A/N: Hello guys! I bring to you all the new update for this chapter! It took me a while on how to establish this chapter/arc, but I've finally figured it out. Hope you'll enjoy this character quest arc!
Now to respond to reviews!

rpglady76: What?! I love cookies! But in the end, Julius's fate in this story will soon be revealed as I'm close to done with character quests and to move to the final arc.
The bit about what Victor told him before he died definitely play a vital role, but that won't be revealed for some time.

Aldehar: Indeed. I mean I can understand people not liking a character, but I felt Ludger was fine. He might be a silent protagonist, but that doesn't mean he has no character. As you've said, some of them are quite obvious. He cares about his friends (and might to extremes as in Victor's case) and tries to do what is right. He understands the burden of destroying worlds. Only thing I can agree is that the game did not show enough 'remorse' such as 'fractured' Milla's death. That was only seen clearly through Elle. But anywa...
Glad you liked the character arc of Elize. Well I wanted it to be a family portrait, but I felt that prime Driselle could move on with just the parents. Her brother's death did not affect her too much as she is a strong woman. But yes, she now will put up her brother's portrait, since she moved on. And she doesnt want her friends to worry for her.
Haha, you liked the interactions? That's good. And yes! I know what you mean, I love that victory quote of Alvin teasing Elize, haha.
Yup, Jude is easy to tease in the game, hehe. And yes, very little moments in the game for Ludger, 'fractured' Milla and Elle. Just here and there. And she was only in four chapters of the game after all. I really wished she lived! DAMN IT! WHY?! But I guess that's the point of my story, to show how it would be if she lived, hehe.
Ah well Julius targeting Chronos is really his attempt to try and defeat the Great Spirit so that he can force him to open the bridge to Canaan without sacrifising anyone. But well... you'll see how this turns out.
And you're spot on. If you wish to know, there will be a total of three more character arc focus, with this being one of them. There will be a 'Gaius Muzet' character quest (although I'm still working on that), a bromance arc between Jude and Ludger and finally one final group character. Hehe. Oh dont worry. I like to mix my story with feels and some comedy. I just hope I've been able to deliver the feels anyway. :(

Riku Uzumaki: Don't worry mate, I'll make sure to have that down when the story comes to that meeting, hehe. But thanks for reminding. All of you guys reviews sometimes makes me remember certain plot elements that I forgot to jot down.

U-Know Yunho: aww, it's okay. Just share whatever your thoughts on the latest chapter is enough. Positive, what I can improve on etc.
Ooo Jura! You naughty boy! or girl... ;)

Nameless Knight: Haha, Xillia 2 did not really sit well with you huh? What did you not like about it? Was it Ludger being a silent protag? Or the general plot? Or they messed up with the cast from ToX? Although while I admit ToX2 loses to ToX in terms of plot, I still enjoyed the game. It was a dark version and the theme of sacrifice really got to me. But well... in the end, I respect people's opinion, so long as they respect mine.
Indeed, Julius will be going after Chronos for his own reasons, which will be revealed later on.

Radomaru: Hehe, Jude is so Jude? Well I guess he was. That just means I kept him in character, which makes me happy :D and yes, I just had to create some Jude/Milla fluff in that chapter .
Ah yes... all the characters reminiscing and Driselle had a present that she thought she lost from her brother (although technically, it was a gift from her 'other' self).
Well Julius has his own mission and although targeting Chronos is not very smart, he is only doing this all for Ludger. What his plans are, well, it will be revealed in the final arc.
Ehehehehe, yes... so much pairing fluffs in the previous chapter, and the thing Rowen mentioned... NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW ;)
Oh yeah, meeting alternative selves are always interesting. Too bad the game only did very little about it (think it was Alvin meeting Alvin only?)
In any case, thanks for your support!

Jackpot 2: Hmm... the part about Milla abandoning her duty to be with Jude, I recall there is a story in the archives of this site. you should look for it. I can't remember the title or the author, but it was really well written. You can check that out.
Ah the Ludger being about the divergence catalyst... that is one of my final character chapters that I will be writing on so... look forward to that ;)

Well that's it for reviews guys! I hope you guys will all enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER 21: THE TWO MILLA MAXWELL

In Jude's apartment, Milla Maxwell was pacing back and forth, deep in thought. Jude was in his study, reading up on some of the latest research materials he received from the Helioborg research facility regarding spyrite research. However he could not focus. He looked up from his readings and saw Milla still pacing around his place. He tried to return to reading his notes, but he could hardly concentrate on them.

