The moment the crack tore across the sky, Valmere changed forever.
A deep, unnatural cold spread through the air, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Black mist poured down like an endless waterfall, swallowing rooftops, towers, and streets.
The once lively city turned into chaos within seconds.
People screamed.
Merchants abandoned their stalls.
Children cried as they were dragged away by their parents.
Guards shouted orders that no one could hear over the roaring wind.
Elian stood at the edge of the square, his heart pounding violently.
Above him, the Fate Guardian hovered silently, glowing with countless intertwined threads of light.
Its hollow gaze never shifted from him.
"Anomaly located."
"Termination required."
The words echoed inside his skull.
They weren't spoken loudly.
Yet everyone felt them.
The monstrous silhouette within the mist finally emerged.
Its body was massive, covered in shifting dark scales.
Long claws scraped against the stone streets, leaving deep gouges behind.
Each step shook the ground.
The monster let out a low, guttural roar that rattled windows and shattered glass.
Guards rushed forward.
"Protect Valmere!"
Arrows flew through the air like rain.
Some struck the creature's body.
They bounced off harmlessly.
Steel weapons clashed against its hide.
Sparks flew.
The monster didn't even slow down.
With a single sweep of its arm, several guards were sent flying.
Their bodies crashed into walls, unmoving.
Blood splattered across the stones.
Elian's breath hitched.
This is beyond anything humans can fight.
The glowing threads appeared again before his eyes.
They stretched endlessly across the city.
He saw fate lines connecting every person.
Some glowed brightly, steady and strong.
Others flickered weakly.
And with each building that collapsed—
Threads snapped.
Lives ended.
The sensation tightened his chest painfully.
His gaze instinctively shifted to the monster.
Its threads were unlike anything he had seen before.
They were thick and dark, swirling with chaotic energy.
At their center pulsed a crimson glow like a beating heart.
That's its fate core…
Elian didn't know how he understood.
He simply did.
If the core was destroyed or disrupted—
The monster would fall.
But reaching it seemed impossible.
Between them were collapsed streets, burning debris, and panicked crowds.
"Elian!"
A familiar voice called out desperately.
He turned.
Marcus was running toward him, limping badly.
Blood flowed from a gash on his forehead.
"Get out of here!" Marcus shouted. "The city guards can't stop that thing! You'll die if you stay!"
Elian swallowed hard.
His instincts screamed at him to run.
To escape while he could.
But before he could answer—
The ground trembled violently.
A nearby building cracked apart.
Stones and beams crashed downward.
Marcus was thrown backward.
A massive wooden beam slammed onto his legs.
"Ahhh!"
His scream pierced the chaos.
Elian's heart skipped.
"Marcus!"
Dust clouded the air.
People fled past them without stopping.
Some glanced back in fear, then turned away.
No one dared to help.
The monster's shadow crept closer.
Elian's hands shook.
If I leave now… he won't survive.
Marcus groaned weakly.
"Elian… run…"
The glowing threads around Marcus flickered wildly.
Cracks spread rapidly.
Elian rushed forward.
Ignoring the falling debris.
Ignoring the danger.
He shoved rocks aside with raw strength.
Pain exploded in his fingers.
Blood streamed down his hands.
But he didn't stop.
"I'm not leaving you!"
The beam was too heavy.
It barely moved.
His chest tightened.
Tears threatened to rise.
There's no time…!
The glowing threads surged brighter.
Almost as if responding to his desperation.
Without thinking, Elian reached toward Marcus's tangled fate threads.
His fingers brushed them.
A warm surge flooded his body.
Unlike before, it wasn't freezing.
It felt alive.
The cracks closed.
The knots unraveled.
The threads glowed steadily.
Marcus gasped sharply.
"I… I can feel my legs!"
Strength returned to his limbs.
With a desperate push, Marcus freed himself.
They both tumbled backward.
Just as—
The monster's claw slammed down where they had been.
The street exploded into rubble.
Shockwaves threw them several meters away.
Elian rolled painfully across the ground.
His ears rang.
Dust filled his mouth.
He coughed violently.
When he finally looked up—
The monster loomed only a short distance away.
Its glowing eyes burned with fury.
Marcus stared at his legs in disbelief.
"I thought I was going to die…"
Elian stared at his trembling hands.
So I can reinforce fate…
Not just see it.
Not just stabilize it.
He could strengthen it.
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed into his skull.
His vision blurred violently.
The glowing threads flickered like broken lights.
"Ugh…"
He collapsed to one knee.
His whole body felt drained.
Cold sweat covered his skin.
Using this power consumes me.
Before he could recover—
The Fate Guardian's voice resonated again.
"Anomaly interference increased."
"Threat level elevated."
"Direct elimination authorized."
The glowing humanoid raised its arm slowly.
Countless luminous threads gathered in the sky.
They twisted and condensed into a massive spear of pure light.
The air itself trembled.
A terrifying pressure pressed down on the city.
People screamed.
Some fell to their knees.
Elian's heart raced wildly.
"That thing… is going to kill me."
The spear shot downward like a falling star.
There was no escape.
Marcus shouted desperately.
"Elian!"
Time seemed to slow.
Instinct overwhelmed fear.
Elian raised his hands.
The glowing threads around him surged violently.
He didn't understand how.
He only knew—
If I don't block it, I die.
The threads twisted together, weaving into a translucent barrier.
Just as the spear struck—
A deafening explosion erupted.
Light engulfed everything.
The ground cracked deeply beneath Elian.
Pain tore through his arms like fire.
He was blasted backward.
His vision went black for a moment.
When the light faded—
The barrier shattered into glowing fragments.
The spear had broken apart.
Elian lay on the ground, gasping desperately.
His chest burned.
His arms trembled uncontrollably.
That nearly killed me…
But he was alive.
Slowly, he pushed himself up.
The monster roared furiously.
The Fate Guardian's hollow eyes glowed brighter.
"Elimination unsuccessful."
"Recalibrating correction protocols."
Smoke filled the square.
Buildings burned.
People cried everywhere.
Valmere was on the verge of collapse.
Elian's chest tightened painfully.
If this continues… everyone will die.
He clenched his fists.
The glowing threads pulsed strongly around him.
For the first time in his life—
He didn't feel powerless.
He felt connected.
To people.
To the world.
To destiny itself.
This power is dangerous.
But it's the only chance I have.
He lifted his gaze toward the monster.
Toward the Fate Guardian above.
Calm replaced fear.
If fate wants to erase me…
Then I'll fight back.