Shadows of Ascension

52. The visions of fate

As the trio stood at the edge of the Well of Fate, tension hung heavy in the air, each of them grappling with the weight of their own visions. Aiden, determined to break the silence, spoke up.

"Wait, Riona," he interjected, his voice cutting through the quiet of the chamber. "I'll go next."

Riona turned to him, a look of surprise flickering across her features. "Are you sure?" she asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Aiden nodded, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, I'm sure," he replied, his tone light despite the gravity of the situation. "Besides, all I saw was myself eating. I guess the Well of Fate decided to show me my true destiny as a food connoisseur."

His attempt at humor elicited a chuckle from Luca, but Riona's expression remained serious as she regarded him with a thoughtful gaze.

"That's... unexpected," she remarked, her voice tinged with curiosity. "But perhaps the well has a sense of humor after all."

Aiden shrugged, his smile widening at the thought. "Who knows?" he quipped. "Maybe I'm destined to become the greatest chef in the hunter world."

As the laughter subsided, Riona stepped forward, her expression solemn as she prepared to share her own vision.

"Now it's my turn," she said, her voice steady despite the tremor of anticipation that coursed through her veins.

Aiden and Luca exchanged a knowing glance, silently urging her to continue.

"I saw... myself and Aiden," Riona began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to find the right words. "We were sitting together, watching the sunset... and we kissed."

Aiden's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat at the unexpected revelation. Beside him, Luca's brow furrowed with confusion as he processed Riona's words.

"We looked older... than we are now," Riona continued, her gaze fixed on the ground as she spoke. "So it must have been in a few years' time."

Aiden's mind raced with questions, but before he could voice them, Riona offered an explanation.

"But how did it happen?" Aiden asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Riona shook her head, a sad smile playing at her lips. "The future doesn't stay stable," she explained. "It changes... rapidly."

Luca nodded in agreement, his expression thoughtful as he considered Riona's words.

"She's right," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "The future is a fickle thing... always in flux."

Suddenly, a voice cut through the air, its tone laced with a sense of foreboding.

"But there's a difference between the future and fate," the voice said, its words echoing in the cavernous space. "The future may change, but fate... fate has been written by the Gods."

Aiden and Luca spun around, their eyes widening in shock as a dark figure emerged from the shadows, his features obscured by the dim light of the chamber.

"It's you... Shadowbane," Aiden whispered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Riona's breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the figure before her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, her voice lost to the fear that gripped her heart.

Luca stepped forward, his gaze steady as he addressed the mysterious figure.