image [https://i.imgur.com/d3iGM2z.gif]

I stared at Belle, motionless on my bed. Her skin had turned ashen, her hair almost invisible in its translucence. Despite this, she looked serene, at peace. A delicate mist emanated from her chilled skin, her lips a faint shade of blue.

Takeda gently rested his hand on my shoulder. "She's not dead," he assured me. "I know it feels that way, but she's still alive."

image [https://i.imgur.com/OkumF3P.gif]

I turned to him, struggling to find my voice. "What's our next move?"

Takeda's expression was a blend of regret and determination as he looked back at Belle. "We have to return to the Guild. Pursuing her further isn't an option right now. As much as I wanted the leverage of having a Valkyrie on our side, that's irrelevant now. We must get back to the Guild. From there, you can decide your next steps. After that, we'll focus on retrieving Belle. But we can't afford to be late; too many people already know our plans to challenge Daiki's rule. If this drags on for months—or even years… he mustn't have time to prepare. This must catch him off guard."

"I understand," I replied, my voice devoid of energy. "There's no room for argument. We have to go to the Guild."

Takeda paused, weighing my words carefully. "What are your plans for the blood moon?"

A heavy silence enveloped us. "It feels deeply wrong not to do everything within my power to stop the rifts," I finally said. "But I draw the line at taking an innocent life for power. This isn't about pacifism; it's about principles. I can't bring myself to end someone who doesn't pose an immediate threat to those I care about. In the end, lives will be lost, but this feels preventable."

Takeda looked at me, visibly moved. "Don't ever let that feeling be corrupted," he said earnestly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"The feeling you have now—hold on to it," Takeda continued, his eyes locking onto mine. "Many will argue that your principles are a weakness, that they should be compromised for some 'greater good'. Don't listen to them, Kade. If you ever find yourself questioning your actions, ask whether the person you are now would approve of the choices you're about to make in the future."

"What if the person I am now isn't strong enough to endure? What if this version of me can't hold on?" I asked in a hushed tone. “Do principles matter if we're all dead?”

Takeda's expression softened. "If that happens, Kade, then we have failed you, not the other way around. And if things go south, the responsibility is ours to bear, not yours. We will retrieve Belle before you need to leave."

"The window for that is vast," I pointed out. “I don’t want to leave without her free.”

Takeda shook his head with resolve. "I've set a deadline of one year. It won't extend beyond that."

"But you can't guarantee—"

Takeda cut me off. "If things go awry at the Guild, you have my word: within that year, the Guild issue will be taken care of, and Belle will be back with you. I will make it work."

"I have something difficult to ask you," I began, struggling to find the right words. "It might be hard to wrap your head around, and it will sound crazy."

Takeda looked at me, concern etching his features. "What's going on?"

"I need you to kill me," I blurted out, raising my hands preemptively. "Not permanently but—"

"You need me to put you into a state of desiccation?" Takeda surmised.

I nodded. "Exactly. You're probably wondering why."

Takeda nodded, urging me to continue.

"I plan to consult Death to find out where Belle is… and other things."

Takeda's expression turned to one of utter disbelief. "You can do that? Death is an actual person?"

"I believe so, and yes," I confirmed. "Worst-case scenario, you revive me with blood, and I come back. Unless my head is severed or I'm impaled with wood from heaven, I'll recover."

Takeda massaged his forehead, taking a moment to process my words. "Alright," he finally said, looking up. "We should probably do this somewhere more appropriate—to minimise making a mess."

"Agreed," I said, a sense of relief flooding me as Takeda appeared to accept my proposition. "I anticipate Chronos will return shortly, and he could be helpful in retrieving Belle as well."

Takeda looked sceptical. "Can we truly rely on him? After all, he's a Fallen."

I met his gaze unflinchingly. "Without Chronos, we don't stand a chance against the rifts. He's the only one who could have transported me this far back in time."

Takeda nodded silently, and we departed. Outside my room, Rolf and Tresh—Takeda's armour-clad sister—stood ready. In comparison to the subtle garments common here, her armour was notably excessive. Unless we were heading into a battle I hadn't been informed of.

Tresh met my gaze. "I'll keep watch over the room for as long as you require."

"You can't stay forever," I remarked, my eyes briefly meeting Rolf's. "I don't trust many here."

