The Forsaken Hero

”Ah, Xiviyah. It’s been so long,” Fate whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. ”You’ve grown so much since we last spoke.”

Unable to contain myself, I turned to face the goddess. There, defying all doubt, she stood before me, a vision of shimmering beauty. Her form was faintly translucent, seemingly woven from the very stars of fate, but her face was the same, her eyes warm and kind. I rushed into her embrace, my exhaustion and anxieties melting away as her arms enveloped me.

”Fate!” I sobbed, clinging to her.

”There, there, you did well, little one,” she soothed. ”I’m very proud of you.”

She stroked my hair as one might comfort a child, but I didn’t care. Nor did I feel any shame for my tail, which flickered back and forth so hard it all but vibrated with unrestrained excitement. I had known she was hiding somewhere, as she had appeared to me since her fall, but she had been silent for far too long.

”How are you here?” I asked once I had composed myself enough to speak.

”I’ve always been here, watching over you,” she said.

”But I thought you were hiding in my staff?” I asked.

Her lips curved into a gentle smile, and she tucked a stray strand of crimson hair behind my ear, taking the opportunity to brush away a glittering tear from the corner of my eye. ”Well, you see, your staff was getting a little cramped. Imagine my surprise when you somehow acquired a Shard of Omniscience! With that kind of mana support, I could slip into this realm, and I’ve been here ever since.”

”But the darkness!” I gasped, my eyes widening. ”How did you—”

”Ah, yes, the Unraveling. I suppose it would feel like darkness to you,” she said with a knowing nod. ”It might have caused some trouble, but with the help of the Realm Spirit and the power of the Shard, we managed to contain it. From there, we were able to stabilize things for a long time.”

”Then what happened? Why did it start to spread everywhere?”

A fleeting look of guilt crossed her face. ”I, well, that’s a difficult question to answer. Suffice it to say I was... distracted with other matters. Yes, distracted.”

She nodded to herself, and I tilted my head, unsure who exactly she was trying to reassure. It was rare I ever saw the goddess flustered, though that left me even more bewildered than before. What could have happened to distract Fate from such an important task?

”Regardless,” she continued quickly, ”The sitting deity of Fate normally handles a situation like that, but considering you possess the divinity, there was nothing anyone could do.”

”Anyone but me,” I said softly, realizing where she was going.

”Exactly. Ironic how the very power that brought reality so close to failing is the same to mend it. Even more so that the same mortal wielded both forces.”

”So it’s really fixed?” I asked.

”Indeed. This phenomenon is known as ’Unraveling.’ It begins when something attacks Fate itself, a power only a deity should possess. I can’t blame you for not understanding the consequences beforehand, though. It was my fault a mortal like you even had the means to cause it.” She smiled mischievously. ”Still, I bet that caused quite a stir when it happened.”

”Well, one of the gods actually snuck into my visions to try and figure out where the Shard went. I’m unsure if he noticed the rift in Fate, er, the Unraveling, but he seemed pretty upset.”

She giggled, a surprisingly girlish sound from the goddess, yet beautiful and musical.

”I imagine that caused quite a stir indeed. Magic has always been a bit prickly, and even though he sided with Sun for this accursed experiment, he takes pride in ensuring his Shards are cared for. I wish I could have seen his face when he felt one go missing!”

I started to giggle, too, recalling the very face. ”It was...”

I trailed off as Fate’s face turned serious, her eyes fixed on something over my shoulder. ”Xiviyah,” she said gently, ”as much as I’ve enjoyed our little reunion, I’m afraid it’s time for you to go.”

”What? But I...” I trailed off, biting my lip. ”Just a little longer?”

She hugged me tighter. ”There are things that require your attention in Enusia. But don’t worry,” she added with a smile. ”Now that we’ve taken care of this, Haven is yours again. I’ll give the remnants a good scolding, and in a few days, you’ll be able to return. We can speak more then, alright?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but paused as her words sank in. ”You mean... the stars will come back?”

