Jason felt a pain in his chest, one that couldn't be healed with basic Light magic. Gathering his courage, he straightened his back and looked himself in the mirror. The bags under his eyes spoke volumes for a mage such as him.
Normally staying awake for some time wasn't an issue, but if he used his innate gift, it put a massive strain in his body. Being uniquely gifted with the power to go back in time, Jason had the world in his hands, or so people would assume.
But frankly, Jason could only go back a single day at max. How much time he rewound was also inconsistent, the activation runes also took a long time. He knew that if other people knew what he was capable of, no matter his reputation or achievements, he would be taken in as a test subject.
For good reason, turning back time meant going against the universe. Mages capable of tinkering with time could be counted on a single hand, and even then the progress they made was insignificant.
The price for cheating the universe itself was not cheap. The more he used it, the more his body degraded. Especially in rapid usage, the body could collapse from fighting the laws of nature. Jason tried to avoid it if at all possible. Sadly, the situation now forced his hand.
Cracking his neck, hurting the nerves contained within, Jason made a mental note not to crack any bone while traveling back. Taking his time he went over the information in his possession. There were two points he wanted to change if he desired a better outcome.
He was lucky that most of the scenario was clear-cut, keep members from leaving, protect Proktor, and he would win. Considering past situations, he was lucky.
'One, having Razir stay here. Graham should be able to hold him back. Two, Murph, why did he leave the archive?'
The man was already known to eat, sleep, and live in the archives. So why leave it now? 'And then there's that secretary. Why kill him now? Why kill him in the first place?'
It didn't make sense. Murph was a Rank 3 mage that was more than powerful. 'Why would he so easily fall without any resistance?'
Not finding a straight answer, Graham stepped out of his room to meet Graham again. The first round he had no idea what was going on as he was training in his private space when suddenly the alarm bell rung. During that run, the monsters had already overrun most of the castle, and they were easily overpowered.
The second attempt showed that they were capable of holding them off with a lot of sacrifices. If Razir and Murph joined the battle, the results would speak for themselves.
Stepping outside, the chilly air felt cooler than before. Ignoring his body, he stepped forward. His feet hurt, though no wound was visible. Through his experience, Jason knew what this was.
After he returned, his dome and recorded memories were the same as if he never went back in the first place, but he still had memories of the alternative future. This made Jason believe in something called, for a lack of better term, the soul.
While the dome had no recorded memories of that future, he knew how it would go from experience. So, there was something else that truly stored the memories, and the dome was simply a window into that container of memories. Having done little research on it, he knew more than most mages about the soul.
If studies on time were extremely rare, mages who studied the soul were almost non-existent. But this allowed Jason the unique insight into what the soul was.
He went back in time, his body was perfectly fine, but his soul experienced the pain and suffering. Jason didn't know how to study it further, so he knew that the pain was just to be ignored since there was no remedy in the first place.
Knocking on the door of Graham's office, he was called inside. It still looked the exact same, with the big figure sitting in his grand chair contemplating something. With his eyes focussed on the map, the man just waved loosely to one of the chairs in front of him.
Taking his seat, Jason didn't hold back his thoughts.
"Commander, sir, I would like to ask for a favor."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I would like Razir to stay here for the day."
Graham felt the need to look up from his papers. "Why would you even want that?"
"Can you make it happen for me sir?", a rhetorical question since Graham had full authority over everyone in Proktor. Only the visiting secretary and technically Murph were capable of ignoring his orders.
"No. Jason, I respect you and have strong trust in your abilities, but I can't pull back orders that have been approved by myself and colleague commander. Besides, him moving there will result in a breakthrough in the southern war. I can't delay him just to please you, Jason."
"Then, can I ask you to give me access to the secret books in the library," hearing those words and requests Graham felt that something was up with Jason. There were moments where he seemed to act strange, but it always turned out better for everyone involved. Of course, there was a limit to his antics that Graham imposed upon.
Gaining access to those books should only be for a single reason, more power for the user. When Graham thought it over, both of Jason's request pointed to having more firepower inside Proktor available.
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Graham felt like he should allow him access, sadly, he couldn't.
"Those books? They're top-level stuff—designed by the higher ups. I can't just hand them over."
"Is there something I can do right now that would give me the right privileges?"
Graham didn't understand where this sudden rush came from, nor would he crumble under such pressure. Still, a request from a subordinate shouldn't be ignored without at least considering the possible options.
Outright denying submitted proposals had to be looked over, otherwise he would be trampling on the thoughts and feelings of his own men. Doing so would only lead them to rebel against him in slight ways.
When it came to the rules to gain access, there were plenty to choose from. Graham knew them out of his own head since he also requested it back when he was just a footsoldier.
"Look, Jason. The only way to get in is by performing an act that will impress the higher ups. If you get their recognition, you'll be set. This isn't something you can just do in a day or two. These things take months."
"So there's nothing I can do?"
"I'm afraid so, at least not in the short term. Especially since the war is on the western front. I can send you out there if you so desire."
"No, I'll make due, thanks."
