Chapter 1264: The War Beyond

"Oh, don’t give me that look, Apostle," Fate said, serene as always. "The burden of this task is well within Xiviyah’s means. As Oblivion said, all we need is a conduit to carry the powers we shall wield. To touch the fabric of Enusia, we need flesh born of it."

"Well, that’s not strictly true," Magic said, folding his arms. "Any god could do it, provided they carried the divinity. She’s nothing more than a proxy."

"That’s what she said, god," Oblivion growled.

Luke ignored them, his hand remaining firmly around mine. "It can’t be that easy. What exactly do you expect of her?"

"As I said before, Xiviyah need only be present and offer her powers to me. It will be taxing, but no more so than casting a ninth-level spell. It might even relieve some of the pressure the realm has brought to bear against her soul."

"And afterward?"

Fate hesitated, exchanging a look with Oblivion. He shrugged, apparently disinterested in the conversation.

"Well, this is but the first step," she admitted, gazing at me with something akin to sorrow. "This is but one world, and though we may redeem the souls here, all of creation suffers from the dominion of immortals. Just as you have been a guiding star here, so too will you carry that light into the realms of the Divine."

"You want me to ascend," I whispered.

She nodded. "Fate has prepared you for it. And I’m afraid your circumstances leave little room for delay. Your magic might preserve your soul for now, but unless you shake off the Sun God’s curse, you face nothing but death. Not in a matter of years, or even months."

"What?" Luke turned toward me, his eyes widening. "Xiv, what is she talking about? You seem fine, and it’s already been so long since you broke through!"

I couldn’t meet his gaze. "Luke..."

It was Fate who answered for me. "The first ninth-level spell a mage casts changes them, Apostle. It defines the nature of their soul and the way they progress forever after that point. Xiviyah has taken that to an extraordinary, even reckless, extreme. Her magic preserved the past by overwriting the present, forestalling the flow of fate for a time. While its effects have faded across the Fatesworn, she has trapped it within her soul, providing a layer of resistance against the realm’s inheritance. Isn’t that right, child?"

I lowered my head. "I... yes. I needed more time."

Luke stared at me, his fingers slowly loosening around mine. "And you knew it wouldn’t last?"

"I wasn’t certain how long. I thought that with the World Shard, or perhaps with Fate’s help..." I trailed off. I’d tried analyzing the curse again and again, but even with my new power, its roots remained beyond my reach.

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

"You had enough to worry about," I murmured. "And we were so close to the Shard. I thought I could manage until then."

"Xiviyah, I thought we’d won. I thought that after all this, you were finally safe."

"I know. I’m sorry."

He looked away, running a hand through his hair. His tail lashed once before settling behind him, and I caught his sleeve, wishing he’d say something.

After a moment, he took my hand again.

"You should have told me," he said. "Whatever else was happening, I would have wanted to know."

I nodded, blinking away the tears gathering in my eyes.

Luke sighed, then turned toward Fate. "Then there’s nothing left to discuss. Xiviyah will inherit the World Shard."

Fate raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I’ve already offered it to her. She’ll ascend, and if there’s a war to be fought, she’ll see it through in my stead." He glanced toward me, squeezing my hand. "You’ve already accomplished more than anyone could have expected, Xiv. With the Shard, there’s no telling how far you might go."

I stared at him, unable to answer, but Fate spoke before I could gather the courage.

"I’m afraid you’re underestimating the opposition, Apostle. Xiviyah may be extraordinary among mortals, but upon ascension, she would be little more than a newly born goddess. Some of our enemies have cultivated their divinity for countless ages."

"Then you’re asking her to fight a war she can’t win?"

"Not alone," Fate replied. "We have gods and emperors of our own, many of whom have spent millennia preparing for this moment. The war has already begun, and our allies have claimed several victories even while we’ve been occupied here."

Magic waved his hand, causing several formations to unfold from the World Shard. They resembled great spheres surrounded by intricate networks of mana, some joined by threads while others floated apart.

"The Divine Realms are not a single kingdom, demon," he explained. "They fall under the loose collective of the Divine Council, but in reality, they stand within a thousand different domains, each sustained by their own pantheons of gods. Some control hundreds of mortal worlds, others thousands."

He touched one of the spheres, and its surrounding threads turned crimson.

"As we speak, my faction has invaded or incited civil war within thousands of such realms. Oblivion’s forces have since joined the hunt, and together, we are laying claim to their World Shards. They await for us even now to proof the method of conversion, and then carry it to them throughout eternity."

Luke’s expression darkened. "You mean to send her into the thick of the fighting."

"Of course. In many ways, she will be the most important soul on the battlefield. A thousand armies might conquer a world, but without her, their victory cannot accomplish what we intend."

I frowned, looking toward the formations. I’d spent years fighting to reach this one Shard, and here were dozens of them, scattered across a web whose boundaries I couldn’t begin to comprehend.

"But she won’t be alone," Fate continued. "There will be immortals, armies, and companions fighting alongside her. When necessary, Oblivion himself shall take the field to protect and secure her."

"That won’t make her any less of a target," Luke observed.

"No," Fate admitted.

I swallowed, watching the spheres shift around one another. "How many worlds are there?"

"Far more than you could hope to count, though we needn’t change them all at once."

"And how long would it take?"

"Years, perhaps centuries. The old cycle has endured for ages, and we cannot hope to undo it without resistance. But such things matter not in the scales of eternity."

I nodded slowly. "Could I come back?" I asked. "To Enusia, I mean."

She hesitated, before shrugging. "Perhaps, though not until you’ve mustered the strength to conjure an avatar separate from your own soul."

"And how long would that take?"

Oblivion answered coldly. "Several millennia, counting by Enusia’s years."

I glanced toward Luke, who was studying the formation with a thoughtful frown. He seemed rather more interested in the disposition of our enemies than in the thought of another war.

"Xiv," he said, noticing my gaze. "You’ll have the Shard, and you’ll have allies who know the Divine Realms far better than either of us. Whatever comes, you won’t have to face it by yourself."

I managed a small, forced smile. "I know."

But I didn’t want to go. I’d only just begun imagining what life might be like without the church, without another battle awaiting us. The chance to help so many people was extraordinary, but I couldn’t help wishing someone else could do it.

Fate’s expression softened. "There is no need to rush. The transformation of Enusia will take time, and afterward, there will be preparations to make. You may attend to your friends and whatever affairs remain unfinished."

I looked up at her, wondering how much of my thoughts she’d heard. Of course, she was probably aware of every word I hadn’t said.

"And the transformation?" Luke asked. "When do we begin?"

"As soon as Magic has finished preparing the formation. The first stage will require Xiviyah’s participation, but once it has stabilized, much of the work can proceed without her direct attention. She only need remain present within the Divine Throne or Haven."

Magic sniffed, turning back toward his spells. "Provided no one interferes. I trust even you can manage to keep the chamber secure, Apostle."

Luke’s eyes narrowed, but Fate raised a hand before he could answer.

"Enough. We’ve waited far too long to squander the opportunity over petty arguments."

She turned toward Oblivion, who had remained quiet throughout most of the discussion. Fyren’s familiar face regarded me for a moment before he nodded, resting the greatsword against his shoulder.

"Then let us begin," he said.

Luke slipped an arm around my shoulders, drawing me close. I leaned against him, grateful for his warmth, though my attention remained fixed upon the immense formation gathering before the Shard.

I wanted to ask Fate whether there was another way, whether someone else might carry her divinity, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I tightened my grip on Luke’s hand and followed them toward the World Shard. For now, there was still Enusia to save, and whatever lay beyond it could wait until we’d finished.