novelraw Chapter 159 155: Directions
Chapter 159 155: Directions
The Apoloss VI soared through space on its way toward a jump gate leading into the next realm.
It would make one more stop before crossing—standard procedure to stabilize both spiritual and physical pressure before jumping realms.
The Apoloss line had belonged to the Varics Family for generations.
Long ago, Drelvak Varics, the head and origin of the bloodline, had used the original vessel to embark on a journey with forty-eight warriors and prophets. The story had become one of the family's foundational myths.
And like many things surrounding Drelvak—
It was equal parts history, reverence, and warning.
Those born of his line were simply known as "of Varics".
A title made stranger by the fact that, after his first wife, Drelvak had never formally wed another woman again.
The ship itself resembled an enormous fighter craft—sleek and refined. Blue exhaust trailed from its engines in radiant streams, cutting through the dark.
Inside, workers and crew moved with unusual energy.
Today was not a normal day.
Today was a day of celebration.
Sšurtinaui of Varics had become a Ranker.
That alone made her an elite among the family.
A living point of pride.
A rising figure.
And, for some—
A problem.
Because not every member of the Varics Family was pleased to see her return with that title attached to her name.
Still—
Whatever resentment lingered beneath the surface, it would not stop what had already been set into motion.
When she returned home, a celebration would be waiting for her.
And aboard the ship, she and her guest—Caroline, another Fortune Holder victor—were being treated like royalty.
———
Denda of Varics walked through the halls with measured steps.
Tall.
Composed.
Four-hundred and fifty-eight years of refinement carried in the way he held himself.
His long silver hair fell cleanly down his back, untouched by the motion of the ship. A green and grey robe flowed over his body.
"She survived?"
He didn't stop walking.
But the thought lingered.
"…Surprising."
He hadn't given her much thought before the tournament.
There was no need to.
A ragged team.
Unproven allies.
And a single low Ranker among them.
By all reasonable projections—
They should have failed.
And yet—
Not only had she survived the Fortune Holder…
She had been named among the "Blessed Eight".
One of eight.
Out of nearly four hundred ninety million.
Denda's gaze narrowed slightly.
That alone would have been enough to shift her position within the family.
But she hadn't returned alone.
She had brought an outsider.
A guest.
Into Varics space.
That—
Was where his displeasure settled.
"She may be a Ranker," he muttered quietly, "and a survivor…"
His hand curled slowly into a fist.
"But she is still Aelentien."
"Naïve."
"Incompetent."
"Unreliable."
Each word placed with care.
"Being carried through a battlefield…"
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…is not the same as earning your place within this family."
The ship hummed around him.
Denda stopped.
Just for a moment.
Then clenched his fist fully.
"Absolutely not."
———
Sšurtinaui handed Caroline a cup, then dropped back against the couch in the main lounge.
She was tired.
And the family being all sentimental when she came aboard—
Most of it probably fake—
Hadn't helped.
If anything, it just made her more tense.
She still felt on guard.
Because instincts like that didn't just turn off.
Not after surviving.
She let out a slow breath and glanced over at Caroline.
Purple eyes.
Long white hair that nearly brushed her knees.
A borrowed green Varics robe draped over her frame, paired with simple sandals that still looked strange on her, mostly because it was a size too big.
Caroline looked up.
"What?"
Sšurtinaui blinked once.
"Nothing."
Then, after a second—
"…Just sorry it's taking so long."
Caroline frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Sšurtinaui lifted her left arm slightly.
A tired little gesture.
"Well…"
She motioned vaguely around them.
"I know Supreme Families move faster than this."
Her eyes drifted toward the walls of the ship.
"If you left with Tinsurnae, you'd probably be home by now."
Caroline scoffed lightly.
"It's fine."
Then she looked down at her cup.
"Besides…"
She shrugged.
"I was living inside him for years."
That made Sšurtinaui go quiet.
Caroline continued anyway.
"So I never really noticed travel time."
A beat.
"And even if you all aren't a Supreme Family…"
She waved a hand lazily.
