CHAPTER 72: YASINI’S DEMISE

Soren continued to stare in absolute disbelief at what he was seeing. Aside from the usual cracks and crevices covering every stretch of life and land, there were also areas in the distance that had much more pronounced erosion. The mesmerising castle for example had an entire tower broken apart, floating separately, as if it was crumbling to pieces in real time. Its arches and bridges were all grinded away.

“Unbelievable,” he murmured.

Sienna laughed. “This is indeed unbelievable. That’s also the reason why I needed to leave Luvinica. None of the scholars there believed me.”

Just as she finished those words, the world turned to normal once more—she had deactivated her ability. Soren glanced around in shock. The city that had been mired by ruin and despair had returned to its original splendor.

“Let me tell you a story,” Sienna said as she leaned against the railing of the balcony once more.

“Once upon a time, there was a wolf—a truly cunning creature, unmatched in wit, strength and pride. Her name was Yadria, and she led her pack through the boundless enchanted forests. For centuries, there were whispers in the wind that brought shivers to prey and rivals alike about her existence. Yet, even the sharpest fangs can dull, and even the mightiest hunter can meet their equal.”

Yadria? Is that the origin of the name?..

She continued, “In the heart of these same woods, there dwelled a queen—not of beasts, but of the eldest kind. Yasini, the radiant flower. She ruled not with claws but with the grace of nature itself. Her power was as vast as the roots that intertwined her kingdom. The wolf and the queen were not born enemies. No, in the beginning they shared a bond of trust—a secret companionship forged in the wild places where titles and tribles held no sway.”

Soren was finally understanding what myth she was retelling. It must be in regards to Yasini’s demise.

“But the forest is a jealous guardian of its treasures, and deep within its heart, laced in thorns and fruit poisons was a seed unlike any other. A seed that held unfathomable power. It had the authority to enchant and disenchant, to dream and undream, to weave spirits with time itself… A forgotten rune that could reshape the land itself.

“No one knew where the seed came from—not that it mattered, for to the elves and spirit wolves, it was nothing more than a miraculous boon from the heavens, one that was rightfully theirs. But unlike Yasini and Yadria, their tribes were not keen on sharing this boon of the forest and heavens. And so, a devastating war erupted—one that ruptured the lands itself.”

Soren remembered some of the things Myrin had told him. About how the Flower Maiden had entered an eternal slumber within the Spirit Blossom Willow and hasn’t been seen in over a millenia. He decided to ask:

“And then what happened after that?”

Sienna smiled. “The rest of the story isn’t well documented, there are many variations to it. In one ending, it is said that both Yasini and Yadria fell in love, but ended each other’s lives on the battlefield, and from their spilled blood, a radiant tree grew from the seed that began this conflict. In another ending, it is said that Yasini was pronounced the winner and merged with the seed, growing the everlasting Spirit Blossom Willow. There are countless variations to this myth, scholars are unsure which is the truth of the matter. Though in each instance, there is but a single similarity—the war ends with the birth of the Spirit Blossom Willow dominating the skies of the Feylith forest, as it's called today.”

She slid her hair behind her ear and smiled. Soren looked at her blankly for a second before asking, “Why exactly are you telling me this story?”

Her smile widened, “In a way, us humans owe our current glory to this story. Humanity before this supposed war were nothing more but slaves to the elven tribes who used us incessantly throughout the war. Humanity was very close to being driven to extinction, if not for the weakening of the other races that gave rise to us humans in the far north. Built upon the ruins of the olden Avalon empire before them, Staterra was born as a bastion of humanity that fought against the elves after Yasini’s Demise.

“The point is, as ironic as it may be, us humans owe our existence to that dreaded war. But even so, we also owe our destined demise to it as well…

“After all, Yarian’s Celestial Fate hid itself from the orbits of fate after this war ended… And it hasn’t appeared since.”

Soren stayed silent for a while, pondering over the story. From what Myrin had told him, there was also a legend about Yasini’s return—that if the Spirit Blossom Willow loses all its leaves, Her return will spell a new age for Yadria.

But even so, Soren couldn’t shake off his own disinterest.

“You telling me this story and showing me what the absence of Yarian’s Celestial Fate has done to the lands… What exactly do you want from me….”

Sienna sighed, “Nothing. Rather than a want or a desire, I simply want to prepare you.”

“I’m tired, Mistress Sienna.” He said plainly while staring down at the jubilant streets below. “The number of problems I am currently facing is already more than I could handle, and now you want to add the fate of an entire world on my shoulders? Do you not hear yourself?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

She stayed silent so Soren continued, “You probably already know, but I just had an argument with Myrin and Tina earlier about this. I already shared my perspective with them. They defended your goal and even made it seem as if I was obligated to help in your cause after what you’ve done for me. And they aren’t completely wrong, but I just… I am not as strong as you think I am. I am not as important as you want me to believe. I was just a normal student back in my world… Not to mention, the circumstances I am currently facing isn’t anything a normal person could handle.”

Sienna smiled, “I know that.”

“How could you know that?” He frowned. “I asked this same question to Myrin and Tina and they had no answer.”

