it?"
All I could do was slightly bob my head, which made him chuckle as he turned around to look at the rising sun.
"Come stand next to me, Kaito," he encouraged, and it was as though his encouragement had removed the shackles that had held me in place from the very beginning.
I walked steadily to stand on his left side, the two of us watching as the sun continued to rise into the sky as the evidence of night continued to make its fateful retreat.
"How is this possible?" I whispered the question.
"Well, when you let logic leave your space, you invite the streams of magic to enter your life and bring you some advice in the best way possible," he replied and turned his head to look at me. "Impressed?"
"Bewildered," I whispered. "You look too good to be me."
That had him laughing before he shifted his stance to face my side. I turned to face him as he sighed and gave me a proud smile.
"Well, let's just say that the future will bring you more challenges that you'll have to overcome to get to this very point in time," he admitted, but he didn't seem the least discouraged by it. "Graduation is only the beginning for you, but you've overcome one of the hardest trials you'll face. There will be minor ones and a few hiccups on your path ahead but let this interaction between us remind you that this," he paused to gesture to himself, "is all possible."
"Does that mean..." I wanted to ask but hesitated because I wasn't sure if I was ready for the answer.
Instead, he snapped his fingers, and hovering above the palm of his right hand was a crystal necklace. It was a gem that seemed to be a mixture of sapphire and amethyst, the surface carrying sparkles of glitter. It was obvious that it held intense power within it.
He reached out for my hand, lifting my left hand up and lowering the jewel into the palm of my hand. The touch caused my magic to spiral through me, and for a nanosecond, I saw an image that made me smile in pure happiness.
There were just silhouettes around me, but one of my hands was being held by a woman with extremely long hair that blew in the wind, while the other was in the hand of a man who had shoulder-length hair.
There were no other colors that deciphered their appearance, but I knew without a doubt who those two individuals were as we seemed to walk towards a swirling portal of light.
With a blink, it was gone. The magic in my spheres faded away as I returned my attention to my older self, who nodded in approval.
"Does that give you the answer you're looking for?"
"Yes," I replied with a tender smile. "I...don't know what to say."
"Well," he began as he closed my fingers over the gem, "you can simply accept this. I'm sure you know what this is, seeing as your friends have something similar."
I slowly nodded as he let go of my hand and took a step back. He took in my appearance for a moment before he seemed pleased and turned around.
"I, the God of Wisdom, have blessed you with what has always been destined to be in your possession," he declared as his words boomed around us. "With knowledge comes power, and know that with such a key element on your side, you can conquer any obstacle."
He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder to acknowledge me.
"Your friends need you. Brianne especially will need you. Do not fight with your sword. Fight with the light that swarms inside you. When the tip of death is at your neck, do not fear it. Accept what is being pushed into your corner, for it will end up being an unexpected victory."
He turned away and began to walk towards a path that faded into the distance.
"K-Kaito!" I called out to my future self, and he paused in his walk. "Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me," he said with a hint of amusement. "I am you, and you are me. Just as we carry an inner child within our souls, we also carry our higher self, who seeks nothing but to aid you on this path of awakening. Remember, Kaito. You're destined to be a great being of hope one day. Until then, enjoy this journey of fulfillment until the day comes for you to aid those who have lost their way on