"You're still at least noble-status. So this is probably way faster than regular travel."
Then she looked back up.
"I can't complain."
Sšurtinaui smiled faintly and leaned her head back against the couch.
"Good."
And after that—
The room fell quiet for a few minutes.
Not awkward.
Just…
Still.
Denda stepped into the main lounge and looked around.
Curved couches of pale blue and silver were arranged around low glass tables that held untouched fruit, crystal pitchers, and decorative bowls of glowing petals that shifted color depending on who looked at them. Tall arched windows stretched along one side of the ship, offering a slow-moving view of stars and distant realm traffic beyond the protective veil. Soft ambient lights floated overhead like captured moons, and polished black flooring reflected everything just enough to make the room feel deeper than it was.
Denda's gaze landed immediately on Sšurtinaui and Caroline.
He walked toward them with measured steps, fully prepared to let his little sister know exactly how he felt about her sudden rise.
About her arrogance.
Bringing an outsider into Varics space.
But then—
He stopped.
Cold.
Both of them turned to look at him.
And there was no hostility in their faces.
No aggression.
No obvious threat.
But the look in their eyes—
Low.
Still.
Quietly dead.
There was light there.
Yes.
But not softness.
This was not the useless little sister he had already judged and dismissed a hundred times over.
This was not Aelentien.
This was a survivor.
And more than that—
A Ranker.
Her aura carried the same weight he had only ever associated with the family's true elites. It wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. It sat beneath her skin like something earned in blood.
And the girl beside her—
Was just as bad.
Maybe worse.
Caroline said nothing.
But the pressure around her was strange. Wrong in a way Denda didn't have the words for. Like standing too close to a tangible belief.
Denda swallowed.
Then forced a careful smile.
Sšurtinaui tilted her head slightly.
"You need something?"
Denda opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
So instead, he coughed once and recovered with whatever dignity he had left.
"You seem to have…" he began, then cleared his throat again. "Earned your name, Sšurtinaui."
A beat passed.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Thanks," she said. "I guess."
Denda gave a short nod.
"You're welcome."
Then turned around and walked away with as much grace as possible.
The second he was gone, Caroline laughed.
Sšurtinaui dragged a hand over her face.
"…That was embarrassing."
Then she looked over at Caroline.
"Sorry you had to be here for that."
Caroline leaned back slightly, still watching the doorway Denda had left through.
"…Who was that?"
Sšurtinaui didn't bother looking.
"One of my older brothers."
She took a slow sip from her cup.
"You'll see a lot of them. I'm one of the youngest."
Caroline let out a low whistle.
"I thought you were, like… two hundred something?"
Sšurtinaui gave a small, tired smile.
"I am."
A beat.
"I'm still young for an elf. Very young."
She leaned her head back against the couch.
"My father is over a thousand years old."
Caroline blinked.
"I guess that makes sense. Elves are known for their long life spans."
"My older siblings are mostly in the seven to eight hundreds."
Caroline nodded toward the door.
"Like him?"
Sšurtinaui shook her head.
"No. He's only in his four hundreds."
Caroline smirked.
"Aww. Okay."
Sšurtinaui glanced at her.
"What?"
Caroline shrugged.
"Guess I'm not the only one with family problems."
Sšurtinaui scoffed softly.
"Everyone does. It's not a personal concept."
She exhaled.
"Besides… my father and his many women create more competition than anything else."
Caroline hummed.
"Sounds fun."
"It isn't."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
A small silence settled between them.
Then Caroline tilted her head.
"Well… this is what you wanted, right?"
Sšurtinaui didn't answer immediately.
"…Yes."
Then she added—
"But I have a new goal now."
Caroline leaned forward slightly.
"Oh?"
Sšurtinaui closed her eyes.
"Rest."
Caroline stared at her for a second.
Then laughed.
Sšurtinaui laughed too.
But it didn't last long.
Caroline's gaze lingered on her.
On the missing right arm.
On the cut that ran from her lip to her ear.
