Dear diary.
Today is 25 of June, the day of my birthday.
Why it's important to mention?
Because today I became 5 years old! And as a gift my parents gave me this diary. For what I'll use it? Of course to write about information of Arknights.
Why? Isn't it dangerous?
Well, yes. But I don't have any other solution, as lately I started to forget pretty important things about the world of Arknights. One example of that is the fucking group that the game is based upon.
Rhodes Island.
Yeah, I am not kidding.
Even if I am in Terra, five years is a long time to remember.
So, this diary is something that I'll have with me at all times. If I can, maybe I'll try to get a good amount of locks to guard it well. I am writing this in English too, to try to discourage anyone that finds it to read it. I don't know if that'll work.
And it can serve to write notes too! It has those sticky notes at the end so maybe that can help.
Well, this is just the first entry. As I said earlier, the day is 25 of June, of…
.
.
.
1075.
Closing the diary, I put it in the inner pocket of my jacket. It's good that it's pretty small.
So yeah. It's 1075
I mean, what the hell right?
The game takes place in 1096, so that means that I have 21 years to prepare right?
Yes and no.
Let's just say for some reason, I can fuck up the history earlier to that. Let's say that dragon guy from Lungmen doesn't become the leader because I did something… What was his name?
Shit, another thing to note in the diary if I remember.
Well, anyway, what do I do?
Everything changed, and maybe the one in charge this time doesn't want to have an alliance with Rhodes Island.
Ah, it was Wei something right?
Everything can change just from a little thing I made. It was called butterfly effect right?
So what do I do? Let the history continue like that or interfere before canon starts? Ah right, I'll refer to the game's history as canon if you didn't know.
.
.
.
For the time being, I think I'll stay put.
Maybe I can change things for the better, but if I make them worse?
I don't want to think too much about it… but…
Ha…
Let's continue with the task at hand.
I start preparing myself. Today apart from being my birthday, is an important day. I got that my parents let me go to school earlier than needed. I already went to pre-school, but everything was something that I already know, like how many apples appear in this image and how to write basic words in Russian.
I could already do it at the age of 3, so I am pretty advanced compared to my peers.
Usually kids in primary school start at the age of 6 in Russia, but I could do it a year earlier because I did a little optional exam before and passed it. Later, I need to see if I can skip some years.
Maybe it isn't the greatest idea to skip years, but I don't have any option. I need to prepare the most I can for the shit that happens in canon.
Looking myself in the big mirror of my room, I see that everything is am ready.
When I was a baby I couldn't see it, but my eyes have heterochromia. Not the one where my eyes are of different colours, but the one where I have another colour in the centre of them. Surrounding my pupil, the iris starts the same soft orange that my father has, and around that orange part it slowly becomes the light blue of my mother. Those are eyes that only appear in anime.
But Arknights it's an anime right?
After looking at my eyes I start seeing at the top of my head. The horns.
They grew up a pretty good amount, especially the uppermost one. They are like my father's, the only difference is that they start greyish and become blacker at the ends. My hair is the same silver like my mother, and for some reason, my tail too, even though the one that my father has it's dark grey.
The tail is a pretty convenient thing. I can do a lot of things with it. You remember the moon walk? I can do it easily! The only thing is that it need to be stretched perpendicular to my body, and as it acts like a limb, stretching it a lot is tiring.
How I control it? I don't know. I just know I can.
Oh right, I am 118.1 cm tall. Pretty high for someone my age, but I started some light exercise when I was 4, so yeah, it paid off.
Coming back to my appearance, the uniform is composed of a totally black jacket with a red Ursus symbol in the part where the heart is. The good thing is that it's pretty warm. The other is that it's pretty stylish. The only part that I hate is the uniform's shirt. It's brown.
I don't know why again, but I hate it.
The pants are a greyish colour and I need to wear black shoes with all of this.
Why it looks so gloomy beats me.
The only part that is of colour except the symbol, it's my scarf. It's simple and blue one. It was my gift for last year, and I like it a lot, as it makes me remember that promise.
