Memory of Heaven:Romance Written By Fate Through Beyond Infinity Time-Chapter 394 The Reverse Spiral — The Battle at the Gates of Time

Chapter 394 - 394 The Reverse Spiral — The Battle at the Gates of Time

Before Rui's foot touched the light of the portal, the air around her suddenly froze, as if time had stopped to make room for the most terrifying reality—a moment where hope and fear intertwined. The leaves, which had been gently dancing in the wind, suddenly wilted, anticipating something ominous. Darkness enveloped the sky, setting the stage for the arrival of a figure feared by many.

A triangle-shaped symbol appeared in the sky. The space trembled. The magic mist shattered. And from the rift in time, torn apart by ancient will, a man in a long hood with silver eyes stepped through, draining color from the surroundings, like lightning striking the ocean floor. Tear-like stars fell from the sky as if to mourn the arrival of Loki, a legendary being both hated and loved. Hope and fear danced in unison within Rui's heart.

Loki.

"Stop." His voice was deep and cold, like metal that had never been touched by human hands. Each word created vibrations of suspicion in Rui's chest, which now beat like a relentless war drum.

Rui reflexively stepped back, her fingers trembling as she felt the heavy weight enveloping the room.

Joanna squinted her eyes. "Loki..." Her voice quivered, struggling to contain the anger and pain that had long been buried. It was as if every wave of her emotions was fighting against the tyranny that had returned to haunt her.

"Omega is dying, Joanna," he said bluntly. "And you are the cause." His words clung to the walls of her consciousness, echoing like a death toll. Shame, guilt, and anger intermingled, constructing an invisible wall between them.

Joanna held her breath. The wounds she had sealed for centuries began to bleed again with a single sentence. Her face turned in dim light, obscured by the shadows of memories that refused to fade. Love and betrayal converged in a corner of darkness, waiting to be revealed.

"Black Sun... still spins in the sky. And the seeds of destruction stem from the Chronos curse you bear." Every second felt as though it could shatter the foundation she had painstakingly built throughout her life.

"Silence." Joanna's voice trembled, tension spreading throughout her body. Each word was a clash, every note a signal of the helplessness that thickened in the air.

"No," Loki replied, approaching, his dark aura enveloping Joanna like an unrelenting storm. "Do you remember what happened at the Tower of One-Third? Jeanne, your sister—burned alive by the Omega Council because they knew your body harbored the Chronos curse. She took your place, and you... you exacted revenge on the world." His words were laced with a judgmental tone, as if each letter carried a weight capable of shattering souls.

"It was I who should have been burned!" Joanna shouted, her voice cracking under the weight of anger that had been buried beneath countless cycles of time. "But they... they punished her! I just—" Tears began to stream down her face, marking an emptiness that could not be filled with anything. Each drop carried lost hopes and endless regrets, creating a tidal wave of emotions that was hard to manage.

"You merely split the sun," Loki interjected, his eyes now gleaming. "And darkened it with the blood of the world." His words were sharp weapons, striking directly at the heart, escalating the dramatic atmosphere as if time paused momentarily, waiting for Joanna's response.

Rui fell silent, trapped in Joanna's helpless gaze. It felt as though she was witnessing an invisible heartbreak, a soul shaken amid a storm of emotions. She had never seen Joanna like this—fragile, cracked, shattered... human. Around them, the atmosphere felt heavy, as if even the wind hesitated to blow in the face of this despair.

"Omega needs no heroes," Loki continued, "but a redeemer. And only you can mend that destruction." His voice, authoritative yet deeply meaningful, filled the space between them, forcing each word to penetrate the trembling soul of Rui. In an instant, the world around them overflowed with profound tension, awaiting the decision to be made.

Joanna bowed her head, as if it was too heavy to lift under the weight of this truth. Her hands trembled, palms forming small fists, as if to shield the vulnerability that felt all too real. Her fingers shook, creating a soft sound as they pressed together, struggling not to slip away from the fond memories that once were.

"Joanna..." Rui called softly, her voice like a thin thread still binding their world. Behind that gentle expression lay a strength emerging from the depths of her heart, eager to confront the buried sorrow within Joanna. She hoped that with her voice, she could ignite a spark of hope in her sister's eyes.

"I will follow," Joanna finally said to Rui, in a tone that was both resolute and vulnerable. Her words held a promise not to allow the world to fall deeper. Yet, deep in her heart, doubts crept in, threatening to overshadow the strength she tried to convey. She gazed at her sister one last time—deeply, filled with unspoken love and sorrow. She knew this farewell was not merely physical but also a bond of souls that would never be severed.

