Time Traveling Hero

Still unable to move, I watched as the once pitch-black room lightened to a dark grey. After 997 attempts of that hell, I had finally managed to make a breakthrough in the Trial of the Past. Anger started to well up from within as I realized at how simple the solution was.

"Was... I really... that stupid...?"

Stupid, so damn stupid, and I call myself the number one in Academics? Never before had I been so infuriated at my own self. And yet, I felt as if that wasn't all to my growing rage.

He also wasn't fully recovered from his mental breakdown, his mental and emotional state at a delicate balance, although he didn't know that. All he knew was that something happened between attempt 511 and attempt 997, as he had deep claw marks that bled from his legs.

So, now what? I thought as I stared at the now dark grey room. I had no clue what to do, and it wasn't as if I could just get up and move around. Am I meant to wallow in my own anger?

"It's her fault that you're like this."

That voice, the voice of the Trial, spoke within my head once more.

"Her fault? What are you talking about?" I asked aloud, my voice starting to come back.

"Her fault that you're here, her fault that you're suffering, that you're forced to go through this hell."

The anger I once aimed at myself started to shift as I heard these words. "Who are you talking about?"

"The one who left you long ago, the one who watched you suffer, the one who failed to save, the one who never said goodbye. All these and more are why you're here, suffering on their behalf."

"It's... their fault?"

"Of course, it's not your fault suffering here today. Not your fault, but everybody else's fault."

Yes, of course it's their fault, I thought as I heard these words. Of course it wasn't my fault, why would it?

"Yes, all their fault. Your mother, for leaving you first, your father, for only watching you as you suffered alone, the doctors, for not doing all they could, and your mother once more, for leaving without even a single goodbye."

That's right, it's all their fault. Mother, father, the doctors, and my mother once more. All their fault why I'm suffering today, why I'm so angry at myself. I shouldn't be angry at myself, the blame solely belongs to them and all the others who watched me suffer in my time of need. During this trial, and so long ago.

"You're right. It's all their fault! The fault lies solely on them! Why didn't they do better!? Why!?"

"All their fault, especially mother."

"Yes, so much fault lies on her! Why didn't she try harder!? Why did she leave so soon!? If she actually cared for me, why didn't she stay! WHY!?!?!?"

Her fault! Her fault! It's all her damn fault, all of it!

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"I HOPE SHE'S SUFFERING JUST LIKE I AM!!!"

"Failure."

And the next part of his Trial began.

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"He failed again."

It had been a while since the last failure, except this time it felt radically different from all the other ones. Everybody was crowded around the screen, trying to figure out if he would pass or fail.

Hebe, who was s.u.c.k.i.n.g on another lollipop, crossed her arms underneath her huge c.h.e.s.t. "At least we know he hasn't died. But, can he truly pass at this rate? I'm kinda worried for the guy."

It was a question weighing heavily on everyone's mind, except for Anna, the only one in the room who wasn't looking at the screen.

"Master Hiro will pass, because he is Master." She had been saying that every time there was a pause in the Trial, although if it was to reassure herself or everyone else was a mystery.

"If the brat passes after all this, then his mental fortitude must be otherworldly," Mars muttered. "Is there no way we can see how he's failing?"

The researcher sitting at the screen simply shook his head. "Even if we could, what good could that do? All that would provide would be another reason to try to stop the Trial."

"Even if he passes, he still has two more Trials to go. And if it's taking him this long to pass the Trial of the Past, usually the shortest Trial, then how will he fair in the other two, especially the Trial of the Future?" Astraea asked, posing a rather serious question. "The Trial of the Future is known to destroy people's wills, and most candidates fail, unable to take the pressure. We've had many promising candidates lose the will to fight afterward."

"Keke, well whatever happens, he sure is an interestin' fella. This place would get shook up if he became the next Time Traveling Hero, wouldn' yah agree?" Deimos cackled.

"Can we at least see what is past is like?" Mars asked, ignoring Deimos' ramblings.

"Normally yes, but there's so many events, we simply don't know which one he's going through."

Silence fell in the room as everyone's mouth was agape, shocked at the sudden revelation.

"How many does Master Hiro have?"

"Let's see, about he had one every year since age 5 all the way till the start if high school, so about 8-9?"

He's screwed, everybody thought at the same time, everyone except Anna, who was monitoring the screen closely.

"Master will pass, because he is Master."

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Trial of the Past: Attempt 998

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The beeping of the heart monitor was the only thing that said she was alive, a feat that should've been impossible after the wounds she suffered. The woman eventually realized she was lying down on a bed, and attempted to open her eyes.

Once open, she found herself looking at her beloved husband, who was fast asleep, his head laying down on her bed. She looked around, looking at the unfamiliar room. It was decorated for Christmas, with a tiny tree at the corner of her small abode. Outside the window to her right was city covered in snow, the sun shining down through her window.

