I don't own anything of the Mortal Kombat universe except my own creations. All credits go towards Netherrealm Studios.

Act I, Chapter III

Sleepless

With a groan and a stretch, Jade awoke to the faint light of dawn. Her bed was quite wide, so she rolled over to the side, letting her legs hang off the side before pushing herself up from the bed. She walked over to her closet and snagged her leotard from the rack and picked up her boots and gloves as well. After getting dressed, she walked over to her cabinet and picked up her little notebook. It was mostly about the routine at the academy for today, but she did leave an open space just for the newcomer.

She left her room, closing the door behind her with care, and walked over to the princess' room. The door was left open and she stared in it, only to find an empty bed and open balcony doors. Jade entered and walked to the balcony, taking a swig of fresh, chilling air to wake her up before moving downstairs. She arrived at the dining hall to see only a few servants carrying platters and glasses, and a single woman, clad in cerulean attire, sitting at the head of the dining table.

With clacking heels, Jade approached her, and Kitana looked up with weary eyes. The emerald ebony sat beside her.

"Your Highness," Jade began, "you're up early."

"Unfortunately," she lamented, "I was dreaming rather vividly last night."

"Nightmares, my Princess?" Jade asked, and the princess sighed in response.

"I was here, in my very home," she began, "The banners of Edenia were aflame, and the marble walls were collapsing. The sky was a bloody red, and wherever I looked, I could see the corpses of my once loyal servants strewn across the floor. Behind me, his shadow looms, and I can feel my life draining away at his touch."

"You shouldn't worry yourself so much, Kitana," Jade said, "It is poor for your health."

"I understand," Kitana agreed, "But that is easier said than done, Jade."

"Without a doubt," Jade said, "I wish I could help you with the issue."

"I know you would," Kitana said, and Jade's smile was warm enough to lighten up her spirit just a little. Kitana eyed the notebook that Jade had placed on the table, "What's that?"

"This?" Jade asked while pointing at the notebook, and Kitana nodded, "It's for the routines at the academy today. I trust my memory, but preparing a little reminder is never bad."

"Can I see?" Kitana asked, and Jade was more than willing to hand the notebook over. The princess eyed over the contents and her eyes fell upon a blank space, "Why the open spot?"

"It's for the newcomer," Jade started, and Kitana scoffed. Jade chose to ignore it, "I've been assigning either the most mundane tasks or the extremely physically straining ones to him, but none have worn him to the bone. I'm quite relieved, to say the least."

"How can you say that?" Kitana asked, albeit with more shock than anything, "He viciously assaulted me, yet here you say you're relieved that his punishment isn't up to par with what it should be?"

"A personal gripe of yours, your Royalty," Jade explained, "but he's one of the most skilled warriors on the grounds. Whatever you believe to feel, we can use his skills to our advantage. And unlike you, I realise the implications that come from the fact that he doesn't quit a straining task, be it physical or psychological."

"Yes, your pragmatic approach is to be lauded,'' Kitana said. The ebony laughed inwardly at the Princess' insults, as they never quite struck the right nerve, "If only your efforts were spent on someone who doesn't die when he's not even a century old."

"As far as I'm concerned, he'll accomplish more in a few years than the rest of the students will in decades," Jade said, and Kitana scoffed once more. Jade's patience was tested once more with the princess' stubbornness, "I have to depart now, Kitana. I hope you will spend the rest of your day in a better mood."

Kitana only responded with a mild huff, and Jade rolled her eyes before standing up from her seat and leaving the dining hall. She felt sorry for all the servants who would be berated for a meal that would be too hot for the princess. It was a cruel fate for under-appreciated workers.

The bodyguard descended the stairs outside the palace, taking care as to not trip over her own feet, The stairs were always treacherous, especially when there would have been a tremendous downpour in the night. Several people had broken bones when they were careless, and she'd rather not join them.