After ending my useless description, I take my backpack and go out of my room.
Reaching I see my good-looking mother looking at the television while waiting in the table with breakfast for only both of us. This is because my father needs to get up earlier, as his work is in the centre of the city. We live in section 16 and as section 1 is the centre… yeah. It's a long way.
Talking about the city, thanks to god, it's a mobile one, located in the west part of Ursus. It's called Moscor…
And it's the capital city of Ursus.
It's only one letter away from spelling Moscow I know, but what can I do about it? The good thing is that we are pretty far away from Chernobog, as it's located in the East part of Ursus, pretty close to Lungmen.
"Are you ready?" My mother says while making a smile in my direction.
"Yes!" I respond energetically!
"Then let's eat."
I just hope that the joke about the Oedipus complex stays as a joke.
.
.
.
After eating, I prepare myself psychologically to-
"Do you want me to accompany you?"
Looking at the direction of my mother I can see that she really wants to accompany me, as his eyes fidget around the room.
"Yes, I was about to ask you mom!"
Of course that is a lie. I was preparing myself to go walking alone to the school, as its pretty close, but I don't have a problem with her coming along.
More, I think its better that she accompanies me, as a child of five years alone in the street in a morning usually ends in kidnapping.
Next thing I know is that my mother has a big smile in her face and is already dressed while holding my hand. This happens a lot, and I want to know how she is so fast.
"Let's go!" She says while going for the door.
"Mhm!" I nod.
When we get out, the same cold breeze appears, but this time it isn't as cold as my baby years. It looks like the body can acclimate to a good amount of things, being one of them freezing temperatures.
Was it Wei Wenyu the name?
While we go to the school, I'll talk about Originium Arts.
I don't know how to use them.
I tried to practice secretly when I was fourth, but I found out that I don't know how. I'd like to ask my parents, but I don't think they'll tell me, as I am too young. Maybe I need someone to teach me, or maybe they do it in school. I don't know.
But!
I know one school which Originium Arts is a subject of practice.
The Victoria Royal Guard School.
Even through it says school it has the three education levels, and as it name sounds, it's an elitist one. Only the best of the best go there, but in all of Terra, it's probably the only of the open to public schools that help people train in Originium Arts. The other ones are private, and it cost almost like an Originium Engine to study there.
If you didn't know, and Originium Engine it's what moves the mobile cities, so I leave it to your imagination the price.
Ah right. My Mother's name is Irina and she was birthed here in Ursus. Meanwhile my father's name is Oliver, and was born in Victoria. Thanks to him is how I know about the school, as he studied there.
Ah, it was Wei Yenwu! I need to remember and note it later.
"Are you okay Micha?" My mother asks while still looking in front of her
"Uh? What do you mean mom?"
"…Nothing." Still looking in front of her.
And for some reason we stay in silence for a good amount of time.
"Mom what will we dinner tonight?" I try breaking the ice.
"Oh, you were thinking about that?" She says with that sweet smile of hers, as always.
"Yep! I was thinking if you were going to make a stew pot or maybe a soup."
"Mmh… A stew doesn't sound too bad… But I need to get the ingredients…"
"Then after school I'll help you!" I say decidedly.
"Really?" She says with the same big smile than earlier.
"Really!"
Yes, somebody needs to have caution that she doesn't pulverize the poor vegetables.
"What a good child I have…" She says while caressing the top of my head.
"Hehehe..."
"…just too good…"
"Mhm? What did you say mom?"
"…Nothing dear. Come on, we are close."
Lifting my face I can see the school where I'll be attending. I separate my hands from hers.
"Make some friends, yes?"
"Yes mom!"
When I am with her for some reason I feel like I make some age regression or something.
The school is a normal looking one. I mean, if you search in the internet a photo of a school, all are pretty much same. Entering I feel like pre-school all over again. It wasn't a good experience to act as a toddler.
Let's just hope that it isn't the same-
"Hey!" A voice startles me.
