Mentions of bloodshed, murder, and character death.
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White. A blinding white room filled with light. And though she sat on a comfortable couch, Athanasia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. After all, it was an unfamiliar place, not to mention that she remembered collapsing... she couldn't be dead, right?
In the silence of the odd room, the princess analyzed herself. At least her dress was familiar, she could vaguely remember wearing it. Was it back when she first kissed Lucas? Wasn't that her seventh lifetime? After nine deaths and ten lifetimes, the memories started to blur, as if it wasn't enough that she was losing her emotions too.
"Princess," a soft voice suddenly called, and Athanasia turned her head. A woman stood beside her, decked in white and a few golden ornaments. For a moment, the blonde princess thought that she was dreaming, as she found that the woman looked far too much like Jennet. However, when she met those eyes, a kaleidoscope of vivid colors, it was far too easy to forget about her sister.
"Hello," the blonde greeted, blinking up at the woman. The woman laughed, the chiming of bells, taking her seat and facing the princess. Even when tea cups appeared out of nowhere, one for both of them, bright kaleidoscopes simply stared at the princess. "Is there... something on my face?"
"You've grown a lot." Confused sapphires blinked, and Athanasia was unsure how to respond. First of all, she had no idea who the woman was. And yet, the way that the woman spoke clearly indicated that the brunette knew who Athanasia was. "Yes, I created you after all."
"Created? I don't quite understand, and who are you?" The youngest leaned forward, analyzing her companion with narrowed eyes. The adorable motion simply amused her companion, so another tinkling laugh filled the silence between them.
"When the universe was created, four individuals ruled. Mother Magic and her three children, Derath, Lirafe, and Farite. I am Farite, Goddess of Fate, and it's a pleasure to finally see you again." Athanasia recoiled, remembering the numerous times that she had cursed Fate. However, by the affection in the goddess' eyes, she was evidently not mad. Unless, of course, she did not know. "I did know, and I can't blame you. In a way, I did pave very difficult roads for you. It's just that... it was necessary. You see, there was a lifetime before yours. In this world, the universe existed as it was, with the exception of you."
"What?" Rather than disturbed, the princess was curious. Such a thing happened? Then, how come the others don't remember it? "Because I could not allow them to remember that catastrophe. That vile man, Aethernitas, was so obsessed with your lover that he defied every deity. Tilme, Derath, and I, we were all cheated by him. Cheating one deity is dishonorable, but cheating two of the heirs and heiresses for the great mother is abominable. Soon, the universe's balance began to change, and the mana supply in your universe declined."
"Magic vanished? But everything was centered around magic." Not everyone could use magic, that was for certain, and those that could were revered. It was also why Lucas was practically worshipped by the tower of magicians because it took years to get the basics of magic. For a child to have such mastery? He was more than a genius; he must have been blessed by the fates. However, despite the lack of proper magicians, magic was still used in every corner of Obelia. Hell, it was in every corner of the universe. From the way that ships maneuvered out of the harbors, or the way that lanterns shone, the world ran with magic as its core. "For it to vanish would spell the decline of society itself."
"Yes, you guessed right. So many people struggled by losing their income and becoming impoverished. While the other countries managed, Obelia struggled, more so because the monarchy was incompetent. Anastasius was controlled by Aethernitas and Claude was a cold madman. And, when Jennet was introduced, everything simply declined even further with bloodshed. In the end, Lucas killed everyone and stole their mana, but that left Obelia with no monarch."
"There must have been more bloodshed with a fight for the throne." Farite smiled, her eyes bitter and sad. Delicate hands wrapped around her cup, dull kaleidoscopes watching the ripples on the surface of her drink. "You are truly intelligent. Yes, corruption and duels ran rampant. Other kingdoms even joined at some point, leading to massive amounts of deaths. And when it all ended, there was no victory. Arlanta only sat on the throne of Obelia with bloodied hands. So, I created a cycle and twisted Claude's path to destiny so that he would meet your mother."
"When they fell in love, I was ecstatic. And then I created you with the help of Lirafe. Since you were favored by us, we expected your natural charm to affect the flow of events, for you were our only chance, our only hope in returning the balance. We were mistaken, of course, and I'm so sorry that you had to experience such a mess."
"What do you mean? I'm not... I can't understand. Did you make me? What if you never created me for my parents?" Athanasia frowned and pushed her cup of tea away, focusing on her companion and the story. She had known that there was something unnatural, not only because of the cycle, but also because everyone just kept becoming increasingly more obsessed with her. Sure, she adored them too, but the way that they looked at her, as if she was a goddess herself, has always been unnatural.
"Diana would have been killed early by Anastasius, or Aethernitas to be specific. We created you to have a mediator in the universe. Deities... we're not omnipotent or omniscient, especially against destiny itself. So, we can only change certain things in between the cycles, so you had to act as someone inside. We did not, however, anticipate for Diana to die after your birth, or that it would lead to Claude's despair. In the end, you suffered again and again. Truly, after that second lifetime, we thought that we might have been wrong to interfere. However, your third lifetime showed promise. And then you ensnared Claude, and we knew then that our hopes had not been misplaced."
