A Name Time Won’t Forget (FINALE)

The cavern shimmered with raw energy, the crystalline walls vibrating as Jessie faced Thane. The once-imposing commander was now a grotesque fusion of man and energy, his body mutating further with every pulse of power. In one hand, he gripped a jagged blade crackling with chrono energy; in the other, a sleek pistol hummed ominously.

“Jessie Valis,” Thane sneered, his voice distorted, “Let’s see if the power you’ve been cursed with is enough to save you.”

Thane moved first, faster than Jessie expected. His blade came down with incredible force, the impact ringing through the cavern as Jessie barely dodged it. The ground beneath them cracked under the weight of the blow. Before Jessie could counter, Thane fired a burst from his pistol as Jessie managed to twist away, just in time.

“You think you can stop me, boy?”

Thane’s mutated arm lashed out, crystalline tendrils swiping at Jessie like whips. Jessie ducked and rolled, his heart pounding as he sliced away at the energy with his blade.

Their blades clashed again and again, sparks flying as Jessie parried Thane’s frenzied attacks. Thane’s relentless assault pushed Jessie back, and for a moment, doubt crept in.

I can’t let this end here. My father didn’t die for this. Jessie thought, gritting his teeth as he channeled the Hourglass’s power. Time slowed, the air becoming thick and still. Jessie darted forward, his blade glowing with energy.

But even in the frozen moment, Thane reacted. His mutated form twisted, blocking Jessie’s attempt with a crystalline tendril. The two combatants locked eyes, the moment stretching into eternity. Thane’s grin was cold and knowing.

“You’re not the only one who can cheat time,”

Time snapped back into motion.

With a guttural roar, Thane unleashed a wave of energy from his mutated arm, sending Jessie flying backward and hitting the ground hard. Thane loomed over him, his form warping further, glowing fissures spreading across his body.

“I told you not to follow in your father’s footsteps.” Thane growled. “It seems your bloodline is only doomed for failure.”

Jessie staggered to his feet, gripping his blade tightly. His chest heaved as the power of the Hourglass surged within him. “You don’t get it, Thane,” Jessie said, his voice low but steady. “I’m not fighting for power. I’m fighting to stop people like you.”

He reached deep into the Hourglass’s energy, letting it flow through him like a river. Time slowed again—but this time, Jessie didn’t just slow it. He froze it completely.

The cavern fell silent, the flickering energy around them suspended mid-air, as Jessie stood in the stillness. He looked at Thane, frozen in his monstrous form, and for a fleeting moment, he felt pity.

In the next second, he felt it. The power within him wasn’t just destructive—it was infinite. He could obliterate Thane in an instant, erase every trace of the Hourglass’s corruption. But it would consume him too. There was no other way.

He sighed, the weight of his decision pressing down on him like a collapsing star. Flashes of his squad flickered through his mind. Dax’s gruff laughter. Talia’s sharp wit. Rhea’s steady presence. Liriana’s innocent smile. Mira’s determined eyes, her voice calling his name in the chaos.

Damn it, he thought, his heart clenching.

I don’t want to die.

The stillness around him felt suffocating. Jessie closed his eyes, letting the warmth of those memories fill him one last time. Empower him. Spur him on.

“This is for you guys,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”

With a final surge of power and a battle cry Jessie unleashed everything. The Hourglass’s energy erupted outward, engulfing the cavern in blinding light. Thane’s form disintegrated in an instant, his roar of defiance swallowed by the explosion. However in his last moments, his eyes seemed to catch on a different light than that of evil.

It seems you really can’t outrun time… no matter what. Thane vanished into mist.

Jessie stood at the center, the energy tearing through him as well, the cavern collapsing around him.

Outside, the explosion lit up the wasteland like a second sun. The knights and the Aequitas all froze, their battle forgotten as they turned to the towering column of light. Mira’s knees buckled, her voice breaking as she whispered,

“Jessie…”

The light faded, leaving only silence. But the Hourglass’s power wasn’t done. Time itself began to warp, bending to Jessie’s final will. The present unraveled, reshaping itself as the explosion erased the cavern and its secrets.

And then, everything went dark.

◔

The halls of the Time Tower were quieter than usual. The echoes of footsteps seemed softer, the hum of chrono energy dimmer, as if the entire structure was mourning a loss it couldn’t quite name.

Records of the large-scale mission to the wasteland painted it as one of the Knights’ most harrowing victories. Ambrose Thane, the rogue commander who had turned on his own, was vanquished in a final battle that claimed the lives of many. His ambush at the cave had left devastation in its wake—countless knights had perished, and even the victors bore scars that would never fully heal.

