eclipsed Fate

Kaito felt the weight of Varian's words settle over him like a shroud. Harbinger of Ruin. The title sent an uneasy chill down his spine. But he had no time to dwell on it—answers were finally within reach.

Lysaria shifted beside him, her violet eyes flickering between Varian and Kaito. "If you know what's happening to him, then tell us. Why is he trapped in this cycle?"

Varian regarded her with an amused glint in his eye. "A good question, but a dangerous one. The forces that bind time do not take kindly to meddling." He turned back to Kaito. "You must tread carefully. Your actions now will ripple across realities far beyond your understanding."

Kaito clenched his fists. "I don't care about the risks. I need to know."

Varian exhaled slowly, as if weighing a decision. "Very well. But understand this, Harbinger—breaking the cycle is not a matter of simply finding an exit. It is about unweaving a tapestry that has already been set in motion." He gestured toward the darkened forest beyond them. "The answers you seek lie in the ruins of Solmira's first kingdom. A place lost to time, yet never truly forgotten."

Lysaria frowned. "Solmira's first kingdom? That place is nothing but myth."

Varian smirked. "Is it? Or is that merely what history was rewritten to make you believe?"

Kaito's mind raced. If this kingdom held the key to his curse, then that was where he needed to go. But he knew it wouldn't be that simple. "What's waiting for us there?" he asked.

Varian's expression darkened. "Shadows of what once was. Guardians of fate who will not welcome your presence."

A gust of wind rustled the trees, carrying the distant echoes of screams from the burning village behind them. Time was slipping away. If they stayed too long, the soldiers would eventually find them.

Kaito met Lysaria's gaze. Determination burned in her eyes, mirroring his own. They had come this far together—there was no turning back now.

He turned back to Varian. "Then tell us how to get there."

Varian's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Follow the fading light of the twin moons. Before the last crescent vanishes, you must cross the threshold. Fail, and the cycle will tighten its grip."

Lysaria shivered. "What happens if we're too late?"

Varian's smile faded. "Then you will become part of the story, instead of the one who rewrites it."