She picked up her pace as she reached the end of the stairs, passing the occasional bystander, who all bowed in respect. She returned the gesture without stopping, and in little more than five minutes, she reached the gates of the academy. The gates opened and she was met with the armoured silhouette of a guard. By the helmet wobbling on his head, she could tell who it was.

"Good morning, Eric," she greeted, and the young sentry bowed in respect, "Feeling well?"

"I'm feeling well, ma'am," he replied, his eyes shooting up and down, "Tired, is all."

"Except your eyes, I understand?" she said, and Eric instinctively looked away. She chuckled at his discomfort, "Don't worry about it. You learn more discipline with age."

"Thank you for your leniency, ma'am," he said, all the while still looking away, "I won't bother you any more than I already have."

Jade nodded to the sentry and while she passed him by, she laid a hand on his shoulder plate. She felt his entire being shiver from the touch, and she could only smile behind her mask. Making her way inside the main building, she grabbed her notebook to skim through her notes, but from just outside the door, she could hear shuffling inside.

Once she stepped inside, she could see the massive man practising his technique, moving slowly and punching the air. Tiny strands of energy were cast from his fist, and his entire arm had small branches of orange thunder dancing on it. She heard someone on the stairs next to her, and saw Kilamon descending down them.

"So how many days has he been up at this hour?" she asked, and Kilamon only sighed at her question.

"I think this is the twenty-sixth day, Jade," he answered, "but I haven't figured out why, exactly."

"Should I ask?" she said, and he laughed at her.

"Tau'Gir tried to, and all the man did was grunt at every question," Kilamon said, "Clearly, he has no interest sharing whatever he may be thinking."

"Maybe I'll change that," Jade said, "After all, I am quite persuasive."

"With all the assets you've accrued, I'm surprised you can't get everything you want the moment you snap your fingers," he joked, and she didn't need even need to glance in his direction to see the wink.

"You humour me," she said, elbowing him in the process, "But I won't deny I use my arsenal once in a while to coerce the unwilling."

"And you think that'll work with him?" Kilamon said, pointing his finger towards Chronos, "It's obvious he harbours some resentment towards us."

"I've been softening him up in the last few weeks," she said, "and he's more talkative than you imagine. Of course, asking him how he feels right out of the gate is a poor strategy to deduce his thoughts."

"Fair enough," Kilamon agreed, "but I want to see and hear more than just a theoretical approach at his distant behaviour."

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll figure him out."

Kilamon nodded before leaving her to her duties. She herself strode over towards Chronos, her notebook out. She had left an open space for him in the routine, but there were still many pages left for her to scribble down his thoughts. She hoped it wouldn't bother him all too much.

He himself hadn't noticed her yet as he continued his training. Likely, he was perfecting his strikes, but from what she'd seen during his stay and what she'd heard from the other overseers, he needed little perfecting. She did not like to admit fault, but he was very well a valuable addition to the academy. She often oversaw the Queen's eye for talent, whether the talent had strings attached or not.

The man did eventually notice her, but didn't acknowledge her yet. She decided to start scribbling at the moment to draw his attention, and he was clearly interested in what she was writing.

"What'ya got there?" he asked, and she showed a blank note, save for a few incoherent scribblings. He chuckled at it, "Clever."

"You're a very hard man to talk to," she noted, "From what I've heard, you have the vocabulary of a caveman."

"Close, but no cigar," he quipped, but it wasn't a quip she was familiar with, so she nodded, "I'd rather not spill what I dream about the first few weeks I spent in what could as well be an alien planet. At least you don't look ugly."

"I'll accept your flattery," she said, and he laughed just a bit, "But I won't pry too deep yet. I'll start rather impersonal, something I ask always everyone."

"Almost everyone?" he asked.

"You were on the list of people I initially would have left alone," she explained, "but a few things were cleared up, and your perceived malevolent intentions were nothing but wild speculations."

"From who?" he asked, but she already knew he knew the answer. He wasted no time, "A shame."

