Evolution begins with an ant colony

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Aric sat quietly, allowing a memory flashed before his eyes. It was vivid and haunting, pulling him back to a different time and place.

He stood on a desolate, blood-soaked battlefield. The sky was a swirl of dark clouds, and the ground was littered with the bodies of fallen warriors. Atop a gruesome mountain of corpses, a figure stood tall and imposing—a man with long silver hair, clad in black armor, his presence comaded fear and respect.

A dragon tail, covered in glinting black sleek scales, swayed behind him as he looked at the carnage below.

The man turned slightly, his piercing purple eyes meeting Aric’s. His voice was cold yet commanding, filled with a bone chilling calmness that seemed more terrifying than the scene before them. "Aric," he began, his tone leaving no room for argument, "remember, I’m sending you to the past to carry out a mission, not to be a hero."

Aric’s heart pounded as he recalled the gravity of the words. The man continued, his expression hardening. "I’m not asking you to save me, or to help me save myself. You are to carry out your duties and avoid me as much as possible. Do you understand?"

The memory faded, and Aric blinked, grounding himself back in the present. He took a deep breath, the weight of his mission pressing heavily upon him. He had a role to play, a delicate balance to maintain between intervention and observation.

"I know," he whispered to the memory, his resolve firm. "But you can’t expect a student to watch their master as he descends back into ruin."

Aric’s eyes lingered on the spot where the vision of his master had stood, his mind replaying the grim command. "You fought so hard yet lost everything in the end," he murmured to the memory. "This time, your student will make sure your efforts are not in vain."

He steeled himself, stood up, walked up to the door of his room and opened it, stepping into the dimly lit corridor of the inn. The quiet murmur of the bustling city of Marlia outside filtered through the walls, but within, it was calm.

As he made his way down the hallway, he encountered Calatica. Her face was darkened by a grim expression, her eyes narrowing as they met his.

"You told him something, didn’t you?" she demanded, her voice had a touch of concern and a hint of accusation.

Aric let out a sigh as he said, "Like I’ve said, everything we do now has already happened bef—"

"Don’t give me that crap again!" Calatica suddenly yelled, cutting him off. She took a step closer, her finger jabbing towards his left hand where he now wore the glove. "Then how do you explain that?"

Aric froze, his gaze following her pointed finger. He stared at his gloved hand, his face darkening with frustration and resignation. For a moment, the question lingered between them, thickening the tension in the room.

He then lifted his head, meeting her eyes with a calm, measured expression. "None of my actions are your concern, Calatica."

Calatica’s eyes blazed with frustration. She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the effort to control her emotions. "Y-you’re always like this, Aric," she said, her voice trembling. "So stubborn about your way of doing things." She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, as if trying to hold herself together. "Why can’t you just follow the plan for once?"

Aric sighed again, raising a hand to rub his temples as if to stave off a growing headache. He shifted his weight, leaning back slightly against the doorframe. "Now is not the time for us to be arguing, Calatica. We have more important matters to focus on."

But Calatica was relentless. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, her eyes locking onto his. "I won’t stop until you give me an explanation for why you act like this," she insisted, her voice growing louder, the words echoing in the confined space.

"We’re supposed to be a team, and you keep doing what you want."

Aric turned his gaze away, his shoulders slumping slightly. He looked back at her, his eyes softening, a look of empathy crossing his face. "I owe it to the master," he said quietly, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.

Calatica’s frustration only intensified. She uncrossed her arms, her hands falling to her sides, clenching into fists.

"The grandmaster said we shouldn’t change the events that have to do with him," she said, her voice firm but strained.

"We are only to protect the vessels and ensure the continuity of the future as it is meant to be. Everything will be fine if we stick to the plan—"

"You and I both know what we’re doing is just to secure the future we came from. It’s not going to bring back everything that Master lost," Aric interrupted, his voice cutting through the air, sharp and filled with his steeled resolve. He stepped closer, his eyes burning with an intensity that made her take a step back.

Calatica’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the force of his words. The hallway fell silent, the heavy tension pressing down on them as they grappled with the truth of their mission and the personal stakes they each held.

Finally, Calatica took a step back, her resolve faltering. She looked down, her shoulders sagging as the fight drained out of her. "But what then, Aric?" she whispered, her voice breaking. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "You know if you keep this up, you’ll get erased. Tell me, will it be worth it if you’re not able to see him smile in the end?"

Aric’s expression softened, a deep sorrow reflected in his eyes. He reached out, almost as if to comfort her, but let his hand fall back to his side.

"We’re fighting for a chance to give Master something he never had—a future where his sacrifices mean something. A world where his legacy isn’t just about loss and ruin. I may not be there to see it," he said, his voice trailing off, "but I’ll be happy as long as things play out that way."

Calatica’s shoulders slumped further, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She knew arguing with him when he got like this was futile. She looked away, blinking her eyes, tears of frustration forming at their sides. Experience more content on NovelBin.Côm

Calatica balled her fists until they nearly turned white, her voice trembling as she spoke. "W-what about us, your team, your friends? Are you just going to leave us behind?"

Aric managed a weak smile as he stepped past her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder for a brief moment before moving on. "Oh come on," he said softly, his tone almost teasing. "You guys will do fine without me."

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the hall, a group of individuals gathered in a quiet, dimly lit corner, their hushed conversation centered around Aric’s actions and his conversation with Calatica. These were Aric’s comrades, each with their own perspective on the mission and the heavy responsibilities they all carried on their sholders.