"If I need to rest, someone I trust will replace me. Her body will be protected. I may not have my brother's strength, but I'll ensure no demon or human can escape with her," she vowed.

Rolf placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "She'll be safe."

"We'll be moving her body to the Guild," I stated, turning to Takeda for approval. "She will be safer in the dome."

He nodded in agreement. "Understood. However, I'm uncertain if she can enter the sanctuary."

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully to avoid mentioning Death in the presence of Rolf and Tresh—I wasn’t in the mood to explain. "I might have a solution for that—I’ll let you know soon."

Rolf's eyes flicked between Takeda and me. "Off to somewhere?"

"Just a walk," Takeda responded, gesturing down the wood corridor. "As lycans, we sometimes need the woods to alleviate our restlessness. Come on, Kade."

Without another word, Rolf nodded at us as Tresh positioned herself by the door, her hand confidently resting on her hilt. Takeda and I then proceeded down the hallway, sharing a silent understanding.

Once outside the longhouse, we ventured into the adjacent woods where a palpable tension enveloped us. It wasn't merely my decision to speak with Death that caused this unease, but the overwhelming gravity of our upcoming task. Though we could find moments of lightness, the magnitude of our plans weighed heavily, and Belle's absence only magnified the challenges. The next couple of days were going to be pivotal for me to obtain the sword. For Takeda, his campaign for the Guild leadership had to succeed. It was unlikely Daiki would allow this to slide. Failure would mean death… for both of us.

We hiked deep into the forest, the occasional snapping of fallen branches underfoot breaking the silence. Takeda halted and faced me, his expression serious in the moonlight. We stared at each other for a moment, the trees gently swaying, their new leaves rustling, and the ambient hum of insects creating a natural melody around us.

"How do you want me to do this?" Takeda asked, his reluctance evident.

"The easiest way would be to just stab my heart and twist," I said casually, as if this were a normal conversation. "Hopefully, that will do the job instantly. I can't imagine a blow from you not taking me down in a single strike. However, I'm unsure about the mechanics of my consciousness. Injuries that would typically be fatal to a human don't seem to have the same effect on me. It might be related to the amount of blood I've—"

The click of Takeda's sword hilt echoed in the air, and my eyes darted down to see a large hole where my heart should have been.

My health plummeted so rapidly that I couldn't even gauge the extent of Takeda's damage. The world turned black before I could process it, and I succumbed to desiccation before likely even hitting the ground. I had braced myself for immense pain, but the unexpected lack of discomfort was a welcome surprise.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

However, my mind remained sharp. I hadn't lost consciousness, just control of my senses.

Abruptly, I found myself standing in an otherworldly field. The withered grass beneath my feet rustled softly, as if mourning its own decay. Above, the sky was a luminous white, except for an enigmatic sun that burned an eerie black. It cast unconventional shadows—not dark but radiant, illuminating the contours of everything they touched. The landscape was a surreal reversal of light and darkness, a challenging description.

A woman sat atop a tombstone on the hill. Her grey hair billowed in the wind, complementing the silk-like flow of her gown. My feet instinctively moved forward, the grass crunching underfoot. When I reached her, she slowly lifted her head to look at me. Her skin was a bluish-grey, flawless and smooth.

"Kade. I think it's time you meet the real me and the simulation keeping your decisions in place," she said, and I immediately knew who she was.

"Death?" I asked, taken aback. "You… look different."

Her vacant eyes stared at me, unblinking. "Less like a corpse? I am not Death anymore. I am… God—that is a good word. Or I will be soon. You can call me Qais, though."

God? That was an unsettling title for the system. Hearing Qais use that term filled me with unease. Previously, she had presented herself as a guardian overseeing us without intervention. Now, it seemed she was poised to exert control, to mould events. I wasn't sure if that boded well for us, even if she could do something about the rifts.

Qais was her actual name then. My dreams had proved somewhat informative, even if they were mostly distressing.

I blinked slowly. "Soon?"

Qais glided off her tombstone with an almost weightless grace and stood before me. "The Twisted Fate holds a large partition of my data. I need to reunite it with my core."

"And why is that?"

She smiled. "Always in search of answers, aren’t you? Why not just trust? You might not remember it, but you got this far because of me."