"How so?" she asked, taken aback at his rather cool reaction.

"She reminds me of myself a bit," he started, "I used to be a brash, rude, self-absorbed man with a huge ego."

"How so?" she asked, choosing to let the equation slide. She was getting far ahead of herself, as she didn't expect him to let loose his history with old acquaintances. She didn't complain, it was just in contradiction with what he'd shown lately.

"I used to fight underground, in the basements of bars and the like," he explained, and she frowned, "It was a vent for my fighting spirit. If I was sparring with my friends, I could never hurt them all too bad. Once the gloves came off, a broken jaw was common."

"And how come you changed?" she asked.

"Met my girlfriend at one of those places," he continued, and Jade raised a brow at the mention, "she wasn't very fond of me either. I was exceptionally cocky that evening, since I was on a winning streak. She challenged me for my earnings, and I agreed."

"Didn't you need any of it?" she asked. To be honest, she wasn't going to apply her usual suave and sensual approach here, as the man was far from uncooperative in their little chat.

"Money was never a concern," he explained, "My parents were rich enough so I could practically do whatever I wanted."

"An odd choice, I must say," she remarked.

"Guess so," he agreed, "Felt natural to me."

"So what did happen after you accepted the girl's challenge?" she asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"People cleared out space in the room for the fight," he began again, "They'd never seen her before, and I was among those people. I started off with a haymaker to see how she'd react to it."

"What was the usual reaction?" she asked.

"Most of the times, they'd duck and use a haymaker of their own," he explained, "And by then, I usually decided to cash in quick and get a move on. Sometimes they'd put up more of a fight, but it wasn't a significant difference."

"I can already guess what happened," Jade remarked.

"She blocked it with her elbow and hit me face first with her free hand, and I'd forgotten how much getting hit hurt," he said, and he managed to smile for a split second, "She didn't stop though. A few clean hits on the side of my ribcage woke me up damn fast. I got more serious at that point, but she hadn't even warmed up."

"So I can assume you lost?" she guessed.

"Just barely," he said, "I had mass and strength, she had the speed and agility. Turns out that you can't do a lot if you can't hit anybody."

"Naturally," she joked, "But you show no signs of being a sloth. I assume things changed?"

"She came to talk to me afterwards," he said, "Came to cheer me up after my loss. I told her that I didn't mind, but I was lying trough my teeth at that point. She saw right through the lies though. Gave me a few tips for some reason."

"Like what?" she asked.

"None pertaining to fighting," he told Jade, "but she advised me to do some exercises before the fight. Breathing, tai chi, all that kinds of stuff."

"Tai chi?" Jade inquired, and Chronos nodded, realising the term was foreign.

"It comes down to performing techniques," he elaborated, "but in a slow, steady pace. It's to help you achieve a calm, balanced state. And the breathing is obvious."

"Why did she recommend that?" Jade asked. She was almost shocked by her own inquisitive nature at this point, for it was the longest conversation she has had in a few weeks.

"She saw me before the fight," he answered, "She noticed I don't prepare a lot."

"What happened after she said that?" she asked.

"I called her stupid and said I didn't need it," he said, "She replied that she wouldn't have beaten me if I had prepared properly, but I scoffed at it."

"You said you changed," Jade quipped, and he laughed at it, "No offence of course."

"None taken," he accepted her apology, "But I haven't been acting all too nice either. It's fair to say that you have to get to know me before I even start acting decently."

"Ah," was all she said, but it was enough for him to catch her drift.

"I did know she had a point, so I signed up for a training centre," he continued, "I didn't need the fighting practice, but the tai chi could help me out a lot. By chance, I happened to run into her. She looked a lot prettier in proper light, and her clothes were about as form fitting as yours."

"Quite the sight, so to speak," Jade said, only mildly bothered with his rather crude remark.

"I didn't even notice it at first," he said, "It was her eyes. Damn near perfect, they were, a beautiful hazelnut brown that very much tantalised my soul."

