Quote Originally Posted by Cilia View Post
Time travel is really [kupo]ing complicated.

Since we exist as a consequence of the Elpis time loop, we can't observe any potential timeline where it does not happen, but that doesn't mean those timelines don't exist. In one timeline "Azem" is reborn in the 8th Astral Era and fulfills the promise. In another the 9th. In another the 2nd. In another not at all. And so on and so forth. We just can't observe or interact with them, since the "us" of this reality exists as a consequence of history as we know it.

Elpis is a time loop. From our perspective it has to happen, because we exist as a consequence of it; we know this by Argos' friendliness toward us (or lack thereof) depending on "when" we are. If the Elpis time loop as we know it doesn't happen, we get a Doctor Strange Supreme situation where the timeline autocorrects itself from our perspective so the events of history leading up to our trip to Elpis take place. How those autocorrections take place... who knows. Push too far and you'll cause a time crash or branching timeline, the former of which would be very bad and the latter of which we don't know we could return from.

As far as our ability to perceive time goes, the Elpis loop is a fixed point in time. I'm expecting Pandaemonium to be similar.
My point is that the Elpis time loop is conditional to us being able to get there with the Crystal tower on the First. Which we shouldnt be able to do without G'rahas initial time jump. His timeline is wholly separate from ours, so how did it work back there? It could just be "coincidentally the same results but with different actions leading to it" but its an unsatisfying answer.