The old man looked at his grandson and calmly said,
"Take him home… and remember: Eternity never dies."
Without another word, the old man walked away into the forest.
His grandson, a quiet 16-year-old named Steve, turned to Arrav and gently guided him through the woods. Along the way, he asked,
"How old are you?"
Though Arrav's soul had lived for over a thousand years, in this reality, he was in the body of a 13-year-old boy.
"I'm thirteen," he replied.
Steve didn't seem surprised. Instead, he casually said,
"My grandfather always told me... things aren't always what they seem.
Is your name… Arrav?"
That question froze Arrav in his tracks.
"How do you know my name?" he asked, instantly on guard. Was this a trap? Was this boy about to strike?
But Steve's face remained calm, almost empty.
"My grandfather speaks highly of you," he said. "There's a secret… but I'm not allowed to share it."
Arrav followed him in silence until they reached a small wooden house deep in the jungle. There, sitting peacefully, was the old man again.
Arrav stepped forward.
"Don't lie to me. You're not Ernity. You're Eternis. I know who you really are. You don't need to pretend."
Eternis chuckled softly.
"Then tell me, what do you need from me?"
"Keep Steve out of this. He doesn't deserve to get involved."
But Eternis just smiled again.
"You're worried about him? He's the one who saved you… You should thank him."
Arrav's eyes widened.
"What…? He saved me?"
Eternis nodded slowly.
"Back when you were in the Upper World… the one who pulled you back… wasn't some unknown savior.
It was Steve."
It hit Arrav like thunder. The unknown entity… was Steve all along?!
"I thought it was… me from the future. Trying to save myself."
He turned to Steve, who now knelt down before him and spoke softly:
"Master… Eternis."
Arrav's breath stopped.
The boy… kneeling before me… is holding the power of my greatest enemy?
He turned back to Eternis.
"So… you're me. And I'm you? How did I become so… corrupted?"
Eternis, now frail, gave a half-smile.
"I've stopped trying to explain things. I gave all my remaining power to Steve. I've passed it on… Now, I am fading."
A sudden pain struck Eternis in his chest. His body trembled.
"I'm dying, Arrav… and you must decide what happens next."
And with that…
Eternis collapsed.