"What did you do after seeing her?" she asked. Her conversation with the man was taking quite long.

"I did consider walking away," he said, "but I decided to sit this one out. She was very light-hearted for being bruised all over by me."

"Weren't her allies concerned about her injuries?" Jade asked.

"They knew of her little hobby," he explained, "Even then, they were mostly superficial. She patched up quite fast for someone bloodied and scratched. Nothing but bruises on her thigh and arm and the hint of a black eye."

"So she wasn't even upset you found her?" she asked, "Wasn't she even surprised to find you finding her own training ground?"

"She never gave a name," he said, "So when I found her, it was pure coincidence."

"So what was her name?" she asked.

"Alex," he said, "I didn't think it fitting for a girl, but overtime, I warmed up to it."

"What else did you warm up to?" she asked.

"She helped me at the start with my breathing," he said, "She helped out with steadying in in general, outside of fighting. She helped me out with my tai chi, and eventually, we grew close."

"How close is close?" she asked.

"She and I got hot and heavy after half a year," he explained, "After I helped her with her own problems. If you don't mind, I'd like to keep her problems to myself now. I already feel that I talked too much."

"Don't worry about it, it's your secret to keep," she promised. Jade did however feel the need to tease him, "Say, you don't see any similarities between that situation and..."

"Well, obviously," he said, "but she's a princess, I'm the guy that beat her up. No living way in hell she'd ever see something in me."

"I wouldn't be too sure of yourself," Jade remarked, "She's into the fringe and niche people. She swooned over an Outworld artist, of all people."

"I guess Outworld is just like Earthrealm and Edenia?" he asked, but the grim shadow that fell over Jade's face answered his question for the greatest part.

"Outworld and Edenia have poor relationships," she said, but they way she said it implied something far greater, "but nothing to concern yourself about."

"It's recent, I guess?" he asked, "Because I skimmed through your history books, and Outworld has almost no mention at all, with the exception of a few species that crossed over from there."

"What did you read about us?" she asked, subtly deflecting the point at hand.

"Well, for starters, I read about your biology," he said, "The fact that your average age is nearly fifty thousand years is something odd, but your kind being descendants of gods make it a bit more acceptable."

"And anything else?" she asked.

"For starters, I know what year it is back home," he said, "And it unsettles me."

"How come?" she asked.

"The portal I came back through hurled me four thousand years in the past," he said rather casually, much to the wonder of the ebony, "Can anybody send people back in time?"

"Perhaps," she said, "But none I know of would have any motive to bring you to Edenia. Even then, timebenders are rare, and if they would want to send you here, they would have to be present at the portal to send you back."

"Odd," he said, but he did not expand upon his train of thought, instead mentioning something else, "I've read about the Mistmarch too," he said, and Jade frowned at it, "I guess you don't get along well."

"Their raids leave us terrified," she explained, "But we do have apt soldiers and warriors at our side who can stave off their assault."

"Their reasons perplex me," he said, "I don't see the reason for them invading."

"Many of them descend from the god of Tyros, Conquest," she elaborated, "And many of us here either stem from Ariana, Messenger and Megos, Discipline. We do not condone their ideology, but we cannot afford an all-out war against them. We have little other information regarding them, and few pools of knowledge remain about them. Ruins are rarely found, albeit in despicable state. Shame however. From the two ruins I've seen, their art is mystical and purposeful."

"As in..." Chronos asked.

"They carve stories of conquest and war in their temples," she said, "But they also carved the story of a plague that swept through their lands, and only with spiritual guidance did they managed to overcome it. Perhaps it was their punishment from a dissatisfied god, perhaps it was natural."

They stood before each other for some time, and they noticed their weary legs almost caving in from exhaustion, with Chronos' training catching up and Jade's speedy trek to the academy suddenly revealing its presence.

"Thanks for the talk," he said despite both of them collapsing from sore legs, "It's the first long talk I had in a while."