Standing up, Jason altered his plans that very moment. Taking an empty envelope with him, he moved outside. He knew that Rubelia's request wasn't possible to fulfill in a normal manner. He could try to negotiate with her further, but since things have already gotten out of control, Jason saw no reason to break even more rules since he was likely to go back another time anyway.
He knew that if he tried to get into that part of the library now, he would be arrested within a heartbeat and stripped of his magic. But without those books, Rubelia wouldn't create the letter he needed for Razir to stay. Instead, Jason took the next best thing.
Visiting the archive, he went to find Murph. Walking through the towers of boxes, it felt like a separate world the moment he stepped in. In the middle of the room, a small desk with a single candle for light stood. The legs of the table looked brand new, as if someone had gone out of their way to keep them clean and proper.
"Goodnight, sir Murph. I have a question for you."
The old man was sorting his papers calmly. Putting his eyes on Jason for a moment, he nodded slightly. "Jason Moore, what is the question you have?", his voice groggy as if his wind pipe had shriveled up.
"Where does recruit Rubelia sleep?", voiced without any uncertainty despite the clear privacy invasion, almost as if he wasn't committing a crime. It was spoken so clearly, it didn't give Murph any room for doubt.
"Do you have permission from Commander Graham?", as Murph spoke word per word, each slow in their own way as the slime slowly gathered enough for him to cough. Swallowing the slime, Jason nodded resolutely, "I don't have written approval, but I'm pressed for time. I'll bring it when I'm done."
"Fine. You'll find her in the west wing of the dormitory, room X02.124," Murph knew it all, at least when it came to documentation about Proktor. Same with everyone's name, personal details, powers and so on. The archive was a necessary requirement from the higher ups, but it was all a façade as Murph was all they needed.
Approaching the dormitory he entered and followed the signs to find the correct place. Grabbing the doorknob, it was locked. Using Darkness, he removed the lock, entering the bedroom, he found Rubelia sleeping peacefully. It was already time for some to wake up, but he was lucky she liked to sleep in. Making sure he wasn't making any noise he approached her.
'Sorry Rubelia, I'll get it fixed the next time. This is for the greater good. You should understand.'
Raising his hand above the neck of the sleeping beauty, he conjured a large ball of Darkness that quickly swallowed up the connection between her brain and body. It was a painless death, not a scream or tear passed.
Jason also felt no change in his heart. As a captain he had seen plenty of death, but a kill on the battlefield and killing someone in cold blood was obviously different. Still, Jason had done this too many times, of course, not in the current timeline. Whenever possible, he made sure to keep as many of his allies alive. Sadly, sometimes drastic measures were necessary.
As he made his way back to Graham's office, he saw people walking around. Time was passing, no matter what he did. Luckily, this time, there weren't too many variables to keep track off. The only thing left was the visiting secretary. Seeing some random footsoldier pass by, he quickly stopped him to give him an empty envelope.
"Hey, can you bring this to Rubelia? You'll find her in the west wing of the dormitory, room X02.124. It's urgent, and involves a request from the Commander himself."
After mentioning that, the man's eyes shot wide open! 'The commander himself!?'
"Please succeed in this mission."
"Of course, sir!", handing over the letter, the man accepted it with both hands before rushing off toward the dormitory. Jason watched over him for a moment. He had been moving extremely fast, even his plans were changing by the minute.
He acted fast, partially due to the fact that his time was limited, but also because he was just used to this way of working. Quickly forming a possible plan that would lead to the best outcome had become ingrained in his body after the years.
'Hopefully that should cause some panic,' his entire plan was hedged on the fact that Razir would hear about her death before he left, but Jason didn't have the time to plan it out any further. There was something else on his mind, the secretary.
'Him killing Murph and the attack happens at the same time. I have to choose between preparing the battlefield and informing Graham or keeping Murph alive.'
Mulling it over, both were a necessary part in the coming battle. Without Murph, they might suffer heavy casualties, perhaps even losing Graham. But without informing the people of the dangers, they fall into the same trap.
When the fire mages lined the wall to conjure up flames, they were all dead within seconds the moment the first batch of Croctows entered the fortress. Such heavy losses shot down their moral as well.
Even weighing the options, one stood out as more critical.
'Murph, I'll save you, I'm sure of it.'
There was only one issue, he had absolutely no idea where the visiting secretary even was. After asking around and looking everywhere, he finally got a hint from some random soldier who saw someone unfamiliar enter the castle's vault.
While serving the purpose of a vault, in a world where precious materials are stored within a simple ring that held a pocket dimension, keeping things in the open was somewhat reductive.
One would only waste space by placing everything in a locked room. Instead, the vault served more as a storage location for packages, or items too large to fit in a dimensional pocket. The true treasures were stored where it was the safest.
Even someone of Jason's position wasn't a stranger to visiting the vault every now and again. Not everything could be transported through rings, since those costed quite a hefty penny, a penny not many were willing to spend when there were cheaper alternatives.
The way to the vault was nothing special, even the men positioned as guards were measly Rank 1 mages who were mostly bored out of their minds. Requesting permission to enter, he needed to prove his need to do so. Perhaps due to having too much on his mind, he forgot how much paperwork there truly was.