It had been four days since everyone had a get-together at Sharil manor. And just two days ago, Milla and Jude accompanied Ludger into a fractured dimension to assist him. The divergent catalyst was the Great Spirit of Light, known as Aska. Just thinking about it, Milla recalled the awkward scene she witnessed. Apparently, the 'Jude' of that dimension had tethered with Aska, so the Great Spirit was very 'welcoming' towards Jude. Aska's affection towards Jude made the whole thing awkward, and she had to admit, she felt a small tinge of jealousy. But in the end, that was not what Milla was concerned about.

'Aska said that Maxwell was betrayed by a human woman named Milla Kresnik…' Milla thought, 'From what Jude and I gathered in that dimension… a Milla Kresnik and Maxwell had a close relationship, but that ended badly. What I want to know… is who this Milla Kresnik was… and what destroyed her relationship with Maxwell."

The Four Great Spirits accompanying Milla unfortunately could not help Milla in the matter. They too, had little knowledge of this Milla Kresnik. With a resigned sigh, Milla took a sit on a chair and crossed her legs, her already short skirt revealing her smooth skin. Once again, she was lost in thought.

Jude finally stopped reading, putting his research materials on the table and coming out of his study. He needed to find out what was bothering Milla. He found Milla outside of his study, sitting on a chair.

He called out to her but stopped halfway when he noticed that Milla's skirt was riding up, exposing a lot of skin, "Milla, are you oka – WHA!? Milla! Your skirt!"

Milla was startled by Jude's outburst, turning to him, "Jude? What's with you?"

Jude was as red as a tomato, facing away from Milla while pointing at her skirt, "Y-your skirt! It's showing your legs! Y-y-you really need to be more careful with your outfit!"

Milla did not understand why Jude was complaining, but if he found it troubling, she would oblige. She got up from her seat, smoothing her skirt, "Is this better?" When Jude turned to look at her, he nodded, still blushing madly, "Do you hate this outfit Jude? I and the Four Great Spirits took quite a while making this. I remember the endless debates we had when designing this."

"I-I don't hate it. It's just… well…" Jude scratched his cheek with one finger, finding it hard to explain himself, "Well… it just looks good on you! A little… too good…"

"Well I'm glad you like it." Milla said with a smile. And then, her mood turned solemn.

Jude then recalled what he wanted to ask her, getting back to the matter, "Milla, what's wrong? You've been… like this since we returned from that fractured dimension."

Milla nodded, admitting to it, "I know… the event with Aska had been occupying my thoughts."

"So that's what's been bothering you." Jude realized, "I should have realized sooner."

"I'm glad you see it as well Jude." Milla shifted her posture, "I wonder what Aska meant by-"

"I'm sorry Milla!" Jude interjected, surprising and confusing Milla at the same time, "But… it's not like it was me who tethered with Aska! I… was just pretending to be the 'Jude' of that dimension, and…"

Milla laughed in amusement, "Jude, that is not what is bothering me."

"Huh?"

"Although I admit, the act of you tethering with another spirit does… make me feel possessive. Honestly, I did not enjoy that emotion." Milla admitted and Jude could only chuckle nervously. Milla continued on, "However, that was not what concerned me." Milla paused before she continued, "It's about what Aska told us, about the relationship between Milla Kresnik and Maxwell."

Jude now remembered about Aska speaking about that, "Hmm… I'm interested in that as well. If that Milla Kresnik is the Kresnik from the Genesis Sage, there's a lot we could find out about."

"Unfortunately, there's very little who knows about this." Milla stated with regret, "Even the village elder of Nia Khera knew very little about it. And I fear that there might be no one else who knows of Milla Kresnik's story. That's what I've been trying to figure out since but… I can't think of anyone who might know something about the matter."

Jude pondered on it, with one of his hand holding the other wrist. He could tell that Milla really wanted an answer to her dilemma. Indeed, there was very little information about Kresnik of the Genesis Sage. If the village of Nia Khera, which worshipped Maxwell, had little knowledge on the subject matter, it was going to be difficult. Then, a thought hit him.

"How about… we ask Ludger?" Jude offered, "I mean, he might know a little about it. He is a descendant of Kresnik, right? It can't hurt to try."

Milla found Jude's idea to be fruitful, "You're right. Ludger might know something, even if just a little. I guess we should pay him a visit." With that agreed, the two prepared to move when Milla's stomach released a terrifying growl. Milla blushed in embarrassment, "Well… while we're there, I guess we can have lunch as well?"