"Likewise," she said, and he barely noticed her sad tone, "I see the dawn's light has brightened. I'm to wake up the other students. However, if you do need aid for your insomnia, we have an apothecary on the grounds. You could go see him if you feel like it."

"Thanks for the tip," he said, "But I don't think it'll help."

Jade was about to comment on it, but she didn't want to intrude on his feelings even more now. It was clear he was homesick, and while she did know what the absence of family could feel like, she didn't know how it would feel to know you aren't even born yet, but still breathing and walking in the past. A shivering and frightening thought to say the least.

Chronos himself had left the building, standing in the bright sun that warmed his skin. If anything, the cool breeze that swept through the grounds perfectly complimented the hot weather. He approached the young guard at the gate, who was apparently opening the gates.

"Sorry," Chronos said, making the guard spin around. His wobbly helmet humoured him perpetually, "but do you know where the apothecary's residence is?"

"Certainly," he said, "It's behind the student's quarters, taking a left, and the first building to your right."

Chronos nodded to the guard and left him to to his job. It was eerily quiet and deserted, and he wasn't used to being far away from the training centre. He found the apothecary's residence fairly fast, in no less thanks to the odd architecture of the building. Most of the grounds were rather bland and formal, a mixture of white marble and purple roof tiles, but this one was a wooden structure, with lanterns on each corner of the overhanging roof. It did remind him of a lonesome witch's hut in the middle of the woods.

He opened the door, and the stench of chemicals protruded his nostrils without mercy. The apothecary was clearly busy with something new, but he wasn't on the ground floor. There was a desk with a small bell on it, so he rung it. It took a while, but the stench wore off and the apothecary descended down the stairs with audibly big stomps. He appeared in the doorway behind the desk, but his appearance had him mildly baffled.

The man was quite tall, not as tall as himself but it was only a difference of a few inches. His entire figure was covered by a cloak, a leathery one kept neat and clean, and all he could see was his feet and part of his calves and shins, large and fairly muscled. What caught his eye the most was the mask, one that echoed in his head as eldritch, with half a skull-like face on top, tentacles straight down from that part on.

"Well, I didn't fancy any visitors yet this morning," he said, and his voice was formal and cool, but young, "and I surely do not recognise your face. Tell me, who are you?"

"Chronos, sir," he replied, and the man chuckled.

"Raised well, I see," he said, "I am Caine, your local apothecary. I presume mistress Jade had you sent here?"

"She advised me to," Chronos answered.

"Naturally," he said, "Fighting on little sleep is detrimental to your performance."

"Sleep isn't for the weak then?" Chronos asked.

"Sleep is necessary," he said, "While it might occur that you have to stay awake for more than a day, a well spent rest ensures you won't fall to slumber halfway through your guard duty. Say, why are you up so soon?"

Chronos eyed Caine with a slight frown casting a shadow over his eyes, but the apothecary only chuckled at his demeanor.

"Don't be so sour," he said, "it's only good-natured teasing. But I do have what you seek. I you mind, I'll retrieve it from the back room."

The apothecary disappeared into the next room, and Chronos was left to inspect the room on his own. There were an awful lot of shelves, each filled with elixers and potions, varying in size, shape and colour. There was also the occasional beast head mounted on the wall. One was clearly of a bear, while he couldn't figure out which animals the other ones belonged to. After a minute or two, the apothecary appeared again, with a small bottle of blue liquid in his hand.

"This might help," he said, "You should add two drops of it to a glass of water before you sleep. Not any more, it might make you liable to spend the whole day in bed."

"Thanks," he said as he accepted the vial and went to the door. But he was stopped by Caine.

"Where do you come from, Chronos?" he asked.

"Earthrealm, sir," he answered, and Caine looked like he straightened out just a tad bit.

"Interesting," he said. Chronos noticed something in his voice reverberating, but he didn't ask, "I look forward to meeting you again, Chronos."

