Zero Potential Chapter 35 (Patreon)

Chapter 35

WHOOSH!

“SCREAM!”

There was a burst of light and power at first, followed by the deafening scream of a little girl filling the afternoon air. Instantly everyone paused as they all looked around for the source of the disturbance.

Only Terra seemed to recognize the burst of energy and its importance. The reason why she recognized it so easily was the fact that she had experienced that same exact set of events hundreds of times in her life.

Just feeling the stream of energy from so far away, Terra wondered if she had somehow had her life reset, as if to say that she had somehow died and been struck unaware of what happened. That was something that happened to her early on in her past lives but was something she quickly adapted to. The instant death and rebirth of past lives.

This time the feeling was fainter, more muted, but still the same.

Terra first turned to Helga who had a look on her face that spoke of complete confusion.

“We aren’t done here.” Terra stated coldly.

“Ye, yes master.” Helga said, then before Terra even had a chance to think, her legs were already moving. She was being pulled towards the source of the disturbance, towards the source of her instant and rising trepidation.

“AHHH!” The voice of a crying and screaming Marianna could be heard crying out from the dignitary room at the top of the visitor’s spire.

Within seconds Terra found herself running up the spiraling sets of staircases that wove around floor after floor of the tower.

All the while she ran, she could feel the pulse of her bond, the source of her one remaining vow to life in this world calling out to her, to anyone that would listen.

Comfort.

There was an immediate comfort over the bond, but despite that Terra kept running up the stairs, only stopping once she reached the top floor. The floor where dignitaries were held. That was where she found a panting and crying Marianna heaving deep lungs full of air, while clinging to her mother tightly.

Seeing the image of mother and daughter, Terra froze, not wanting to impose herself onto such an intimate scene.

Yet, her bond betrayed her, as Marianna looked up almost immediately upon her arrival.

“You, you’re still here?” Marianna cried out, then jumping to her feet, she ran forward and tackled Terra with a speed and grace that should not be possible for a seven year old.

Seeing the sudden change and the obviously strengthened bond between them, Terra’s mind began putting all the pieces together.

“You regressed?” Terra asked, a faint hope that it was just a vision of the future and not an actual regression that the girl had gone through.

Nodding.

“Yes,” Marianna managed to get out as tears began pouring down her face.

“Hey calm down, you’re safe. We are all safe, and we will start again.” Terra said, bending down to comfort the girl.

“No, I was so terrible to you, and yet you let yourself die for me. I am so sorry.” Marianna said, guilt and fears laced in her words as she began crying bitter tears.

“It’s okay, I forgive you, and I am certain that version of myself in the future would also forgive you.” Terra said, meaning every word. While she was still getting used to the idea that not all of her cares and concerns were hers from her past life, she was certain in her conviction that she would help the new chosen one regardless of whatever happened. Especially if what Helga had told her was coming true.

“I know. But I didn’t realize what you did, what you would do for me, until it was too late.” Marianna said.

“Stop this, you are going to make me blush.” Terra said, letting a smile form on her lips as she honestly didn’t know how to accept praise. She had always been bad at it, and now it felt like the praise was unwarranted as this praise clearly came from actions that she had taken in an alternate timeline, meaning they weren’t hers to collect.

Then realizing now was the time, Terra began going through the order of things.

“All right, first we must go through a few things.” Terra said, patting the girl on the back to make her calm down enough. For while she had lived an apparent other life, she was now back into the growing and hormonal body of a seven-year-old. Meaning that if they were going to get everything they could out of this regression, they had to move quickly.

“First, I am going to ask you a series of questions. From there we will define what steps we should take next.” Terra said, locking gazes with Marianna whose eyes suddenly looked much older than the seven-years they claimed to portray. Then turning around, she made sure to lock eyes with everyone else in the room. Helga and the sleeping prince were the only other people in the room.

For a moment Terra locked eyes with Helga. There was a fierce commitment shared in that gaze. This was the gaze of a predator that stared down another predator who was just passing through their territory. While no blows were exchanged, it was clear that violence could and would occur if Helga acted or used anything she gained from this conversation against her charge.

Helga obediently nodded.

With that everyone seemed to be in agreement.

“First, I have to ask, how many times have you died and regressed so far?” Terra asked.

“Just once.” Marianna said, clutching her chest tightly right over her heart where an apparent phantom wound and the pain thereof still lingered. Having been through a lot of deaths herself, Terra could sympathize with the girl.

“Okay, in that case, I am going to explain what is happening to you, what to expect and what we need to do the next time you regress.” Terra said, making sure her three points were understood.

Marianna nodded, with the comprehension of someone far older than her age. Again, these were all good things. The fact that the girl only died once was a plus, but the fact that she regressed to such an early stage was troubling for Terra.