"Hold on, have you seen the visiting secretary exit the vault yet? I need to ask him something urgent," playing on their sense of loyalty, they nodded before mentioning the man had left some time ago.
"He came to deliver a hollow tube, can't say what for, but we've inspected it and found no issue. He had no spatial rings with him and left empty-handed. We made certain to do a routine check after he left, nothing out of the ordinary," but Jason wasn't even listening to what he was saying anymore.
'He's close by. Should I just?', questioning if he should've just spread his willpower, he advised himself against it. 'Perhaps later.'
It didn't take too long before he found someone else who pointed him in the right direction. Hunting the man down proved to be quite the hassle. As he went from one place to the next, the passing of time was starting to eat at his nerves. Perhaps blessed by The Goddess, he finally found the man.
At the end of his search, he arrived in a simple bedroom. Before entering the dormitory, he saw the thunderclouds approach, it was about time.
Right as the first screech appeared and shocked everyone awake, the door of the room opened. Behind it a man clothed in basic military attire with a stone-cold face. Seeing Jason, he simply ignored his presence, hitting shoulders as he continued his stride.
"Wait a second, I have some questions."
Even with his rank and position on full display on his clothing, the man hadn't even slowed down his steps. "Captain Jason Moore, I'm in a terrible hurry, what is it?", his voice felt somehow detached from reality, as if everything he was doing mattered little to nothing.
"I was wondering if I could accompany you," and while Jason would've loved to leave the unsympathetic man alone for his own sake, he couldn't.
"That will be quite difficult. Didn't you hear the screech, I'm sure there are more important matters for you at the moment."
"Then what about you? Why won't you join me to visit Graham?"
"Unlike you, I report to Commander Rylo, who suddenly contacted me to urgently move out. I cannot divulge any of my missions details, so I will ask you to leave me alone."
Jason felt the underlying bloodlust quite clearly, even halting his steps. Feeling his throat clam tight, he knew this was the turning point. Pushing it further might be extremely dangerous. While Jason could go back in time, he needed time to activate the runes. Taking a risk here, it was now or never.
Speeding up his steps, he tried one final tactic, "I won't interfere with your business, I'll just stay quiet on the background, you won't have to worry about me," raising an octave in his voice, playing it happy-go-lucky only resulted in the man stopping in his tracks.
Turning around, Jason felt his body go stiff as pressure limited his movements. A hand approached his neck as the man slowly closed his fist, little by little, Jason felt his entire neck trying to fit in the ever smaller growing gap.
Gasping for air was impossible due to the pressure, he just choked unmovingly. Right as when his neck was about to break did the secretary let go. Falling to the ground, Jason went unconscious.
"Killing you would only leave even more evidence. I don't have the time to clean."
With that the man disappeared from the hall, leaving Jason on the ground as a puddle of spit formed near his open mouth.
Only after a while did he suddenly shoot awake due to the explosions. Hurrying himself straight, he fell over, planting his face on the ground. Not giving in, he stood up, only for the screams from the outside to reach even his position. Seeing light enter the hallway a bit further, he made his way over to the window.
Once there, the sight could only be described as terrible as the monsters had overrun the entire court. Jason found Razir to be missing. 'Dammit, I was too slow!'
If he had made more of a commotion about it, perhaps he would've stayed as well. Killing her and only asking one person to check on her was his mistake, one he would amend the next time. For now, this was a failed attempt, but if that was the case, there was no need to hold back.
Summoning his magic, Jason blew a hole in the ground, even using his aura to speed up his destruction as he made his way forward to the library. Taking a direct route, anything in his way was removed from his path. Entering the library, he immediately moved up to find the correct place where the books were hidden.
Finding a large door that held multiple magic locks, Jason simply used all his powers to blast the doors wide open, even if that did set off multiple alarms and counterattacks. A sound blast appeared, blowing his eardrums apart. Clutching his head, Jason used Light magic to soothe his pain as he stepped forward.
Within the room, four small pedestals were situated in a crosslike pattern. Reaching for one of the books, he went through it, page by page, hoping his soul or whatever it was, was good enough to remember all the details within it. After some time, he placed the book back before conjuring up his unique gift.
As the magic flowed, he vowed to be successful the next time. As the world grew filled with light, it suddenly turned dark. Back in his room, Jason was awoken by a flash of light that came from his window. Opening his eyes, Jason felt his body twist and turn inexplicably.
As if the world was rejecting his presence, convulsing in his bed, blood pooled in his mouth. Spitting it out on the ground, Jason tried to stand up only to lose his balance. Landing on his soft bed, a splitting headache made sure he wasn't going back to sleep.
Pulling himself upwards, he moved to the mirror, only to find himself in a derelict state. Bags under his bloodshot red eyes. Conjuring up some water, he tried to freshen up, touching it with his fingers, it felt cool to the touch.
Letting it splash against his face, he recoiled slightly. Small droplets formed before falling back down. Taking his time, he calmed his breathing. While his eyes were red, the determination behind them stayed strong.