Morvane felt the air shift, his surroundings blurring and spinning until he was suddenly thrust into a small room. It was dim and featureless, with no windows, no doors, and no apparent way out. The walls seed to pulse faintly with a strange energy, making him feel trapped and disoriented.
He rushed to one of the walls, pressing his hands against it, but it was solid and unyielding. Panic bubbled within him. "What is this place?"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Think, Morvane. Think. Maybe he could summon his shadow beast to break through the walls. But how? He briefly considered wounding himself—pain had often been a trigger before. Or perhaps he could absorb one of the gems from his fra for a surge of power.
Just as he reached for the small fra hanging by his side, a voice broke the silence.
"I wouldn’t do that if I were you."
Morvane spun around, his heart leaping into his throat. The blind man stood there, calm and composed, but sothing was different. His eyes were no longer cloudy and vacant. Instead, they glead with sharp clarity, a piercing gaze that seed to see right through Morvane.
"What... what happened to your eyes?" Morvane stamred.
The blind man smiled faintly. "There is more to than ets the eye, Morvane. Just as there is more to you than you realize."
Morvane clenched his fists, frustration simring beneath his confusion. "Where are we? What is this place?"
"This," the blind man said, gesturing to the empty room, "is a place where ti and space converge. A place for you to see what must be seen. A prophecy tied to your tiline—one that could unravel the past and destroy the future."
Morvane blinked, his mind struggling to process the words. "Wait, what do you an? My tiline? Ruin the past? How is that even possible?"
Before the blind man could answer, the room began to shift. The walls rippled like water, and the floor beneath Morvane’s feet trembled. He stumbled, his vision blurring as the space around him transford.
When the shaking stopped, Morvane found himself standing in a familiar place—a shrine.
His breath caught in his throat. He recognized this shrine. The towering stone pillars, the intricate carvings of ancient symbols, the faint glow of light filtering through the cracks in the ceiling—it was a place from his childhood, a place he had thought was only a dream.
"This... this can’t be real," he whispered. "I know this shrine. I’ve been here before."
The blind man stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the shrine’s central altar. "This place is tied to your destiny, Morvane. It is here that the first threads of the prophecy were woven. And it is here that you will begin to understand your role in it."
Morvane’s pulse quickened as he stepped closer to the altar. Symbols etched into the stone seed to glow faintly as he approached, as if reacting to his presence. His fingers hovered over the carvings, a strange familiarity tugging at the edge of his mory.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The blind man didn’t answer imdiately. Instead, he gestured toward the altar, where a faint light began to emanate. "The answers lie here. But be warned—what you see may change everything you thought you knew about yourself and the world around you."
Morvane hesitated, fear and curiosity battling within him. Slowly, he reached out toward the light, ready to uncover the secrets of the prophecy and the truth of his destiny.
Morvane flinched when he felt the sudden weight of sothing landing on his shoulder. He whipped his head around, ready to fend off whatever it was, but froze when he saw the familiar black feathers and piercing eyes of a crow.
The creature tilted its head, and for a mont, a mory flickered in Morvane’s mind. It reminded him of sothing—or soone. His breath hitched as realization dawned. "Hiraya’s shadow beast..."
Before he could say more, movent caught his eye. He turned and saw Hiraya walking toward the shrine.
"Wait..." he began, but the blind man’s voice interrupted him.
"Don’t worry, she doesn’t see us," the old man said calmly.
Morvane’s brow furrowed. "Why are you showing her? What does this have to do with ?"
The blind man didn’t answer directly. Instead, he gestured toward Hiraya. "Keep watching, Morvane. The answers will co."
Hiraya stepped further into the shrine, her movents deliberate. The air seed to shift around her, and Morvane noticed faint glimrs—spirits beginning to appear. They floated around her, their translucent forms shimring with a soft, eerie glow.
"Hiraya..." Morvane whispered, an urge to call out to her rising in his chest.