“You are going to experience a regression fog here shortly. Right now, this is the clarity portion of your memories. This is the point when you can remember everything that happened to you in your past life clearly and concisely. This is the point where you need to make a mental list of everything that happened. Why it happened, and try to lay it out in a logical format. I am going to ask you a series of questions as to why you would regress to this point.” Terra said.

“Okay.” Marianna stated, a calm determination to her voice.

Hearing her resolve, Terra pressed forward.

“First, do you know why you regressed back to this point in time?” Terra asked.

“This is, wait, I am seven. So this means that the supreme being of evil either has, or is about to be resurrected.” Marianna said.

Gasp.

With that both Helga and Lady Montague both gasped at the statement. While everyone had expected such a turn of events to happen eventually, there was the question of why now?

Pressing on, Terra continued.

“Okay, now lets go over the basics of what happened. You clearly died; I take it by something piercing your heart?” Terra asked.

Tears.

“Yes.” Marianna began again grabbing at her heart with her left hand, while her right-hand gripped Terra tightly into a hug.

Seeing this, Terra returned the hug, and just let Marianna sob silently for a few moments while Terra herself collected her thoughts.

“Now I need you to give me a few details. How old were you, when you died.”

“Twenty-two.” Marianna replied without hesitation.

Nodding, Terra mentally did the math, “so in fifteen years you will have battled the supreme being of evil and lost?”

“Yes.” Marianna said, “I’m so sorry.” Marianna began, and again guilt made her begin to cry, as sobs left her body.

“It’s okay. Again, I have no knowledge of what happened in the past. Only you do. If you are so concerned with what happened, then let’s change the future. That is the purpose of this. Whatever you did, or think you did to me, it has and will be forgiven in this new start. That said, I need you to focus.”

With that Marianna looked up and locked gazes with Terra, then unable to speak nodded.

“Now the important questions, what killed you.”

“A death spear.”

“A death spear?”

“Dark magic formed into the shape of a spear. The dark lord’s minion used it and got me from behind.” Marianna said.

At that Terra nodded.

“Okay, so we need to work on magic protections and resistances.” Terra noted. “Next, how were your skills?”

“Skills?”

“Yes, did you use a sword, a spear? Did you try to parry the weapon? Also, how did your danger sense not go off about the immediate danger nearby?”

“Danger sense?” Marianna asked.

At that Terra paused and looked down at the girl.

“I take it, I didn’t get much time to train you in your last lifetime?” Terra asked.

With that Marianna looked sheepish for a moment, then almost wanting to look away, she fought against her instinct and stared Terra in the face.

“Yes, I originally pushed you away. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized I was being jealous and conceited. But by then the damage had already been done. Also, despite my kicking you out, you still were always there to protect me.”

Hearing the little girl speak, Terra could only nod internally as these were all things that Terra would do if she found herself in a similar situation this time.

“So, I won’t need to prove myself to you this time?” Terra asked.

“No, I’m sorry. So sorry that it happened.” Marianna said, first up to Terra then looking over at her mother, she paused, “and to you too.”

At that Terra didn’t know, nor did she want to know what exactly happened in the past lifetime. “All that matters is that we know what we did wrong in our past lifetime, and we use this opportunity to do better.”

With that everyone nodded.

“Now, is there anything we can do right now to stop the rise of the being of supreme evil?” Terra asked.

With that Marianna paused, then shook her head.

“There is nothing we can do to stop the rising of the being, but we can help prevent the catastrophe that is about to befall the Academy.” Marianna said, looking out the window and pointing to the grounds of the nearby Academy. An image that sent waves of emotions through Terra, as she both loved and loathed those sacred grounds from her times there.

Hearing that Terra nodded.

“Very well. From here on out, you lead, and I will follow.” Terra stated, as a firm overwhelming sense of resolve filled her voice.

While she was not particularly happy with having to return to the Academy, she could not help but feel drawn to the place, as if her fate was somehow forever bound to live and die repeatedly in those cursed lands.

Realizing her first action needed, Terra turned to Professor Helga.

“Helga, we will need dwellings and accommodations for four.” Terra said.

“Actually, there is one thing we should do before we leave here.” Marianna said.

“What’s that?” Terra asked.

“It is in regards to my brother.” Marianna began.

With that both Terra and Lady Montague suddenly became very interested in what was going to be suggested here, but for obviously different reasons.

“There is something that I should tell you about my brother, you see he like me has the chance to be the next chosen one.” Marianna began.

“That is great?” Lady Montague said, a note of confusion in her voice.

Seeing the look on Marianna’s face, Terra was the first to put the pieces together. “But the being of supreme evil knows this and will use it against you, if and when he finds your brother.”

“Yes.” Marianna said, a look of sadness coming to her face.

“So what do we do?” Lady Montague asked.

“Perhaps I can offer a suggestion?” Professor Helga asked, clearly not wanting to step too deeply into this already charged family discussion.

“Yes?” Lady Montague said.

And with that, Professor Helga began explaining her suggestion.