On the way her silver hair fell down her back, untouched and perfect despite everything else.
On the way her green eyes—
Even now—
Still looked tired.
Sšurtinaui leaned forward again, more serious this time.
"So what about you?" she asked.
"…Hm?"
"You left Rituian," Sšurtinaui said. "You survived outside of Tinsurnae."
She rested her elbow on her knee.
"You can do anything now."
A beat.
Then, quieter—
"So what's the plan?"
Caroline looked around the lounge.
"It's a lot," she admitted. "So I'm not a hundred percent sure."
Then she quickly raised a hand.
"Please don't be mad."
That made Sšurtinaui laugh.
"I'm not."
She leaned back deeper into the couch.
"I teamed up with North and… well, you… both versions."
Caroline blinked.
Sšurtinaui gave her a tired smile.
"I'm used to half-answers and nonsense actions."
That made Caroline smile.
Then, after a pause, she asked.
"You're really okay with me using her name?"
Sšurtinaui breathed out slowly and looked toward the stars beyond the glass.
"It's still odd to me," she admitted.
A beat.
"But I understand it."
She looked back over.
"North doesn't agree. And that's his right."
Then her eyes traced over Caroline more carefully.
"But…"
Her voice softened.
"I saw how you were with her."
Caroline stayed still.
"And I saw how she helped shape your identity."
Sšurtinaui leaned more onto her arm.
"Besides…"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Caroline wouldn't be mad at this."
Caroline's shoulders eased a little.
Then Sšurtinaui pointed at her.
And her tone sharpened.
"That said—"
Caroline blinked.
"If you're going to carry her legacy…"
Sšurtinaui's green eyes narrowed.
"Then be conscious of your actions."
The room went quieter.
"Caroline was loving," she said. "Trusted. Someone people could lean on."
A beat.
"You do not need to mimic her."
Then another.
"But don't soil the blessing she left with you."
Caroline nodded slowly.
Then she asked—
"Did she have any regrets?"
Sšurtinaui looked back out the window.
And for a moment, her expression shifted.
Softer.
Further away.
She thought of the ridiculous gamer girl she had known for two years.
The one she had grown close to in the strangest possible way.
The one who had saved her life from the Herald.
A small smile touched her face.
"She wanted to become an Intermediate Ranker."
Caroline blinked.
"Why?"
"So she could travel into one of the realms ruled by the Sovereign Monarch King, Mobocracy," Sšurtinaui said.
Caroline tilted her head.
"…again…why?"
"Apparently one of her friends had a restaurant there and she wanted to visit."
Caroline nodded slowly.
And while Sšurtinaui watched the stars—
Caroline thought of what she would need to do to find Rhanri.
She couldn't say all of that yet.
Not now.
Not until she understood more herself.
But… she most likely would need to get higher on the Ranker list anyway.
"I'll do that then," Caroline said.
Sšurtinaui looked over.
"…Alone?"
Caroline tilted her head.
"Well…"
Then she smirked.
"You wanna come?"
That made Sšurtinaui laugh.
A tired, real one.
"Of course."
Then she sighed.
"We just became Rankers and somehow we're already planning the next impossible thing."
Caroline shrugged.
"Sounds about right."
Sšurtinaui smiled.
Then looked at her more seriously.
"Besides…"
Her eyes flicked toward her.
"I'm sure North's going to hit those heights eventually."
Caroline followed her gaze toward the stars.
Then Sšurtinaui added—
"And you want to show him what you become under her name, don't you?"
Caroline smiled.
A small one.
———
Destiny walked through the golden halls.
This particular corridor was lined with frozen statues of Vari's enemies—captured in gold, locked in poses of defeat and forced reverence, all of them pointed toward the massive doors at the end of the hall.
Toward the room she was now approaching.
Her narrative scars still hadn't fully healed.
Thin marks traced her skin where the cuts had settled.
But honestly?
She didn't care.
If anything—
They made her look a little badass.
And she could live with that.