Suddenly, one of the spirits grew agitated. It darted toward Hiraya, and before Morvane could react, it plunged into her body. Hiraya staggered as the spirit possessed her, and her hands flew to her neck, clawing at her throat as if she were choking herself.
Morvane’s instincts scread at him to act. He took a step forward, but the blind man’s firm grip on his arm stopped him.
"Just watch," the old man said sternly.
Morvane clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he was forced to stand by and watch. Hiraya’s body convulsed, and for a mont, it seed as though the spirit would kill her. But then, just as abruptly as it had entered her, the spirit left.
Hiraya straightened, brushing herself off as if nothing had happened. There was no panic in her expression, no sign of fear. She simply continued walking through the shrine, her composure unnervingly calm.
Morvane’s voice trembled with frustration. "She’s not even fazed... How can she act like that after what just happened?"
The blind man sighed, his gaze following Hiraya. "Because she’s used to it. This is her reality now. That woman... she is like you."
"What do you an?"
The blind man turned to him, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of pity and knowledge. "She, too, was chosen by a demon. She bears the sa power as you, but unlike you, no one has been there to guide her. No one has taught her how to control her abilities or warned her of the dangers they bring."
Morvane’s heart sank as he watched Hiraya disappear further into the shrine, the spirits still swirling around her. He felt a pang of guilt, an unspoken responsibility settling heavily on his shoulders.
"She’s... alone in this," he murmured.
The blind man nodded. "And unless you step forward, she will remain so."
The blind man raised his hand, and the shrine lted away, replaced by towering trees and the rustling sound of leaves. The air slled of moss and earth, and the sunlight filtered softly through the canopy.
"Where are we now?" Morvane asked, turning to the blind man.
"To the next stop," the blind man replied cryptically, walking ahead.
Morvane squinted as movent caught his eye. In the distance, he saw a young man in his early twenties. His sharp features and confident deanor were unmistakable.
"das..." Morvane whispered, watching the figure closely.
das held a book in his hands, its leather cover marked with intricate runes. He flipped through its pages, stopping suddenly and reciting a spell. A crow flew into view, and with a quick gesture, das cast his spell. Magic surged from his hands, and the crow was ensnared in a glowing gem, its cries echoing briefly before being silenced.
"This explains why das has the crow in a gem at the palace," Morvane murmured, realization dawning.
das, unaware of being observed, closed the book and walked deeper into the forest. Morvane instinctively followed, curiosity driving him forward.
das approached a small, weathered cabin nestled in the woods. The door creaked open, and Hiraya erged, her expression wary as she saw him.
"Why are you here again, das?" she asked, crossing her arms.
das stepped closer, his voice calm but insistent. "Hiraya, we should live together. It would be safer for both of us. I can protect you."
Hiraya shook her head, her tone resolute. "I’ve told you before, das. I can’t. I have my reasons."
das sighed, disappointnt flickering across his face. "Fine. But I’ll co back. You know I will."
He turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the forest.
Morvane moved to follow him, but his attention snapped back to Hiraya as the old man from earlier appeared beside her.
The two exchanged words, their conversation intense, but Morvane couldn’t hear anything. He tried to get closer, straining to catch even a fragnt of what they were saying, but it was no use.
"How can you talk to her?" Morvane demanded, turning to the blind man beside him.
The old man was suddenly behind him instead, his voice calm and asured. "Don’t worry. That isn’t as I am now. That’s the younger , the man who first told Hiraya about the prophecy."
Morvane’s heart raced. "What prophecy? What does it have to do with her? Or with das? Or... with ?"
The blind man’s expression grew somber. "The prophecy is tied to all of you, though in different ways. It is a tale of balance and chaos, of choices that ripple across tilines. Hiraya and das each hold pieces of the puzzle, but the largest piece lies with you."
"?" Morvane asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes, Morvane. You are the one who will tip the scales. For better or for worse."
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