Jude sighed and shook his head in a loss, "You're really fond of Ludger's cooking, aren't you?"

"And my other self's soup!" Milla added in. The two shared a laugh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Elle, can you fetch me some tomatoes?" Ludger ordered while chopping some onions.

Elle belched at the mention of tomatoes, "I said I don't like tomatoes!"

Ludger snickered in amusement, "Don't worry, I'll make sure yours won't have any tomatoes. As usual…"

Elle hummed happily and went to grab some tomatoes. 'Fractured' Milla, who was stirring a pot of chicken soup next to Ludger, sighed, "You spoil her too much. You shouldn't give in to her demands all the time."

Ludger laughed lightly at the comment, "its fine. Not everyone likes tomatoes."

Elle delivered the handful of tomatoes, "Here you go Ludger!"

Ludger thanked Elle and returned to chopping his onions. As for Elle, she went away to play with Rollo. This was the usual scenery in Ludger's apartment. He handled cooking the main dish while 'fractured' Milla focused on the soup and Elle played around with Rollo. A quiet yet happy moment shared between all three that had lost something important to them.

'Fractured' Milla especially enjoyed these moments, although she would never admit them. Even when she lived in her world, she was not the happiest. Sure, she hated Ludger and the rest for destroying her world, but her life was not the best. She was not the true Lord of Spirits when Maxwell took back his role after she destroyed Exodus. She lost control over the Four Great Spirits. And because of her, her sister Muzet lost her vision. While the villagers still respected her in her world, the thought still lingered in her mind that they did so only because of once being the Lord of Spirits. But now living with Ludger and Elle, she was genuinely happy. They happily accepted her. The rest had a connection to the original Milla Maxwell, so obviously they were not as close to her. But Ludger and Elle cherished her. It was… enough for her.

But the first bad news of the day arrived. While 'fractured' Milla was adding some extra herbs for the final touches on her soup, her hand started to fade. She gasped, and quickly covered her mouth to hide her shock. She always, always tried to hide it. But Ludger was already staring at her hand, noticing what was going on. It was pointless trying to hide from him.

"Milla…" Ludger muttered softly.

'Fractured' Milla nodded knowingly, "I know…" She then placed the scoop she was using to stir on the kitchen counter and called out to Elle, "Elle, can you… take Rollo for a walk?"

"Huh? Okay I guess." Elle was confused but went along with it anyway, "Come on Rollo. We're going for a walk. Maybe it's to exercise a bit so that we'll be even hungrier!"

"Meowww!"

Elle opened the door and Rollo followed before the door closed. Although Elle probably knew the condition for 'fractured' Milla to live in this dimension was through Ludger's Chromatus life force, Ludger and 'fractured' Milla wanted to at least make sure she never saw the process. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss.

"Alright, let's hurry before Elle comes back." 'Fractured' Milla said with a sense of urgency.

"You make it sound like we're going to have a quickie or something." Ludger joked. A fist was 'fractured' Milla's immediate response. "Agh!"

"W-w-what are y-you talking about?!" 'Fractured' Milla exclaimed through her stutters, "This isn't something to joke about!"

Ludger chuckled and nodded, "I know… just wanted to take your mind off about it. You always look sad when we have to do this. And you always try to hide it."

"I just…" 'Fractured' Milla was saying but Ludger interrupted her.

"I told you Milla, I'm not going to let you disappear." Ludger informed her, his green eyes carrying a powerful will, "Now let's do this."

'Fractured' Milla nodded, knowing arguing was pointless. After all, this was the only way to keep her alive. Honestly she was afraid of disappearing, but she would have willingly faced her fate if Ludger or Elle were not so attached to her. But neither was willing to let her go. And even the original Milla Maxwell urged her not to give up. How could she refuse them?

Ludger took out his pocket watch and transformed into his level two Chromatus form. 'Fractured' Milla offered her left hand, which Ludger grabbed and held her tightly. Then he began transferring his life source into 'fractured' Milla. Slowly but surely, 'fractured' Milla stopped fading and was solid once more. Throughout the process, Ludger and 'fractured' Milla did not break eye contact, staring at one another. And before they got lost in that, it was over. 'Fractured' Milla was now 'safe' for at least a couple of days.

