The most disturbing event of my early life was the encounter with the giant snake. It was during my first job as a sailor. That was the part about the probe I remembered most. 

That day, the captain had decided to give me the helm. "The wind will guide you home," he said that day. "Just make sure to keep the helm from steering us off course." 

He loved his bottle that one. He'd relish every chance to hide in his small cabin and drink till he pa.s.sed out. The weather had quickly changed that day. Waves gained significant sizes, and the sea turned hostile. 

In a flash, the sky had turned dark. It started pouring although there was no indication of an incoming storm just seconds before. Winds howled and our s.h.i.+p began swaying dangerously. 

The the s.h.i.+p stopped moving.

It felt like something stirred beneath us. Before the captain's drunken legs could carry him outside, our s.h.i.+p was shooting up toward the sky. 

A colossal mountain emerged from underneath the sea. We all held on for dear life as we felt our stomachs churn and our hair stick to our foreheads. At first, we thought a giant wave was carrying us to a deadly crash and our inevitable doom. When things calmed down however, we realized that the s.h.i.+p had come to a standstill. 

We were stranded atop a solid surface. Deep blue rocks littered the place around us. They were shaped like scales. It was only when one of our crew members screamed in horror that we all looked up. 

A giant eye was blocking our view. When it blinked, its internal lids slid horizontally. Whispers of curses and the end of days reached my ears then. I had eyes but for the snake at that moment. It seemed like it wanted to tell me something, but I couldn't tell what it was. 

Then, in the blink of an eye, its forked tongue was lodged deep inside my left shoulder. I screamed and wailed as the snake's tongue pulsated. When it finally let go of me, it had a snowflake shaped crystal at the tip. It brought it to its mouth. Then its reptilian eyes changed form. 

They instantly turned black, while its pupil went from oblong to rectangular. The strangest golden shapes, liquid but gas at the same time, danced inside the snake's transformed eye. 

It hissed. Then its tongue lashed out at the crew. Their screams were but short, high-pitched gasps. The snake's giant tongue had ripped them apart before they even realized what happened. I was drenched in blood, shocked and scared out of my wits. 

The snake then coiled around itself and slowly submerged itself under the sea. The s.h.i.+p started moving, as though it had its own will, while I lay on the deck. I could never explain why I was spared that day. Looking at it now from this perspective, I realized it was a Fragment the snake had stolen from me. 

When we got back to that dark room in Yanoku, I was drenched in sweat. Omega was looking at me with a weird expression on his face. His jaw had dropped, and his eyes had grown wider than humanly possible. He remained like that for a while before exploding into uncontrollable laughter. 

"Minsec's read right through you, you sly f.u.c.ker!" he said as he kept roaring. "You're not even supposed to be alive!" 

"What the h.e.l.l happened back then?" I asked. "What is that snake anyway?" 

Omega scratched his clean shaven chin. "I don't know where to start," he said, thoughtful. "I was leaning towards killing you here. Now I think I may yet have a use for you..." 

"That was a Fragment he took from me," I said. "Why did I have a Fragment as a child?" 

"The question is why would Empor's pet take it away from you?" Omega asked. 

"Empor..." I said. That name rang a bell. "Isn't that one of the Primordials?" 

Omega nodded approvingly. "How did you come upon such knowledge?" he asked. 

"I made a deal with some demons," I said. 

"And lived to tell the tale?" Omega said. "You are one peculiar son of a b.i.t.c.h. Minsec rarely comes out of his slumber. I can see why he did that for you. Then again... Minsec asked me to kill you..." 

Whoever this Omega was, he was definitely more powerful than my grandfather. I had to choose my words carefully. 

"I don't want to die," I told him. "I don't want to live either, only to face impossible odds once more. If you want to kill me, go ahead. I have no power to speak of. I can't stop you, nor can I escape from you. If you choose to keep me alive, then –" I stood then kowtowed before the strange man. "Please teach me how to get stronger." 

Omega chuckled. "Rise, child!" he said. "I never thought I'd see the day when the blood of the Tyrant bows to me." 

I didn't move. If I had to submit in order to learn, so be it. I found someone who could actually teach me about the world. "I've been fighting in the dark for too long," I said with my head still bowed. "I refuse to live a life of ignorance. Teach how to get stronger, and you'll find in me a useful, and in time, a powerful ally." 

"Your grandfather pampered me with gifts and traveled to distant moons to finally get me to teach him," Omega said. "You, however..." he cackled. "You're a fine specimen, Myles Stalwart." He beckoned me to stand. "Tell me, what makes you think you're worth my time?" he asked. 

"I survived the worst," I replied. "I've survived against that snake, against the Church, against my grandfather, and even against that beast they call Abrath. I survived against you, and your probe." 

Omega leaned forward. "You've met Abrath too... Interesting!" he said in a thoughtful tone. "Why haven't I seen this when I probed you?"

"I can give you Theolonius Stalwart," I quickly changed the subject. It was time to make my move. This man would only acknowledge power, real power. I had to prove I was worth his time. "Not the one here in this timeline. I think you'd already have captured him if you wanted. I can give you an old Stalwart, older than the one I escaped from." 

"I've scoured the labyrinth in search for that sly old man," Omega said. "You can't have found him there. If you're playing games with me..." he warned. His eyes lit up, as though they were made of flame. Or was it just my imagination?

"I think he had something to do with the Fragment I had," I said, swallowing my fear. I shouldn't let this man see any hesitation. "Ever since I received it, he came to see me many times." This was my trump card. I had to keep it as close to my chest as I could. 

"I can probe you again," Omega said. His smiles had completely vanished. "I'll find out where he is eventually." 

"I've hidden his presence from Evangelica Grant for so long," I said. "She was practically part of me, yet she never found out. I'll do the same if you probe me. I won't let you see where he is even if it kills me, or drives me crazy, whichever comes first."