Aether's heart skipped a beat.

Just what's going on here?

This old woman appeared randomly and started rambling like an old lady… well, she was, but anyway.

Aether frowned, "My fate?" As far as he remembered, his fate had already been severed, right? That's why his log said that they were stealing his partner's fate to cope with this life in the name of Affection Points, right?

Prophetess nodded, "Indeed…"

"But I thought I didn't have fate."

"Haha… who told you that?" she asked with a low, weary chuckle, one that sounded like someone who had watched countless fools misunderstand their own lives.

Aether blinked, "I mean… I lost my future to your fucking husband's scheme, right?"

The Prophetess turned silent for a moment as she stared at the end of the mountain base where the river was running towards the ocean… then nodded softly.

Her expression shifted, touched with sorrow, as if she carried the weight of what her husband had done.

"You know, Aether… there are those who try to drink from a river while it still runs wild," she said, resting her gaze on him. "They believe the water loses its taste once it reaches the ocean."

Aether nodded with a small frown, not fully understanding but unable to ignore the strange pressure tightening in his chest.

The Prophetess continued, "But they didn't know… the river kept flowing even faster as long as the ocean was there. That's why some things were meant to happen one way or another… no matter what…"

Her voice thinned at the end, as if speaking the truth cost her something.

Just then, a breeze appeared, and a group of leaves flowed towards them. Aether squinted his eyes as the leaves passed them with the breeze, brushing his skin.

The Prophetess noticed only one leaf on his hair stuck… which was kind of dried, as if it was very old.

The Prophetess smiled under the hoodie as she muttered gently, "Even if some cut them."

Aether tilted his head with a confused expression, "What are you talking about? I am confused. Just tell me directly!"

The Prophetess lowered her head, "If it were only that easy…" she whispered as she turned to the orange sky and said,

"So, do you seek the truth or not?"

Aether parted his lips slightly, but halted… and inwardly asked, 'Hey, Log, what is this woman talking about?'

However, his log didn't answer him and just stayed silent.

Aether frowned before taking a breath, as he parted his lips to say something when the Prophetess interrupted, saying,

"Remember, You have purpose, Mr. Aether… a destiny that needs to be fulfilled by you and you alone… You cannot forget… You cannot avoid… You shall not escape!! And those who are connected to you shall face the destiny that was never meant for them.

You changed their fate… You caused their fate to converge with you… You cannot avoid it now."

As the sudden breeze flowed, the dried leaf on top of Aether's head lifted and crumbled away as if… it finally finished its fate or something.

The Prophetess continued, "It's not just you stealing them… you sharing it. So they had to face it too. A trial that your fate put them… a trial… for them to prove to their fate." Her words carried the echo of an ancient omen.

Aether blinked in confusion, "Woman, you just told me you cannot change the fate, but now… You're telling me I changed their fate? Are you insane now?" His voice trembled between anger and disbelief as he wore a flabbergasted expression and frowned slightly.

"And… you know too much, don't you?"

As he noticed her words… what did she mean by stealing?

Did that mean she knew he was stealing his beloveds' fate to live?

This old woman… really dangerous one!

Prophetess turned silent for a second before uttering softly, "Seeing the future is not as easy as it looks, child." Her tone shifted into something ancient and weary, like a voice shaped by centuries of visions no mortal should bear.

"Each glimpse taken demands its price… and every price leaves a scar."

Aether's lips twitched; she again didn't answer his question.

"My poor child, she is not ready for this… I was never a mother to her… never been with her… I discarded my children… I… I…" As she shook her head, the fingers holding the staff trembled, "I guess this is my punishment." Her whisper sank with centuries of regret.

Aether frowned, "What are you talking about—"

Before he could finish his words, she turned to him as the sky slowly started to darken behind her.

Shadows stretched along the mountain ridge as if responding to her sorrow.

She said,

"This path cannot be diverged… of all the things, you are the perfect one I have seen so far… Child, if you truly love her… love my child, then are you willing to accept the death?"

Aether blinked, "What are you talking about?"

Prophetess shook her head, "Forgive me… but this is the only path you had to go… they wouldn't let us live… they wouldn't let YOU live… You are their destiny.

And they do anything to diverge from this single line you made it."

Aether blinked, "Who? Why won't they let me live?"

Prophetess again ignored his questions as she said, "Answer me… do you accept the death for my child?"

"…" Aether frowned. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs, hollow and frantic.

For some reason, the words coming from her mouth felt like finality… like he would literally die.

Not a temporary end—an extinguishing, a vanishing from every strand of fate.

