---
---
The world blurred as Lucian crossed the threshold.
His boots landed—not on stone—but on flowing water.
He stumbled, instinctively bracing for a fall. Yet the surface held, rippling gently beneath him like solid mist.
A low hum filled the air, resonating through bone and blood.
The River of Moments stretched endlessly in every direction—an ocean of silver light under a starless sky. Towers, cities, and faces flickered across its depths—memories, dreams, futures... possibilities.
Lucian exhaled slowly, the chill clinging to his skin. "This place..."
> "The River flows through what was, what is, and what may yet be," the Book whispered. "Step lightly."
For once, Lucian didn't joke.
He moved forward, boots sending ripples across the endless water.
Above, faint constellations flickered—then vanished.
The Tower was testing him again. Harder. Deeper.
He glanced around. No mirrors. No obvious enemies. Just endless water and reflections.
And then—he heard it.
A voice.
Broken. Desperate.
"Lucian—! Help—!"
He turned sharply.
Across the River, maybe fifty meters away, a figure thrashed—half-submerged, struggling against invisible currents.
Lucian's heart seized.
It was Neo.
But different.
Older. Worn. Armor cracked and bloody. His eyes—wide with terror.
"NEO!" Lucian shouted, without thinking.
He sprinted forward—but the River shifted.
Distance stretched like rubber, pulling Neo further away with every step.
Lucian cursed under his breath, activating the Fifth Week instinctively—but the Unity spark flickered, unstable.
> "The River defies direct power," the Book warned. "It thrives on choice. Decision."
Lucian clenched his fists. "Then I'll decide to reach him."
He charged again, focusing not on brute force—but on movement, on feeling the flow beneath his feet.
The River responded.
Currents twisted, paths formed—like stepping stones of frozen memories.
Lucian leapt between them, each landing echoing strange visions around him:
Neo laughing beside a campfire.
Riv clutching a broken sword.
The butler kneeling beside a grave.
He gritted his teeth, refusing to slow.
Neo's figure flickered—sinking lower.
Almost there—
A shadow lunged up from the water.
Lucian barely dodged, sliding across the slick surface.
The creature was massive—formless—stitched together from fragments of broken futures. Faces, arms, weapons jutting from its body like a monstrous quilt.
It screamed—a soundless roar—and charged.
Lucian faced it, breathing hard.
"Alright," he muttered. "Big ugly first. Then Neo."
---
[Combat Phase – Temporal Beast: Fragment Hydra]
The creature struck first, a tidal wave of twisted limbs.
Lucian ducked under a claw, blasting a low Unity pulse at its core.
The impact staggered it—but only for a moment.
The beast regenerated, absorbing discarded memories from the River.
Lucian cursed. "Regenerating freak—"
A whip of broken swords lashed out.
He dodged right, barely avoiding getting impaled.
> "You cannot defeat it by force alone," the Book said urgently. "Find the original thread. Sever it."
Lucian grunted. "Yeah, thanks for the riddle."
He dodged again, scanning the creature.
Somewhere inside that mess... was a weak point.
He remembered the mirrors—the echoes.
This thing was just another form of regret, fear, and lost time.
Closing his eyes, Lucian inhaled deeply.
When he opened them—the River showed him.
A faint golden thread wound through the creature's chest—a flickering line of connection.
Lucian smirked.
"There you are."
He sprinted straight at the beast, dodging wild swings.
It roared, lashing out with a wall of burning chains, but Lucian ducked low, sliding across the water.
At the last second, he leapt—Unity gathering in his hand.
Fifth Week: Unity – Focus Strike
He plunged his palm into the beast's chest, following the thread.
A sharp jolt.
Reality twisted—
—and the beast howled, dissolving into mist.
Gone.
Lucian landed roughly, panting.
Across the water, Neo's hand still reached for him, slipping under the surface.
"No—!"
Lucian sprinted again, ignoring the burning pain lacing his limbs.
Each step forward revealed new horrors in the River:
Riv, lying still beneath a crumbling tower.
The butler fighting a shadow that wore Lucian's face.
A child crying in a flooded library.
Lucian shut them out.
Only Neo mattered right now.
He dove.
Fingers brushed fingers.
Caught him.
Neo's body was cold, shaking.
Lucian hauled him up, throwing an arm over his shoulders.
"I got you," he rasped.
Neo coughed weakly. "You... took your damn time."
Lucian laughed hoarsely, blinking away the sting in his eyes. "Wouldn't be dramatic otherwise."
But something was wrong.
Neo's weight was fading.
Literally.
Lucian's hands passed through him like mist.
He stared, horrified, as the older Neo's body shimmered, unraveling into golden dust.
"Wait—NO—"
Neo smiled sadly.
"You chose to save me. Remember that."
And then—he was gone.
Gone.
---
The River stilled.
The visions disappeared.
Lucian stood alone, dripping with silver light.
> "The River offered a choice," the Book said softly. "Save a memory. Or abandon it. You chose."
Lucian sank to his knees, hands trembling.
He'd known it wasn't really Neo.
But it hadn't mattered.
He couldn't abandon him—even if it was just a dream.
"...Damn it," he muttered.
Something warm pulsed in his chest.
New words seared themselves into his mind.
[Skill Acquired: Future Veil]
(Grants brief glimpses into an opponent's next move. Limited usage.)
Lucian blinked.
Future Veil?
He stood, breathing shakily.
"Thanks," he whispered—to no one in particular.
And turned to face the next horizon.
The River shimmered ahead.
Another door materialized—black stone, ancient and waiting.
Lucian smiled bitterly.
"Bring it on."
And stepped forward.
---
(
---