"Protect the Alpha world. I will return... to where it all began," Joanna declared, those words emerged with a bold tone, yet beneath them lingered a profound vulnerability. The light of the Alpha world's portal still flickered gently behind her, but Rui did not step through, as if sensing the scent of an unwanted separation. Instead, she turned back, her body standing firm against a newly emerged figure—Loki, the weaver of inverted realities, the herald of fate from a dying world, arrived with a mysterious aura that was neutral amid the turmoil of emotions present.

Joanna stared at her sister, her eyes widening. "Rui... go. This is my affair." The firmness of her voice melded with the nervousness in her gaze, as if she were urging Rui to understand that sometimes, courage is not just about uniting but also about allowing one another to fight alone. But Rui remained still. Not this time; her heart was tightly bound to Joanna's presence.

"I will not leave you." The words slipped from her lips with unwavering determination, crossing the threshold of what seemed possible. Within those words, Rui summoned all her spirit, carving a promise to stay by Joanna's side, even as the approaching storm grew more ferocious. Time twisted around them, nearly shattering the peace they had forged amidst the turmoil of emotions. Glyphs of Chronos appeared in the air, shattering the fog of space like shards of glass, creating a scene that was both terrifying and wondrous. Beneath their feet, the ground transformed into layers of broken time: the past, present, and future intertwined in a spiral pattern, evoking memories of the meaningful moments they had shared.

Joanna whispered softly, almost inaudibly:

"Why do you stay here...?"

Rui replied without turning, her voice hardening. The atmosphere around them grew increasingly tense, as if an invisible wave of energy flowed between them. Among the sweat and doubt saturating the air, a sharp pain lingered.

"Because you remain by my side... even when I don't know who I am."

Loki hissed softly, like a teacher disappointed in his student. "You don't understand what you're fighting against, kid. The Omega world is screaming. Every passing second, millions of possibilities die. The Black Sun is rising again... and it is the seed of that." He looked at Joanna, his gaze filled with concern and uncertainty.

"What do you know about choice?" Rui retorted, his voice pressing. "You talk about fate, yet you never care about what humanity feels." His deep emotions intertwined with the sky and unleashes destruction for a sibling? She's not a savior. She is a wound." It felt like there was a dark shadow in every word he spoke, adding weight to the atmosphere between them.

"You want to protect her?" Loki asked, half amused. "The one who burns the sky and unleashes destruction for a sibling? She's not a savior. She is a wound." It felt like there was a dark shadow in every word he spoke, adding weight to the atmosphere between them.

Rui raised her hand. The Spiral Artifact pulsed, emanating a blazing light, enhancing the magical aura surrounding her.

"And wounds are part of us."

Suddenly, time shattered. The darkness felt biting, as if it were separating reality from a chaotic dream.

Loki stepped forward, and with each stride, he cut through the fabric of space. Behind him, six shadows of himself from different dimensions emerged simultaneously—they all smiled, like variants of truth reinforcing one another. The composition of their appearance seemed to create a harmonious symphony with an indescribable melody, making it both terrifying and mesmerizing.

Joanna cried out, "Rui, no! He's not a being that can be defeated by mere will!" Her voice was laced with tension, piercing the silence as she tried to warn Rui about the lurking danger, just a second before a decision could be made.

But Rui stood unafraid. The light of the Spiral artifact surged from his hand, forming a glowing spear with intertwined helix patterns. The more he rooted his feet into the ground, the stronger the magic aura enveloped his body, reflecting a pulsating light as if responding to a suppressed desire. Glyphs materialized in the air: a combination of the Qayin pattern and fragments of time. In his heart grew a firm, unwavering intent, as if every heartbeat resonated with a commitment to protect his loved ones.

"Spiral Severance: Voidbound Judgement!"

He struck the spear into the ground, and from the crack in the earth, a spiral line of light spread out, forming a magical barrier that forced Loki's shadows to retreat. Each flash of light echoed, as if calling upon the power hidden within him, piercing the boundaries of reality. In his vision, Loki's shadows—fearsome beings—seemed to struggle against an unforeseen strength arising from within the human spirit.

Loki raised his hand, and from the sleeve of his cloak, pure time flowed forth—an unshapen deep violet hue, merely a will to erase. Rui's courage met the ambition of unimaginable power, creating two opposing worlds in a moment of intense suspense. In that silence, a strange aroma hung in the air, emerging from the depths of time, yet there was no sound, only the deep pounding of a heart resonating through the darkness.

