CHAPTER 311: VISIONS AND QUESTIONS

I reached for the orb, but stopped as his words sank in. "What... What do you mean?"

"I mean," Ossian said quietly, "that once you begin seeing possible futures, you may find it difficult to live fully in the present. You may become so focused on preventing bad outcomes that you forget to appreciate good moments in your life. You may see so many possible paths that choosing any single one becomes agonizing."

He met my eyes directly. "Are you certain you want such a burden?"

I thought about it for a moment.

The tactical advantages were obvious: being able to anticipate enemy moves, spot opportunities, and avoid disasters before they happened, or at least prepare for them.

Ossian’s warning felt genuine as well, coming from someone who had lived for half a million years; it carried its credibility.

Still...

"I’m certain," I said firmly. "If it can help us succeed in this mission, if it can help us save our world, then I’ll bear whatever burden comes with it."

...Yeah, we are gonna save the world. Haha.

Ossian studied me for another long moment, then nodded slowly. "Very well. But remember... I warned you."

The moment the orb touched my palm, the world... shifted.

’!’

For just an instant, I saw-

Flash—!

I saw myself and Zephyr standing at the edge of a vast chasm, the air shimmering with corrupted energy. Zephyr was shouting something I couldn’t hear, his face twisted with desperation, while I stood frozen, staring down into the abyss with the Heartstone Lens pressed to my eye...

Flash—!

A hooded figure approached us on a moonless night, hands extended in apparent friendship. Through the Lens, I could see their emotional resonance: warm yellow truth mixed with flickering green deception, but underneath it all, a deep crimson malice that pulsed like a heartbeat...

Flash—!

I was alone in a place of terrible beauty, crystalline spires reaching toward a blood-red sky, with wings of pure light spread behind me, but my eyes... my eyes were completely black.

Flash—!

Zephyr stood before me, the Dawnbreaker raised, tears streaming down his face as he spoke words I couldn’t quite make out. Behind him, a figure in black armor watched with satisfied red eyes.

"!"

"Huff... Huff.."

The visions ended as suddenly as they’d begun, leaving me gasping and disoriented. The orb felt warm in my hand, pulsing gently like a second heart.

"The first glimpse is always the most intense," Ossian said, his voice oddly gentle. "They will come more gradually from now on, usually triggered by moments of decision or danger."

I nodded shakily, trying to process what I’d seen.

Some of the images made little to no sense.

First of all, why would Zephyr raise his sword against me? Was he crying as well?

And me with black eyes... Did I turn bad or get corrupted then? Then what about the wings?

And what was that place with crystal spires? Abyss? Or somewhere else?

And who were those people? Were they the same person? Or was the one behind Zephyr... The Architect of Discord?

...It’s really difficult.

"T-Thank you," I managed to say, though the world felt inadequate. "All of these gifts... they’re beyond what we could have hoped for."

"Mmm. Use them wisely," Ossian replied, but there was something else in his expression again... satisfaction? Anticipation? I didn’t know. And that made me even more uneasy.

"And remember, young friend. The greatest weapon you possess is still your mind. Don’t let these tools become crutches that weaken your natural judgement."

Zephyr, who had been watching the entire exchange with growing amazement, finally found his voice. "Senior Ossian, your generosity is... extraordinary. I promise, we won’t waste these gifts nor rely on them entirely."

"See that you don’t," Ossian nodded, then turned toward the Nexus Stone with renewed purpose. "Now then, the time has finally come. Take the stone, young Zamir. Your true journey begins now."

But as Zephyr moved toward the pedestal, I couldn’t shake the memory of those final visions. The figure with violet eyes, the sword raised in betrayal, the whispered promises in that place of crystal spires...

Were they warnings of what might come to pass, or something else entirely?

...Hmm, it’s about time.

"W-Wait!"

I hurriedly raised my voice, stopping them in mid-motion. Again.

"?"

Zephyr paused, his hand hovering just inches from the Nexus Stone, while Ossian turned those violet eyes back to me with what might have been mild exasperation.

Without hesitation, I pulled out the Heartstone Lens and raised it to my eye, focusing directly on Ossian’s massive skeletal form. Through the lens, I could see... layers. Swirling emotions that seemed almost too complex for any single being to contain.

"There’s something I want to ask," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the unease crawling up my spine. "Please don’t hide anything, I can see it if you’re lying, you know."

"Lumin, what are you doing?" Zephyr asked, confusion clear in his voice, but I held up a hand to silence him.

"It’s important."

Ossian stared back at me with a piercing gaze, those ancient eyes seeming to pierce straight through me. "What is it? My patience has its limits, boy. It better be reasonable."

I took a breath, then asked the question that had been nagging at the back of my mind since the beginning. "What will happen to you if we take away the Nexus Stone? Aren’t you connected to it? Won’t the seal break then? Or..."

Through the Lens, I watched the emotional resonance around Ossian shift, a flicker of surprise, followed by what looked like reluctant respect, then something darker underneath.

Zephyr’s eyes widened at my words, his face going pale as realization struck. "Oh no... I completely forgot about that. How could we-"

Ossian shook his great skull slowly, muttering under his breath. "That’s why I was urging you to take it away quickly, but you’re too smart for your own good sometimes."

He let out a deep sigh that seemed to echo from the very depths of his being.

"You’re partially correct," he admitted, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"But not entirely. I can... I can act in the Stone’s stead after separating from it. The binding won’t be to the Stone itself, but to this place, to the seal."

"After all... I’ve been anchored here for half a million years."