For countless years, Aiona obeyed the laws of Time.
She never complained.
She never rebelled.
She never spoke about the thoughts hidden deep inside her heart.
Not to her mother, Kaira.
Not to her sisters, Chronia and Eternia.
Not even to Queen Tempestra.
She carried her burden alone.
One day, while wandering through the great magical forest she had discovered, Aiona stopped beneath an ancient tree.
The magical energy in that place was unlike anything she had ever felt.
The forest seemed endless.
Every leaf, every stone, every drop of water overflowed with power.
As Time itself, she could feel the energy moving through the forest like blood through a living body.
A thought suddenly entered her mind.
"What if I stayed here for a while?"
The moment she thought about it, another problem appeared.
Her family.
If she disappeared, they would notice immediately.
Aiona sat quietly and thought for a long time.
Then her eyes slowly widened.
A solution had appeared.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand.
Time energy flowed from her body.
The air shook.
The ground trembled.
A second Aiona slowly appeared before her.
The copy looked perfect.
The same face.
The same voice.
The same aura.
The same memories.
Everything was identical.
Aiona smiled.
Then she transferred seventy percent of her power into the copy.
The copy opened its eyes.
For a moment, both Aionas looked at each other.
Then the copy smiled.
"I understand."
A flash of light appeared.
The copy vanished.
Moments later it appeared inside the palace.
Nobody noticed the difference.
Not Kaira.
Not Chronia.
Not Eternia.
Not even Queen Tempestra.
The replacement was perfect.
Aiona looked at her own hands.
For the first time in countless ages, she was truly alone.
And strangely.
She liked it.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
The more time she spent inside the forest, the more she realized something unbelievable.
The forest itself was feeding her power.
Its magical energy seemed endless.
No matter how much power she used, the forest replaced it almost immediately.
One day she reached a shocking conclusion.
"I don't need my power right now."
Slowly she transferred more and more of her strength into the replacement.
Eighty percent.
Ninety percent.
Ninety-five percent.
Until finally.
Everything.
Every bit of her own power remained inside the copy at the palace.
Yet she felt no weaker.
The forest continued supplying endless magical energy.
Aiona stared into the sky.
Then she smiled.
A real smile.
For the first time in her existence, she felt free.
And because of the forest's endless energy.
Her connection to the past and future became stronger than ever before.
That was when she made a decision.
If she wanted answers.
She would search for them herself.
And so she stepped into the river of time.
The world around Aiona disappeared.
Time moved backward.
Years became months.
Months became days.
Days became hours.
The stars reversed their movements.
Kingdoms vanished.
Forests became younger.
At last, Aiona arrived at her destination.
The Temple of Knowledge.
It stood silent beneath the moonlight.
She knew this place well.
In the present, she could never enter.
The High Priest Raphael protected the temple and every book inside it.
If he sensed her presence, he would immediately contact her family.
Aiona had no desire for that.
So she came here before Raphael ever became its guardian.
The temple was empty.
Quiet.
Ancient.
Thousands upon thousands of books filled the shelves.
Aiona slowly walked through the endless rows.
Then suddenly.
One book began to glow.
She stopped.
The book flew from its shelf.
It landed gently in her hands.
The pages opened by themselves.
Aiona's eyes widened.
The book was answering the questions hidden inside her heart.
The pages revealed ancient laws.
The Law of the Past.
Time must never change the past.
The Law of Fate.
Time must never reveal the future.
The Law of Resurrection.
Time must never return the dead to life.
The Law of Interference.
Time must not solve the struggles of mortals.
The Law of Immortality.
Time must never grant eternal life.
The Law of Erasure.
Time must never erase a life from history.
The Law of Attachment.
Time must never allow emotions to control judgment.
The Law of the End.
Everything must eventually come to an end.
Aiona continued reading.
Then she reached a page that made her stop.
The Law of Mastery.
Time must never have a master.
If Time accepts a master weaker than itself, Time shall become weaker.
If Time accepts a master greater than itself, Time shall grow beyond its current limits.
Aiona stared at the words.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Then she slowly closed the book.
"So."
"I need someone stronger than me."
The temple became silent.
For a moment she thought another book might appear.
Nothing happened.
No light.
No glowing pages.
Nothing.
Then her eyes moved on their own.
Toward a single book resting alone on a distant shelf.
Separated from all the others.
Aiona slowly approached.
Something about it felt different.
Ancient.
Mysterious.
Dangerous.
She picked it up.
The cover opened.
The moment it did, her eyes widened.
The first page contained only a single name.
Alexander.
The next pages began turning on their own.
Aiona read in silence.
A divine being.
A supreme existence.
A god unlike any other.
A being whose power would continue growing forever.
A being feared by gods and demons alike.
A being capable of love.
Yet destined never to embrace it.
The more she read, the more fascinated she became.
By the final page.
A smile had appeared on her face.
A genuine smile.
Perhaps for the first time in ages.
She closed the book and looked into the distance.
"Alexander..."
Then she looked toward the endless future.
"If I can find you..."
"Everything will change."
Without hesitation, Aiona stepped into the future.
Years rushed past.
Then decades.
Then centuries.
Worlds changed around her.
Kingdoms rose and fell.
Still she searched.
Still she looked.
Still she followed the trail of the mysterious god.
Suddenly.
A strange energy touched her senses.
Aiona stopped moving.
Her eyes widened.
For the first time since beginning her search...
She had found something.
Or perhaps...
Someone.
And somewhere beyond time itself...
A pair of eyes slowly opened.