Boy: Where’s the explosion? So cool!
Everyone there seemed to have forgotten, as if the explosion hadn’t taken place right before their eyes.
But the young man who had witnessed everything turned and left amidst the confused mumblings of crowd. Before going too far though, as if sensing something, he turned his head toward a street corner.
Young Man: Observer…
I followed his gaze in that direction, but I saw nothing but darkness.
A familiar voice reverberated in my mind–
Lucien: Did you really see it all with your own eyes?
I blinked. A shaft of moonlight penetrated through layers of cloud and fell into darkness.
In a gloomy forest, two forms were locked in a stand-off.
It was Victor and that plain, nondescript, instantly-forgettable person.
??: I must warn you.
This person’s voice was also perfectly flat, without a hint of emotion.
??: Please stop spreading information about the explosion. Your actions have already affected the progress of this world. Someone has become aware of our existence.
??: Even though the design has led to our appearance, this matter will not be changed in any way.
Victor looked noticeably fatigued, but he didn’t show any sign of backing down, letting out a cold laugh at the man’s words.
Victor: You people aren’t the only ones who can alter the future, Time Observer.
Time Observor: You misunderstand the meaning of our existence. We have never altered the future. Quite the opposite, we are correctors of history.
Time Observor: The purpose of my journey here is only the hope that you will join us. Your power’s scope of influence has already surpassed the dimension of this current world. Before you are rejected by the world…
Victor raised a hand to cut him short, a resolute look in his eyes.
Victor: I will not leave this world.
Time Observor: Even though you’ve seen that all of the future will come to pass?
Victor: No matter what happens, the person I’m seeking is right here.
The first faint rays of the dawn broke, and a beam of white light from the rising sun illuminated a tiny corner of the attic.
In the narrow attic, the towering figure of the man seemed crammed into one side. The light tinged his black hair with a warm glow.
Victor picked up a shard of glass with a pair of tweezers. With stiff motions, he glued the shard back in place, looking quite awkward as he did.
The object in his hand seemed to be a shattered glass cup.
The shards of glass caught the dawn light, refracting it into a resplendence of rays that happened to hit my eye.
I felt a sting of pain, and the light transformed into a kaleidoscope of colors, like a Van Gogh painting.
Then it suddenly morphed into all kinds of scenes, flashing before my eyes–
A desolate dock, a plaza empty of people, a park lush with trees, a familiar apartment building entrance…
Shrill, maniacal shouts pierced my ear. I brought my hands up to cover them, but those painful sounds could still be heard as clear as day.
Amidst these blood-curdling sounds of slaughter, all of these different scenes were bathed red by the setting sun.
In the back of my mind, I had a feeling they were connected with me. I struggled to see more clearly.
In all of those places, without exception there were two figures, one tall and one short, and a blood-stained dagger.
My heart felt heavy for some reason, and cold, with an inexplicable stab of pain.
Behind all these phantasm-like scenes, I saw the figure of the man under the light.
Each fragmented beam of light, each isolated image gradually got strewn about, gathered up, and ultimately formed into a blackhole-like vortex as he went about repairing and gluing–
The man held this vortex in the palm of his hand, holding it aloft in the air, a heavy look of oppression in his eyes.
On the front of his shirt, there was an unfamiliar star-shaped badge that shone with a cold gleam.
His eyes were icy, like a sharp blade poking at me.
Victor: That’ll do it.
A boundless vortex instantly engulfed everything. Just then a beam of sunshine hit my eyes.
The warmth of the dawn rays spilled into the attic onto the body of the sleeping man. He slept fitfully, his brow tensed, as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
A perfectly restored glass cup sat on the attic table. The cracks in the glass were visible, and it glowed with a gentle, dazzling shine.
I watched this scene in silence. I’m not sure why, but I wished that time could freeze.
Me: Victor…
I reached out a hand, wanting to smooth his brow, all the while knowing that an unbridgeable distance lay between us.
Suddenly, a sound of soft music was heard in the peaceful attic.
In a corner of the attic, at some point the Time Observor had appeared, watching Victor sleep and seemingly deep in thought.
Although he clearly didn’t open his mouth, I could hear his voice in my ear.
Time Observor: We still can’t convince him now, but he will stand with us in the end.
Time Observor: You’ve seen it, haven’t you?
Me: !!
I didn’t dare speak, and just kept my eyes locked on that Time Observor, trying to glean anything at all from his indifferent face.
Time Observor: All futures… have only one conclusion.
The voice was soft, but resolute. He lifted his head and looked right at me.
Time Observor: You know this better than anyone, yes?
My mind reeled in shock, as if struck by some unknown force, and all my senses recoiled.
??: Help! Help me! Don’t kill me! Aah!!
??: Give it to me! That’s mine! You can all die!
Me: What is that sound…
I covered my head. Those cries for help, those hysteric, demonic voices… they droned on in my ear, dragging me into the most ruthless of scenes.
A gunshot rang out in a crowd, and a piercing red color spread outward from a young woman fallen to the ground.
There were two exactly identical women, one of whom laying in a puddle of blood.
Against a blood-red backdrop, I saw a silver dagger, gleaming with a cold light and reflecting a falling tear drop — Whose tear was it?
This scene that had replayed itself countless times finally became clear.
I saw the dagger in Victor’s hand, plunged into the chest of the young woman in his arms.
In that moment, an infinite feeling of sorrow and pain welled up and engulfed me.
I clutched my chest and bent over, my entire body trembling.
But I still didn’t want to look away. I don’t know why I so stubbornly watched Victor, watching his pain like my own.
Behind him, the dazzling white light turned into a giant vortex, swallowing the blood-soaked young woman.
Victor’s arms were empty, and he fell to the floor…
Warning– Warning– This dimension is too high. Would you like to select a lower dimension? —
Warning– Observer affected by outside force– Will now…
The constantly flashing warning light was quickly replaced by a white light, and I could not see anymore.
Pain flared in my chest, or perhaps it was the white light piercing my eyes again that caused a long-held tear drop to roll down my cheek.
*Drip–*
That tear drop fell on the young woman’s eyelash.
I saw two of her. They both opened their eyes.
My vision was flooded by a sky full of snow.