She wore a black-and-gold war dress fitted cleanly to her frame, elegant without sacrificing edge. Her platinum hair had been styled into four long braids, and her golden eyes gleamed beneath the reflected light of the hall.
Realm travel was absurdly fast.
She had genuinely thought the trip would take weeks.
Instead—
One massive golden portal later and she had arrived in under thirty minutes.
That honestly made her wonder if the grand pickup had just been for dramatic effect.
She chuckled to herself.
Supreme Families really did know how to do way too much for no reason.
Still—
She couldn't deny it was cool.
She approached the towering doors at the end of the hall.
Gold and white marble.
Massive enough to make her feel small if she let them.
Their surface was carved with serpents devouring suns—an old symbol of Supreme Family Vari.
Power through death.
It explained why they consumed the planet of Delark and offered it to Vari, the Primordial Golden Viper.
Her future god-self.
Before…
That thought would've carried a lot more weight.
A lot more fear.
A lot more existential nonsense.
Now?
Now it felt almost distant.
Like watching a channel on the news.
Still real.
Still insane.
But no longer enough to shake her.
Destiny smiled to herself.
Then raised a hand—
And knocked.
The doors didn't open.
She was simply—
On the other side.
No transition.
Destiny stood still for a moment.
A garden stretched out before her.
A garden of gold.
Of concept.
Flowers bloomed in shapes that felt almost intentional, like ideas given form. Trees rose upward endlessly, their trunks smooth and radiant, their branches stretching so far they seemed to disappear into infinity. Golden leaves drifted through the air in slow, endless fall, never quite touching the ground.
It took her breath away.
She had never been here before.
But she could feel Vari.
Somewhere ahead.
Not far.
And not something you could miss.
So she started walking.
Her steps were steady.
It had been three days since she left North.
Three days to let the weight settle.
Three days to get the jitters out of her chest.
Three days to breathe again.
To feel like herself again.
Now—
She was ready for this.
…Hopefully.
Because Vari had been in a mood lately.
She didn't even see her when she came back.
As she walked deeper into the garden, two figures finally came into view.
They stood beneath a golden tree whose branches stretched so high they vanished into the haze above.
Twin divinities.
Clad in white and gold so intricate it looked less like clothing and more like ceremonial law woven into fabric. Their garments shimmered with divine craftsmanship—ornate, immaculate, almost too beautiful to look at for too long. One wore a radiant crown of sharp golden rays, the other carried himself with an elegance so refined it felt weaponized.
And yet—
Even standing still, both of them felt wrong in the way only truly old things did.
Just…
Beyond ordinary shape.
Siumone and Enomuis Vari.
The Monstrous God Twins.
Siumone—who devoured legacies for Vari, serving as her mouth.
And Enomuis—who enforced and shattered the rules of reality itself, acting as her speech.
To most beings, just standing in their presence would've been enough to shatter the mind.
The second they noticed her, their weary gold eyes lit up.
And then—
They were just suddenly there.
Destiny barely had time to register what was happening before both of them were on her, pulling her into an aggressive barrage of hugs, kisses, and entirely too much affection.
She struggled immediately.
"Let go! Let go!"
Her braids got caught between hands and sleeves and divine nonsense.
"I literally just saw you guys!"
They only laughed harder.
Eventually, they let her go.
Destiny stumbled back a step, straightened herself, and dusted off her dress with as much dignity as she could recover.
Then she looked up at Siumone—
Who was smiling at her like she'd done nothing wrong.
Destiny blinked.
Then threw both hands out.
"What the hell, guys?"
"A lot can happen in a short amount of time, little light," Siumone said playfully.
Before Destiny could respond, Siumone made a small motion with her fingers.
And suddenly Destiny was turned to face Enomuis while Siumone stood behind her.
Then—
Siumone started fixing her hair.
With her hands.
Carefully.
Slowly.
Taking her time.
That alone made Destiny narrow her eyes.
Something was off.
She looked at Enomuis.
He only raised an elegant brow.
Destiny frowned.