Glancing at the direction of the voice I see two kids almost of the same year… And pretty much looking the same. Are they brother and sister?
They approach me.
"What's your name?" Talks what appears to be the youngest of the pair.
"Micha." I respond calmly.
"No, that's my name. How did you know it? I don't remember talking with you before?" The girl says while tilting her head.
This is too much like an anime.
"My name is Micha. Is yours Micha too?" I say respond.
"Ah, I didn't hear it well. It's Misha. They are pretty alike right?" She says with a happy smile.
"Yes, they are. And your brother's?" I turn to look at the oldest one, which is a male too.
"Alex!" He says with the same energy that all boys of this age have.
…
They are familiar. I don't remember the boy, but the girl named Misha I know her.
I need to note it in case later. And the name Wei Yenwu.
"I see. Let's go to the auditorium. Maybe they'll start shortly." I say to the pair that were looking at me.
"Mhm!" Misha nods.
"Yes!" Meanwhile Alex affirms.
How easy going are children, right?
And like that we prepare for the first ceremony of our student life.
.
.
.
I forgot.
After the ceremony all kids went to their respective classes, and I started to think of a way to skip years. Stand out? Maybe. I mean it mustn't be that hard. But the question is how? Maybe I can search it in the internet?
I slap myself, giving Misha a scare.
Oh right, Misha is in the same class as mine, meanwhile Alex is in the one next to us.
"Are you alright Micha?" The girl says worried. "You just slapped yourself pretty hard right there."
"Eh? Ah! Yes, I am okay Misha, don't worry."
"Okay…" She says while looking back at the teacher in front of the class.
Really, I should have more caution of my surroundings.
The slap was because of a simple realization.
I can't search in the internet…
Why?
We don't have a computer.
I mean, my mother and father have a cell phone with it, but they won't let me take it until I am at least 8 or 9.
Really, why?
Don't you know how you can develop the mind of your kid with games? In my past life I learned a good amount of Spanish because of games.
But they can be addicted to it too, so maybe that's why-
*Ring*
"Today you can go home, and remember that your parents or a known needs to come get you." The teacher says sweetly.
"Yes!" All the kids including Misha say.
While I was putting away my school supplies, Misha talks to me.
"Ah! It was so hard to understand…"
"What was hard to understand?" I continue the conversation with her.
"This." She says while pointing at a math problem.
It's a simple calculation of 10 + 1 - 12. But the problem is that the answer is a negative number, something that most children didn't see still.
Why is this here in the first year?! It should appear in third or fourth!
"Look. Ten plus one equals eleven right?" She nods. "Eleven minus twelve is…"
"1." She says confidently.
"Wrong." I say plainly.
"Why?! The teacher said the same!" She says frustrated.
"Let's see… Ah!" I say until I get an idea.
Putting out my utensils again I put them in the table while Misha watches confused.
"Think all of this as pencils, yes?" Her nods confirms it. "We have eleven pencils right?" She nods yet again. "Then we need to take twelve."
"Yes."
I need to explain it slowly.
"Let's put the other way around: -12 + 11. Let's ignore the minus for now" I say while rearranging the pencils, to which she nods.
I am not that good explaining, but let's see if she understand like that.
"Now we do 12 – 11. This gives us 1."
"Yes, as I said earlier." Misha looks even more confused than before.
Shit.
"But now we need to put back the minus to the one and we have…"
"-1?" She says uncertainly.
"Yes!" I say with a big smile, which is responded with one made by her.
But it becomes a little strained.
"I think I understand now…"
Really, how? I fucked up a lot of times. Maybe you are a genius?
"Wow Micha, you are so smart!"
Really, how did you understand me?
"Haha, nothing like that." I refute while putting all back in the backpack. "We need to hurry or your brother will get preoccupied."
"Ah! You are right!" I laugh after seeing her face.
With that we go out fast of the classroom to see the brother of Misha nearby the exit, waiting for her.
"Sorry bro… Micha was teaching me how to make a problem."