"Chrono Rend: Pulse of Denial!"

Their attacks clashed.

Not an explosion, not a sound, but an emptiness. In that void, Rui felt as if time had stopped, embedding doubt between courage and anger; she whispered: would this all end in finality? For three seconds, silence reigned across the dimension, save for the whisper of breath and the synchronized thrum of their hearts, echoing around them—a quiet that preserved the pivotal moment in the struggle against fate.

Joanna stood frozen, watching her sister fight—not for fate, not for the world, but for her—a broken being, a shard from two eras, the cause of the Black Sun. The atmosphere around them grew tense, dark, and heavy like storm clouds hanging overhead. Each heartbeat sent ripples of fear and hope coursing through her, intertwined in an inescapable tapestry of emotion.

Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable. Each drop symbolized the suffering, sacrifice, and unspoken love they had endured. In her gaze, there was a reflection of the past, beautiful memories of when they used to play in the sunlight, far removed from the darkness now enveloping their lives.

"Jeanne... you saved me with your body. And now Rui... saves me with her soul." Her voice trembled, echoing both helplessness and certainty. She felt as if she were trapped in a time loop, powerless against a reality filled with betrayal and loss.

Joanna closed her eyes. In the darkness, she tried to sense the presence of her sister and Rui, as if she could reunite them with the strength of her heart and soul. Time twisted within her veins, a reminder of the relentless cycles that tormented them.

Rui was thrown backward, his body trembling. The Spiral relic he possessed began to crack deeper, reflecting the pain tearing at his soul. Qayin within him stirred, struggling to rise, as if a voice was calling him back to the depths of darkness. This force was potent yet devastating, making this trial increasingly arduous.

"Fool... are you willing to die for him?" The question echoed in his mind, stirring the doubts that always lingered in this battle. However, something more significant than mere bravery surged within his chest, a force compelling him to act despite the looming threats.

Rui responded in her own thoughts: "If I must perish for her to live... then so be it." Those words painted a picture of her resolute determination, as if her flame could become a beacon of hope in this dark world. She knew her love was an indomitable force, even if her life was the price.

Qayin fell silent. For the first time... he was speechless. In that silence, he felt a wave of doubt, caught between his ambition and the humanity that was beginning to grow within him. Awareness dawned, as if awakening from a long and painful dream, and for a brief moment, there was hope amidst the surrounding darkness.

"Enough, Loki," Joanna shouted, her voice strengthened by a conviction that arose from the depths of her soul, breaking down the walls of helplessness that had once held her back.

Time seemed to stand still. In that silence, even the wind appeared to hold its breath, freezing every heartbeat laden with hope and fear. The sky transformed into a clock dome, the pitch-black hues mingling with bright orange streaks, creating a tense contrast as if nature itself bore witness to this battle.

Joanna stepped forward. Wings of black-and-white light emerged from her back—not born from magic, but from determination. That shimmering light radiated an aura of courage, reminding all present of the inner strength she possessed. "If you want me to return to Omega, I will come. But not out of your threat. Because I choose... to atone for all those I have hurt." Her voice was resolute, vibrating with boundless emotion, conjuring waves of relief in the hearts of those who heard her.

Loki nodded slowly. "Finally... the Golden Witch speaks like a human." The challenge in his voice was palpable, as if inviting Joanna to further engage in this thrilling wordplay. He vanished, absorbed into a time rift, leaving behind only a haunting silence, as if space and time conspired to forget the events that had just unfolded.

Joanna stared at Rui, her eyes shimmering with hope and doubt. She looked thin and weary, yet there was something deeper within her gaze—an undying fire. "You should go." Her breath was heavy, like a loving but reluctant command, creating a dilemma between responsibility and love. Rui swayed but smiled. "You forgot one thing..." His voice was filled with conviction, reminding Joanna of the unbreakable bond of blood that connected them. "What?" Joanna asked, her tone wavering between anxiety and joy.

"You shouldn't have to bear everything alone." Rui's voice was empathetic, inviting Joanna to return to the embrace of her family, even though the weight on her shoulders felt so heavy. Joanna offered a faint smile and, for the first time, wrapped her arms around her sister. In that embrace, fear and sadness seemed to melt away, replaced by warmth and newfound courage. For a moment, time flowed as it should: calm, gentle, and full of possibilities, as if the world around them was entering a new phase where hope shone brighter.