"Is this about what I said during the tournament?" He asked.
She didn't answer.
So he kept going.
"I already explained, little light, that I wasn't saying it toward you specifically. I was setting a tone and—"
"No," Destiny said smoothly. "Not that."
Siumone hummed behind her.
"I did not take it personally," Destiny added. "Though it was dramatic."
She chuckled as Siumone finished fixing her hair.
"I know you guys love me," she said. "And I love you guys too."
That was apparently the wrong thing to say.
Because both of them immediately moved in again and crushed her into another overbearing hug.
Destiny got squeezed between celestial affection and conceptual nonsense.
"Okay! Okay!" she gasped. "Enough!"
Eventually they let her go.
Destiny straightened herself again, now fully irritated.
Then pointed between them.
"What's going on?"
Her expression sharpened.
"What's wrong with Vari?"
That wiped most of the playfulness from the space.
The twins looked at each other.
And that was enough.
Destiny's stomach sank a little.
"Spit it out," she said.
Neither of them moved.
So she took a step forward.
"Do not let me walk in there unprepared."
Siumone looked away first.
"Maybe," she said softly, "now is not the time."
"It is."
Destiny's voice didn't rise.
Enomuis exhaled quietly through his nose.
Siumone's hands fell still at her sides.
They had spoiled her too much for her to back down now.
And honestly—
Neither of them had the heart to try now.
So they sighed.
Together.
Siumone was the first to speak.
"She went to see Jafar."
Destiny blinked.
"…Why?"
Enomuis answered this time.
"Because AllFather Laos enforced Consequence on the Supremes."
Destiny frowned.
"That's why none of you interfered with the tournament."
Enomuis inclined his head slightly.
"Correct."
Siumone crossed her arms loosely.
Destiny exhaled slowly.
"So she got in trouble," she said. "And now she's mad about it."
A beat.
Then she added—
"I mean… didn't trillions die because of the mass god slaughter you guys committed?"
Siumone shrugged.
Completely unbothered.
"That is beside the point."
Destiny stared at her.
Siumone continued anyway.
"Those lives were born to be fuel."
Her tone didn't shift.
"No more. No less."
Destiny just shook her head slightly.
Of course.
Of course that was how they saw it.
Siumone's expression changed just a little.
"What angers Vari," she said, "is that Emperor Jafar has been…"
She paused.
Just for a second.
"…difficult."
Even saying it felt like pushing something.
Enomuis let out a quiet breath.
"And his lover was present as well, so—"
Siumone immediately smacked his arm.
"Stop."
He blinked.
Destiny looked between them.
Then shook her head again.
A small smile creeping in.
"…Yeah. I got it."
She stepped forward.
And pulled them both into a hug.
That actually caught them off guard.
They froze for a second—
Confused.
Then their eyes widened.
And they hugged her back.
Harder.
Tighter.
Destiny pulled away first.
"Thanks," she said.
Nothing else needed.
The twins looked at her.
Then nodded.
They didn't try to stop her.
They just waved.
And, for once—
They looked a little emotional.
Destiny turned.
And started walking down the golden path.
Toward Vari.
She stepped into a clearing.
And immediately knew she had reached something deeper.
Around the space, the gold had darkened.
Not dulled.
A river curved around the clearing in a slow, impossible loop—black current flowing backward while gold moved forward, both existing within the same stream without ever mixing.
Golden vipers rested in the grass, their bodies coiled in loose spirals as they hissed in soft, rhythmic tones.
Not at her.
Just…
Into the space.
Like they were harmonizing with something older than language.
Above, golden leaves drifted endlessly from branches that moved with no wind.
The whole clearing felt like a thought Vari had never spoken out loud.
Destiny took a slow breath.
And immediately regretted it.
The weight here—
The sheer presence pressing against her—
Was crushing.
Not violently.
Not maliciously.
Just completely.
Like being too close to something that didn't need the world around it to make room.
She finally understood why even the twins had left her alone.
This wasn't a place for comfort.
Or interruption.