However the instant Ludger deactivated his Chromatus form, the immediate effects breached in. With indescribable pain scorching his body, Ludger collapsed on all fours. The pain was excruciating. It felt like the inside of his body was being crushed, his breathing ragged and body close to spasms. The whole thing lasted several seconds but to Ludger, it felt like an eternity. And despite this pain, he was willing to go through it every time if it meant saving 'fractured' Milla. To him, it was a small price to pay.

'Fractured' Milla got down on her knees, checking on Ludger, "Are… you okay?"

Ludger slowly nodded, letting the pain fade away before he replied, "Yeah… don't worry, I'm fine."

'Fractured' Milla helped Ludger back to his feet, and the two locked eyes once more. As a matter of fact, they did this quite frequently whenever Ludger 'cured' her. They never did anything more, but this was a small intimate moment they have been sharing. 'Fractured' Milla reached out her right hand and caressed Ludger's cheek. She could feel the warmth emanating and Ludger grabbed the hand on his cheek. Their breathing increased and the distance closed. No words were exchanged. Only their eyes spoke of their desires. All was set…

Then the door to Ludger's apartment suddenly burst open and Elle rushed in with Rollo, "Hey Ludger! Milla! Look who I found!"

Behind Elle were Jude and Milla. Jude came in smiling, "Hey Ludger, thought we'd drop…" However he could not finish his sentence. Ludger and 'fractured' Milla were frozen in place, caught in the most awkward of situations. Jude quickly started apologizing, "Sorry! Sorry! This is just bad timing! Sorry!"

Ludger and 'fractured' Milla quickly backed away from one another, a deep blush evident on their cheeks. Elle was confused though, "Huh? What's going on?"

As for Milla, she rested her chin on her finger, fascinated, "Interesting… I think I just witnessed something noteworthy."

"Please forget about it!" 'Fractured' Milla hollered to her twin self.

XXXXXXXX

After clearing up all of the misunderstandings, Ludger offered Jude and Milla to stay for lunch, which Milla greatly appreciated. Everyone enjoyed a hearty lunch but after that was done, Milla went straight for business.

"Actually I came here to ask Ludger something." Milla began, fixing her focus on Ludger. Elle finished eating and went to play with Rollo.

Ludger raised his eyebrow with surprise, "Me?"

"It's related to what the Aska told us in that fractured dimension." Milla explained, "Ludger… if you have any information regarding your ancestor, Milla Kresnik, I'd appreciate it if you can tell me what you know."

Ludger scratched his hair, dumbfounded, "Well… it's true that I'm a descendant but… I didn't even know about this until recently. I… really don't know anything about Milla Kresnik or anything else about the Kresnik clan. Actually, I'm learning all of this by travelling with you and Jude."

Milla sighed with defeat, "That is unfortunate."

Jude knew the chances were low, but it was worth a shot, "Well… we'll continue to try and find out about Milla Kresnik. Thanks Lud-"

"If it's about Milla Kresnik, I actually know some basic facts about her." 'Fractured' Milla said suddenly, catching everyone's attention.

"You do?" Jude and Milla uttered in unison.

"Well I don't know if it's the same in this dimension," 'Fractured' Milla started, "But from what I've learned, it is true that Milla Kresnik was the first human to have summoned Maxwell. It's said that she had a beautiful singing voice, and she sang with such passion that even Maxwell himself had fallen under her spell."

"So the Great Spirit Maxwell… fell in love with her?" Jude questioned, finding it almost similar to he and Milla.

"You could say that." 'Fractured' Milla said after some thought, "Milla Kresnik believed that humans and spirits could co-exist, and she had followers. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but something occurred that not only created the followers to break into two. One of these groups would create the village of Nia Khera. And something also happened that destroyed the relationship between Maxwell and Milla Kresnik."

Milla thought about what 'fractured' Milla said, processing the information, "Hmm… so we now know that Milla Kresnik was indeed the first human that summoned Lord Maxwell and we have an idea on her background. But…"

"…We still don't know what happened between the Great Spirit Maxwell and Milla Kresnik." Jude finished for Milla, "Something happened that broke apart their relationship." Jude then looked at 'fractured' Milla, "How did you know all of this?"

'Fractured' Milla was the one surprised now, "It's quite common knowledge in my village. It was passed down as oral tradition and the village elder told me this. I'm actually surprised your dimension doesn't know this." 'Fractured' Milla then grinned, "I guess there's something I know that the Lord of Spirits doesn't."

