"You look surprised, child." Santa Claus sipped his Hot Cocoa, his tone relaxed.
"Of course, Mr. Nicholas." Will nodded.
How could he not be shocked? Will could hear the malice time bore Wizards in Santa Claus's words. Though, really, time seemed to hold that malice only for Wizards who practiced Time Travel.
Time had turned Santa Claus into a prisoner split across different periods. No wonder he had asked Will whether he had been trapped in a time loop for too long.
"So don't toy with time, and don't push your luck with it. The more you travel through time, the more entangled with it you become.
"From the look of you, is this the first time time has struck back?"
"Yes, sir."
"Don't worry. The first time usually isn't a problem, as long as you survive the attack—though the process may have some fatal effects. Different organs might be affected by different periods of time, or the years might wash over your body.
"Once you've been through it, time generally won't do anything more to you, unless you repeatedly make another major leap through time.
"There's no telling when an attack might come. It could happen just after you finish traveling through time, or while you're eating or sleeping one day.
"Or the next time you travel through time."
Santa Claus spoke as casually as if he were suggesting Will eat a little less at dinner.
Will suspected he had already survived the first attack. He might have died of old age once, only to escape because he had transformed into a Phoenix beforehand.
Will nodded, his spirits sinking.
Santa Claus poured more Hot Cocoa into Will's cup. "You're not in a very good mood. Why not draw on that Joy Core of yours?"
"I only use it when