The entire world vanished before them in a flash of blinding light. The room, the city, and the figures of those they had just been speaking to were swept away in an instant. Even the very air they breathed, the scent of the forge and the cool wind they felt on their faces, disappeared, replaced by a vast, silent white space.
They stood there waiting, expecting to be dropped back into their own ti, until a figure began to materialize in front of them. As the body ca into focus, the trio gasped in surprise. It was a person they all recognized, soone they had said goodbye to only monts ago.
“Jack!” Gary called out. “But didn't we just see you disappear? Why are you here? Wait... did sothing happen to the world and it didn't take you with it? Or are you, by so freak accident, coming back with us to our ti?!”
A part of Gary was exhilarated by the thought, especially considering how powerful Jack was, though he quickly felt a pang of guilt for the people Jack would be leaving behind in his own era.
“Unfortunately, I am not the sa person you just spoke to,” Jack replied calmly. “However, I was able to witness everything the three of you did. I possess the mories of everything you just went through. Those were so kind words, Gary, and I’m happy I get to speak to you directly like this.”
“If you’re saying you’re another Jack…” Kai interjected, his mind already racing. “Does that an you’re the real one? Are you the one who created this world and set all of this up?”
Kai had been piecing together clues throughout their journey, but the final confirmation had co when Jack explained his journey to seek a better future.
“It was my decision that led to all of this, but I am not the one who created it, at least not on my own.” Jack replied. “I’m sure you have guessed by now, but the reason you traveled through that world was because of the dallion. The dallion was a key tool in fighting against Unzoku’s control, but more than that, Bliss had told to seek her out when I was ready to use it again. Eventually, I found her and Lenny, and together we created the world you experienced, a world based on the real events that occurred in my life.”
He looked at each of them. “It was my way to pass on the knowledge of everything that happened to those in the future. It was set to activate if two Alphas were clashing with each other.”
Gary thought back to his first fight against Lupus; the dallion had activated then as well. He had ignored it at the ti, but he wondered now if the world would have pulled them in sooner if they had continued their battle.
“I have to admit, I was surprised to see three of you here,” Jack added.
“This world,” Gary asked quickly. “The one we just went through... is it real? How was sothing like that even created?”
For a mont, Jack seed lost in thought before finally offering an answer.
“The world is real in the sense that it is self-contained, but if you are asking if it is a physical world connected to yours... it is not,” Jack answered. “I might not be the best person to answer the technicalities, but I will tell you what I know. Bliss is a powerful being with powers beyond those of any mage. She is able to create her own spaces, spaces with their own rules and powers, almost worlds of her own. She knew what I wanted to ask before I even said it. She said she could create sothing that would work; in fact, she said it was the only thing that might work, but she needed Lenny by her side to do it.”
Jack’s expression turned somber. “The world she created needed an anchor of energy and mories. I had to be that anchor. Lenny explained that it would co at the cost of my life. Bliss creates the space, the world itself, and Lenny, using my life and mories, populated it with the people I knew. As I said, that world is very much real, which is why the stakes were true. If you had died in that space, you would have died in the real world as well.”
Jack stopped because he could see Gary’s fists tensing.
“Don’t be sad,” Jack said gently. “Since I knew this was an item I wanted to pass on, I lived my full life right up until the very end. It isn’t as if I sacrificed myself prematurely.”
These words made Gary feel a little better, but he was still amazed and saddened. Jack had essentially given his final essence for the sake of the future, and it made Gary wonder if he would ever be willing to do the sa.
“But didn’t you already create the role of the Bookkeeper?” Lupus added. “Why create the dallion and this entire world instead of just telling us what happened?”
“Because I didn’t know what would happen in the future,” Jack answered. “For one, the stories told by a Bookkeeper can change over the years. Words can be forgotten, and details can be lost or beco inaccurate. I needed a safety net, and what better safety net than the very item needed to take out the great threat? I also didn't know what situation you would be in. Perhaps the Alphas would be fighting each other for years, not knowing who was behind the conflict. I had to show the real truth and make the future generations experience it for themselves, to show that packs can co together and that you can fight back.”
There were so many more questions they wanted to ask, but Gary had one in particular that was burning in his mind.
“Wait... you said the world was based on your real mories. Like a real dream world. However, we wouldn't have been there originally right, for all of it. So on the night of the full moon... what happened then? If we weren’t there, what really happened on that night?”
Jack didn’t look sad. Instead, a small smile played on his lips.
“I’ll show you,” Jack said, lifting his hand. As he did, the white space began to shift and change once more.
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(I know people are ready to get out of this past arc, there’s only a couple of more chapters left.)
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