She managed to lift up arm, which were heavily bandaged, and started to stroke her husband's head. How did I get here? She thought, wondering how she managed to get into a hospital.

A doctor walked in her room and stopped when he saw her moving. "You're awake."

The woman was about to answer before the doctor hushed her. "Don't try to speak right now. Your injuries were severe, and the best thing you could do right now is rest." The woman nodded and continued to stroke her sleeping husband.

"He came through that freak snowstorm when he heard that you two were hospitalized. I personally don't know how he managed to get here, but it's a testament to his love for the both of you, I'll say that much," the doctor said, busy addressing the necessities of the woman.

Two? So, me and...! The woman remembered now, how her precious son dragged her to this hospital, how he managed to somehow stop that beast, all of it. She started to breathe hard as she frantically looked around, trying to find him.

"Hey, calm down! What happened?"

"My... son. Where... is he?"

The doctor froze at her words, and stopped with his tasks. "He's in a different room than you, but we can arrange for you two to share if you would prefer that."

"Please."

"Right away then." The doctor left the room, only herself and her husband in the room now.

"Hmm." Her sleeping husband had started to wake up, opening his eyes and looking at his wife.

"Hey... Hubby."

"Cas-Cassandra!?" Those words were all that were needed to wake him up. He bolted up and quickly put on his glasses. "You're awake and speaking! That's amazing!"

She smiled gently at her husband, the one she loved so much that it hurt. "How... is he?"

Silence as he averted his gaze. "Worse than you..."

She felt her heart start to split after hearing those words. "I'm... a failure... of a parent..."

She felt her hands get clasped by her husbands. "Don't you dare say that. You try as hard as you can, putting in the utmost effort. Even if you can't be here all the time, our son adores you, and that's all thanks to you."

She still didn't believe it, shaking her head slightly. "I... should have... tried harder."

"That isn't-!"

"Hey... Hubby? You... never told... me how I... was."

"Hck!" Her husband let go of her hand, his eyes starting to waver.

"What...?" The woman quickly sensed that something wasn't right, and tried to uncover her body.

"Wait Cassandra! I-I'll do it." Her husband clenched his fists as he took off her blanket. The woman's eyes widened in shock at the sight of her body. It was, in short, unrecognizable.

Frostbite had taken over most of her body, leaving her once dark skin white and blue. Her legs had taken the most damage, her joints now immovable as the life in her legs slowly died. Her arms were also in similar shape, but she was still able to move them. Her feet had already turned black, with the progression slowly moving up her body. She was at a loss of words at the horrific sight.

"The doctors said your chances of dying are 90%. And even if you live, you'll never have full function of your body again," Her husband managed to say, covering his face with his hands. "Cassandra, I'm-!"

"Hubby, it's okay."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at his wife.

"Take... care of him for me."

The tears started flood out as he listened to her words. "This... wasn't meant to happen!"

"I know."

"How can you say that, when you're crying as well!?"

Huh? The woman didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face. At this realization, sobs shook her entire body.

"I, I don't want to die!" The woman wailed. "My son, my poor son, I'm sorry, so sorry!"

Stop it.

"I'm sorry our time was short, but please, forgive your mommy, won't you?"

Stop it! Why are you crying!? It's your fault for, for!

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The scene stopped, and I was back in the dark grey room, barely able to move my arms now.

"Why? Why are you the one crying!"

It's your fault, so why are you apologizing!? Weren't you supposed to be glad about my suffering, WEREN'T YOU!?!?

"SO WHY THE HELL ARE YOU CRYING!?"

I managed to raise my hand to my face and found it wet.

"What, what is this?"

Oh, that's right. The one I was angry at wasn't really her, but it was...!

"Damn you, damn you! Playing with my feelings like that, you really are despicable!"

All the suffering, all the pain, everything I had pinned on my Mother, wasn't her fault in the slightest. No, the only one who was truly at fault was...!

"SO PLEASE, STOP CRYING MOM! IT WAS NEVER YOUR FAULT! BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS, YOU ALWAYS...!"

She always tried her best, so how could I possibly pin all of the blame and suffering on her. Just how selfish did one have to be, to blame one's parent for their own misfortune?

"ALL THE FAULT, ALL THE SUFFERING, ALL THE BLAME! EVERYTHING YOU WENT THROUGH, EVERYTHING! IT WAS ALL...!"

Yes, all the blame could be pinned down on one person, and one person alone. The one who's tears streamed down his bawling face, the one who wailed out in the Trial room at the sheer unfairness of the situation he was in, the one completely at fault!

"IT WAS ALL MY FAULT, SO PLEASE, STOP IT!!!!!"

And the room had started to change color once more, from a dark grey to the regular shade of grey.

And his Anger had finally been overcome.