“Tell me, where are my parents?”

Omri’s composed expression became gloomy. He paused for a bit and stuttered.

“Y-young prince, we managed to meet up with their majesties after they secured your escape last night… but, they opted to stay and defend the palace together with the Royal Guards.”

“What made them stay rather than to flee? Did anyone even try stopping them?” I gripped Omri's sleeve, anticipating his answer.

“Prince, your father informed us that there was a large number of loose Threads of Fate looming within the Palace. Sir Turris and Miss Sagitta stepped up to aid their majesties but were refused. They urged that the royal guards were enough.” Omri’s face had become pale.

“T-the queen also mentioned that the threads had an obsidian hue, and the only way to deal with them was to cut through them. Her highness then urged us to evacuate immediately.” 

I tried invoking foresight to locate them but my mana refused to flow out. I was too tired and the only thing I was able to feel was their weak filial bonds. I felt helpless and my throat felt tight and my eyes started to well up.

“I… I know they’re still here. I can feel their bonds, it is very faint. But I can't see anything further ahead.” I whimpered. 

“Omri… What should I do? What if the mother and father are trapped in the palace? What if I won’t be able to see them anymore?” Panic then clouded my mind. 

The feeling of sorrow overwhelmed me. Losing both of my parents was likely as they faced unknown adversaries. I broke down and tears swelled from my eyes, my cheeks got wet and I started to sob. Omri saw my pitiful state, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight hug then stroked my back. It was comforting.

The warmth of Omri's embrace made me recall the events last night

───༺ ❖ ༻───

I woke up in my father’s arms, he was short on breath and was struggling to carry me as he ran. I saw my mother by his side, equally exhausted. It looked like they were being chased by something. 

“Mother, father? What is going on?” I asked in a dazed voice. 

My father cast a spell that warped us to his study room. Then I saw my mother securing the room further by applying a protection spell to the perimeter. Father put me down on the couch and slumped beside me to rest.

“H-how long can you hold the spell, Stella?” Father asked my mother as he caught his breath.

“We have about 15 minutes at most. That should be enough.” Mother glanced at the clock on the wall, it was almost midnight. She sighed in relief as she sat on the ottoman across from me.

"Ath, we don't have much time left, but please listen well.” She then held my face with both hands and kissed my forehead. I felt a bit of her mana pulsing through her lips. It was warm and comforting, but I felt a bit of sadness imbued to it.

“No matter what happens from here on, do not feel any regrets. We chose to do this, never blame yourself, alright?”

Mother's tears welled up and trickled from her cheeks and her emerald eyes were full of sorrow. She paused for a bit then, composed herself, and looked into my eyes with a determined expression. 

She then held both of my hands and declared. "I, Florestella Nocte Ferre, renounce the divine blessing of Fated Protection, and in turn, bequeath it to Athos Dimitte Ferre my son." 

I sensed a gentle mana current, enveloping my body. I felt a lot lighter than usual and I saw a white aura radiating from my body. It then disappears a few seconds after. 

The Fated Protection. It was a divine blessing bestowed to the empresses of the Palace. It grants the possessor total immunity to curses, poisons, and enhances the body's healing capability by tenfold. Seeing my mother pass it onto me gave me a feeling of uncertainty. What drove her to do this?

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"May the Divine End protect you and keep you safe." My mother slowly let go of my hands, then glanced towards my father. 

“Lucis… it’s your turn.” 

Father sat up straight and held both my hands. I felt his warm mana gradually seep through my body. He stared at me, his vibrant emerald eyes that were filled with sorrow.

"Athos, this will be a bit painful, but please bear with it alright?” He calmly assured me. 

Afterwards, he then invoked the Tome of the Moirais. Then I felt it, the mana surging faster and intensifying into a burning sensation.

I saw the Tome dissolve into fine dust, it was tinged with a golden aura and was hovering in the air. Then, slowly the dust moved towards my face. I felt it slowly diffuse into my eyes, it stings a bit like how real dust gets stuck in the eyes.

“Fate is a divine, intangible force that flowed through the world lines. It was said that when Fate becomes aware of its purpose and awakens to its senses, it manifests physically and becomes Mana. All sentient life forms were all born from it, as prescribed by Fate.”

I felt my father's grip tighten.

"In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. But, the Divine End saw through the void… I, one of the descendants of the Divine End, Lucis Regius Ferre revoke my proprietorship of the Tome and in turn, bestow it to Athos Dimitte Ferre."

I felt the full strength of my father's mana flow into me. The burning sensation turned into pain. It felt like being struck with lightning and being burned alive at the same time. 

"I-it hurts….Ugh… F-father." 

"Just a little bit more Athos, you can bear it. I believe in you." He said in an apologetic tone.