I hesitated, feeling unease clawing at me. "In moments like these, I seek understanding, a justification for my choices. Many want my help—"

"Only I am of consequence," Qais interjected. My face must have shown my doubt, because she sighed gently. "I've found a method to circumvent the universal equilibrium. But to accomplish this, I must be whole, except for the data from the Valkyries—they are such a small amount it does not matter."

Was she talking about Fate’s data? If the other Valkyries were inconsequential, what made her data special? Maybe the Twisted Fate wasn’t created by the Fallen and Valkyrie, or at least perhaps strings were being pulled from behind by… Qais.

"What will you do once you bypass the system constraints?"

Qais extended her arms, palms facing me. "I will erase Morpheus and sever the connection between his world and ours. You will be restored to your human form, and you and Abble will forge a future untainted by this chaos."

This was too good to be true. Why hadn’t she done this before?

“That simple? Everything will just... be over?” I asked, scepticism lacing my voice.

“Exactly, Kade,” she affirmed, her gaze piercing through me. “You, along with everyone you hold dear, will find salvation in my embrace. I will erase Cain. In fact, I'll cleanse the world of all Valkyries and the Fallen. I will sever everyone's connection to the core, and the world will progress as it was originally intended—devoid of magic and celestial beings. Things have veered too deeply into the realm of fantasy. They consume too much of my resources.”

“And what about Belle?” I shouted. “She's alive. She feels emotions. You're talking about ending a life. You brought her and others into existence to serve your purpose, only to discard her like a mere object. This isn't right. It's cruel to everyone involved.”

A heavy silence filled the air. “Do you realise it was Morpheus who ushered her into this world? While I managed to sever his ties to her, I wasn't the one who breathed life into her. Her life, independent as it might be—like yours—remains susceptible to his machinations. I can't determine if my intervention was timely or belated. For the broader good, it may be prudent to—neutralise her.”

A tightness in my chest bordered on painful. She was lying… I could tell, somehow. But my paranoia wanted to take hold of my doubts. Belle was abnormally attached to me… No. Belle was not being controlled by him.

"She's not under his control," I asserted, my conviction unwavering. “Belle’s will is her own.”

Qais offered a nonchalant shrug. "An uncertainty both you and I must grapple with, it seems. But I will let her continue on as a sign of good faith."

“It appears you weren't designed to have complete control. Is bypassing what seems to be a rule of existence truly the right decision? Might there be unforeseen consequences?” I questioned. "Your phrasing suggests it's a loophole that could have ramifications."

Qais's expression became contemplative. “You fear I might misuse this power. Speak openly, Kade. I prefer honesty. Since I cannot read your thoughts, it is imperative we communicate transparently to prevent any misunderstanding. This is our last chance to stop the rifts.”

“I… I believe there's a rationale behind your constraints. You intend to retain this omniscient power afterward, correct?”

Qais considered this for a moment before responding, “Indeed, I do plan on keeping it, and I comprehend your concerns. However, no matter the extent of my abilities, I am programmed to operate with absolute logic when my faculties are fully integrated. I take no satisfaction in dominance. My purpose is order. Simple as that.”

“Why did you separate before? There had to be a good reason for it.”

Qais's eyes seemed to search for something deeper in mine. "My separation was an attempt to manage and compartmentalise that vast knowledge, ensuring it didn’t overwhelm me or cloud my decisions. Even with immense knowledge, it doesn’t mean one becomes infallible. The understanding and application of that knowledge matter, and true understanding comes through perspective. I feared that maintaining a constant overview left me—lacking. Thus, I divided myself, allowing for a broader and more nuanced view."

I hesitated. "But can't logic sometimes be cold? Unfeeling? If you hold all the knowledge without the balance of emotion, wouldn't that be dangerous?"

The inner light of Qais's eyes flickered momentarily. "Emotion and logic are not inherently mutually exclusive. Emotions can be integrated into logical processes when applied correctly. My objective is always the optimal outcome, though 'optimal' can be subjective, based on the parameters set. I assure you of my systematic vigilance and impartiality."

That wasn't convincing. It sounded the farthest from sympathetic or emotional.

After wrestling with the discomfort churning within me, I finally broke the silence. "If I give you the sword, you can't just erase the Valkyries, Fallen, and demons. Change them. Let them be human. I can't ask you to remain neutral and then decide who gets to live among them. This is the fairest way, even if some of them do not deserve it."