"Mhh…" He says while doing a pensive face "I forgive you!" He says earning a little laugh out of Misha.
"Misha and Alex!" The teacher in the exit door says, calling the brothers.
"Bye Micha, and thank you!" Misha says.
"Goodbye!" Alex says plainly.
"Bye." I say while waving at them.
Well, now to wait for mom-
"Micha!"
That was fast.
Nearing the exit door I see the teacher and my mother… Not.
When I looked outside I see someone familiar, but I don't remember seeing him before.
He had a black jacket, with a white shirt and a blue tie. His pants were black too. He looked like your normal salary man… If it wasn't for the… mask? It looks like he has spiky white hair too, but is connected to that mask…
"I am sorry, but your mother couldn't come today. I am Yith a co-worker of your father Oliver, and I came to get you" He says, to which I slowly nod. "Great, I have the permission of both your parents to get you after school." He says while extending his hand to me, which almost looks a claw, while using his other to show a paper to the teacher.
The teacher takes the note from his hands, and starts inspecting it.
"Yes, everything is in order." The teacher says while nodding, after seeing if the paper was forged.
I didn't see it before, but he has a tail too.
Even with all of that I can't know his race.
Dubiously I take his hand.
"Great, let's get going… yes?" He says… excited?
I am scared now.
And with that we start going to where my house is.
I don't know him, and I am scared.
No, terrified.
He literally screams strange, but those really were my parent's signatures. So maybe-
"It looks like there is no one in the street right now…" He says, breaking the ice after some time.
"Eh?" I say incredulous.
"It took a lot of effort, but finally I can speak to you alone." He continues talking, slowly stopping in the middle of the road.
"Eh?!"
I am being kidnapped?! What the hell?!
He let go of my hand and appears in front of me.
Yes.
Appears.
"Let me introduce myself properly" He says while bowing to me. "My name it's to remember to which race I belong. I am Yith. The last of my great species, the Yiths."
I am starting to remember.
"You-"
But he interrupts me, by putting his hand in front of me, as saying me to stop talking.
"I am sent by 'him', to deliver 'this' to you." He says while taking out of his pocket a white pointy thing from it.
It's decorated beautifully, and it's bigger than a pencil. It even looks like a wand. But the things that takes my attention is the hole on the contrary part that's pointed.
"This is the White Minute Hand, part of the Clockwork Staff. With it, for now, you can start practising your Arts."
White Minute Hand? Clockwork Staff?
"What is that? And what do you mean by 'Him?"
He stops momentarily, while looking in the direction of my house. "I'll respond while we go to your house." He says right beside me, when he wasn't there a moment ago. "Take it." He puts the Clock hand in front of me.
I take it with caution, and when I have it in my hand, he continues walking.
"The White Minute Hand is a catalyst that will permit you to access to your Time Arts. Not fully, but for now it will be enough."
"What do you-?"
I feel it.
It wasn't there before. It's like something is surrounding me, but at the same time it's inside of me.
"After decades of using Originium Arts, the people started to develop what is called the Originium Circuit, which is incorporated in our Circulatory System. That's what you are feeling right now, and is the reason why everyone has at least 0.1 Originium-Crystal Density u/L in their blood." He stops to take a breath? It's more like a sigh. "Have caution though. If you overuse them, you'll burn them out, generating a lot of pain. And I mean a lot." He says with… a grin?
The mask was his face?!
"Next question. The Clockwork Staff. It's a catalyst used only for Time Arts made by the best of my race. I know that it's detached in different parts right now. The one you have is the easiest to use of all three hands, which helps to accelerate time and partially slow it." He says while looking to the sides.
It looks like it's something important if he doesn't want somebody to hear us.
"The other parts, the Black Hours Hand is held by the Grand Matriarch, meanwhile the Glass Seconds Hand is held by the Angel Voyager. The last part, the Clock which puts together the hands, is somewhere where I don't know. The only thing I can tell you is that it's the source of your problems." He takes another breath as before. "Your mission is to have them together if you want to complete that foolish promise."
