Chapter 301: When Even Angels Are Useless

Except Aiden, however, who just stared at Michael as he spoke.

He understood how his authority worked better than anyone. And although this was the first time Checkpoint had been used, he had indeed suspected it might have this reaction.

But due to no solid way to prove that it would actually react this way, he had gone ahead with it anyway.

However, seeing this now, he fully understood the consequences of the restriction he had broken.

Michael continued speaking in a steady voice.

“Both of them are identical in every way,” he said. “Including the beings living in both universes.”

He gestured toward the twin spheres floating above his palm.

“This split even created identical dragons in both universes. The only reason we angels remain and exist as still the same version of ourselves is because Ah’Me protects us from things like this. But we are caught between both universes and can interact with any version of it”

Syqora’s expression shifted into visible confusion. His eyes narrowed as he tried to process what Michael was saying.

“I must admit, trying to understand this eludes me,” he said.

He was genuinely flustered, which was rare for the Dragon of Destiny.

The restriction that had been broken was related to time, but why was there a replication of the same universe? Had Aiden somehow broken the replication authority as well? None of this made sense to him.

Thyron and Orlien exchanged glances, both of them equally confused by what they were hearing.

Aiden sighed and began speaking.

“It is true that when I used my power as The Eternal Arbitrator to create what I call a ’Checkpoint,’ I bound my consciousness to a specific point in time.”

He paused, letting that statement settle before continuing.

“And when my consciousness was pulled backward to that anchor point, I simply woke up in the past. But the real truth is that the future where I died never stopped. It’s currently still in progress.”

The dragons’ eyes widened at that revelation. Even Syqora looked stunned.

Aiden continued, with his voice growing even heavier.

“I came back to the past with foreknowledge, and we are trying to change a future that has already been set and is still ongoing. We are attempting to rewrite events that have already happened in another reality.”

He gestured toward the twin spheres floating above Michael’s palm.

“However, reality, in trying to correct the error I created, responded by splitting itself. Creating another timeline to accommodate the paradox.”

Aiden paused, then pointed at one of the two spheres.

“This is the original timeline where I died,” he said slowly. “That reality didn’t disappear nor cease to exist just because my consciousness left it. It continues forward without me.”

Then he pointed to the second sphere.

“This is Timeline B, the new branch that was created the moment my consciousness arrived at the checkpoint. Here, I’m alive with full knowledge of the future we are trying to change. This is the timeline we currently exist in.”

The dragons all had shocked expressions on their faces. That was so much complication at once, so many layers of consequence that it was almost impossible to fully grasp.

In trying to avoid a bad future, an even worse situation had been made.

There were several things they worried about now, each concern more troubling than the last.

But the worst one was; The fact that two Samaels existed, one in their timeline and the other in the main timeline where Aiden had died.

If Aiden had died in the original timeline, what about them? Were they dead as well? Had they fought and fallen against Samael in that reality?

And… had Samael achieved his goal in that timeline? Had he absorbed all the fragments of transcendence and become the new Oldest One?

Aiden felt the worst here. This was all his fault. He had created this mess by breaking a restriction he knew was forbidden for a reason.

Michael’s expression grew more serious as he spoke again, drawing their attention back toward him.

“And this is why we wanted to speak with you dragons,” he said. “Save for just now when the Black Dragon explained it perfectly, even we barely understood how his broken restriction caused all of this.”

He paused before continuing.

“But we know how to fix the problem, as it falls under our role as protectors of existence itself. However, I don’t suppose it’ll be pleasurable for you dragons.”

Syqora turned toward Michael immediately.

“How so?” he asked.

Michael replied, “The best possible way to have dealt with a problem of this nature would be if Father himself used his power as the Creator to merge it all back together. His power would easily allow him to collapse both timelines into one singular reality without consequence.”

He paused deliberately before adding with finality in his tone.

“But in his absence, the only other way would be…”

“To destroy the erroneous timeline,” Aiden said, taking the words right out of his mouth as he himself had realized this was the only way forward.

Michael nodded without saying anything further. Aiden had completed what needed to be said.

The realization of this hit the dragons differently. By destroying this timeline, the one they currently existed in—it meant they themselves would be destroyed with it as well.