And yet—
For the first time—
Vari had never felt closer.
She saw Vari sitting on the ground.
Alone.
At the center of the clearing.
Gold pooled around her like a living thought.
She was dressed in black and gold, the fabric wrapped around her form in elegant layers that somehow looked both regal and effortless. Her pale skin glowed softly beneath the dim golden light, and her long platinum hair framed a face that looked too composed to ever truly belong to a being capable of wrath.
Liquid gold floated between her fingers.
Stretching.
Bending.
Breaking apart and reforming into shapes Destiny couldn't fully track.
Behind her, massive suspended masses of golden fluid hung in the air like paused suns.
She had no idea what Vari was doing.
But whatever it was—
It felt pointless.
And deeply personal.
Destiny kept walking anyway.
Until she was standing just beside her.
Vari said nothing.
She only kept staring ahead.
Destiny gave a little wave.
"Hey."
Vari gave a small nod in return.
That somehow made Destiny smile.
She looked around the clearing.
Then back at her.
"So," Destiny said, "what could possibly make the great Vari so sad?"
Vari didn't look at her.
"I am not sad."
Destiny raised a brow.
"Lying even now?"
That made Vari's eyes shift slightly.
"My lies," she said calmly, "are truths."
Destiny snorted.
"No," she said, and sat down beside her, "they're still lies."
Vari finally looked at her.
A long pause followed.
Then—
"What are you doing?"
Destiny blinked.
"Sitting?"
"No," Vari said. "Why are you here in this position at this angle with your weight distributed like that."
Destiny stared at her.
"…I'm sorry, what?"
Vari looked back down at the gold in her hands.
"The geometry of your comfort is disrupting a thought I was balancing."
Destiny nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Vari continued anyway.
"I was attempting to determine whether grief can be folded into devotion without changing the flavor of either."
Destiny stared.
Then laughed.
And after a moment—
Vari laughed too.
Like she hadn't expected herself to.
The sound made the whole clearing feel warmer.
Then Vari looked at her fully.
Golden slit eyes steady.
"What brings you here, Destiny?"
Destiny leaned back slightly.
Then glanced over at her.
"I wanted to tell you about my fight with Civen."
Vari blinked once.
Destiny frowned.
"…You watched it."
Vari smiled faintly.
"No."
Destiny stared at her.
Then shook her head.
"Another lie."
But she didn't press it.
Instead—
She started talking.
She told her everything.
How she fought.
How she adapted.
How she beat someone ranked higher than her.
How it felt in the moment—
The pressure.
The fear.
The rush.
She talked about Jamal.
About Crisper.
About the chaos of the crew they somehow ended up surviving with.
The ridiculous moments.
The painful ones.
The ones that didn't make sense until they did.
And through it all—
Vari listened.
Quietly.
The gold between her fingers shifting and churning, forming shapes that reflected nothing and everything at the same time.
Destiny kept going.
And when she finally finished—
She smiled.
Proud.
"You're probably already aware," she said, a small laugh slipping out, "but I ended up as one of the Blessed Eight."
She giggled a little.
Like it still hadn't fully settled.
Vari looked at her.
Really looked at her this time.
"I am proud of you," she said.
Then her gaze lowered slightly.
"Why are you shaking?"
Destiny blinked.
Then looked down at her hands.
They were trembling.
She hadn't even noticed.
"…Because I did it," she said quietly.
Vari tilted her head.
"Survival is always the goal."
Destiny shook her head.
"No."
She looked back at her.
Eyes steady now.
"That's not my goal."
Then she smiled.
"My goal was to make myself an interesting story…"
Her voice softened.
"And come tell you about it."
Vari blinked again.
Just once.
Destiny held her gaze.
Still smiling.
She looked down at her hands for a second.
Then laughed softly to herself.
"I was trying so hard to complete you."
That made Vari go still.
Destiny smiled faintly.
"And after being with North…"
Vari's expression immediately soured.
Destiny noticed.
And kept going anyway.