He… How does he know my promise?! I never said it a loud!
"Who are you?" I say with the most edge in all of my life until now.
.
.
.
"Hehehe…HAHAHA!"
And it was responded by laughter.
"You are amusing little one. I could have no one remember you at the end of the day, but you threaten me? Truly amusing. As a prize for that show, let me show you a little of my Arts." He says while looming above me.
My breath becomes rapid, and I can hear my heart beating with such force that it looks like it will get out of my chest.
I try to look anywhere, but I only see darkness slowly appear around me, eating the apartments and the road with it.
Fear.
Primal and pure fear.
I can't move, and it appears as something is slowly reaching out to me from Yith's back.
Dread.
Terror.
I feel it. Yith- No, 'that' touching my face, as it's studying it.
Strange.
Unknown.
His body disappears in the darkness and then I found myself enclosed in cold water.
I can't breathe. I can't move. The only thing I can do is feel how the water enters my lungs, slowly drowning me, in the total blackness…
.
.
.
How much time passed?
.
.
.
Hours?
Days?
I can't remember
.
.
.
Am I…? Going to disappear?
.
.
.
If I give up… Can I get out?
.
.
.
But… I can't back down.
Even if it hurts… Even if I can't breathe…
Should I give up?
Lose my family and me in that darkness forever?
Like hell.
I died by an accident, and reincarnated as compensation.
I didn't even pass the ten years in here, and will lose all the people that I love just in this moment? Like that?
.
.
.
No.
Thanks, but no.
Think.
Don't stop thinking.
I try to swim in the darkness searching for an exit, anything to get out of this nightmare.
I can't find anything.
Then I realize.
It's impossible to change the reality like Yith did with Arts. Talulah is one of the greatest Originium Arts user of all of Terra, and even she couldn't destroy or transform this way the surroundings. If she could, Rhodes Island would have died when they went to rescue the doctor.
A moment ago I was in a road going to my house, then everything went dark and I was filled with water.
Yith should have done something, but what?
That train of thought doesn't work. Try another.
When thinking about this only a word comes to mind.
Nightmare.
A nightmare it's the contrary of a dream, and a dream is a recollection of senses that our brain does while sleeping.
Almost like an illusion while sleeping.
Illusion.
That's it.
Is his Arts Illusion?
But… I remember… Yes, remember.
In that event someone said that he stopped some flames. Does he use Time Arts or Illusion Arts?
.
.
.
And if he uses both?
When I think about it, the darkness starts to crack, and from them I see the road. Little by little the cracks spread, and I use my remaining strength to get out of from one of them.
"Oh? Really… Amusing." Yith says with the greatest grin since we met. He isn't looming beside me as earlier, but is in front of me, as studying me. "To think you found out about my two Arts like that. Truly interesting…"
I see him only with scorn in my eyes, while trying to recuperate my breath, to try to intimidate him or something.
And for some reason…
It worked?
It looks like my glance at him made him think about something, as he stops momentarily, before he becomes more lenient.
"Now, now…" He says while shooing me with his hands. "That was only a test… If you gave up right there I was going to take the White Hand with me, as you threatened me. It's only natural to retaliate-"
"Retaliate because a five year old threatened you? That sounds like a fucking joke." I say while taking deep breaths.
"…A kid like that shouldn't use that language, but I'll let it pass. You… are really, really interesting… For entertaining me you get a prize."
"I don't want a fucking thing from you… I am okay by myself-"
"Oh, you are… But will the ones surrounding you be?" He says closing on me yet again.
And that was the last straw.
"…Don't you…fucking dare…to touch THEM!" I scream to the top of my lungs while facing him for the first time.
My scream attracts a bit of attention, as the people surrounding us starts to look in our direction.
"That's the attitude that I want." He says getting away from me. "This world isn't as forgiving as you think. Remember that, and you won't lose yourself against her."
Her? I don't care who she is. There is only thing I have in my mind now.