Milla took the jab with a smile, "You are Milla Maxwell yourself, and so I am not surprised." 'Fractured' Milla and Milla both stared at one another, a friendly rivalry exchanged. But then Milla got back to business, resting her chin on her finger, "Still though, I wish we could learn more about what happened."

"Why do you suddenly want to know?" 'Fractured' Milla asked.

"If anything… just a little closure. After all, it seems I was named after this Milla Kresnik. I'd like to know what happened between Maxwell and her." Milla answered.

'Fractured' Milla knew how Milla felt. Although she had never met Maxwell, she never earned any form of closure with Maxwell. She was used as a decoy to Exodus, but she successfully destroyed them. She lost her control over the Great Spirits and was basically a regular human in the end. No doubt Milla wanted to learn more about why Maxwell would name Milla after someone he seemed to cherish.

Ludger's apartment was then filled with the sound of Ludger's GHS ringtone. Ludger picked up his GHS and the familiar voice of Vera was heard on the other line. "DODA here, we've detected a new fractured dimension." However this time, Vera was hesitant on the next part, "However… we've discovered that the fractured dimension is… highly unstable. If you do not wish to take this task, I understand. We'll send someone else instead."

Ludger considered his options. He saw Milla, Jude and 'fractured' Milla all staring at him expectantly. If he did not take this job, someone else would instead. And those agents might lose their lives. However Ludger was confident of his skills, along with his friends. Also, this dimension might have some answers that Milla and Jude were searching for.

With his decision made, Ludger took a deep breath and said, "I'll take it."

"Roger that." Vera responded, a hint of relief in her tone, "I'll send the coordinates to your GHS. Good luck."

Ludger ended the call and read the coordinates that Vera sent. After that, he summarized to everyone about what the call was about and the risks mentioned. However, as he expected, no one showed any signs of hesitation after he was finished. Instead they looked much more determined.

"I guess you guys will be coming to help?" 'Fractured' Milla said rhetorically.

Milla got up from her seat, "Indeed we will. This fractured dimension might hold some answers to my questions."

Jude however called caution to the wind, "Before we go ahead, I think we should bring some help. After all, Vera did say the fractured dimension is unstable. We should be careful."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Ludger questioned.

Jude nodded and grinned, "I do… and he's nearby as well."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The party scoured the streets of Elympios for their targets. He was normally in Elympios anyway, studying the citizens' way of life as part of his 'mission'. It took them a couple of minutes before they found the pair at the commercial district of Trigleph.

Gaius and Muzet were speaking with someone but when Gaius spotted Jude and the others approaching, he ended the conversation with the stranger. Muzet's eyes glowed happily at the sight of her sister. Or sisters.

"Oh if it isn't my two look-alike sisters!" Muzet cheered with delight, flying towards them and hugging the two, "I've missed you! It's so nice to see you. Hanging around Gaius all day can be tiring and I needed a recharge."

"What are you trying to imply, Muzet?" Gaius said with mock anger but when he saw Muzet was not listening, he paid his attention to Jude and Ludger, "So what brings you here?"

Jude and Ludger looked at one another, and then back to Gaius, "Well…" Both Jude and Ludger explained to Gaius what happened and about the highly unstable fractured dimension. They left nothing out. Once they were finished, Gaius crossed his arms on his chest, his black leather jacket masking his body.

"I see…" Gaius said after a long silence, "If that is the case, then I shall lend you my assistance. It sounds like this will be a challenge and I do not wish to have a rust in my skills." Gaius then turned to Muzet, "Will you be accompanying us?"

Muzet adjusted her posture while still floating in the air, giggling, "But of course. It's not always I get to spend time with two of my sisters. This should be fun!"

"Sister…?" 'Fractured' Milla muttered questionably.

Milla chortled at her 'other' self's discomfort, "It's okay. It's just Muzet's way of accepting you."

"No, it's not that." 'Fractured' Milla said, looking at the Great Spirit Muzet, "It's just… that she's very different from the Muzet I know."

Gaius cleared his throat, catching the party's attention, "I believe we should prepare ourselves properly before we depart. We should acquire whatever items we will need in this journey. Shall we?"

The whole party agreed and started shopping for whatever items they needed to restock. Throughout the whole deal, Muzet was happily floating behind the two Millas, greatly keeping 'fractured' Milla uncomfortable at the attention. Milla could only find the sight amusing.