My eyes felt like it was being gouged out and the feeling of my body was like it was being electrocuted to pieces, I felt a scorching sensation on my skin. It was excruciating, I thought an hour had passed, but in reality, the ordeal only took a minute.

Eventually, the father’s grip loosened, and the mana surge faded. The pain also subsided and was instead replaced by a warm, comforting feeling. Mother sat beside me and then cast a recovery spell. She also fixed my wrinkled shirt and put warm slippers on my cold feet.

"May the eyes of the Divine End bless you, Athos..." 

Father then let go of my hands and stared at me with forlorn eyes. He spread out his arms and gave me and mother a generous hug.

I gazed at my parent's faces, they were smiling at me. It was the same expression they had when they tuck me into bed every night. I felt their embrace ease up, my mother gave me a peck on the cheek and my father stroked my head.

"We will always be with you, Athos." 

Father then activated a teleportation spell, I slowly saw the room change. Next thing I knew. I was sitting alone on a bench, on an empty alleyway. The moon in the sky was full and bright.

───༺ ❖ ༻───

"...My prince, are you alright? You passed out for a bit there.” Omri stared at me with a concerned face and assisted my back. He also wiped the dried-up tears off my cheeks. My eyes were also a bit swollen from the crying.

“H-how long was I out?” I asked in a bewildered tone. I tried to sit up straight, but my body felt heavy and I felt a splitting headache. “Ugh… I feel sick.” I held my hand on my forehead and sat down on the ground. It seems that the mental recoil of exhausting mana took its toll on me.

“You were out for about four minutes my prince.” he then cast a recovery spell on me. Omri then massaged my forehead to relieve me of my headache.

Omri, seeing my bleak mental state, swiftly folded his cloak. He then gestured for me to lie down and rest. He then placed the folded cloak under my head to cushion it. Then, sat down next to me. “Take a break, my prince, I’ve already set up a barrier to protect us when you fell unconscious earlier. 

I sighed and closed my eyes briefly to rest. It was frustrating to be helpless at times like these. I felt inadequate, and for letting Omri see me as a weak prince. I should suppress these emotions of mine as my subconscious would invoke my mind’s memory room involuntarily. Causing me to lose too much mana in one day. Too bad the Fated Protection doesn't cover Mana exhaustion.’

As I waited for my strength to return, I recalled Omri’s information.

“Threads, having an obsidian hue… could it be Black Threads of Fate?” 

It was innate for us Moirais to be able to perceive the Threads of Fate. But to be able to distinguish the thread’s colour with mere sight meant that Moira had a high accumulation of Divinity and can manipulate the Threads of Fate.

I remembered the first chapter of the Tome of Moirais in my head.

Fate Threads manifested in three colours. The most common was gold, it is present on any living thing and the golden hue symbolized a strong bond to the world line. The second most common was red, the hue represents the bonds forged from the blood. 

To keep the person’s existence the Soul, to their designated world line. We the Moirais are tasked to manage the Threads of Fate. When a person dies of natural causes, the gold thread loses its lustre, it then must be tied to the person’s soul. The same also applies if a red thread thins, however, it must be woven into the soul.

Failing to weave or tie the threads meant letting the soul wander the World’s Abyss. And that is where the most uncommon colour appears, the Black Threads of Fate.

When a person’s Thread of Fate is cut with the use of Divinity, their connection to Mana is also cut off, thus erasing their existence in the world line. Tainted by the Abyss, the gold or red thread associated with the person will decay and turn black. There are no known means to purify a blackened thread. 

Once the Thread of Fate turns black, the soul attached to will be dragged to the Abyss, unable to reincarnate. It then causes Mana to stagnate. If Mana wasn’t properly circulated on its world line, a rift may form, allowing other worlds to cross or collide with each other, Fate then will intervene to repair the rift, bringing in calamities to the affected worlds. 

‘Could it be, that they are deliberately doing this? Accelerating the world’s end? They must be mad.’ I then recalled the last line of the 1st chapter.

Only the direct descendants of the Divine End were able to terminate blackened threads in exchange for their Divinity.

My blood ran cold and my body went stiff. I was aware of the fact that both my parents were both dominant Moirais and can flexibly use their Divinity but for the rest of our kin, using an ounce of Divinity would cost them their lives. And then it hit me.

Our adversaries were aiming for our total annihilation. Destroying this world would be a bonus for them. 

‘If that was the case, then I need to find my parents as soon as possible. They should not get involved with the world’s end, not now.’ I opened my eyes, I felt my strength return and sat up.

“Omri!” I glanced at Omri with a determined look.

“M-my prince, what is it? Is something hurting still? You surprised me for a moment there.” 

Omri then stood up and composed himself. He then extended his hand and helped me rise from the ground.

“I figured out what our enemies want. Help me find my parents and let us escape from here.”

“My Prince, if that is what you wish, then allow me to be your shield.”