Fate Dark Side of Betrayer

"You believe you might outpace the stars' writing output? The voice of the hooded figure rang throughout the cavern, its tone a mix of contempt and threat. "Fate doesn't operate that way, Arden.

"I don't care how Fate works," I said, my hand solid and I moved in closer. You are terribly incorrect if you believe I will simply roll over and let you control my life.

At my side, Caius stood tense with his dagger set to strike. Arden murmured, "Careful," "They want you to be furious. Makes managing you simpler.

"I'm not angry," I said with jaws clenched. "I'm done functioning as a pawn."

The man laughed, a low, unpleasant sound. But you never have been merely a pawn. The cornerstone, the axis around which all strands of destiny line-up. And you will always be exactly what Fate calls for you to be, no matter how far you run.

Their words made my spine shiver, and I stumbled momentarily. The sigil on my wrist blazed with heat, and I felt myself involuntarily press my hand against it, the light warningly spreading from under my fingers.

Stepping forward, Elara advised not listening to them. Her mark shined weakly in reaction to mine, and she rested a steady hand on my shoulder. They are trying to undermine you.

Let them chat, Caius said darkly. "It'll make it easier to slit their throat when they're done."

The person passed him, their focus just on me. "The prophecy binds you, Arden." You can fight it, deny it, even loathe it; nonetheless, it will happen. The one deciding whether the planet is rebuilt or destroyed is you.

Their remarks weighted the air so heavily that I found it difficult to keep my breathing consistent. " What prophesy? I asked, my voice shaking even with my best attempts.

The person slanted their head, as though deciding whether or not to respond. "The one penned long before your birth," they remarked at last. "The one who speaks of a nexus which will either sever the threads of Fate or weave them into an unbreakable web."

Elara tightened her hold on my shoulder, and I could feel the strain emanating from her. She said, "They're bending the truth." "The prophesy has nothing about devastation." It has to do with freedom.

" freedoms? The figure repeated, their voice tinged with contempt. "That's what you refer to? A world without direction or goal? without organization Disorder masquerading as freedom? {{{

"That's enough," Caius snarled, stepping forward. Either get the hell out of our way or tell us what you want.

The man lifted his cowl to show a visage that stopped me from breathing. Someone I knew—someone I thought I would never see again. My breath seized in my throat, and the room seemed to slant.

"Mother? I spoke softly, barely audible.

Her demeanor was icy, devoid of the affection I recalled. "You should have stayed hidden," she continued, her voice harsh. You now have my hand pushed.

"What specifically are you referring to? I asked, my voice getting higher. You are among them? You are working with the Circle?"

"I am shielding you," she answered. "Even though you are too blind to see it."

"By means of tracking me down? I turned back. "By supporting the very individuals that wish to subjugate me? „

She approached more closely, her eyes narrowing. Arden, you do not grasp the stakes. Not about control here is this. It is about survival—yours and the planet's.

The room felt choked, the tension strong enough to suffocate on. Looking to Elara and Caius for help, they appeared as shocked as I did. My mind flew, attempting to match the mother I knew with the lady before me.

"You abandoned me," I murmured with shaking voice. Let them mark me, let them take me. And now you are here, acting as though it was all for my advantage? „

She said, "I didn't have a choice," and for the first time her voice cracked. "You would be right if I wanted this? I failed in my lifetime attempting to protect you from Fate's hold. And right now, all I can do is watch out for you not ruining yourself.

Her comments felt like a blow, and I staggered back shaking my head. "You have no say about what would be best for me," I said. Not now.

Between us, Caius stood poised with his dagger at hand. "You have stated your piece," he remarked. Now depart.

The look of my mother turned to him hardened. You believe you could keep her safe? She asked with a sarcastic tone. "You hardly even know what you are handling here."

"Maybe not," he said, his voice serene but lethal. "But I know I'm not the one who gave her up."

Her eyes blazed with wrath, and for a split second I thought she may strike. She retreated, nevertheless, her face unreadable.

The Circle is shifting, she said. "They are assembling their troops in readiness for the last ceremony. You come with me if you want to survive.

And should I neglect? My voice was icy as I asked.

Then you'll die, she stated simply. And so will everyone you value.

Her remarks stayed long after she vanished from the cavern into the shadows. With hands shaking, I dropped to the ground as the weight of her disclosure threatened to overwhelm me.

Elara knelt next to me and said, "She's lying. The Circle doesn't care about survival." They desire authority.

"How sure are you? I whisper, my voice hardly audible.

Her voice steady, she replied, "Because I've seen what they do to people like us." Arden, they do not guard us. They wreck us.

Caius bent in front of me, peering at me. "You don't have to trust her," he continued. But you can rely on us.

The insignia on my wrist blazed with blinding light before I could reply, and a voice rang in my head.

"The decision is approaching Arden. The tapestry will fall as the threads fraying do. Make good decisions.

The brightness dimmed, and I staggered and gasped. Elara and Caius looked worriedly at one another, and I realized the prophecy was no more words. It was under way. And I stood in the core of it all.

Was what we said incorrect? Kindly mark this with a thumbs down.