Interlude: Sundial

Rhea’s world had once been simple and warm. Her family lived in a modest home on the edge of the city, where her parents worked hard but always found time to care for her.

They weren’t wealthy, but they were happy. Rhea would often sit by the window, her legs swinging as she watched her father work. She dreamed of joining him in his workshop one day, her young mind brimming with curiosity about how the world worked. Life had been simple, but to Rhea, it had been perfect.

Until the distortion came.

The sky turned dark and fractured, a shimmer cutting across the horizon. Time itself seemed to shudder, and the peaceful neighborhood became a chaotic nightmare. Walls collapsed in jagged, unnatural ways. People screamed as the ground beneath them disappeared into swirling nothingness.

Rhea had been playing in the front yard when it started. Her parents shouted for her, their voices distant as if muffled by the distortion. Before she could reach them, a wave of chrono energy surged through the street, ripping the air apart with a deafening crack.

She didn’t even have time to cry before a hand gripped her shoulder. Turning, she saw the Chrono Knight. His white jacket fluttered, and the clock on his back shimmered faintly, his expression calm but resolute.

“Come with me,” he said, his voice steady amidst the chaos.

The knight pulled her along, his movements precise. Around them, the distortion ripped apart the world Rhea knew. The knight’s blade hummed with energy as he cut through falling debris, shielding her with his body.

“Stay close, kid,” he said firmly, his hand tightening around hers.

Rhea stumbled along, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to scream for her parents, to go back, but the knight’s presence kept her grounded, his calm demeanor cutting through her panic.

As they ran, the knight seemed to be communicating through his comms. Rhea couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but she could feel how frantic it was.

“Relax, Nesa. I’ll be alright. You just focus on securing the child.”

The knight’s face twisted albeit slightly at the answer he received, yet his unwavering calmness persisted.

“…Hey, children are the future. If we don’t fight for them then who are we fighting for?”

As soon as those words left his mouth, he seemed to cut the comms. They rounded a corner, only to come face-to-face with something worse: a flickering, twisted creature formed of jagged light and shadow—a Timewraith.

The knight swiftly crouched down to her level. His silver eyes met hers. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice softer now. “Keep this close and you’ll be safe. Now, when I tell you to run, you do just that, okay?”

He pressed something cold and metallic into her trembling hands—a small chrono anchor. It pulsed faintly with blue light, steady even as the world around them shattered.

“Don’t let go of it. Whatever happens, don’t look back.”

Even amidst the chaos, the knight’s voice was as clear as crystal.

That’s why Rhea did as she was told and ran. Yet after a few meters, she couldn’t help herself any longer. As the knight turned to face the Timewraith, his blade raised, Rhea looked back. She saw him standing firm, his movements precise and unyielding, even as the creature lashed out with claws of flickering energy.

Rhea was outside the thick of it. She was safe and away from danger. Another knight soon emerged and caught ahold of her to see if she’s alright. Yet the little girl’s stare never left the knight fighting for his life.

That’s when she realized…

“I can help!” she cried, clutching the chrono anchor. If only she could give it back to him, he would be safe too. She took a step forward, but before she could run to him, a pair of strong arms pulled her back.

Two other knights had arrived, their expressions grim. “We have to get her out of here,” one of them said.

“No!” Rhea screamed, struggling against their grip. “He needs this! I have to give it back!”

“Secure the kid, I’ll try and get him out!”

The knights however wouldn’t let her. Instead, one of them started up a sprint towards the distortion. However he paused when he saw his comrade’s fighting form flicker.

“Stay… ba—!”

The knight’s words were carried away by the chaos before he could even utter them whole. He had vanished.

Just like that the distortion had swallowed the figure of the man who had saved her.

The knights managed to contain the distortion before it took more lives, and Rhea joined her parents. Her mother was crying with relief and her father hugged the two of them tight. Yet the little girl’s mind was still a haze. Her thoughts never left the knight who had given his life for her.

If only she could give him back the anchor…

Alas, the knight who gave up his life for her was gone. And he wouldn’t be coming back. However, his words he said to his comrade during the catastrophe stayed etched in her mind, for days, months, then years.

“…Children are the future. If we don’t fight for them then who are we fighting for?”

That was the whole reason she became a chrono knight. To protect those that couldn't protect themselves. Just like the unnamed knight did for her.

The same knight she was now… failing.

The memory returned in waves as Rhea stood in Liriana’s empty room, her window shattered. Everyone said the explosion came out of nowhere. But who could it have been? One cannot so easily trespass into the time tower…

As Rhea stood there, the memories surfacing her caused her heart to shatter. They were a constant reminder of the reason she was fighting for. Of a debt she could never repay.

She exhaled sharply.

She had one job. To keep this little girl safe. And Rhea was now… failing.