Chapter 11: The Unlimited

After the whole event with Destiny, I decided to take a break. I found myself in the same café where I first met my so-called mentor, the Celestial Witch, Sera.

Sipping my coffee and enjoying a slice of strawberry cheesecake, I absentmindedly scrolled through the latest news on my phone. Ever since I integrated the Cosmic Hexahedron into it, tracking down the Time Cogs had become much easier. I tapped on the map icon, and the familiar display appeared before me.

So far, I only had one Time Cog—the one I got from Destiny herself. The first one I went after had been stolen by a man named Ouroboros.

As I scrolled, my phone suddenly lit up with a message from Sera.

"Hello, Arth."

Her profile picture was of her true form, looking like her emanations but wearing a classic witch’s hat.

"Hello, Sera," I replied.

I watched as the three dots appeared under her message, signaling that she was typing.

"Can you do me an errand?"

I sighed. "What kind of errand?"

"You know how I’m always experimenting with new things, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well… I kinda released an interdimensional creature by accident."

I slapped my face. Of course. Typical Sera.

"Alright, alright," I typed. "I’ll get it for you."

She sent me a dimensional address where I should send the creature once I caught it. And, just to be annoying, she added a wink emoji at the end.

With a sigh, I shut off my phone and stood up, leaving payment on the table.

"Better get going," I muttered as I walked out.

Now, here I am, standing in an unknown universe, inside what looks like a base in space.

"Nobody's ever jammed my teleportation powers before," I muttered, scanning the two figures in front of me.

One was dressed in bright colors, cape flowing slightly as he stood there with an easygoing smile. 

The other, a woman in dark tones, stood stiffly, her sharp eyes locked onto me like I was a threat she hadn’t decided how to neutralize yet. Oh, and she had fangs.

"Is this the guy who brought that thing here?" the caped guy asked, sounding more curious than accusatory.

"His signature matches the beast," the woman confirmed, still watching me like a hawk.

The caped one exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, man, sorry about the whole sudden abduction thing. Not really our style, but, you know… circumstances."

I shrugged. "It’s alright." 

Then, just to test them, I phased through the glass barrier.

Vespera tensed immediately. "Who are you?!" she barked, already preparing to fight.

I smirked. "Name’s Arth. The Space-Time Voyager."

The caped guy grinned. "Nice. I’m Helioris, and this ray of sunshine here is Vespera."

I shook his hand. "So, what’s the deal? Why am I here?"

Vespera pressed a button, revealing a room full of aged people. My stomach twisted. This… this was the creature’s doing.

"That Lovecraftian thing you brought can age people within a four-meter radius," she explained.

I exhaled sharply. "I’ve been tracking it ever since it escaped its captivity. I could blame a certain Celestial Witch for being so clumsy…”

Helioris let out a low whistle. "That’s rough, buddy."

Vespera, however, didn’t seem amused. "We need to reverse the damage. Now."

I nodded, but something felt… off. 

The readings from my Cosmic Hexahedron weren’t matching the creature’s natural energy signature. I tapped my phone, bringing up the map. My eyes widened.

"You’ve got to be kidding me…"

Vespera raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I turned the screen toward them, showing an overlay of the creature’s energy with something else. Something I’d been searching for.

"That thing’s power is being amplified by a Time Cog," I said.

For the first time, Vespera looked surprised. "A what?"

"Think of it as a piece of a cosmic clock," I explained quickly. "Time Cogs are fragments of an ancient mechanism that control the flow of time across universes. If one’s stuck to that creature, it’s not just aging people—it’s feeding on time itself."

Helioris whistled. "Okay, yeah, that sounds bad."

Vespera crossed her arms. "Then we need to separate them. Fast."

Her plan was simple: lure the creature into a controlled area where I could capture it and retrieve the Time Cog.

"I’ll be the bait," Helioris offered, stretching lazily. "I mean, I’ve outrun Velocity before, so this thing shouldn’t be too bad."

I tilted my head. "Velocity?"

"Team’s speedster," Vespera answered, already pulling up maps and adjusting security settings.

Helioris smirked. "She’s fast, but I’ve got my own moves."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright," I said, pulling out the prison bottle Sera had given me. "Let’s do this."

Helioris walked down a dim hallway, spotting the creature lurking on the ground.

It was a dark, shifting humanoid figure, radiating an aura of decay—and deep within its writhing form, I caught the faint, unmistakable glow of a Time Cog.

"Got eyes on the target," Helioris said through comms, still cool as ever.

"Lead it to the battle facility," Vespera instructed, voice clipped.

"Got it."

Helioris stepped into view, catching the creature’s attention.

"Alright, little dude, come get me."

The creature lunged, chasing after him as he bolted toward the battle facility. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut. I stood inside, waiting.

"Didn’t know you could fly," I remarked as Helioris hovered in the air. "Kinda reminds me of a certain Iron Maiden."

The creature turned its attention to me. I smirked.

"Come here, little guy," I whispered.

It slithered beneath my feet, but before I could act, Helioris—being the chill but reckless guy he was—casually shoved me aside.

"Dude—"

Then I saw it—he was aging, rapidly.

"Just… catch it," he wheezed, still weirdly nonchalant about his own predicament.

I gritted my teeth and opened the bottle. The creature screeched as its essence was sucked inside, leaving only dust behind.

And there, glinting on the ground, was the Time Cog.

I picked it up, feeling its weight in my palm. Two down.

Vespera’s sharp voice cut through my thoughts. "You promised to reverse the damage!"

I sighed. "Of course."

With a flick of my wrist, I rewound time around Helioris, restoring him instantly.

"Whew, that’s better," he said, stretching. "Man, that was trippy."

Vespera just shook her head. "Now, let’s fix the others."

With my new Time Cog secured and the people restored, Helioris handed me a card. "Wanna join The Unlimited?"

I chuckled. "I’m not from this universe."

Vespera smirked. "Then how about an honorary membership?"

I smiled. "I have all the time in the world."

And with that, I pocketed the Time Cog, ready for my next adventure.

Chapter 11: The Unlimited End