The melancholy in her eyes deepened as she answered, “Those two children… They were simply defending me, I hope you can forgive them for that. Our goal… Our search for the Celestial Fate, it has been something I inherited from my master, and my master inherited from her own master, and so on and so forth. It has been the goal of every Star Fate Witch since that dreaded war a millenia ago. We were never able to grasp it, none of my ancestors were.

“At one point, even I grew tired of it. I asked my master what reason we had to even pursue this impossible goal, and she never answered. I grew bitter—I wanted to leave it all behind. And at one point, I did. I ventured out alone, and ended up studying in the prestigious academy of Luvinica…”

“So why did you return?” Soren asked.

She smiled. “Because fate drove me back to that everlasting goal… It was truly ironic. Before I left, I asked my master why she was allowing me to abandon this goal our ancestors cherished.

“Do you know what she said to me?”

Soren stayed silent.

“She said that it was probably the same fate that had shackled us all that was driving me toward leaving it all behind… And she wasn't wrong. All the knowledge I learned in Luvinica to spite my ancestor’s lofty goals, turned out to be nothing more than a step I needed to take before following in their footsteps once more…”

So she’s saying it's inevitable…. He couldn't help but want to laugh at the absurdity.

She continued, “In more than a thousand years, this goal of ours, to stop the ruination of this world once and for all, had borne no fruit. That is until you arrived and changed everything. The day of your arrival sparked a rapid change of events in the Orbits I have been observing all my life. Whether your star of fate is that of further ruin or prosperity does not matter—all that matters is change. Just like a pond with no currents, this world has rotted for far too long…”

Soren’s frown deepened the further he heard her speak.

“But also, I realized something else when you arrived before me that day.”

Huh? He glanced at her once more.

“You aren’t just a tool or a spark or a symbol of change in this world. You are also a person. An individual with goals and aspirations, just like I believed I was all those years ago,” She chuckled.

“Soren, when I view this world’s fate just like I showed you earlier, do you know what you look like to me?”

He stayed silent, awaiting an answer.

“Rather than a porcelain statue with cracks and crevices like the rest of this mired world, you appear whole. Complete, even.

“This world… It has no grasp on you. I have many interpretations on what this may mean in Star Fate, but I can only say one.

“Do not let this world shackle you, Soren…”

Hearing this, he couldn’t help but be shocked. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Is she saying that I don’t need to burden myself with this goal even if the world demands it? He was not expecting this from her, of all people. After all, was it not she who had been seeking an answer to this world’s Celestial Fate? That goal which had followed her ancestors for a thousand years could finally be uncovered, so why was she so adamant on giving him the choice.

She continued, “Fate is self-correcting, you see. It knows that this world’s Celestial Fate being hidden is not natural and it wants to fix it. In a way, I am just as much of a pawn as you are… Fate connected us for a reason. And so, it is my philosophy that those who are fated, should simply walk the path they desire—why else would fate choose them if not for their goals that may aid or abet it?

“That is why I allowed you to be one of my students. It is because that was your goal to begin with, was it not? Forget needing to survive for a year, was it not your inner desire that drove you to pursue the mysteries hidden beneath the mundane world? Why worry about things none of us can control…”

She was right. The reason he had appeared in this world was mainly due to this pursuit of his. His desire to seek thrills and excitement in what was a gray and utterly boring life. A life devoid of joys and fantastical things.

He realized something. Even though his life and death was now out of his own hands—a puppet of time itself that slowly ticked away, even though his very fate was being steered by forces outside of his control, has he not been enjoying his time here? From Yadria’s pristine forest woven houses and streets, to Celestine’s wondrous arts and crafts… And even now, he was slowly making progress on the goal that drove him here in the first place. He had already become a magus in the rudimentary sense. All that was left was to learn the inner workings and apply them…

If he had told his past self from 4 weeks ago that he was going to travel to another world, obtain a powerful soul weapon capable of chronicling his journey across this mysterious land, and eventually became a wielder of that same magic he had been dreaming about since the beginning of his teen years, would he believe it? No, his past self would probably laugh in his face.

I see… I was too focused on blaming myself for what has been happening to realize it… Since his conversation with Mr. Unknown and the trauma he obtained from facing that Memory Void Spirit, a shadow had been cast over him. A shadow of self blame and doubt. He was afraid that his own hubris would lead him to his own demise again. That his own pursuit of thrills and excitement had made him too arrogant.

And for the most part, it was true. Mr. Unknown’s warnings weren’t completely wrong. He was too confident in his abilities and smarts. He truly believed he could do anything and not face the consequences.

But looking back on it, was it really just his fault? No, that dreaded website had already affected countless people, according to Unknown. There were many who were probably facing even worse fates than him.

So I was distrusting myself more than everyone else… It was somewhat Ironic now that he was realizing it. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“So?” She asked. “What is your goal now? Ignore all these obligations that fate demands from you, what is it that you want to do?”

He smiled, “I want to experience everything this world has to offer. And then, if it does change as you said it will, I want to be its witness. I will chronicle both its beginning, and its potential end.”