Chronos left the apothecary to his own devices. It was clear Caine wasn't from around here, but he was obviously not well informed yet about the cultural differences between this kingdom and other ones. Perhaps he came from this Outworld he had spotted once or twice in the history records. He'd have to find a few more books about it.

He came around the students' residences to find the main yard occupied by two people, each quite scantily clad. One was clearly Jade, the other was also too recognisable. He could hear their chatter from afar, albeit in a low, hushed tone.

"You do have an eye for talent, my Queen," the ebony said, "I do apologise for doubting your decision after the man's attendance. His performance impressed many of the overseers, save for Tau'Gir."

"I do remember him," the Queen reminisced, "Poor fellow is so incredibly formal. I must say, has that man even been outside of the compounds since he moved in? Or is he caught up in administrative work?"

"To his duties he is bound," Jade said, "Shameful. He could've been much more if he had focused his talents elsewhere."

"Tau'Gir is a former soldier," Sindel mentioned, "The man deserves to be at home in paperwork if he feels he's comfortable in it."

"Of course, I never implied to discredit him for his former achievements," Jade said, "But it is a shame to see talent outside of your reach."

"I can share your sentiment," Sindel added, but before she could finish her sentence, Chronos had walked up to the duo, "Ah, I see you're up as well?"

"Unfortunately," he said, "Mind if I keep it short? I feel like I've been mildly slacking lately, and I want to get back into my routine again."

Sindel looked over to Jade, then back at Chronos, and a devious little experiment appeared within her mind.

"Say, why don't you two spar then?" Sindel proposed, to both of the warriors' surprise, "A friendly spar, of course, to get motivated."

The emerald bodyguard and half-naked man glanced at each-other for a brief moment, before they both nodded.

"Excellent," Sindel said, "A perfect chance to see your progress. Do make sure my faith and gratitude weren't misplaced."

"I'll make sure, ma'am," he said. Sindel couldn't get used to his way of addressing her, as it reminded her of times long before now. Before she was swallowed by daydreams, she was torn from her mind by both warriors striding towards the middle of the courtyard. Sindel was always perplexed by the physique of Jade. Firm, but curvaceous, and far stronger than her appearance implies. She was never surprised by the close friendship her daughter and Jade had.

Chronos, however, was more in line with a juggernaut, a mass of muscle and fat that could bust through a wall at any time. Moreover, his very defined jaws and brow, coupled with deeply socketed eyes and an everlasting frown could fool you into thinking he was much more a villain than a hero. Luckily, she hadn't heard or seen more vile things from the man after the one altercation.

Some pupils had managed to pull themselves out of bed and watch from a distance, some perched on the terrace by the main building, some near the canal around the courtyard. Both the man and woman gave each other a proper greeting, Jade with a bow, Chronos with a bump on his Mark. It took a painstaking several seconds for the both of the to get into position.

Jade was the first to open with a fast shadow kick, her form blurred by the speed and green shade. Chronos effortlessly swatted her foot away and thrust a double palm into her abdomen, sending her careening back to the edge of the courtyard's battleground. Her muscles burned with much pain, but she raised herself up to see the big mass of muscle dashing towards her with unparalleled speed, attempting to sweep her legs from underneath her with a shin-crushing kick. She used her sole to kick the foot away and retaliated with a volley of blows of her own.

With what looked like little effort, Chronos swatted them away and grabbed her. She expected to just be flipped over, but her instead slung her over his shoulders and several yards into the air, crashing down to earth with much force. She flipped up, unsheathing her pole, to which Chronos immediately dashed towards her and put on the pressure, a flurry of fist directed at every inch of skin exposed. Jade blocked them all, and with a graceful twist, poked him in his belly before tapping the side of his head and right side of his left knee, crumpling him slightly.