And for some reason, the words of Delphine echoed in his mind… as if she was sure he would die too.

This was not making sense at all!

He would be able to return back from the death, right?

That had always been his lifeline!

Why all of a sudden were these two women mentioning that he will die?

Why?

Why did their certainty feel so heavy?

Why did it make him feel… real?

As if… he would forever disappear!

Aether shook his head, "No, I am not accepting death… no way! ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?!"

Prophetess taken aback, "So you didn't love my child?"

Aether bit his lips, "Yes, I love her, okay? I fucking love her and do anything for her…" As he clenched his fist, his lips trembled, "But I am not alone anymore… I cannot die… others would be sad… I cannot and…" his eyes glowed black-white,

"She made her choice and… I accept it, but I cannot die for it… I… I am sorry."

Prophetess blinked, "Even though she was ready to die for you?"

Aether's heart skipped a beat, "W-What do you mean?"

Prophetess lifted her head enough to see Aether's trembling shoulders,

"The Trial started, Mr. Aether… the trial for those who are connected to you… for those who shared their fate with you… Their trial had begun the moment you hammered the last Ebon Stone."

Aether was surprised, "But I didn't—"

"Yes, you are… and you alone are responsible for everything that happened… You are the centre of their game… the piece that could not be played yet… yet it moved the way they needed it, because you are not the only piece they had!"

Aether was flabbergasted.

She started to circle around him slowly as she said,

"Did you think… You coincidentally encountered a long-dead… Ancient Dragon's spirit?"

"Did you think… You coincidentally awakened a Primordial bloodline inside that Last Phoenix?"

"Did you think… coincidentally those two women of yours… cannot call their Origin Card unless it bears your name?"

"Did you think… You coincidentally were chosen by The Aquilon Nairen?"

"Or… did you forget that my daughter was the only one who gave you… the boost to your Survival Rate, or whatever you name that thing?"

Aether's heart skipped a beat when he heard that… as his face turned horrified.

How did she know this much?

So much about him… not even his beloved knew it.

But then he remembered… yeah, Delphine was indeed the one who gave him Survival Rate exponentially just from teasing, unlike others.

Like she was literally increasing his survival every time!!

He totally forgot it!

The Prophetess stood behind him as she stared at his back. For a second, something pulsed on his back, under his shirt. She smiled under the hoodie,

"There are no coincidences…" Her voice carried an almost divine certainty.

Aether slowly turned back, "E-Everything is planned…?"

The Prophetess, for a second, didn't say anything except, "No," shaking her head slowly, "No one could move you… except yourself."

Aether blinked, "What do you mean—"

The Prophetess interrupted, saying, "Choose, child… Mr. Aether… choose wisely.

You cannot escape now… you cannot run away now… this time… you have to choose… You cannot refuse like before."

Her tone grew grim and ancient,

"Choose her love if you want to face death… or accept her words and leave her forever."

As she tapped the staff on his chest, Aether felt a sudden burst of energy surge through him like lightning. His body jolted violently, his breath stolen from his lungs, before the ground slipped away beneath his feet and he fell from the cliff.

Aether's eyes widened; the wind screamed past him as he plummeted. The sky above stretched away like a vanishing dream. Before he could react, something dark rose from below, swallowing him wholefully.

It wrapped around his limbs like a living shadow, pulling him in, devouring sound, devouring light, devouring even the sense of falling.

Everything disappeared inside that pitch-black maw.

The Prophetess stood on the edge of the cliff as she watched Aether disappear… as the sky fully turned dark, she muttered softly,

"A death… should always stay dead!"

The words left her like an old curse, the last breath of a prophecy that had haunted her entire life.

Cough, cough…

She suddenly coughed furiously as blood stained her hoodie, flowing like a river from her mouth. She looked up at the darkened sky... something was there... looking at her dangerously.

The hoodie that hid her face slightly parted... a white ribbon glimpsed out before hiding inside.

"Arrh… Y-You think this pain would stop me… cough, cough… I will… this time… Your Destiny is coming for you…" she muttered coldly.

The blood clung to her chin as she spoke, and the staff in her hand shivered as if it too felt her agony.

Crack!

Then her fingers cracked, crumbling into dust, the particles drifting away on the cold wind as she stumbled forward… and her body followed, collapsing and falling from the cliff!!

"In this line… White and Dark will come for you!"

Those were her last words before the darkness swallowed her, too, just as it had swallowed Aether.

On the edge of the Cliff... the Staff stood there without any support unitl a breeze flowed gently.

Ssshhh~

Thud!

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