Chapter 1265: Fate and Oblivion

"Come here, Oracle," Magic said, gesturing before the shard.

Gave Luke an uneasy look, but he looked even more nervous than I was, so I tried to give him a reassuring smile. My twitching tail undoubtedly gave it away, but he nodded, smoothing his expression.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. He waved his hand as I approached, and a shimmering magic circle appeared. I hesitated at its edge but, at his impatient look, stepped to the center. A cool chill ran across my skin as I crossed the threshold of the circle, and my soul tingled, resonating with the absurd amount of mana filling the air.

"Fate, oblivion," Magic said, gesturing to either side. Two more magic circles appeared, seemingly identical to the one I stood in. Through the Oracle of Eternity, I could see that they were linked by conduits sturdy enough to hold the charge of a ninth-level spell.

Fate glided to the center of her circle, and Oblivion didn’t so much as move, as he was just...there. I shivered, but after learning something of my aura, I could understand what he did, though there was no chance in any world I could replicate it. Mortal laws, or immortal, for that matter, simply didn’t apply to him. It was the same power that had shielded me from the Grand Inquisitor’s spells. They had no effect on me because Oblivion took me outside the realm in which they operated.

I felt a little self-conscious standing there between two immortals, with Luke and Verity watching me, but Magic wasted no time.

"Now, if you would, lend me your power," Magic said, turning toward Fate and Oblivion. "Carefully, mind you. We have no need to destroy the vessel before we’ve even begun."

Fate raised her hands. Countless golden threads emerged from her fingers, spreading through the circle beneath her feet. They followed the engraved runes, gathering into an intricate formation that pulsed with every beat of my heart. Oblivion followed, though his power manifested quite differently. A darkness seeped from his body, swallowing the light wherever it touched, until the runes beneath him seemed little more than gaps in existence.

The conduits connecting our circles began to shine, and I braced myself, expecting the familiar pressure of a ninth-level spell. Instead, a gentle warmth spread through my chest, settling around the divinity nestled within my soul. I blinked, looking toward Fate, who offered me a reassuring smile.

"There’s no need to resist. Let the power flow naturally."

I nodded, relaxing my aura. The warmth intensified, and I gasped as the first threads of Fate’s power entered my soul. They weren’t foreign, not really. The divinity recognized them, stirring from its usual quiet state as though answering a familiar call.

Oblivion was another matter. His power slipped through the connection without the slightest resistance, and I shivered as a familiar chill spread along the edges of my soul. For a moment, the two forces remained separate, each gathering around its respective bond.

Then Magic raised his hand.

A sharp tug pulled at my divinity, and I cried out in surprise. The two powers surged toward one another, meeting within my soul before being drawn outward through the formation beneath my feet. My horns tingled, and a sudden pressure settled behind my eyes, growing stronger with every passing moment.

"Wait, you’re drawing it from me?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.

"Naturally," Magic replied, his attention fixed upon the formation. "Your soul is the bridge between them. I could draw upon either directly, but the resulting powers would be incompatible. They’ve already found an equilibrium within you, however imperfect it might be."

He made a slight adjustment, and the pressure increased.

"Try not to interfere, even if it feels like you’re going to be overwhelmed. I will balance it out."

I bit my lip, resisting the urge to gather my mana. The sensation was strange, almost like casting a spell without knowing its structure. My aura stirred instinctively, seeking to understand the magic, but there was so much of it that I could scarcely follow the individual threads.

The divinity grew hotter, until it seemed a white-hot star had blossomed within my soul. I gasped, my knees trembling as the power rushed through me. It wasn’t quite pain, though there was plenty of that, a deep ache spreading throughout my body as my mortal soul struggled to contain the immense flow.

But beneath it was something else.

Warmth spread through me, soothing the ache almost as quickly as it formed. I could feel Fate’s familiar presence surrounding my soul, while Oblivion’s darkness sheltered it from the tremendous pressure of the magic. The two powers flowed together, and for the first time, I wasn’t struggling to keep them apart.