I hate him.
I hate him, but I can't get angry… It's like I am about to erupt, but I can't.
Why?
Why?!
"Hate me all you want, I don't care, but you need to learn it. You won't be able to protect nobody if you don't understand it. You need to steel your heart, or everything that 'he' did for you will disappear in only a moment." He says the most serious until now, while looking at my face.
.
.
.
"Can I punch you?" I say disdainfully in response.
"…Hahaha… Alright, I'll permit-"
And before he could finish I punched him in the gut, as I can't reach his face.
"Better?" He says, like nothing happened.
"…No…You didn't get hurt…" I say disappointed.
"Of course, as you are too weak right now. That's the reason that I want to train you." He says while walking to my house. "And you are a five year old, your punch was something akin to a caress."
I'll continue his play. I don't want him to try anything funny with mom or dad.
"…Train me? Don't joke, because-" I try to say while following him, this time rejecting his stretched out hand.
"That is no joke." He says interrupting me. "My purpose is to help you, even though I got too much in my excitement earlier and made you experience something…"
"…Awful? Terrifying? Hellish?"
"…Yes." He says slowly. "I hope you can pardon-"
"No. I won't pardon you. And never will." I don't let him finish his sentence, yet again. "But shamefully it's like you said. I am too weak to try to protect anybody."
"Great, at least you recognize it…"
"Recognize that I am weak? I am only a five year old, of course I am weak." I state the obvious.
"Yet, you still tried to go against me, even if I could end you easily." And in response he does the same. "Don't underestimate yourself. In front of that illusion, a normal adult won't even try to fight back, and even some mafia bosses in Siracusa don't try to go against what I say." He says stopping in front of an apartment complex.
My apartment complex.
"You have guts. But for now, you only have that. I can train you, and adapt your body to those guts, but that is if you want."
…
Do I accept or not?
He knows Time Arts, and it's almost impossible to find someone here that teaches me even simple Arts.
I don't want to…
But
"I accept."
I need it.
If someone like him wanted to hurt my family, I won't be able to do anything.
And that annoys me.
.
.
.
Fuck!
I still can't feel it!
"Wise decision." He says giving me his back while going away. "I'll be training you the weekends. I already got permission from your parents too."
"Eh?" I say truly surprised, without any hint of scorn or hate in my voice.
He does a spin with his hands open, ending when he can see me, saying "Don't think that your parents are that stupid. They know a lot of things that you don't." After that he turns around and continues his way. "You should talk with them sometime. They are your parents, and remember that they'll always accompany you, even if your path is the wrong one." And that is the last thing I hear from him before he disappears.
"…"
For the first time from talking with him I can only stay shut.
I turn to go into the complex, when I hear his voice again.
"I forgot. 'Time' sends its regards."
And with those parting words, my encounter with Yith ended.
Chapter 2, Encounters: End
Author's Note: On!
Hey! It's me Hiogen! The one and only Author of Out of Time!
Thanks for the continuous support of the series and please review!
Now, in this chapter, Micha encounters three different people which if he doesn't have caution, he can change the canon of Arknights pretty easily.
Ah! And the encounter with Yith! He is a pretty mysterious being in the world of Arknights, being the one and only that Mostima can trust with the Black Lock and the White Key. I tried to make a good part with him, but I don't know if it went well. What did you think about it?
Now, to the responses!
Elpis Bringer of Hope: I see! Thanks a lot for the kind words.
(Anonymous)Owl: I still use the technique, that is the reason that i won't update every time I finish a chapter.
The Rupture: I think that this chapter responds the question.
Goqqi: Thanks for the kind words, and don't worry, except if something happens to me, i'll continue writing this story. I have a good amount of it planned out, so be prepared for it!
honuka: Thanks a lot for pointing that out! I already capitalized all the 'I' I could find in the previous chapters!
Now that's all folks! and remember!
I don't own Arknights at all! If I could, I'd make FrostNova and Operator!
Author's note: OFF!