Well, a version of . Younger, cockier, and oozing disdain.
"You thought you could make a difference?" he spat. "You're just a guy with a useless degree and no clue what he's doing."
"Hey, that's not—" I paused. "Okay, that's kind of true, but still!"
Another specter took shape, this one resembling my old boss. "You were never cut out for this, Carl. You don't belong here. You'll never succeed."
The voices piled on, each one dredging up insecurities I'd buried deep.
For a mont, I wanted to believe them. But then I rembered the journey that had brought here—the trials, the creatures, the monts of triumph against all odds.
"You call this surviving?" Younger sneered. "Tripping over your own feet and relying on a cat for guidance? Pathetic."
More shadows erged. My old boss materialized, arms crossed and radiating disappointnt. "I told you this dream of yours was ridiculous. Look where it got you—lost in the underworld, barely scraping by."
Each figure threw my insecurities at like daggers. Failures. Regrets. The fear that I was just...insignificant.
The final shadow towered over the others: a monstrous, twisted version of , its hollow eyes boring into my soul.
"You can't win," it growled. "You're nothing."
I clenched my fists, heart pounding. The doubts were suffocating, but I couldn't let them win.
"Maybe I'm not perfect," I said, my voice trembling but firm. "Maybe I've screwed up more tis than I can count. But I've made it this far, and I'm not giving up now."
The shadows wavered, then shattered like glass. The final fragnt appeared in my hand, warm and solid.
A jolt shot through my hand like a static shock, but ten tis more intense. My fingers tingled as I grasped the shimring object, and suddenly, the world around blurred.
The banquet hall, the glowing lights, even Lord Mictlan's ominous presence—all of it dissolved into darkness. For a mont, I was weightless, adrift in a void of swirling shadows and faint whispers.
And then, with a flash of light, a scene unfolded before .
I was back in a cramped lecture hall at Mythica University—one I'd never seen before, yet felt strangely familiar.
The seats were filled with a mix of students: so humanoid, others distinctly not.
A manticore in a preppy sweater lounged in the front row, while a siren with shimring scales argued with a towering yeti over the best way to present a group project.
At the center of it all stood a figure—. But this wasn't the Carl Suis of now, fumbling through magical sses and barely surviving creature-related disasters.
This version of was confident, commanding. I wore a green and brown uniform, polished and pristine, with an air of authority that seed impossible to fake.
Future gestured to a massive projection of a phoenix, its fiery wings frozen mid-flight.
"The key to maintaining a phoenix's habitat," he said, voice steady, "is understanding the balance between its regenerative flas and the surrounding ecosystem. Too much fire, and you've got a scorched wasteland. Too little, and the phoenix risks extinction."
The class hung on every word, scribbling notes furiously. Even the manticore looked impressed.
"What…?" I muttered, watching in awe.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" a familiar voice purred beside .
I turned to find Agnos floating casually in the void, looking utterly unbothered by the fact that we were apparently witnessing so bizarre mory—or vision?
"This is your potential," Agnos said, his golden eyes gleaming. "The Carl Suis who finally gets his act together. Impressive, isn't he?"
"I—wait, this is real? That's ?" I pointed at the projection of my confident doppelgänger, who had now moved on to explaining the proper care techniques for baby dragons.
"Or it could be you," Agnos clarified with a smirk. "Depends on whether you survive your next few blunders. But hey, no pressure."
The scene shimred, flickering like a dying lightbulb. My future self turned, just for a mont, and looked directly at . There was a glint of recognition in his eyes, as if he knew I was watching.
And then, just like that, the vision shattered.
The room returned to normal, and Mictlan clapped slowly, the sound echoing like thunder.
"Few mortals could endure such trials," he said. "You are stronger than you realize, Carl Suis."
I collapsed into a chair, exhausted. "Thanks. Do I get a certificate or sothing?"
Agnos snickered. "You get to live. For now. Isn't that enough?"
"Barely."
The fragnt glowed faintly in my hand, the strange marking on its surface pulsing like a heartbeat.
"What just happened?" I whispered, looking at Agnos. The rightful source is novelꞁire
The smug cat appeared on the table beside , tail flicking lazily. "You unlocked another mory fragnt," he said, his tone annoyingly casual. "Congratulations. You're one step closer to figuring out why you're here. Maybe."
"Wait, that's what these fragnts are for?" I stared at the object in my hand, my mind racing.
Agnos yawned, stretching languidly. "Oh, don't act so surprised. Did you really think these quests were just to retrieve my powers?"
"Honestly, yes!" I shot back.
Lord Mictlan, who had been observing quietly, chuckled. "The fragnts hold pieces of your destiny, Carl Suis. Each one reveals truths you have long forgotten… or perhaps, truths you've yet to realize."
I frowned, turning the fragnt over in my hands. "So, what happens when I collect all of them?"
Mictlan's skeletal grin widened. "That," he said ominously, "is a question only you can answer."
As I caught my breath, I noticed sothing strange on the fragnt—a marking that hadn't been there before.
"What's this?" I asked, holding it up.
Agnos's eyes glead. "All in due ti, Carl. Enjoy the calm while it lasts."
Agnos hopped off the table and started sauntering toward the door. "Co along, Carl. We've had enough existential revelations for one evening. Besides, you'll need your strength for whatever chaos awaits us next."
I followed reluctantly, the fragnt still pulsing faintly in my grip.
Whatever the future held, I knew one thing for sure—I was far from done unraveling the mysteries of Mythica—and myself.
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