The air was full of tense anticipation. Even suspicious and wary Esopp and Columbus showed hints of curiosity. They all understood the simple fact: if Shaper wanted them dead, they’d be dead.

It bolstered their conviction to go ahead with his insane idea.

Shaper raised and held the cube at the level of his chest then asked everyone to gently touch it with their auras.

“What do you mean by ‘touching with my aura’?” Esopp asked.

It soon became clear that the three Level 7s didn’t have an aura manipulation technique or any experience in this field. This little piece of knowledge sounded unreal to Keynes. Over the last weeks, he’d become so comfortable with his aura manipulation technique that he took it for granted.

Seeing this, Shaper sighed and another human emotion crossed on his face – weariness.

“In this case, you’ll have to touch it by hand. Everyone at once.”

That caused some concern but Shaper placed the cube on the ground, picking an unruined spot then backed off a few metres.

“Rest assured, I won’t attack you. Killing you bunch would squander our last chance of survival.”

His words had some effect. Wagner moved first, then did Esopp. Columbus needed a little longer to make up his mind. He clearly was a very careful man.

Keynes was the only one who didn’t approach the cube and this made the other men raise their eyebrows and crease their foreheads.

“Kid?” Esopp asked.

“I can touch it with my aura,” Keynes said, not fully conscious as to how cocky it made him sound.

“A show-off,” Wagner said with a smile. The idea of another vision had roused Wagner’s child’s side. He could be quite relaxed for a Level 7.

“Touch it on my count: three, two, one…”

A tendril of Keynes’s aura touched the cube as the count dropped to one.

The world vanished, replaced by endless darkness.

Then a whirlwind came and Keynes stood in its centre like a lone spectator of some doomed fate. Images and voices of places and people rapidly flitted around him, too fast to pinpoint or understand a single instance.

When Shaper had spoken about the vision, Keynes had thought it would be like a movie but that wasn’t the case. Whatever the vision was, it didn't show him anything useful.

Maybe I did something wrong?

Eventually, the whirlwind lost its mighty strength and dispersed and with it, vanished the images and voices. But it wasn’t darkness Keynes stood now on. It was a circular stone platform, a hundred metres wide. Beyond it spread a forest, seemingly endless, many of its trees otherworldly and strange.

He realised that he stood on top of a tower, at least two, maybe three hundred metres high. He didn’t see any obvious way down.

What was this place? Was this what Shaper wanted him to see? What for?

The reality pulsed and suddenly, Keynes was no longer alone.

People stood on the platform randomly scattered all over the place. Keynes didn’t fear them as there was something about the vision that made him calm. His eyes flitted over the gathered. With a shock, he marked that most of those people were nothing else but silhouettes and shadows.

One thing they all had in common though, they were staring up at the sky.

Before Keynes did so too, he took in the appearances of those he could see clearly. No one wore normal Earth clothes.

Once more a sudden understanding dawned on Keynes.

These were rift items, their quality exquisite. Keynes was unable to tell what rarity these items were but he had a gut feeling that nothing here was rare or worse.

With all the robes, cloaks, coats, armours and capes, they looked like a parade of mediaeval superheroes. Their exotic attires were decorated with runes and formations, enhanced by enchantments. Their weapons were likewise of quality and craftsmanship out of this world.

Among them, Keynes noticed Esopp Earl. He stood there defiantly, holding a white trident with golden runes wrapped around it like a jealous serpent. Esopp Earl himself looked different, his hair was long and pure white. He had a jet black pointed beard and eyes that ejected blue fumes. He wore a simple white robe but there was dangerous power to it. A long blue cape fluttered in the wind Keynes didn’t feel.

And next to him stood Columbus Curt, his face radiating like a sun. He no longer had his white uniform. In here, he was wearing a black gleaming armour with a cape that faded away like smoke. He didn’t have a weapon but something about his gauntlets told Keynes that his weapon was his fists.

