The sudden reflection that appeared in the sky and the events it revealed created a huge commotion throughout the continent. But despite all the chaos, within the castle of Varenthis, a peaceful and serene atmosphere could be seen in one particular area.
A garden filled with all kinds of Lily flowers. White petals floated in the air. Within this calm atmosphere, a rhythmic sound could be heard. A woman with pure white hair and milky white skin, wearing a white gown could be seen. She moved slowly across the garden as if a fairy bathed in moonlight. She was holding a small teacup, swirling the tea with a spoon.
She was not looking at the sky. How could she? She possessed no sight. That was the price for becoming an oracle. She slowly muttered to herself.
"How tragic. So much death. Heir of the lost love, woman who caged her own kind, a lost prince accompanied by seven deadly sins in darkness battling for the supremacy. Now a seeker has appeared as well. A seeker of victory"
"Adrian, this world has become a sad place after you left. He has no intention of carrying on your legacy. He has chosen the path of a monarch. Not a savior. Will he succeed? Can victory triumph over hatred as old as time?"
"You have already left Adrian. And you took all the hope with you."
A tear fell down her cheek.
It was hard. Too painful. But what can she do but pray that they meet again?
Her thoughts were disrupted by the sounds of footsteps. The voice of someone she's very familiar with spoke.
" Elle, we need to talk."
Oracle immediately wiped a tear and put on an emotionless face.
"Are we in a so familiar relationship that you would address me by my name, Princess?"
Reyna scoffed.
"You are my property, duly bound to answer all my questions. That's the deal I made with your prime self."
Oracle chuckled.
"Oh? Pray tell, what question do you have for me this time? Are you planning to kill another savior?"
Reyna exhaled. This woman sure knew how to get on her nerves.
"I removed the anomaly from the timeline. Even if some things are different, major events should happen the same way. That's the rule of time and fate. But Vermaris did not fall. The demon king showed up. And the Bloodwolf party survived. I understand that everything happened because of Theon. But how is that possible?"
"He should be following his given script. That's how the system of fate operates. Why?"
Oracle was silent for a while. She bent down and picked a butterfly. One of its wings was broken.
"It is quite interesting. The notion of free will. People are terrified to find out that all the choices they made and where they led are predetermined. They fight for freedom."
Reyna raised her eyebrows annoyingly. Can't this woman just provide simple answers? If Reyna were to one day ask, "What should I eat for breakfast today?" She would probably start talking about some philosophical theory like "The Ship of Theseus".
Still, she did not interrupt. Almost everything she says is meaningful.
Oracle continued to speak.
"They are right, of course. Free will does exist, at least to some extent. But the major events, the turning points, will happen either way. That is the will of fate."
She turned her emotionless gaze towards Reyna.
"Tell me, princess, what made Adrian an anomaly?"
There was no need to think. Reyna knew the answer to that question more than anyone.
"He was an outsider. His path was not written in this plane of existence. He had no place within the system of fate."
Oracle was silent for a while. Then, a white aura started radiating from her palms, surrounding the butterfly.
"You are quite right. He was not of this world. Then tell me, princess. What about Theon? Is he an anomaly?"
"Yes." Reyna immediately answered. And then she looked confused. "No?"
Oracle chuckled.
"Your confusion is perfectly justified. Theon is from this world. fate recognizes him as Theon Rivenhart Ignisborn. But at the same time, He does not behave as Theon should"
The butterfly slowly started unfolding its wings.
"That is the true danger of an anomaly. Adrian left a footprint in this world. And Theon saw it. Even the system is not omnipotent. It can make mistakes. It happens rarely. But once in a while, an individual realizes that they are walking on a certain path. And sometimes, they try to break free from it."
"And the most dangerous part? There's nothing a system can do about it. The correction incarnate that appeared in your previous timeline only comes after anomalies. Not these kinds of individuals"
"And in Theon's case? Since he is aware of the reality, he does not follow the script. But even so, the system recognizes him as Theon Ignisborn. So, there are no consequences."
Reyna's anger flared up.
"That is bullshit. That means no matter what he does, I can't get rid of him. He can mess everything up, but he cannot die? That does not make any sense."
The butterfly slowly started flapping its wings.
"Yes, it doesn't make any sense. Sometimes, even a small interruption from the outside could completely offset someone's fate. And those who are supposed to die and forgotten, began to take flight."
The butterfly flew away towards its kin.
"This is what I warned you about all those years ago, princess. When you stare into the abyss, sometimes the abyss stares right back at you."
Reyna exhaled as if understanding something. She started thinking for a while.
" As long as he is Theon Ignisborn, hah"
"Tell me Elle. What if the system does not recognize him anymore? What if the system does not see him as Theon?
Oracle looked at her once again. Reyna continued speaking.
"This Theon keeps breaking free from his pre-determined path. But since he is supposed to exist, I can't kill him. It will change the fates of so many people. But what if he no longer exists? Theon was originally supposed to die during the demon war. If this Theon lives longer than that moment, from a systems perspective, Theon would already be dead."
Oracle did not answer. But Reyna looked satisfied.
"So, that is the answer. I just have to wait 3 years until his supposed death event. Then I can kill him. In the meantime, he will confront me and try to strip away my power. I just have to endure and protect my own until that moment."
It was brilliant thinking. And that plan would probably work. But the oracle did not react. Reyna started walking away, so she couldn't hear what the oracle muttered.
"What makes you think you can kill him in 3 years?"