"Impossible!" Master Harkin declared resolutely upon hearing Will's intention to challenge the Shadow Council. "Why?" Will asked, a note of defiance in his voice. "The Shadow Council is beyond your reach. Do not think that because you miraculously defeated Merlin, you can now take on the entire Shadow Council." Suddenly, Master Harkin's tone shifted, growing serious as he admonished Will and Jin sternly. However, both Will and Jin knew that Harkin was not scolding them out of anger, but out of concern for their lives. "But…" Will found himself momentarily speechless. "Enough! If you've come here intending to defeat the Shadow Council, I'll have Lisa send you both back to your homes tomorrow. And if necessary, I'll erase all memory of this time, so you forget about this entire matter." Master Harkin's fury was evident as he addressed Will and Jin. "But, Master Harkin…" Will attempted to argue, but seeing the intensity of Harkin's anger, he struggled to find the words. "It's late. Go back and rest," Harkin said curtly, extinguishing the white candle beside him. The room was plunged into darkness once again. Will had intended to speak further, but Jin, standing beside him, tugged firmly at his sleeve. With that, Will followed Jin out of the room. "Let's go, quickly!" Jin urged softly, gripping Will's arm as they hurried down the dimly lit corridor. In their panic, they had forgotten how to return to their room, having relied on Lisa's guidance throughout the day. "Don't you remember?" Will asked Jin. "No, I don't," Jin replied sheepishly. "Looks like we'll have to rely on luck," Will said, taking the lead as he moved forward, with Jin following closely behind. After walking some twenty meters, they spotted a door ajar at a corner. "Look, I found it!" Will whispered excitedly to Jin. "But all the rooms here look the same. How can you be sure this is ours?" Jin replied skeptically. "Doesn't matter, let's check it out," Will said, quickening his pace as he headed toward the room. Will pushed open the half-closed door, only to realize he had indeed chosen the wrong room. The room was dimly lit by candles, much larger than theirs, with bookshelves piled high with volumes, some reaching the ceiling. A book lay open on the desk, beside it a quill pen. Opposite the desk stood a tall mirror. "A study? This must be Master Harkin's study," Will mused, stepping into the room. He walked over to the desk, picked up the open book, but soon set it back down—it was filled with indecipherable writing. "Will, come here!" Jin called, standing before the tall mirror, his voice tinged with excitement. "What is it?" Will rushed over. "Look at this mirror, it's strange," Jin pointed at the mirror. Unlike a normal mirror, this one reflected nothing but a swirling vortex of dark, gaseous energy spinning rapidly toward its center. "What is this?" Will asked, curious, as he slowly extended his hand toward the mirror. "Will, don't…" Jin's warning came too late. As Will's hand touched the mirror, a powerful force pulled it in, and in a frantic attempt to save him, Jin grabbed his arm. But the force was too strong, and soon, Jin was pulled in as well. "Ah!" Will and Jin screamed as they were sucked into the mirror. Before them was a flowing, gray liquid, like water, and they were swept along with it at high speed. "Where are we?" Will shouted. "How should I know? It's your fault! Touching things recklessly!" Jin shouted back. Suddenly, a bright white light appeared ahead, likely signaling the end of their strange journey. With a flash, the light enveloped them, and Will and Jin found themselves falling to the ground—face-first. "Where is this? This isn't the study from before!" Will slowly stood up, surveying his surroundings. The room was vast and magnificent, far grander than the study. "I don't know… did we go through some kind of portal? Are we somewhere else?" Jin also stood, rubbing his face where he had hit the ground. Before they could make sense of their situation, a familiar voice suddenly reached their ears. "King Sam II, you must head to the sanctuary at once. General Cole and the Shadow Council are about to break in." The voice was that of Master Harkin, though not the one they knew. This version of him appeared far more energetic, his beard shorter, his hair less disheveled. "Is that Sam II, the one who was unconscious?" Will whispered to Jin, who only nodded in response. "Could we have been sent back ten years in time?" Jin asked quietly. "Perhaps. I think they can help us get back," Will said. "Master Harkin! Where are we?" Will suddenly dashed toward the younger Harkin, hoping for assistance. However, as he reached out to grab Harkin's hand, his hand passed right through it. "What?" Will exclaimed, horrified. "Will, they can't see us," Jin said, walking up to the young King Sam II. He waved his hand in front of the king, but Sam's gaze remained fixed on the distant door. "What do we do now? How can we return?" Will said in panic. He turned and waved at the younger Harkin, but once again, Harkin remained oblivious to his presence. Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the room. The palace doors were blown open, and thick black smoke filled the entrance. "What's going on?" Will turned, confused. "Ah, so our king really didn't escape on his own," came another familiar voice from the smoke. Gradually, four figures emerged from the haze, drawing closer. "It's Merlin," Jin said, his tone serious. "Ugh, this feels so strange. We just killed him, and now we're about to see him again—only this time, it's ten years ago." Will walked over to Jin's side, and the two of them, standing opposite the young Harkin and King Sam II, faced Merlin and his entourage. The four figures stepped through the black smoke, coming to a halt before the king and the master. "Merlin, do you know what you're doing?" Master Harkin demanded, his voice trembling with anger. But Merlin appeared completely unremorseful, smiling wickedly at Harkin. "Of course, Master. I'm doing what's right," Merlin replied with a sly grin. "Enough talk, let's finish this quickly," said a tall man standing next to Merlin. He had silver hair and wore a fine suit, a glowing silver sword at his waist. "Yes, Lord Cole," Merlin responded, bowing to the man. "Marcus, Arno, get ready. I don't want any mistakes. After all, our opponent is hailed as the greatest mage in the United Nations," Cole said sternly. "Hmph! The greatest mage in the United Nations?" A shorter man standing beside Cole scoffed. "We're going in, Arno!" Marcus, the man with the silver hair, instructed, and a large, muscular man named Arno immediately charged toward the young Harkin and King Sam II. Marcus and Merlin both extended their hands, ready to strike.