”Brighter than ever,” she reassured me.

My tail gave a happy twitch, and I nodded. ”Okay, but... please, don’t leave again.”

”I’m not going anywhere for now, so don’t fear, little one. Even if I wanted to, I can only travel with my divinity or maintain this form near the Shard.”

I felt a pang of guilt at the relief that washed over me. Fate’s existence seemed precarious, but it was better than being completely gone. As long as she was alive, there was always hope.

”Now, get going,” she said, giving me a playful push. ”And don’t you dare miss this chance. He’s waiting for you, now.”

Her push was stronger than I anticipated, sending me stumbling back. When I regained my balance and looked up, she had vanished, leaving only a dissipating cloud of stars. I let out a long breath and turned, pondering on what ’chance’ she was referring to, only to be nearly bowled over as Fable leaped at me, showering my face with enthusiastic licks.

”Hey!” I squealed, laughing as I struggled against his affectionate assault. ”I’m alright, I’m alright!”

After another lick, he finally relented, though he remained pressed close to my side, his tail curled protectively around me. It wouldn’t have been a problem before, but he wasn’t the same small wolf he had been then.

I frowned, giving him a critical once-over. He had grown considerably, his condensed form stretching almost fifteen feet long, his shoulder reaching my head. And his soul...

I gasped, my tail stiffening in shock. Fable’s soul radiated power, a faint aura surrounding him despite his attempts to suppress it. His mana was a vast ocean, almost equal to my own. When had he reached the upper tiers of the seventh level, and how close was he to breaking through to the eighth? It seemed like all it would take were a few more drops of mana for the dam to break and his soul to breach the eighth level.

”Xiviyah!”

Luke’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up to see him walking toward me. He looked tired and worn, a long blood cut on the side of his arm, yet I let out an unconscious breath at seeing him alive and well.

Luke approached me with a more subdued enthusiasm than Fable, though his concern was just as evident. He cast a critical eye over me, checking for injuries, before finally allowing the tension to leave his face. His shoulders slumped slightly.

”You’re alright,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. ”Honestly, I can’t believe you actually did it.”

”I wasn’t alone,” I said, unable to keep the happiness from my voice. ”Thank you for your help, too.”

”That’s right,” he said, his eyes narrowing. ”Just who was that woman with you? When she first appeared, I thought she might have been a Remnant, but she didn’t seem hostile, and I haven’t seen any of the other ones... vibrate.”

”It was Fate, my goddess,” I said. ”I haven’t heard from her in so long, I was getting worried, but it turns out that she...”

I trailed off as the realization of what I’d just said hit me. A cold dread washed over me, sending a shudder through my body.

”A goddess?” Luke’s eyes widened, his tail stiffening. ”But she should be... the Emperor said...” I could see the gears turning in his head as thoughts raced through his mind. His expression shifted rapidly—shock, anger, and then... admiration? ”I hadn’t expected her to be so... beautiful,” he murmured.

He blushed slightly, but I didn’t notice, too consumed by my own panic. Still, a small flash of an emotion I barely recognized flashed through my mind, and I found myself frowning. Why had he bothered to mention her beauty?

The thought vanished as quickly as it had come as his eyes settled on the shard. I’d nearly forgotten about it, yet now he had two of my secrets. Either one alone would be enough to condemn me and my realm.

”Please,” I begged, my hands twisting in the hem of my skirt. ”Please, please, Luke, you can’t... please...”

My frantic pleas snapped him out of his reverie, and his eyes focused on me. ”A Shard and a goddess,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. ”It seems you’re hiding more than just a few secrets, Xiviyah.”

I waited tensely, biting my lip as he seemed to deliberate. He let out a sigh and shook his head, rubbing his horn.

”Is it always this exhausting being around you?” he muttered. ”I can’t even imagine what Gayron must have been through.” His eyes flashed to me, locking with mine, and my heart skipped a beat.

”So you’re finished?” he asked.