He went for a straight punch and she prepared to block it, but he feinted the fist and seamlessly flowed into a shoulder. The impact slid her across the ground, all the while still in a blocking stance, and she was barely able to dodge the massive ball of energy Chronos launched at her. It skidded just past her arm, the electrifying presence giving her goosebumps. Chronos had already thrown several smaller energy balls, and Jade slithered between them, ready to give her opponent the business end of her pole. She appeared from behind of a thrown energy ball, hitting him straight in the sternum.

But the reaction was far different from what she anticipated. Chronos was engulfed by lightning, blowing her back a couple dozen feet. Chronos now had a glowing tattoo, along with his Mark and a few minor scars across his chest. Red lightning danced across his body, and his muscles seemed to tense up even more. He now floated across the ground towards her, and she just missed out on a breakfast full of fist. She created some distance, and he wasted no time closing it again, relentlessly throwing strikes at Jade to seemingly wear her out.

Jade managed to create some longer lasting space, and Chronos launched another energy ball, albeit with one hand this time, but no less powerful. Jade used her staff to swat it back into his face, knocking him back a little bit. She began poking him with her staff, in his side, on his head, on his legs, everywhere she could hit him, and the constant pokes began showing, as Chronos began mildly limping, holding one of his ribs while still putting up a damn good fight. He could put on just as much pressure with one hand as he could with two, but his stamina began to run dry, and he couldn't keep it up forever.

With one final blow, Jade wanted to claim victory before Chronos could manage to recover, with a last shadow kick, she sped over towards him. In time, however, she saw his hand raised in an x-form above his head, and halted her own momentum to back-flip out of whatever was coming. What did come was about as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring. From Chronos' position erupted a massive geyser of swirling energy, coloured like the sun, reaching sky high into the single cloud that floated above the compound. It dispersed the cloud, and the beam of energy continued to rage for a second or two, before finally settling down.

Chronos was now on one knee, supported by a single arm, panting heavily, his body bruising from all the times she punted him with her staff. Lifting his chin up with her pole, she looked him straight in the eyes, revealing a tinge of orange in his ires and what looked like confusion.

"Yield," she commanded, and Chronos had little choice.

"I yield," he said, his voice raspy from exhaustion, "You win."

She smiled, but inwardly she couldn't shake the feeling that he had no intent of unleashing that power. She helped him up, and she could see his eyes shoot everywhere in thought. She wanted to ask, but she'd imagine it to be inappropriate. She decided to leave him be, and instead decided to share her thought with the Queen, now also deep in thought, one arm beneath her bosom, two fingers to her lips. Jade approached, and she heard the footsteps of someone behind her.

"Interesting end result," Sindel said, with Jade and Kilamon looking at each other, "I didn't expect him to unleash such a powerful technique."

"It might have not been his own doing," Kilamon noted, and Sindel's eyes widened shortly.

"I'm of the same mind as my companion," Jade agreed, "It seems he was processing his own actions."

"So, what does that mean, exactly?" Sindel asked.

"I felt a surge of power from somewhere else that wasn't his soul in those last few seconds," Kilamon explained, "Funnelled through his soul. It might be worth inquiring about."

"Not now," Jade said, "Somewhere in the next couple of weeks. It gives him time to recover and contemplate."

"Excellent," Sindel said, "I want you to keep me up to date about his progress and any abnormalities he may show. It would be unfortunate if this compound is reduced to cinders if he burst like that again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Queen," both Jade and Kilamon said in unison. Sindel left them to their own devices, as they eyed each other one last time before attending to their own tasks. Meanwhile, all Chronos did was stand in the courtyard, thinking about what he just did. He swore he heard a voice, but maybe it was just his imagination. He shrugged it off eventually and returned inside to calm his mind. He only had one thought surging through his mind.

"Hope it doesn't get worse."

Back at it again with the trash upload schedule. I don't feel all too confident about this chapter, but I'm my own worst enemy, so leave behind your thoughts, R&R, favourite, follow, SMASH that like button, and have a nice day. If you notice disrepancies in the story or think the story is big doodoo, let me know.