"I thought maybe being your opposite would help," she said. "Like if I became the thing you weren't, then maybe that would make me fit better."
Vari said nothing.
So Destiny kept talking.
"Then I thought maybe I should be some kinda warrior ideal."
She gestured vaguely.
"Like an Amazon or some shit. Wonder Woman with trauma."
That got Vari.
She laughed.
A real laugh.
Destiny stared for half a second—
Then laughed too.
"Don't laugh!" she said through a smile.
"It was a valid stage of development!"
Vari was still smiling when Destiny's expression softened again.
"But…"
She exhaled.
"It wasn't until I fought Civen by myself that I really got it."
Vari's golden eyes settled on her more fully.
"And what is it," she asked, "that you are?"
Destiny smiled.
This time without hesitation.
"I'm a thrill seeker."
Something changed in Vari's eyes.
Just for a moment.
A spark.
Something old.
Something she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Destiny noticed it.
Then kept going.
"I talked to Jamal."
A beat.
"And even North—"
She looked at Vari directly.
"—who, by the way, knows me way too well."
Vari rolled her eyes.
Destiny laughed softly.
"But talking to them made me realize something."
Her voice steadied.
"I don't need outside validation."
She looked down at the gold swirling in Vari's hands.
Then back up.
"I don't need to become someone just because I think it'll make me more lovable."
Vari blinked.
Destiny's smile sharpened.
"I'm going to forge my own path."
Silence.
Then Vari asked—
Very calmly.
Very directly.
"Are you forsaking me?"
Destiny grinned and stood up.
Then spoke—
With a quiet, deliberate cadence.
"I love thee," she said, voice steady.
"And in that love, I must choose mine own path."
Vari did not interrupt.
Destiny continued.
"To walk beside thee forever—unchanging—would be a comfort I would gladly take."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"But I am selfish."
Vari's brow lifted slightly.
"I would still be thy Chosen," Destiny said.
"Even as I depart this road."
A pause.
Then softer—
"For I would grow, and return, and stand before thee not as I was… but as I have become."
Vari stared at her.
Then laughed.
A real one.
And in that moment—
Destiny knew.
She had been watching.
Destiny smiled slightly.
"I thank thee," she said.
"For all thou hast given me."
A breath.
"For the strength. For the cruelty. For the truth of what this world is."
Her expression shifted.
"And for showing me what I do not wish to become."
The pressure in the clearing rose.
Heavy.
Immense.
But Destiny did not move.
"I have seen thy power," she said plainly.
"And I have seen what it does."
A beat.
"Thou treatest life as fleeting."
Another.
"As fuel."
Her eyes didn't waver.
"And thou hast told me as much."
She exhaled.
"But seeing it… and knowing it… are not the same."
Silence.
Then—
"And yet," she said, softer now,
"I cannot deny that thou art also me."
Vari's gaze sharpened.
"The me that survived when all was worse than death."
"The me that learned to live in a world that would erase me without thought."
"The me that clawed its way upward."
Destiny's voice steadied.
"You did what you must."
A beat.
"So I thank you."
Vari smiled.
But before she could speak—
Destiny stepped forward into it.
"I once wished to wash the blood from our name."
She shook her head.
"Now…"
A small smile.
"I shall reclaim it."
Her eyes gleamed.
"I am Rank 795,987,999."
A breath.
"I have near a billion things yet to see. To try. To become."
She gestured outward.
"And I cannot do that by remaining here."
She looked back at Vari.
"You survived."
Her smile sharpened.
"And I am no lesser."
A softer beat followed.
"And besides…"
She leaned in slightly, before sitting down next to Vari again.
"I would have more stories to tell thee."
Vari's smile deepened.
"You have grown," she said.
Then reached out—
And touched Destiny's face.
"Thank you for this."
A pause.
"And I accept."
Destiny's breath steadied.
"That you remain my Chosen."
Destiny smiled.
Relieved.
Then Vari added—
"As for North…"
Her eyes flicked slightly.
"In one aspect—you have surpassed me."
Destiny didn't argue.
