The Betrayal, Part 3: Shadows of Truth

The chamber of the Twelve Guardians echoed with tension as Leegna stood surrounded, his dark velvet cloak swirling around him. The Guardians, once poised with confidence, now looked at him with uncertainty. He had entered their sacred realm, the realm that no human should ever step foot in. Yet here he was, defying all known boundaries.

The Guardian of the Present, her voice sharp, addressed Aternos, "How can a mere human wear such a cloak? That power is beyond mortal hands."

-Aternos hesitated, his expression unreadable, before responding, "He's... unique. His strength is far greater than we anticipated." His words were measured, careful, but something about the way he said them felt hollow. Leegna narrowed his eyes. He could feel the unease radiating off Aternos, as if the man was hiding something beneath the surface.

Leegna, now more alert than ever, felt the weight of Yuj's gaze as well. His right eye, the one blessed and cursed with precognition, flickered with blue light. He saw Yuj standing there, slightly behind Aternos, his posture relaxed—but something was off. The two of them seemed too calm for a situation this dire. Leegna's suspicion grew.

As the Guardians continued their questions, demanding explanations from Aternos, Leegna felt the shift. Something inside him snapped into place, a realization hitting him hard. Yuj and Aternos weren't here to protect him, nor were they merely helping him against the Guardians. They had their own agendas.

-Leegna's heart raced, and he made the first move. With lightning speed, he lunged at Yuj, his cloak sweeping through the air like a shadowy predator. Yuj's eyes widened, caught off guard, but he was quick to react, summoning a barrier of dark energy to block Leegna's strike.

"What are you doing?!" Yuj shouted, his voice laced with shock. But Leegna didn't falter. His attack was precise, fueled by newfound determination. The other Guardians watched in confusion, trying to comprehend what was happening.

Leegna landed his blow, but Yuj managed to deflect it, sending a shockwave of power throughout the chamber. The Guardian of the Future took a step forward, her gaze flicking between Leegna and Yuj. "What is this madness? Why attack one of your own?"

Leegna gritted his teeth. "Yuj was never one of us. He's been using me from the start." His voice was cold, unwavering.

Before Yuj could respond, Aternos stepped in, drawing his weapon. "Leegna, you've gone too far. You're playing with forces you don't understand." His tone was calm, almost condescending. But Leegna could see through it now—the way Aternos had baited him, lured him into this situation.

"You're no different, Aternos," Leegna spat. "I see it now. You've been pulling the strings."

-With a roar, Leegna attacked both Yuj and Aternos, and the room exploded into chaos. The Guardians, now realizing the gravity of the situation, joined the fray, but their strikes were measured, cautious. Yuj and Aternos defended themselves, but their allegiances were clear—they were no longer fighting alongside the Guardians. They had their own agenda, and Leegna was at the heart of it.

The fight was fierce, with energy blasts and weapons clashing in a whirlwind of combat. Leegna's cloak allowed him to move fluidly, slipping through dimensions, dodging attacks that would otherwise be fatal. The weapon Yuj had given him glowed with unnatural power, cutting through defenses with ease. It was clear now—Leegna had become a threat to both Yuj and Aternos, and they could no longer hide behind their false pretenses.

Just as Leegna pressed his advantage, a sudden surge of power from Yuj sent him staggering back. For a brief moment, Yuj's eyes met Aternos', and an unspoken understanding passed between them. Leegna, watching the exchange, could feel the weight of their hidden truth.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Yuj spoke with a cold, almost pitying tone. His form began to shift slightly, revealing the faint outline of his true nature—a Guardian, but one cloaked in deception.

Leegna's eyes widened as the realization hit him like a tidal wave. "You're both... Guardians?"

Aternos, his usually calm demeanor cracking, gave a slight nod. "Yes, Leegna. We're not just your allies or enemies. We are the true Guardians among the Twelve. Our roles have always been more than you could comprehend."

-Yuj stepped forward, his voice dark and foreboding. "I am the Guardian of Shadows, the one who walks between realms. My role is to maintain the balance between light and darkness, and you, Leegna, have disrupted that balance."

"And I," Aternos added, "am the Guardian of Dimensions. I watch over the boundaries of reality, ensuring no one crosses them. And yet, you—with that cursed cloak—have crossed more than you should have."

Leegna clenched his fists. His mind raced, trying to process the betrayal. "You've been using me this whole time... for what? To destroy the other Guardians?"

Yuj smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Not just the other Guardians. You are a means to an end, Leegna. A pawn in a game far older than you can imagine."

Aternos's gaze softened, but his words cut like a blade. "We needed you to tip the scales, Leegna. To shake the foundations of this realm. And now, you've done just that."

-Just as Leegna began to gain the upper hand once more, something shifted. The air grew thick, and the very fabric of reality trembled. Leegna's vision blurred, and he felt a presence—ancient, powerful, and insidious.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the chamber, smooth and cold, "Nice try, human."

Leegna froze. The voice came from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

"You think you've won," the voice continued, a hint of amusement in its tone. "But you need to learn the difference between a dream and reality, past and present, or even the future."

Leegna's heart sank as a figure materialized before him—the Master of the Time Guardians. His smile was cruel, his eyes shimmering with untold power.

"You are not the one to change time—only I can do that."

With a simple flick of his hand, the Master unleashed a wave of energy that tore through the room. Time itself seemed to warp, and Leegna was thrown back, his mind spinning as the world shifted around him.

When the dust settled, Leegna found himself back on the first floor of the tower. The echoes of the battle still rang in his ears, but something was wrong. Yuj and Aternos stood nearby, seemingly unaware of what had just transpired. Only Leegna remembered the fight, the betrayal, and the Master's terrifying power.

-Leegna felt a strange sensation in his chest, like something had been taken from him. He looked down and saw the faint glow of his Time Leap ability. A counter flashed in his vision—4 to 3. He had just used one of his precious time reversals.

From a bird's-eye view, he saw his life force flickering, slightly drained from both the use of his pact power and now the Time Leap.

His mind raced. This wasn't over. The Master may have manipulated time, but Leegna still had his weapon, his cloak, and his will. But now, more than ever, he understood the stakes. The fight was far from over.