User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater: The Butterfly Effect, chapter 6: Unexpected Developments

The world in which the two of them now stood was one familiar yet wholly unfamiliar to either of them.

Prior to this moment, both Will and Silas had only seen the old world through pictures and stories. But neither of them could have imagined what it would be like to be amidst such a plain and unassuming locale.

“Where we are now,” Silas began, “is in a small town in the state of California, in the country of the United States of America on the North American continent. It is in this town, according to our files and what information we’ve gleaned from Operation Looking Glass, that Isaac Feldman was born… here, in 2045. At least…”

“…in every other timeline, correct?” interjected Will. “Because where we are now is World Line Prime. The one timeline where Isaac Feldman doesn’t exist. So who… or what… was born in his place?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” came Silas’ reply. “The town’s only hospital is a few miles northwest of here… we should start walking if we want to make it in time.”

Will nodded, and the two of them set off towards their destination…

Thanks to the documents Silas had taken the liberty of forging ahead of time, the two of them were able to get into the hospital with little trouble. A little trickery here and there, and two supervising physicians were on their way to attend to a birth that was scheduled for that day, in a particular room on the third floor. But what awaited them was…?

“F… Feldman?”

Silas’ mouth was agape at the nameplate on the wall. In this timeline, Isaac Feldman did not exist, so… what was this…?

“There’s no mistake,” spoke Will. “The parents here are indeed named Feldman… so that would mean…!”

“It’s too hasty to jump to conclusions so soon,” advised Silas. “This is World Line Prime… so the one born here shouldn’t be Isaac Feldman. We just need to wait, until—”

The sudden cries of the mother within snapped them out of their stupor. She had gone into the final stages of labor… it would not be long, now.

Time seemed to come to a halt as Will and Silas waited outside the delivery room with bated breath. Their minds worked double time as everything around them seemed to slow to a crawl, their heartbeats reverberating through their bodies.

What was about to transpire here would reveal to them the truth about World Line Prime… and give them a crucial clue as to what would eventually cause the complete end of the timeline…

“Deep breaths…  Push! Push!”

The calm yet firm voice of the attending nurse alerted them to the impending birth—and the subsequent cries of a newborn child brought an end to a harrowing ordeal for all involved.

Silas and Will slumped against the wall outside, catching their breath and regaining their senses.

“Now’s the moment of truth,” spoke Silas. “Now’s when we’ll find out the truth of this timeline once and for all. You ready?”

He looked over at Will, who nodded.

“Have you decided on a name?”  A male voice, presumably belonging to the father, echoed forth through the door of the delivery room. Silas could not help but notice a certain familiarity in the voice—

—while Will’s face went white as a sheet, an expression of stark fear and sudden understanding. There was no way… but there was no mistaking that voice. After all, he was—

Before Will could say anything, however, the mother spoke up.

“I was thinking…”

Both Will and Silas held their breaths in anticipation. This was it. This was the moment that would decide everything.

“…that I’d name him Isaac.”

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