The Knights emerged victorious, but at great cost.

Squad GX was officially hailed as one of the heroes of the battle, their courage and resolve earning them accolades. Alongside Squad AX, they had turned the tide against Thane’s forces, standing firm in the face of insurmountable odds. Erling Krause and his remaining teammates were lauded as legends. GX was promoted to elite status, their future brighter than ever. Squad NX disbanded, after Calian Lager’s and Eris Berg’s death, with Gravik Malto retiring and Skye braving through her trauma to lead her own squad.

Yet within squad GX, there was only emptiness.

Time had shifted, its flow altered in ways most could never comprehend. For the rest of the world, Thoma Valis, never had a son. Jessie Valis… had never existed. The Valis incident erased every trace of the hourglass, and Thane’s blind pursuit led him to his defeat. 

Even still for Squad GX, Jessie’s presence lingered. They remembered his face, his voice, his laughter. They remembered his bravery in the cave, where he faced Thane alone, giving everything to protect the world from a power no one should wield.

It had been months since that day, and yet his memory refused to fade.

In the Squad GX lounge, the air was heavy with an air of forced normalcy. The walls were adorned with little pieces of their journey: maps of past missions, medals gleaming in cases, and a large photograph hanging near the center of the room. It was a picture taken on Liriana’s first day, the team huddled together with grins and awkward poses.

But the center of the photograph was eerily empty. Jessie had once stood there, his bright smile tying the group together. Now, it was as though the universe itself had wiped him away, leaving only the faint ache of something missing.

Rhea leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her eyes distant. Dax was sprawled on the couch, a silent brooding presence. Mira sat at the terminal, idly typing with no real focus, while Liriana and Talia sat at the table, nursing cups of tea.

Dax sighed, leaning back on the couch.

“You think they’ll ever change the food in the canteen? I’m growing tired of it.”

“Yeah, and that coffee is horrid.” Talia nodded.

“The probability of that is extremely low, Dax Vanon.” Tidus whirred.

Liriana shifted, “I… kinda like meal set B...”

“Jessie loved meal set B. It even came with the dinosaur nuggets sometimes.” Mira chuckled.

“No, he was the one who requested them. The kitchen staff always talked my ear off about it.” Rhea added.

Their laughter was soft, tinged with sadness. The room fell silent again, the weight of his absence pressing down on them like a phantom.

A knock at the door shattered the quiet.

The squad exchanged glances. Rhea had told them they were expecting a new recruit, but could it be so soon?

Rhea straightened.

“Come in,”

The door slid open, and the squad froze.

Standing in the doorway was a young man. His hair was jet black, unlike the gray locks they remembered, but the resemblance was unmistakable. The same smirk played on his lips, the same glint of mischief sparkled in his silver eyes. His stance, his expression—it was like looking at Jessie Valis reborn.

Dax rose, clearing his throat so the emotion wouldn’t show in his voice. It couldn’t be him after all.

“You must be the new recruit. I’m Dax Vanon.” He said, “Hope you packed some muscle in that bag, cause you’ll need it.”

“Muscle? I figured brains would do the job. Guess I’ll have to improvise." The recruit spoke, his voice carrying that familiar casual tone.

The words hit like a bolt of lightning. It was the same thing Jessie Valis had said on the day he first walked into their lives.

For a moment, no one spoke. No one moved. Their breath caught in their throats.

The young man stepped inside. “I hope I’m not too late to the party, though. I hear you’re elite, right?”

“That… that we are.” Talia wiped away a tear as she spoke and Tidus hovered closer to him.

“Oh you have a robot?! That’s epic!”

“Analysis: the resemblance is uncanny.”

“And… your name?” Mira asked, her tears threatening to spill.

“Ah, Its Jessie. Jessie Atom.”

The room was stunned to silence. Everybody’s eyes involuntarily widened, filling with tears.

“Ah, guys… do I know you from somewhere?”

Rhea’s lips trembled, her tough demeanor cracking as she resolutely declared.

“Welcome to Squad GX… Welcome home, Jessie.”

One by one, the squad’s faces lit up, tears streaming down like waterfalls. Jessie Atom stood before them, a stranger who wasn’t a stranger at all.

Time had changed, but it had given them back a piece of what they’d lost.

One way or another, time always gives you back what you lost. It may not always be in physical form. It may be a feeling, an emotion you’ve lost. It may even be a person.

But time always gives back.

— FIN —