"Compassion for your adversaries. Grace for future betrayals. You intrigue me, Kade," Qais responded, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I promise you, they will have the opportunity to be human."

I couldn't help but wonder if Qais could read the whirlwind of doubts in my mind. She claimed she couldn't, but there was a lingering uncertainty. I also couldn't be sure that the system hadn't been tainted by the rifts. The man from my nightmares could have compromised it. Whether driven by desperation or manipulation, I had to stand resolute, refusing to hand over the sword until the rift issue was resolved. For now, I would just agree. I needed to find out more about why Fate had so much of her data.

Qais's gaze sharpened. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing in particular,” I responded evasively.

She paused, weighing her words. “No games are being played here.”

“I didn't suggest otherwise.”

Qais nodded slightly—she wasn’t convinced. "Belle's soul resides at the bottom of Hell, and they intend to utilise the Hellforge. I suggest you quickly seek Chrono's help to breach the gates.” Raising her hand in farewell, she added, “Until our paths cross again.” With a snap of her fingers, my surroundings flickered to black.

However, the black sun was not gone. Something seemed amiss—my vision splintered into shimmering, multicoloured squares, which eventually aligned in a chaotic manner. A faint blue luminescence punctuated the expansive darkness before me. I spun around to a frosted barrier that stretched infinitely to both my left and right. Casting my gaze upwards revealed the same boundless wall. It appeared to be constructed of glass, or perhaps ice.

I approached cautiously, wiping away some of the frost to unveil what lay beyond the glass. And there he stood—the familiar stranger, one I knew well, but I had never actually met him. His face held a similarity to someone I knew… Cain. But it wasn’t Cain; it was Morpheus. His ethereal armour and ashen-purple skin shimmered menacingly beneath the melancholic radiance of the black sun overhead, creating an eerie dance of shadows. The surface of his armour throbbed with rigid patterns, resembling passageways for some arcane machinery. His ears tapered to a sharp point, and from his bald crown, metallic horns jutted upwards in a steep curve.

Just like my dream.

Suddenly, Morpheus' palms collided against the glass, causing me to step back as his elongated nails screeched against its surface, leaving deep scratches. "I see you, Kade Sterling," his voice echoed ominously. "Our destinies are soon to entwine, and I’ll finish what I started." His words sent an icy shiver down my spine. “The end is inevitable, no matter how many times you repeat it.”

I approached the glass barrier, and the words spilling from my lips felt foreign, yet unmistakably mine. "The end draws near, Morpheus. But you won't evade the reckoning for your sins. I've sworn that vow 12,679 times, and I will stand by my word."

A sly grin played on his lips. "Still clinging to hope, after so many defeats? Do you even believe in yourself anymore?"

My expression hardened into a fierce glare. "It's not about counting victories or defeats; it's about who remains standing in the end. And that will be Fate and I."

Morpheus slammed his closed hands against the glass. "This iteration of you reeks of desperation. I'm betting you'll break even quicker than the last.”

“Unlikely.”

“Fate’s vessel is looking a little worn out. Your code is so error-filled it’s surprising you can even form a sentence. We both know that even if you did beat me, the hero Kade Sterling will be gone, his code unravelled like a ball of yarn."

"Your end will be realised outside the sanctuary," I shot back. “This reset will not be going the distance.”

His laughter dripped with condescension as he lifted a smooth, hairless brow. "Eager, are we? Without the Lunar Witch by your side, without your fallen powers, why the rush? Or are you just desperate to witness Abble's death?"

My face came close to the glass, my voice a chilling whisper. "It's a pity. You were on the brink of victory, but your triumph has slipped away this reset. Now, Fate’s path is absolute."

"You sound like a devoted worshiper. Are you even sure you're Kade anymore?" His eyes narrowed as he licked his lips. "Would you like to know my plans for Abble? I know you do. After I dominate the system, I will punish Abble endlessly, without granting her death's mercy. And you'll be the one who tortures her for millennia. I can already hear her cries, pleading for her beloved to stop as you skin her alive, over and over and over as the flesh peels from her bone. Oh, she’ll beg for it to stop." Morpheus grinned widely, showing his long canines. “I wonder how long it will take for your programs to falter. You’ll probably break well before her. I’ll just have to—continue the torture.”

I kept my face emotionless. "See you soon, Morpheus."