"What do you mean by you can't change things unless in between cycles?"
"When an individual is born, they are blessed with a certain amount of threads, all leading up to a destiny. My purpose, as Farite, is to separate and reorganize the threads. You choose your path, but I chose the organization of the path beforehand. With every change that you made, however, new threads were added, and new destinies became possibilities."
"So... I really was a puppet of fate." Athanasia couldn't help but be bitter now that it was confirmed. She was nothing but a toy for the deities, whoever they were. Now, it seemed like she had completed her duty, so it was time to die... but she didn't want to leave. Did she not deserve a little bit more time before succumbing to death? Couldn't she have said some sort of farewell? No, instead, she was getting answers from the goddess of fate in a room that should be blinding her, a poor excuse for heaven.
"You did well... immensely well. You were born in the universe with no explanations available, and you struggled a lot with your emotions and decisions, but you got through it all splendidly. Now, you deserve a reward." Athanasia's sapphires blinked curiously, her head tilting up. She stared at her companion, who gazed upon her like a proud mother, her kaleidoscopes gleaming with immense joy. Truly, she couldn't wait to give her daughter the peace that she deserved.
"Lucas, Claude, and Jennet, they were all your presents for being such a spectacular child. Besides, you needed support to get through the lifetimes. Sure, their devotion might have intensified a bit too much, but it worked well in the end, right? Now, what is it that you desire?"
Athanasia paused. She thought that, since her purpose was over, she was meant to die. Besides, she didn't think that she would ever have a choice, or to be asked what she could possibly want. What did she want? What was there to want? Athanasia lifted her head, meeting those eyes that were flickering with understanding. "I want to live."
"For once, I want to live without the fear of... something going wrong." Farite smiled, kaleidoscopes gleaming with the intensity of a thousand exploding stars. She nodded; raising her hand. However, right before she could send her daughter back, Athanasia called out, "wait, I still have some questions!"
The goddess tilted her head, confused. Athanasia rambled, afraid that the goddess wouldn't listen if she didn't speak fast enough. "Why couldn't I live without Jennet, especially when Jennet could live without me? Also, what's going to happen now with my sister, my uncle, and that vile Aethernitas?"
"Jennet... she's a special case. Quite frankly, Lirafe isn't quite pleased with her existence, but it proved beneficial in the end. Since she's artificial life, she technically does not exist in the universe. So, as a sentient, albeit dangerous being, we thought that it would be a great idea for her to be a sort of anchor for your life. And, when she died, the anchor to your existence was shaken."
"That's..." Athanasia frowned, finding it rather odd that her life was dependent on Jennet's. "Well, under normal circumstances, your overflowing mana should have filled in the cracks to your existence. However, since the loss of your holy beast stopped your mana growth and the curse took the rest of your supply, there wasn't enough to act as an anchor."
The princess nodded. If she was remembering correctly, her mana only manifested after she had spent a lifetime with Lucas. If that was a coincidence, then she was going to take it. However, she suspected that it wasn't. Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.
"As for your uncle and his parasite... we will take care of Aethernitas. I will not lie, you did die. Currently, you are dead, and that is how I am able to speak to you here. So, while we are in between the cycles, Derath is in the process of taking Aethernitas' soul and Lirafe is in the process of purifying your sister. However, I am sorry to say that your uncle did not survive."
"Why?" Athanasia knew the reason why, but she would not accept it until she heard it again.
"Because death is irreversible. Though his subconscious was attached to Aethernitas, just as the parasite had clung to him, the person that was your uncle had long ceased existing. Your father killed him, that was for certain, and we cannot bring the dead back to life, even for you."
"But you're bringing me back to life, aren't you?"
"Your death is not final yet, it is far too fresh. Your soul is still within your body, and your heart has yet to stop beating, but your uncle had died long ago. It was before you were even born. The years, the lifetimes, that he had already died is something that we cannot reverse. I'm sorry that we cannot do more."
Athanasia heaved a deep breath, closing her eyes to mourn the man that she had met. Beneath the lantern lights and the pure abyss filled with a thousand splendid stars, he had smiled at her with the desperate need to escape the voice in his head. He was pitiful, she couldn't help but admit, and she mourned the future that he could have lived with them. However, it was finally settling in.
Everything was over. Everything was over.
"I hope that you can find joy, my child, and that we can someday meet again. And, before you leave, you must understand. A flame that has already burnt out cannot be lit again, so don't blame yourself for not being able to save him. Death is not an end, it is just a soul's vacation." Farite's smile was warm and comforting, and Athanasia nodded her head. And, when she opened her eyes, it was not to blinding light, but instead to the roof of her mahogany bed.