Wagner Zimmermann didn’t stand, instead, he sat on a throne made out of roots, holding a golden cup in one hand while the other one was merged with the throne. Judging by his clothes, he looked like a beggar on a king’s throne.

Keynes couldn’t decipher the meaning of this nor did he try. This whole vision seemed to be devoid of any sense.

As his eyes completed the circle, he thought he caught a glimpse of two familiar silhouettes but when he glanced back, he couldn’t decide if he saw Daiyu Fen or Vivena Sael, while the second one reminded him of Harter.

For all he knew, he could be completely wrong. Some people he saw were indisputably foreign to him. He shook his head, taking his mind off the familiar silhouettes.

He noticed two significant absences: Shaper and Windsor Freeman.

As Keynes contemplated the vision, a strong urge to look up took over him.

He did so.

His heart like his body froze as if electrocuted, still his eyes managed to widen in terror. Keynes was unable to comprehend what he was seeing…

And then, darkness was back, encompassing the reality.

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The vision was over but out of nowhere came the familiar presence of … Chaos. It didn’t communicate with Keynes other than leaving impressions of alien emotions. Although it seemed to feel curious about the vision. And there was another impression of familiarity Chaos had with the vision as if there was a faint connection between the two.

Suddenly, Keynes felt like being catapulted, darkness surged around him until he stumbled upon another vision. This one wasn’t a part of Shaper’s cube. Keynes just knew it.

Keynes saw a person standing on the surface of an alien planet, facing countless legions of enemies. Despite the distance (Keynes was in orbit), he saw minute details of the spectacle below.

A lone person wore the most regal attire Keynes had ever seen, it was the purest white and had the brilliance of glittering stars. His gleaming, silver hair reached his waist and though his face was ageless, Keynes knew him.

Esopp Earl…

Except not anymore. Here he was called High King of Winters.

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Ice exploded out of him like a supernova.

In less than five seconds, the entire planet was covered by a metres-thick sheet of ice. Keynes could only gape at this manifestation of absolute, cold power.

It was something unimaginable but before Keynes could fully comprehend it, the vision shifted and an even more bizarre sight replaced it.

Several planets were entangled by an impossibly large web of roots. The planets were grouped together like cocooned victims of a greedy spider. In the middle of the web was a small flat expanse, like a broken-off part of a plateau and on its surface grew the tree that birthed all the roots that trapped the planets.

Somewhere there was a man, standing on a branch, thicker than the circumference of a skyscraper from Earth. His attire was made out of a green, smoke-like matter Keynes couldn’t comprehend.

And like Esopp Earl, Wagner Zimmermann no longer had his name.

Here he was Master of Ever-growing Tree.

He was one with this gigantic monster of a tree.

Keynes witnessed an enemy fleet, appearing out of nowhere, and then without a second of hesitation, the fleet fired missiles at the tree.

Only to find that their weapons failed.

And worse, the tree counter-attacked, roots exploded amid the fleet, skewering and entangling the spaceships like a hungry octopus. Within seconds the fleet was wrecked, hauled like a trophy toward the Ever-growing Tree.

And like earlier, the vision shifted.

No planets populated the next one. Only a single star, and out of this star flew a man, his gleaming black armour reflected the burning hell of this nameless sun.

Once Columbus Curt, now the Bringer of Darkness, held something in his hand.

A red orb.

Behind him, the star spasmed and started to collapse.

He killed it.

The vision shifted but the next one didn’t materialise.

The presence of Chaos wavered as if scared of something greater still. Keynes was almost certain that the next vision would be about him.

And then Chaos was gone and darkness with it.

Keynes stumbled forward and then dropped to his knees, gasping for the air. His body felt as if it’d gone through a mangle.

His mind spun and didn’t seem like it was about to stop anytime soon. He threw up, fighting the ordeal.

Eventually, voices reached his ears.

“The hell was that?”

