Yamin turned her gaze sharply toward Elsie, her voice cool yet intrigued. "Now, back to you," she said, pointing at Elsie. "Could you explain what brought you here? I'm getting fascinated by the stories you're all giving me."
Elsie glanced at Tony, who nodded slightly. She took a deep breath before answering. "At midnight, I woke up from a terrible dream," she began. "It felt real, like something was pulling me. I didn't understand it at first, but then... light began to form around me. And just like that, boom-I was here."
Yamin's eyes narrowed, her mind racing. Could there be any possibility what she says is true? she thought. She looked toward Z-12, who had been quietly observing.
Z-12 sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe the book contained magic... and other items," he muttered. "But I can't figure it out yet. This... is beyond my understanding."
Elsie then looked at Tony and asked, "Tony, did you place the book on the table?"
Tony nodded. "Yes, I did."
Yamin turned to Tony, her eyes curious. "Maybe I should hear your side. How did you get here?"
Tony took a breath, then spoke up, his tone calm and steady. "I time-traveled," he said simply, his eyes locking onto Yamin's.
Yamin blinked, clearly confused. "Time-traveling?" she repeated, still unsure of what he meant.
Tony nodded. "Yeah, as I've already said. I'm trying to save something really important-two sisters. And I think you're one of them."
Yamin's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Two sisters? How do you know we're two?" she asked, clearly intrigued but still skeptical.
Tony met her gaze. "Can I please continue?" he asked. Yamin nodded, allowing him to continue.
Tony then explained, "A man helped me. He gave me some items. They're called the Codex, the Prism of Life, and the Traveler's Time Clock. Through those things, I was able to travel through time and get here."
Yamin, still not fully convinced, turned to Z-12 for clarity. "It's something I don't really know about. Time travel... it all goes back before our generation. A scientist called Gezba Martin observed and thought, what if he could go back in time, springing as a child and change most mistakes that had cost him. It's from him the concept of going back in the past or the future arose." She paused, her voice growing heavier. "What he's saying may be true, but all I need is some research."
Skyler, her voice cutting through, said quickly, "Tutor as your student, I believe it is true. Time travel is real."
Yamin shot a quick glare at Skyler. "Shut up, whoever your name is."
"It's Skyler," the young girl interrupted.
"Shut up, then, Skyler," Yamin snapped. Z-12 gazed at Tony, and asked "Did you say you saw an old man?" he asked, his eyes searching for something in his expression.
Tony nodded slowly. "Yeah, he was that old. He led me here."
Z-12, now deeply curious, leaned forward and asked, "On finding some girls?" His voice was steady but probing.
"No, no," Tony quickly replied, his tone defensive. "He just gave me these items."
Z-12 narrowed his gaze. "Then where's the destiny you spoke about in the judgment hall, being tied to some girls? What's that about?"
The room fell into a tense silence as harsh words began to fly between them, the conversation escalating quickly into a quarrel.Yamin's patience thinned as she gazed at Tony. "Enough of this," she instructed sharply. "You go. You will be summoned next time."
Skyler, worried by the quarrel between her tutor and her new friend, glanced at them anxiously. But then, she sighed, brushing off her concerns. I don't care, she thought to herself as she followed Tony out of the Leaders' Council Room.