by DG SIDNA
And what of that future? There are mysteries out there in the galaxy. Dangerous ones. Careena told me that Baker, the architect of all this sorcery, journeyed somewhere unknown, and upon his return he had in his possession the blueprints for the Chronos Imperium.
Some say he traveled only into his own madness, that he was as tortured as he was brilliant. But I don't think so. I think he found something, out there, on the other side of time and space. And whatever it was—if the stories are to be believed—it was enough for his lover and confidante Herla Vox to kill him for it. And wherever she is now is anyone's guess.
As long as this riddle is left unsolved, as long as this black box is left out there on the horizon, someone else may stumble upon it; and they may not be so noble in their intentions as the esoteric agents of the Ministry of Temporal Affairs.
So when those scoundrels come, and come they will, who will stand up to them? Because Patmos was right about one thing. There is a darkness lurking in the heart of humankind, an abyss ever threatening to consume humanity. He believed it was our history that fed this darkness, and that by washing away our past, by placing civilization on new foundations of virtuous and saintly stones, our worse nature would never be born.
But as a traveler through time, I've come to see that the seeds of corruption lay not in our history. They lie in each of us. Perhaps Patmos never wanted to admit that, that there can be no good without the pull of evil, no light without the push of darkness. The only choice we ever have is whether to side with the better or worse angels already within us.
And while we cannot excise our demons, we can temper a strength within ourselves to hold them at bay, so that when the moment is called upon us, we do not fall to cowardice or temptation, but instead stand strong against the tides.
I've confronted that darkness now. I've seen the good I'm capable of, that is true. But I've also seen the evil. And while I wish, oh how dearly do I wish, that I could remain the innocent flower, never aware of the serpent that lurks underneath, only in acknowledging its presence can I remain vigilant against its seductions.
And so what now? Patmos and the Red Man may have been defeated, but I doubt they will be the last enemies humanity will ever face. Someone will have to be there.
And her name will be Isabel Aleksandra Mendelssohn.
I can only hope that going forward my trials and tribulations, my exploits and adventures yet to be known, will inspire others to follow in my footsteps, to raise their own torches; for perhaps together, united, we can use the guiding lights left to us by generations past, by people like Careena, my dear friend and mentor, to lead humanity to better continents; not by erasing our sins, a cowardly endeavor, but by accepting our regrets as the stepping stones on a road to a wiser, worthier, and nobler undiscovered world to come.
Here, I jump.
Here, the beginning.
AN AUTHOR'S NOTE
I hope you enjoyed reading this book (my first!) as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's a blessing to be able to bring a little joy and creativity into the world—and even if only a few readers ever see the book, those few make the endeavor more than worth it. So to all you I say—Thank you, be well, and may the magic sustain you.
All my love and appreciation to my parents, who always supported me. Though we came from modest means, they never said no to a new book, a new pencil, or a new notepad.
PS: If you enjoyed this story and have a little time, leave a review somewhere. Word-of-mouth goes far and wide in both time and space.
Kind regards, D. Sidna.
twitter / @dgsidna
Special thanks to the following artists:
COVER DESIGN ··················· Gil Leinad
COVER FONT ··· Hey August by Rizal Khurasan
EBOOK SOFTWARE ····· calibre by Kovid Goyal
contact ✉️ [email protected]