Syqora’s thoughts spiraled inward for a moment as despair crept into his mind. “Was I always wrong to think Aiden might be the change? Was it always just inevitable that we would fall?” He thought.

Aiden then turned toward Michael with a grim look on his face. “Perhaps it’s time we stopped avoiding the conversation,” he said firmly.

Michael looked at him with a puzzled expression, unsure of what Aiden meant by that statement.

Aiden continued immediately. “I take responsibility for my actions. That fault I cannot exempt. But we both know the root cause of all of this is Samael.”

Michael went mute at those words. Raphael turned his face away immediately, while Uriel shifted uncomfortably.

Aiden continued, with his voice growing sharper now as frustration bled into his tone.

“While you spoke, you never once uttered his name, even when you knew that was the reason I broke the restriction in the first place. And of course, I played along as well because I thought perhaps we could find common ground here.”

“But let’s cut the bollocks and actually face the truth.”

His red eyes burned with intensity as he stared directly at Michael and said clearly:

“Samael is the problem. In fact, he is the reason we dragons came here in the first place.”

Michael immediately replied then, in a bid to defend their position.

“You must understand, Black Dragon. We are beings governed by our roles, by duties assigned to us since the moment of our creation. Do you know the consequences of letting two universes run simultaneously? They would eventually both collapse on themselves due to instability and contradiction, and there would be none left, not even us angels, nor this place we call home.”

He gestured toward the twin spheres still floating above his palm with emphasis on every word he spoke next:

“In this case, the erroneous universe is a direct threat to the original universe, the one we are truly tasked to protect above all else. Samael and his vile acts do not, in the truest sense of it, come off as a threat from beyond.”

He paused before adding with conviction:

“And so far as Ah’Me stands intact and inviolate as it has since creation began… even Samael will not be a threat that brings this universe to an end. His ambitions are only that and nothing more than mere ambitions.”

The other dragons were taken aback hearing that reasoning laid out so plainly as they stared at Michael in disbelief and growing anger.

But on Aiden’s face was pure fury mixed with deep disappointment at what he had just heard come out of Michael’s mouth.

He called out sharply then without holding back anymore:

“Quit the bollocks!”

The angels’ faces registered surprise at his blunt tone and choice of words spoken so brazenly before them in their own domain no less!

Aiden continued without restraint now:

“One would think as angels created by the Oldest One himself, you would speak with wisdom granted by eons of existence! But you have just rambled like a typical madman!”

Raphael stepped forward immediately then, with his hand moving swiftly to grip tightly onto the hilt of his sword.

“Quell your tongue Black Dragon,” Raphael said coldly while glaring daggers straight into Aiden’s eyes!

Thyron immediately stepped forward beside Aiden then, with her own expression hardening into steel resolve while speaking sharply toward Raphael:

“Do you forget yourself Raphael? Or do you not see clearly enough that dragons stand before you right now?”

Her voice carried warning and aggression she was keeping down.

Michael raised his hand toward Raphael, which made the Chief Guardian reluctantly step back although anger still burned visibly across his face!

Aiden continued: “You all hide under guise preserving roles duties non-interference, but truth simply bias nothing more!”

“You don’t refuse to act because duty binds you,” he said.

“You refuse because, in the end, Samael is still one of your kind. And until he becomes a direct threat to your own lives, you’re willing to turn a blind eye.”

It didn’t need take anything extra for Aiden figure this part out, the truth been clear moment Michael began speaking earlier!

Syqora immediately spoke up then. “Let’s leave from here, it was mistake coming here first place”

Then Syqora turned toward Michael directly and spoke in a tone that was both calm and furious.

“I don’t care how dire it is, but know this. Until your brother is defeated or we die trying, you will do absolutely nothing to harm this timeline!”

He paused before adding;

“If you even so much try, forget any threat beyond, you will be dealing us!”

Without another word, Aiden turned and opened a portal behind them and one by one the dragons stepped through without looking back.

The portal sealed shut a moment later, leaving only silence wake.

——

There was tension lingering air after dragons left.

“Tch” Uriel muttered, then turned away first and walked off without saying anything.

She actually agreed with the dragons, and knew they were right to be mad.

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