Skit: Tethering with Muzet (Credits to Jackpot 2 for this skit idea)
Present: Jude, Elle, Ludger, Gaius & Muzet

Muzet: *Thinking* Oh I miss tethering. Gaius doesn't do it as often now. I should make him jealous. *Giggles*

Ludger: *Heard Muzet's thoughts through device* Uh…

Muzet: Hey Jude…? *Moves in closer*

Jude: Erm… aren't you a little too close?

Muzet: You know Jude… I could use a little tethering. It's been… so loooong. How about for old time's sake?

Jude: Come on Muzet, you know I don't do that. I only did that one time because…

Elle: What's tet… tethering?

Muzet: Oh my! *Blushes* I don't think a child should know about these kind of things.

Elle: I wanna know! Jude, what's tethering?

Jude: Erm… I don't think I'm the right person to ask about this.

Muzet: Well… I can show you, if you'd like. *Giggles*

Gaius: Hmph!

Muzet: What's the matter Gaius? You're not… jealous are you?

Gaius: Not in the slightest.

Muzet: *Giggles* Well if Jude won't tether with me… how about you Ludger?

Ludger: H-huh?!

Muzet: *Moves closer to Ludger now* Come on… you asked me once how I'd like to be tethered. How about we try one now?

Ludger: What?! B-b-but…

Gaius: Muzet, that's enough!

Muzet: Aww… I'm just fooling around. You don't have to be angry Gaius. *Moves close to Gaius now*

Gaius: ….

Jude: I… what just happened?

Ludger: Err….

Elle: I don't get it. You adults are so confusing!

XXXXXXXXXX

After the whole party finished with their preparations, Ludger activated his Chromatus form and create a portal to enter the fractured dimension. No one stepped in yet though. It was the first time a fractured dimension with no mention of where the rift was located. Thus, no one knew where they would be transported to.

"Are you all ready?" Ludger asked.

Everyone gave their answer. This was it. Jude and Milla were the ones to enter first, since they wanted the answers they were seeking. 'Fractured' Milla entered next, holding Elle with her. Gaius and Muzet next and finally Ludger was the final one to enter. With a deep breath and still in Chromatus form, Ludger lunged into the abyss.

The next thing his eyes laid upon was the dark abyss. At first he did not realize it. Then he felt his body falling. He was not on solid ground. Below him, he saw his friends all waiting for him as he 'floated' downwards. The place was truly a mystery to him. When he landed, he took in his surroundings, which were made up of strange brownish, rocks that glowed with a mixture of colors. They were shaped in cubes of almost the same sizes, and they were not arranged accordingly. Some were on one another, forming walls or little cliffs. And outside of these cubes used as their floor, it was complete darkness. There were some individual cubes in the darkness, but they were too far away.

However only Ludger, Elle and 'fractured' Milla were mesmerized by their strange surroundings. Jude, Milla and the rest had a sense of nostalgia on their eyes.

"Where are we?" Elle asked in awe, looking around the strange cubes.

'Fractured' Milla turned to Milla, "It looks like you've been here before."

Milla and Jude nodded with Milla answering, "It's been… a year since we came here."

"Yeah…" Jude agreed, taking a step forward as he introduced the place, "This… is the Temporal Crossroads… It's sort of a 'connection' between the human world and the spirit world."

Gaius puffed at the sight of this area, "To think we'd return here."

Milla had to agree with that. She then stated the next words that brought the matter at hand, "And I have a feeling I know who the divergence catalyst is."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the lowest level of the Temporal Crossroads, the area was different. Unlike the strange cubes and darkness, down here the ground was made of crystal-clear water and the sky was bright. There were several large orb-like structures around the area as well. Then on a weird-looking mechanical throne that stood three meters in height, the Great Spirit Maxwell sat atop the throne.

The true Lord of Spirits felt outsiders entering his realm, sensing their mana. However three of them intrigued him, "I know… one of them. Her mana is definitely her but… did she not perish? After all, I was the one that made sure of that." Then he felt the other presence, "What… is this? This person… the mana… it's almost identical to her but… how? Why do they match? No human or spirit can have the exact same mana!" And then Maxwell felt the final one that interested him, "And this… power… is not coming from him. He has no mana exuding from his body but… something he holds… it's a power of a Great Spirit…" Maxwell was at a loss and opened his eyes, "Whoever these outsiders are… they will arrive before me. I will have to see what their reason is for coming here."

But Maxwell did not know that in a couple of minutes, he would be discovering some horrifying revelations.

CHAPTER END

A/N: Yeah just that you I'm sure you all noticed, I made 'fractured' Milla the one who knows of Milla Kresnik's history instead of a fractured Ivar.