Evolution begins with an ant colony

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield dissolved into a blur of light, and Ark found himself back in the bustling elven city of Elvendell. The familiar sounds of the marketplace filled his ears, and the vibrant colors of the stalls and the lush greenery overhead.

Ark glanced around, disoriented by the sudden change in scenery. His senses slowly adjusted, and he realized that he was standing on the same cobblestone streets he had traversed earlier that morning. The weight of a hand in his pulled him from his thoughts. He looked down to see Chrono Nexus, his mother, no longer her battle armor, walking beside him.

Her hand was gently clasped around his, and she was giggling softly, her eyes sparkling with an almost mischievous light.

"Mother… Could you give me some space?" Ark muttered awkwardly, feeling the eyes of the elven townsfolk on them as they passed by. He tried to pull his hand away gently, but Chrono Nexus only tightened her grip, her laughter ringing.

"No, I won't," she said, her tone light and filled with affection. "You're my baby, and I'm going to make sure to shower you with lots of love."

Ark's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. He grumbled under his breath, "You are always like this. I'm not a baby anymore. You don't realize how embarrassing this is."

Chrono Nexus's sharp ears caught his mumbling, and she smiled even more brightly. "I heard that," she teased, but she released his hand slightly, giving him a bit of space. They continued walking through the bustling streets, now drawing a little less attention.

They soon arrived at the inn where Ark had his breakfast. The inn's warmth and the comforting buzz of activity welcomed them as they stepped inside. Ark couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as they made their way to the same table where he had sat that morning.

The innkeeper gave them a curious glance but didn't say anything, accustomed to the oddities that sometimes accompanied the travelers in Elvendell.

Ark and Chrono Nexus settled into their seats. The goddess's demeanor had softened, and she looked at him with a gentle yet curious expression. Leaning in slightly, she broke the silence with a question. "Tell me about yourself, Ark," she said, her voice tender. "I want to know everything."

Ark hesitated, his mind a whirl of conflicting thoughts. The earlier battle seemed like a distant memory now, replaced by this surreal moment of motherly warmth. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he gathered his thoughts.

"Well," he began slowly, "there's not much to tell. I'm just trying to get through my missions and... figure things out as I go."

Chrono Nexus nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "And your missions? What brings you to this timeline?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Ark shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the directness of her question. "It's complicated," he said, avoiding her gaze. "I'm here to fix something... But it's not as simple as it sounds."

Chrono Nexus leaned back in her chair, her smile widening. "We'll talk about your mission later," she said gently, her eyes softening with warmth.

She then shifted the conversation, her tone becoming more curious. "But first things first, Ark. Who is your father?"

Ark hesitated, his gaze dropping to the table. The question was simple, yet the answer carried a weight he wasn't sure he was ready to confront. Finally, he looked up, meeting her eyes. "The god of chaos," he said, his voice steady but filled with an undernote of tension.
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Chrono Nexus's eyebrows raised in surprise. "The god of chaos?" she repeated.

"Yes," Ark confirmed. "The god of chaos, the one who won the Selection Games."

For a moment, Chrono Nexus's face reflected a deep worry, for her child to refer to her husband with such a title would only mean that would be who the child first knew his father to be.

Meaning the child did not know his father for himself for the most part of his life.

But then, as if catching a glimmer of hope, her expression softened again. She leaned forward, her eyes searching his. "Don't you know his name?"

Ark paused, his thoughts flickering through fragments of his past. "Oh, Father's name," he said, almost as if rediscovering a piece of his own identity. "He's Akun."

Chrono Nexus's eyes lit up at the sound of the name. "Akun, huh?" she echoed, her voice filled with a happiness that seemed to dispel her earlier concerns. She repeated his name softly, as if savoring the sound. "I'm happy to know I will have a child with the man that I love."she thought.

Chrono Nexus's smile deepened as she gently pressed Ark. "Alright, Ark," she said, her voice warm and encouraging. "Fully introduce yourself and tell me, what is your purpose for traveling back to the past?"

Ark took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "My name is Ark Deus Aionysius, child of time and chaos," he began. The words felt both strange and empowering, as if stating them aloud solidified his identity. "I was born in the Realm of Akundia, in the year 3500 on the day of the Solar Convergence."

Chrono Nexus's eyes sparkled with pride at his introduction. "That's quite the introduction," she said softly. "But what brings you to this timeline?"

Ark hesitated, the weight of his mission pressing heavily on his shoulders. He could feel the pull of duty clashing with the fear of altering the past irrevocably. His eyes darted to his mother's, searching for reassurance but finding only a patient, loving gaze. "It's complicated," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Seeing his reluctance, Chrono Nexus reached out, placing a comforting hand on his. "Ark, I'm your mother," she said, her tone filled with unwavering trust. "I may not know everything about you yet, and I can't see clearly into your origin, but I would never treat something so precious to me poorly. So why can't you trust me?"

Ark sighed deeply, the tension in his body easing slightly at her words. "You've done nothing wrong, mother," he admitted. "It's just… if I tell you, it might jeopardize my mission. There are risks involved that I can't fully talk about."

Chrono Nexus's eyes softened, but a flicker of concern passed through them. "For it to be something you're afraid to tell me," she said thoughtfully, "must mean it is something personally related to me. Something that might compel me to act or prevent something from happening."

Ark managed a small smile, appreciating her perceptiveness. "You've always been so insightful, mother," he said with a touch of admiration. "I guess that's one of the perks of being the goddess of time."

Her expression grew more serious, the implications of his words sinking in. She steeled herself, knowing that whatever he was grappling with was crucial. "Whatever it is," she said firmly, "I promise I won't interfere. But I need to know what's going on, Ark. I need to understand."

In the recesses of his mind, Genesis's voice whispered a warning. "†[This could damage the timeline, Lord Ark.]†"

Ark looked at the small fairy hovering near him, a thoughtful expression on his face. He then turned back to Chrono Nexus, a faint smile spreading on his lips. "We can't be sure, Genesis," he replied in his thoughts. "For all we know, this could have already happened before."