“The last version of the future that ends well for us,” Shaper said in a weary voice. “I have spent millennia shaping the world so Keynes Kid could be born and open the rifts. I had all the instruments at my disposal to ensure no errors and yet, an error has been made.”

Keynes felt a liquid being poured on his head. Suddenly, his body shed off all ailments. He jumped to his feet, feeling amazing. He saw an empty glass potion vanish in Shaper’s hand.

“I wish you didn’t have to see this,” Shaper said, more to himself than to them.

“It made no sense anyway,” Columbus said. “At least to me.”

“Same,” Esopp agreed.

“I have to admit that the Fruit of Insight gave me more than your vision.”

“Because the cube’s vision doesn’t work the way you think,” he scooped the cube from the ground, it vanished as well. “It’s not a movie but a road map. It was designed this way; otherwise, we risked ruining the flow of time. So, don’t hope to know your future. Instead, you will face choices from time to time: one will lead you to the future in the vision, the other one… I don’t know. Most likely to your premature death and our inevitable end.”

What about the other visions? Keynes asked himself and when Alice didn’t interject anything he prodded their bond.

Alice, are you there?

I am, master, her voice was faint, scared.

Is everything alright?

Master, during the trance, your Chaos debuff became active for a short time. I fought it but it is like trying to defeat an ocean with a stick. It is impossible.

Keynes quickly checked on his debuff but it was back to a semi-dormant state.

It is fine now.

Chaos is dangerous.

Keynes agreed. It certainly felt so.

A change in Shaper’s voice caught Keynes’s attention.

“This event was not meant to happen. It was an occurrence outside of any vision I’d been subjected to. To make sure you don’t go out there and mess it up again. You will have to undergo a ritual of secrecy. It will seal the knowledge of me, anything you saw and were told by me.”

The three Level 7s exchanged glances and Keynes could almost hear the gears shifting inside their heads. Shaper had brought it on himself after all.

“We want to bargain first.”

***

Shaper stood high above Wagner Zimmermann’s estate. The cold wind tousled his hair. He was back into his ordinary clothes.

His mind was immersed deep in thoughts, none of them positive. He had to employ a relaxing technique because he’d been growing irritated by the three Level 7s’ demands. They realised what kind of position they were in and pushed Shaper for concessions he didn’t want to grant.

In the end, he was forced to strike a deal with them. Wagner Zimmermann could commercialise his plants for public use. In the age of rifts, his secrets would lose value anyway. Esopp Earl and Columbus Curt wanted to know the location of high-level rifts and some ancient secrets. He’d given them bits and pieces. Things that wouldn’t upset the current balance of powers. What they didn’t understand was that they weren’t ready to become the major power in the world. Not yet.

Luckily, he knew how to mollify them. They were after a way to hide the spiritual energy of a rift during its opening.

Shaper didn’t have a ready solution as it had never been his area of research but he pointed them in the right direction. It took the heat off him.

To think that our meticulous plan would break apart so close to the end.

Not my plan, Magnalius replied.

Still, if they fail, we fail. You will perish too.

I care not.

Shaper sighed, feeling weary despite the perfect physical condition. He was tired. He wished for a company for the first time in millennia. All of sudden, his Talent wasn’t a boon but a curse. He missed his family. And even though his dynasty still existed to this day, they were nothing to him. He would rather have his favourite servants and advisors back.

The only company that was his was Magnalius.

Master, Magnalius said unprompted. While you were doing the ritual of secrecy. I took the liberty of checking everyone’s profiles.

And?

I believe I know the source of your recent failures.

Go on, Shaper said, growing curious.

Keynes Kid carries a Chaos debuff. It is in a semi-dormant state but based on what we know about it…

Magnalius grew silent, sensing Shaper’s horror. A Chaos debuff would explain all those unknown variables that had appeared. At the same time, Chaos wasn’t something Shaper could do anything about.

After all, it’d as easily created as it destroyed the One Empire.