Lord Shadow

‘First, when looking at the future, the very act of looking at it might have lock that future into place.’

‘You mean…’

‘I mean sometimes when people were told of their future, especially of a future where thing ends badly for them, any normal human reaction is to try to avoid the very situation that would invite the bad vision. Some of them would also do anything to prevent such situation that would lead to that vision arising’

‘But as most story would teach you, that the more you try to avoid it, the more it shows that each action that person takes to avoid that destiny, inevitably brings that person closer to the very destiny that person is trying to avoid’

‘A self-fulfilling prophecy’ Azief said. Will nodded.

‘Then what is the second consequence?’ Sighing, Will said

‘The second consequence is that when one looks at the future, the very act of looking at it changes the nature of the future’ Azief suddenly understand.

Then he said

‘Because I’ve seen it. Like an observer effect. The mere observation of a phenomenon inevitably changes that phenomenon.’

‘Right’ Will said.

‘You see it so the future changes’ he added ‘like some kind of a wave collapse in quantum mechanics’ Azief ponder this matter and then he asks

‘But you could not know whether that future changes are good or bad right?’ Will nodded again

‘True. For example, you see yourself is about to step onto a nail on the road. You then take step to change that future. The moment you see that future, the future that has been written changes like some kind of writer deciding to change the plot because it already become predictable’ Azief nodded as Will continues

‘Since you take measures for the future where you step onto a nail, the future changes. But maybe the future changes did not exactly turn out like you think it would. Maybe, because of what you did something else changes’ 

‘That day because you know you are going to step into a nail, you might choose to take a different road. And instead of stepping onto a nail on the road, you might instead got hit by a truck. Or maybe you decide not to go out at all and stay home and instead your home got robbed and you were killed in an armed robbery’ Sighing he continues

‘Changes to the future is not always good. Because for some things to happen, other things needs to happen too. Like a domino effect. The robber might not have robbed your home that day if you were out, or maybe the truck would not have hit anyone if you step on that nail on that other road. because no act is meaningless. All things are interconnected. Even the act of throwing a pebble into a ground could have effect that no one could foresee’

‘The reason why we could not foresee the interconnectedness of events is simply because our minds are constrained by Time and Space’

‘If we could see thing without being bounded by such things and we have enough brainpower to shift through the many events of the world, you probably would see a pattern of how a ripple made a world away could affect a person on the other side of the world.’ 

‘And the effect might not be seen until a few thousands or maybe a few millions years. But the effect is there. Changes are inevitable in this second consequences. And the changes might be too much that it could derail all of it’ Then he said

‘For an observer they would prefer that things stay the same. Because too much changes affect the entire big picture.’

Azief rubs his chin and then ask

‘So, which am I? Did I lock the future by seeing it or did I change it by seeing it?’

Will sighed and said

‘I could only tell you what the consequences are for looking into the future. I could not tell you how it would turn out’

‘Then why tell me?’ Azief ask

‘Because the answer is there.

Hmm?’ Azief then ponder about his conversation and then he got it. 

‘An observer could see it objectively’ Will smiles bitterly. The reason was because in the end, all roads leads to her. 

Will is calm right now because he had done all the panicking a few days ago. 

He had thought about Erika and he could guess how thing would go down. As such, he tries to think of a way where this does not end with Death Monarch going to Erika.

But in the end, he found that to confirm things for sure Azief would surely goes to the oracle. The reason is because Will could never give a certain answer. He is not like the Oracle that could peer through the Veil of Time.

If he wanted to see the future, he had to open a time rip. 

But doing so is not recommended at all. The future is hard to travel to without some pointers. This is because, it did not happen yet. 

What one would see is just another version of possibilities that could happen. Speedster could travel through time but that is mostly to the past. 

Even then, any sane speedsters would not travel through time unless he is in desperate measures. 

And even if one travels through the past, any speedsters take good care not to change anything since the smallest change could have a big effect in the world.

The one thing speedster did not want is to create another parallel world when the timelines diverged from its supposed path.

So, the only solution is to meet with the Oracle. 

That is why he is calm and he could joke. 

Because he has days to accept this fact. He is telling all of this consequences because there is a small hope in his mind that Azief would not go through with what he is planning.

Because truth be told, Will did not know which of the two consequences that Azief would get. 

If seeing it locks the future, then the future where he is killed by Azief is immutable. That would be too tragic for both of them

If it changes, it is not certain that it would change to a good thing. One might even argue it might change to a worse future. 

Will had been racking his brain and when he finally reached the conclusion that to get one hundred percent certainty of what will happen to the future is to meet with the Oracle he knew he had to accept it. 

Because the oracle just observes it. 

And unlike other observers, her act of looking into the future did not change the phenomenon., This is the ability only oracles have. 

Oracles and Speedster in the ancient past rely on each other. 

Of course not all universe had speedster and not all universe have an oracle but when they meet, most of them knows how advantageous it is to work with each other instead of against each other.

If speedster is the agent of chaos in time, then Oracles are the representation of order in Time. So, Will said to Azief.

‘Your initial decision is right. You need to see the Oracle.’

‘Then, why didn’t you tell this in the beginning? 

‘Because I need you to understand. That there is a price for these types of things. Azief frowned and then he asks

‘Did you also guess why I need you to stay? Will smiles bitterly.

‘Isn’t it because if the confirmation doesn’t affirm with your desire, you need me. You were never one that listen to instruction, after all’ Azief chuckles.

Then he nodded

‘I never believe in prophecies and any talk of seeing the future. It is not because I think that they are lying but because no matter what the future holds, I would face it bravely. Since I would face it bravely whether or not I know the future or not why should I be afraid?’

Sighing and chuckling at himself, Azief then said

‘But, I have never expected that one vision of the future could have scared me this much. Because the unthinkable happens. I thought that even if I knew my future, even if I knew my death, I would not be afraid. I was not wrong in that. If the vision shows me my death, I would face it bravely. As I have experienced many things, death is the least thing I fear. I do not welcome it but I do not fear it either’

Will nodded. Both of them have transcend such feeling of fears of death. Because now they knew that there are worse things that could happen then death.

They both very much like to be alive. But just because they love being alive does not mean they fear to face death, if by facing it they could protect the things they hold dear or find the things that they wanted to find.

Azief sentiment echoes perfectly with Will sentiment. They both experiences many things. It would be regrettable if they die now, but they would not fear it.

Azief then continue

‘But the future did not show my death’ And at this he laughs.