I let out a long, shuddering breath, my eyes fluttering closed.

By Fate, I’d never felt anything quite like it.

My mana swelled, filling every corner of my soul before spilling into the formation. There was so much power that I could scarcely comprehend it, and yet none of it felt beyond my reach. I could have cast a thousand ninth-level spells without exhausting even a fraction of what flowed through me. The limitations I’d struggled against for so long seemed to have vanished, leaving only the effortless movement of mana beneath my will.

I laughed softly, unable to help myself.

"Xiviyah?" Luke called, his voice sounding strangely distant.

"I’m... I’m all right," I managed, opening my eyes. "It just feels..."

I trailed off, uncertain how to explain it. My tail swayed behind me, and I found myself smiling despite the strain. Even the pain seemed insignificant compared to the extraordinary warmth filling my soul.

Magic gave an approving grunt. "Good. The vessel is holding. Now, let’s see whether that little experiment of yours is worth anything."

He extended his other hand toward me, and I felt the familiar presence of Haven answer his call. Deep within the realm, the True Shard stirred, responding to the divine powers flowing through me.

There was a moment’s hesitation, then a small point of light appeared above the formation. It expanded into a crystal no larger than my palm, shining with a soft, silvery radiance. Compared to the enormous World Shard towering over us, it seemed almost insignificant, but its mana was terrifyingly alien. True Mana.

Magic regarded it with interest, guiding the little crystal toward the center of his formation. Several threads emerged from the World Shard, winding around the smaller one before settling into place.

"Remarkable," he murmured. "The structure is stable, though the capacity leaves much to be desired. We shall have to improve upon that."

He raised both hands, and the magic gathered from my soul began to flow toward the True Shard.

I gasped as the pressure increased again. The divinity flared, its white-hot light flooding my vision, and for a moment I saw nothing but the vast expanse of mana passing through me. Fate’s threads guided its course, while Oblivion stripped away the remnants that could not exist within the new cycle. Magic caught what remained, weaving the two powers together with a precision I could scarcely follow.

The True Shard brightened, and I felt its mana expand, reaching toward the immense reservoir contained within the World Shard.

The two shards resonated. A tremendous hum filled the Archives, shaking dust from the fractured ceiling. The World Shard flickered, its countless currents of faith and mana shifting as the smaller crystal began to answer them.

I stared at the formation, fascinated. There was no conflict between the two, at least not yet. Magic had woven their connections so carefully that the old Shard seemed almost unaware of the changes taking place.

"Excellent," he said, lowering one hand. "The attunement has begun. From here, the process will proceed gradually, though we shall need to strengthen the connections as the True Shard grows."

"How long?" Luke asked.

"Several days, perhaps a week. That depends upon how readily the existing Shard accepts its successor." Magic glanced toward me. "And upon how much our Oracle can endure."

I swallowed, looking down at the brilliant runes beneath my feet. The ache in my soul was growing steadily stronger, though the warmth remained, tempting me to relax and surrender myself entirely to the flow.

Fate must have noticed, for she smiled gently.

"Despite what it might feel like, fate and oblivion flow together by nature. Once the initial connection is established, you’ll feel much better."

I nodded, though I was almost disappointed. For all the discomfort, there was something wonderful about wielding so much power, about feeling the great crystal respond to the slightest movement of my will.

I’d spent years struggling for every scrap of strength, and now the whole world seemed to rest in my hands.

I glanced toward Luke, who stood just beyond the formation, watching me with a troubled expression. When our eyes met, he gave a small nod, and I smiled back before turning my attention back to Magic.

"All right," I whispered. "I’m ready."

Magic raised his hands once more, and the current of mana surged through my soul. I drew a deep breath, letting the twin powers of fate and oblivion flow through me. The shards lit up in earnest, and suddenly, I could feel Enusia.