Chapter 83: Severed fate

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Looking at the creature disintegrating into orbs of light, Kyrie becomes aware again that he should prevent Erebus from descending at all cost. He already feels upset in the stomach seeing how the creature got taken down so easily by Phanes. He has yet to fathom the depths of her powers. 

[The fight with Erebus might be close to impossible.]

Kyrie has revealed some future events, but he is unsure how much influence his words could be to change the future. If Erebus still does not avoid the path of turning into a fallen god, then Kyrie would always be his enemy by nature. For a god to undergo devastation, that deity must already have lost all sanity. If not, then slowly, that fallen god will. 

The novel that he relied on for information about this world and the future occurrences never details what happened to Imogen after failing to prevent the fallen god Erebus's descent. It just ends with Imogen looking at Laurel succumb to her tragic fate once again. Maybe all Imogen's failed loops are because she could not hold a candle against Erebus.

[It's time to go back.]

Although Kyrie is tempted to remain in the past to avoid all that trouble, he knows that it's impossible to escape fate by hiding in the past. Even the protagonist has tried that with Laurel, yet she failed to prevent Laurel from ending tragically. 

Kyrie senses that Ian is also bound to that kind of fate. Although he does not know the origins of Ian's curse, in the novel, only those who lived from being influenced by his curse are those who went into their separate ways. Of course, for some reason, Imogen is an exception. 

Known as the saintess's grim reaper, Ian lived a life following Imogen and participated in her crazy killing sprees. In every loop, Ian always ends up teaming with Imogen one way or another, even when Imogen does not actively search to recruit him.

"Maya. Let's go back," says Kyrie.

Kyrie looks at the gods moving towards them. He has noticed the uncomfortable stare that Karta gives them as if her piercing silver eyes can look further than what they appear to. Kyrie is sure that the gods cannot read his thoughts, but her stare makes him doubt. 

By instinct, he wants to open the gate now before the gods become reluctant to let them go. After all, a lot must have happened for Phanes to die, Vita to ascend to the throne, and Erebus to undergo devastation.

Maya releases her essence and closes her eyes. As if she is cloning herself, another identical body comes out from hers. Kyrie catches the unconscious clone once she fully comes out of Maya's essence. The clone that came out is the Maya from the past who had joined with her future self when she came out of the time travel portal. 

The space near Maya rips, and a portal opens up. Beyond the portal is a path of light, leading them to an eternity that seems to have no end.

"Kyrie," Phanes calls as she walks up to him. She takes the unconscious Maya from Kyrie's arms.

"Phanes… or should I call you goddess Phanes. We will return to our time period now. We still have pending matters to finish," says Kyrie.

Phanes lets out a sad smile because this moment might be the last time they could stand in front of each other. She wants to ask them to stay a bit longer before sending them back with her own powers. Phanes is positive that she can convince Karta to let her. However, she has arrived at the scene too late.

"Calling me Phanes is fine," she replies, "It was nice to meet you, Kyrie, Ian, and my dear Maya."

Phanes pats Maya's head affectionately. 

"It is our pleasure, Phanes."

They all share a warm silent smile.

Erebus stays back, but he nods at Kyrie when their eyes meet. Kyrie nods back. His eyes wander off and sweep past Karta, who has yet to move her sight away from him and Ian. 

"Kyrie! We need to go now. The portal is closing," Maya grabs Kyrie's hand. 

Maya takes a look at Phanes, who smiles at her when their eyes lock. Suddenly, Maya realizes how similar Phanes's essence is to the essence that she followed to get to the past. 

Kyrie turns to leave, taking Maya, who is currently in a daze. Ian waits for them next to the portal.

[It's a shame that I could not speak to Vita and Yue before I leave. They have changed a lot compared to the future.]

Joining back with Ian, Kyrie takes his hand. Holding both Ian and Maya's hands, he lets out a deep breath before stepping into the portal first.

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All the gods' attention gets drawn to the portal when it opens. A visible white mist with threads of gold comes out of the portal, and the mist dissolves as soon as it comes into contact with the air.

Karta quietly looks at both Kyrie and Ian as her little sister gives her farewells. Ian's innocent eyes meet with Karta, and her stomach turns.

However, Karta lets the mortals leave without doing anything as if her mind and body freeze when making a decision. She is too used to the comfort of being on the safe side. Karta has promised to herself that she would not end up like her predecessors who served fate. She promised herself that she would not be swallowed by it.

"Elder sister!" 

Phanes's voice brings her mind back from spiraling out of control.

"Elder sister! What is it? Why are you looking so disturbed? Are they dying in the near future?"

Karta shakes her head, "I don't know."

"You… d-don't know?" Phanes knits her eyebrows from the irony of her sister's words. A goddess who has seen innumerable fates cannot determine two of them?

"Usually, when someone is close to death, their red fate threads dims into a brown color. But, their fate threads are not even red." 

Karta is bewildered. She has never seen fate threads of any other color than red. Ian's fate threads are black as if the fate threads themselves are disintegrating from being severed. Kyrie's fate threads are gold, filled with lingering essence.

"What do you mean? Colors aside, what is so different?"

"Someone has cut that black-haired kid's fate threads and sealed the endings so that the kid can never form a bond with another human being."

Phanes's grip on Karta's sleeve starts to tighten.

"I am not catching up… What does that even supposed to mean? Not able to form a bond with another human being? Isn't he with Kyrie and Maya? He is also going back to his time. He must have people who are close to him!"

"For now, maybe… I am not sure of myself. I have never seen these types of fates before. Fate is a mechanism, not a being, so everything has order, consistency, and logic. Normally, severed fate threads connect back because they cause inconsistencies with the predetermined flow of fate. Those contradictions get fixed by fate naturally. However, someone sealed his severed thread endings, preventing those fates from ever connecting back."

"And? What will happen then?" 

"So… If fate cannot reattach those threads, it will deem those severed fate threads as its new logic, and anything opposing that new logic will become contradictory. So, fate will work around to make sure that those inconsistencies never happen."

"You are telling me…. that Ian cannot form deep bonds with anyone due to someone's tampering with his fate threads?"

"Yes…"

"What will happen to Kyrie, then? Isn't he going against the workings of fate?"

Karta nods, "Either Kyrie eventually moves to another path, or he will have to face an ultimatum from fate."

"What ultimatum?"

"Death, Phanes. Death separates everyone."