Sunlight spilled through the high windows at the top of the colosseum, sliding across the marble until it caught my eyes.
I groaned and sat up, my back screaming from the night spent on stone.
Across the arena, someone stood where the light pooled. For a second, I thought the lack of sleep was finally winning—because the person staring back at me was… me.
"You're awake."
Ouroboros dropped beside me, her gaze already fixed on my double speaking with Janus across the floor.
"What? Why is there another me? And why is he chatting it up with the door god?" My voice cracked halfway through the sentence.
"Relax. You're the real one," she spoke as if that made me feel any better. "That one knows it too. He's your guide for this phase."
"My… guide?"
"That 'you' is built from my memory of your body and Janus's ability to create. He's what you could be, a version who mastered the techniques I chose for you."
"So basically," I muttered, "he's the version of me I want to become?"
She smiled faintly. "Exactly. Beat him, and you can leave."
Ah. Perfect. I'm doomed.
Janus took a step back, that same smug grin stretching across his face. The other me shifted forward, his posture straight, eyes cold. Then he moved.
The ground shook on his first step. By the fourth, the air itself was bending around him.
He wasn't running. He was charging.
At what, you ask?
Me. Obviously.
A heartbeat later, something the size of a person and the speed of a meteor hit me square in the chest.
The marble walling of the colosseum collapsed around me, and chunks of marble sprawled out on the once pristine floor.
Ouch.
The world tilted as I sat up in the rubble, half-buried in dust. Nothing broken, miracle.
I wiped blood from my lip and stared across the arena at the smug bastard who wore my face.
"Alright," I muttered. "Round two, ominously handsome and mysterious guy."
Apparently, he did not like the compliment, because the next thing I saw was a fist inches away from my face.
I ducked, my face slamming into the marble chunks below me. I scrambled away frantically, chucking stones towards where I saw the dust cloud erupt from.
I stabilized myself. He's not faster or stronger. He's only got technique.
Step.
The sound of steps echoed from the rise of dust, ominously catching in my ear as he casually walked into view.
Step.
There. That echo, how was he doing that?
My mind focused back on his face.
He looked soulless. Like an almost complete image, but it was just slightly off.
Step.
The world spun as I felt the palm of his hand on my face, pulling me along like a doll.
I fought, punched, and kicked, but his grasp was more than just a grasp. It was like he was holding the space around my head in place.
He then… threw me, straight up.
Air roared past my ears. The colosseum shrank beneath me until it looked like a toy.
The air stilled for a moment as it finally clicked into place.
I'm gonna die.
Slowly, the ground grew closer.
The ground rushed up to meet me. My heart pounded so loud it filled my head, my arms, my legs. Each beat a flare of panic.
I focused all of my processing power on one single task.
Stop the fall.
But how?
Think, if the other version of me can throw me up here, then I can surely slow myself down. Ouroboros said that I used my power subconsciously, that over time, I would learn to use it properly.
Focusing inward, I felt around my body, feeling for that same energy I felt that first night, the one I used to survive countless times.
That warmth.
Along the line of my spine, I felt it, the small spark of energy, barely anything.
But it was enough.
As the ground encroached faster and faster, I gathered more and more of that energy into my limbs.
I felt like I was going to melt. Everything felt so hot. My mind burned as I pulled at the sky with every ounce of willpower I had.
My fall slowed, just enough not to kill me, maybe I would break a few bones, but oh well, I feel so happy right now, I couldn't even care about that.
I hit the ground in an explosion of stone and dust. The world went white, then black.
"—w cou-d yo- —de- h-m to do that?"
The suppressed sound of voices muffled under the ringing in my ears.
Everything hurts.
My one intact eye glanced over at the familiar presence of ouroboros in my mind.
"How could you?"
I saw her, rage bundled on her brow. Yelling at Janus.
"He needed to feel the gap. How much he needs to grow, not just physically but mentally."
I used my will to pull my mouth open, trying to speak, but only blurred mumbles came out.
The first to react was ouroboros, her rage dwindled for a moment, replaced with slight pity and sadness.
She reached over, grabbing my hand.
"Your body is in a rough shape. JANUS will heal you while you rest, he's gonna spend as much stellarium as he can to fix your body."
"Wha-."
Before Janus could protest, ouroboros shot him a stern glare, quickly killing it as it formed.
"I…" forcing my vocal cords to vibrate, I pushed out 3 words. "Did it."
"Yeah, Jay, you did it." Ouroboros replied, a small smile blossoming on her lips.
With one last blink, I happily drifted back into a short slumber.
Ouroboros POV
I watched as the boy I met only a few days ago collapsed into slumber from something I did.
It hurt.
I watched the boy from his first night. His survival from the bird. His escape from the cold. His triumph against the Stag.
He was like a story book character. So full of life and drive.
And I almost stole it.
I glanced at Janus one last time.
If one thing had gone array, it would've spelled disaster.
Ever since I arrived in this place, my power over time diminished.
I was like a fish out of water. Like this place existed outside of the natural flow of time.
"Janus." I mouthed slowly, each letter sounding like a threat. "If this boy dies, we go back to zero, don't play with him like a toy."
I watched as sweat poured down the constellation's neck, clearly mortified by the implications of my rage.
"As you command, Lady Ouroboros."