Serpens and Xin arrived at the old house where he and Serena had grown up with their parents. It's been over fifteen years since he visited the place. After their parents' death, Grandma Suki forbade them from ever going there. She told them it was dangerous and that they were much safer living with her.Arriving at the place, Serpens was surprised to see that the house was still there, with no one living in it. It was unusual, as houses in Draketown were easily put out for mortgage by the government once the original owners no longer inhabit it and are not ready to sell it either."This is where me and my sister grew up," Serpens said, taking Xin by the hand and leading her to the entrance of the house, its weathered exterior covered in ivy and moss. The windows, cracked and grimy, offered only glimpses of the shadowy interior. The front door, barely hanging on its rusted hinges, creaked ominously as Serpens pushed it open, Xin walking behind him carefully.Stepping inside, Xin cou
The search for the manual guide wasn't easy. It was like there was nowhere they could find it. "Are you sure there's a Manual guide to this thing?" Serpens asked, doubting that one was ever provided for the machine."There should be. I know it's here somewhere." Xin replied, her optimism evident in her voice.Serpens feels frustrated and gives up the search, turning his attention to examine the intricate controls of the time machine, hoping he could decipher something and get to know how it works.Xin, who was so optimistic that there was indeed a manual guide to the time machine, kept searching as she turned her attention to the cluttered shelves and drawers around the laboratory. Her fingers brushed against old, dusty books and faded papers, her curiosity piqued by the fragments of a bygone era.Suddenly, she spotted a worn leather-bound book tucked between two large jars filled with strange, preserved specimens. She pulled it out carefully, revealing a manual guide with the title "
After what felt like an eternity but also an instant, the speed of the time machine began to slow down. The colors outside the windows gradually coalesced into recognizable shapes and forms. The thrum of the machine softened, and the lights dimmed slightly, signaling their arrival.With a final, gentle jolt, the machine came to a stop. The interior lights stabilized, casting a warm glow over Serpens and Xin. They exchanged a look of excitement and anticipation before cautiously opening the door.Stepping out, they found themselves in a different world entirely. The air was fresher, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and freshly turned earth. They were surrounded by a vibrant landscape, with rolling hills, dense forests, and a clear blue sky overhead. The architecture of nearby buildings confirmed that they have arrived in a past, entirely different from the one they had chosen."Where are we?" Serpens asked, surprised. "This isn't where we are supposed to land. The time machine w
Lady Urim lay on her straw-stuffed mattress in a dimly lit room, her face contorted with pain and sweat glistening on her forehead. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she gripped the edges of the bed, her knuckles white with the effort. The room smelled of herbs and burning candles, an attempt to ward off evil spirits and ease her suffering."Hang on, the midwives are in their way," one of the female servants said, as she gestured towards another servant to call for the midwives.Lord Jong, although had longed to have a son, knowing fully well that he'll be sacrificed to Aquron, couldn't help but wish that the baby turns out to be a girl. It was the only way to save the life of the child."Lord Jong, you just have to prepare yourself for whatever it is that the outcome will be," his own friend and dragon slayer, lord Tai said, placing a comforting hand upon his shoulders.Lord Tai had too sacrificed a son to Aquron and knew exactly the feeling. He too, had wished that the child would
Serpens and Xin decided to follow the soldiers behind as they took the little child away."We'll be needing horses," Xin said, recognising the futility of trying to catch up with the soldiers on horses without their own personal horses."But where do we get horses? And besides, I don't know how to ride one," Serpens admitted."That's not a problem. All we need is a horse and I'll take the saddle." Xin replied confidently."Neigh..." They heard from Jong's horses which were still tied in the stable."I think we've got ourselves a horse," Xin said, a wide grin playing across her lips.She led the way to where the horses had been kept and there they were: horses of different colours of black, brown and white."Bingo!" She exclaimed. She quickly invited one of the horses and climbed onto it, ready to follow the trail of the soldiers."What about me?" Serpens threw his arms apart."Just get a horse before someone sees us." Xin replied.Serpens's brow firewood, "But I don't know how to ride
Doromu gave the baby to a dragon slayer from the neighboring village. Unlike the citizens of Kanginn who had bowed to Aquron, the citizens of Hongli didn't do the same.They were brave enough to fortify their territories from the reach of the dragons. When Rama saw Doromu, he had almost plunged into an attack but Serpens stopped him."He's not dangerous," he protested. "He is badly injured and needs help with the baby."Rama kept back his sword as he listened to Serpens narrate his story.After hearing what Serpens had to say, Rama decided to take in the child and raise him like his own."You see," Serpens turned to Doromu after Rama had left with the child. "If I hadn't stopped the dragon slayer, he'd have attacked you. So you see, interfering in matters of my past is not as bad as you think it is.""Young dragon, whether you had stood in to speak for me or not, the dragon slayer would have taken the child anyway. Your interference wasn't what had saved me and the baby but our destin
"It's not working," Xin sighed in exasperation after several attempts from Serpens to set the time machine back to the timeline where they had come from. Each attempt made by Serpens was met with the harsh notice, "Unable to process command. Alteration of time and space continuum.""This is bad," Serpens sighed."We've altered time in space. That's what Einstein's theory of relativity was saying." Xin remarked.Serpens's eyes opened in shock. If what Xin was saying is true then it could only mean one thing. The future has been altered and only God knows what is happening currently at Drake town."What do we do? We need to return home now," Serpens said with a sense of urgency in his voice."But there's no way we can return home without the time machine. And bedsides, we still haven't gotten what we came for. The seaweeds."Serpens stopped to think for a while, the weight of everything happening heavy on his shoulders. He couldn't imagine being trapped in the past. That will afford Ba
"Good evening," Sonia Ryu greeted, her warm smile, a testament to her gentle spirit.Serpens almost melted at the sight of his mother. It was like a dream seeing the woman who had brought him to life once again. He wanted to call her mother, but he held back realizing he had come from the future so to speak."Good evening Ma'am," Xin returned the greeting as she Could see through Serpens the emotional battle he was fighting within."Looking for someone?" Sonia inquired.Serpens had to regain himself, "Yes, we're here to see Mr. Tsung Ryu," Serpens replied."Really? Come inside," Sonia ushered them in gesturing for them to take their seats."Honey..., you've got some visitors," Sonia quickly notified Tsung, who was at the last phase of building the time machine."Who are they?" Tsung asked, his voice echoing from his room."Oh, what's the name?" Sonia turned to Serpens and Xin, as the realization dawned on her that she had met them without asking what their names were."I'm Xin," Xin w