She just leaned forward—
And hugged her.
"It'll take time," Destiny said softly. "But you'll heal."
Vari was still for a moment.
Then asked—
"Do you wish your scars to be removed?"
Destiny pulled back and shook her head.
"No."
A small smile.
"I'll heal them myself."
Vari nodded once.
Accepting it.
Then—
"Where will you go?"
Destiny stood.
Looked out over the impossible garden.
Then smiled.
"That's the interesting part."
Vari watched Destiny.
Quietly.
She had kept her within the Solarium Bastion for a year.
Watched her.
Tested her.
Shaped her.
Not to make her identical—
But to see what she would become under pressure.
She had always intended for her to walk her own path.
But…
She had also wanted that path to remain within her sight.
Within her influence.
Within her domain.
Because she loved her.
And, in her own way—
She loved herself within her.
But that girl—
The one who used to complain about wanting to see the wider world—
Was gone.
She had seen it now.
And instead of being satisfied—
She wanted more.
A hunger.
Different from Vari's.
Not for control.
Not for consumption.
But for experience.
For motion.
For becoming.
And the commitment to be different—
To choose that difference—
Even the cadence in her speech…
That had not been taught.
That had been chosen.
Internalized.
A way to define herself.
To separate.
To exist on her own terms.
The scars on her body.
The way she endured narrative erasure.
The way she left North—
Not broken.
Not forced.
But by choice.
Vari smiled.
Then spoke.
"You know what is the sickest thing?"
Destiny looked at her, confused.
"What?"
Vari chuckled softly.
"Giving concepts personalities."
Then her smile widened just slightly.
"And watching them believe they chose it themselves."
Destiny blinked.
Vari laughed quietly.
Then tilted her head.
"When are you leaving?"
Destiny blinked again.
"Now?"
Vari raised a brow.
"Is that a question?"
Destiny frowned.
"No—you just threw me off with your vibe."
Vari chuckled again.
Then the gold in her hand shifted.
Compressed.
Until it became a small, perfect orb.
It didn't glow loudly.
Didn't pulse.
But it felt—
Important.
She extended her hand.
And offered it to Destiny.
Destiny looked down at the orb in her hands.
It was warm.
A possibility that hadn't decided what it wanted to become yet.
"This orb," Vari said, "will take you anywhere in the realms."
Destiny blinked.
"Anywhere?"
Vari nodded once.
"It may place you in paradise."
A beat.
"Or instant death."
Destiny stared at her.
Vari continued without a hint of concern.
"Just as an Outlander might normally spawn into Requiem."
Destiny slowly looked back down at the orb.
Then back at Vari.
"…you're telling the truth."
"Yes."
Destiny narrowed her eyes.
"You're giving me a random death ball as a farewell gift?"
Vari tilted her head slightly.
"I made it so that even I will not know where you go."
That made Destiny pause.
Really pause.
Vari's gaze remained steady.
"If you live or die," she said, "it shall be fully up to you once more."
The clearing grew quieter.
Then Vari smiled.
"And I hope to see you again when the time is right, my Jujisn."
Destiny hugged her again.
Vari hugged her back.
No hesitation.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then Destiny pulled back and smiled.
"Well…"
She took a breath.
"I'll see you later, Vari."
A grin spread across her face.
"And I'm still stopping by for holidays and birthdays."
That got a laugh out of Vari.
A real one.
"Be safe, Destiny."
Destiny looked down at the orb one last time.
Then touched it.
And vanished.
Just like that.
Gone.
Vari sat there in silence.
The clearing remained still around her.
Golden leaves drifting.
The river still moving in two directions at once.
Vipors hissing their old little songs.
She had thought Destiny might become something else.
A new philosophy of power.
A fresh angle of corruption.
A different way to wound the heavens and reshape the realms.
A new weapon.
A new evolution of herself.
But…
That did not seem to be it.
And somehow—
That was more interesting.
Vari smiled faintly to herself.
Sometimes—
All one really needed…
Was to talk to oneself.