CHAPTER 74: FATEBOUND

Damien nodded at his words as he spoke.

"That I did, yes. Why? Do you think I am acting hastily?" Damien continued with a question, wanting to know Anna’s thoughts.

Anna shook her head and spoke in a flat tone.

"No, I don’t think you are acting hastily, Damien looked at Anna with a small smile. He moved his hand towards her head, ready to pat her.

Anna, predicting what he was about to do, moved aside and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"I am not a little girl anymore, hmph!" Anna said as she crossed her arms.

Damien raised his arms in defeat and chuckled.

"Haha! Yeah, Yeah."

"Hmph!" Anna expressed as she looked away.

Her eyes fell on a statue of a winged woman--- an angel ---it held an eclipse-like black orb in its hands like a sacred treasure. She stared at the statue for a few moments before she turned towards Damien, who was looking at her with keen eyes.

"What’s wrong?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"One told me that you have decided to return to Azor," Anna answered as she looked at him without any change in her expression.

"You are finally acting like you always wanted to, aren’t you?" Anna questioned back, her tone held a bit of amusement at the end.

"Haha!" Damien chuckled at her words as he pointed at the statue.

"That statue always reminds me that I am not the best... It is a reminder that allows me to make decisions effectively... to not lose my way." He took a pause and pointed at Anna as he continued.

"What about you, Anna? What keeps you on your path?" He questioned, his tone flat, but his eyes shone with expectations.

Anna’s expression fell into a frown as she pondered over Damien’s words. After a few moments, she shifted her eyes to him as she answered his questions.

"Everything...

That I’ve lost reminds me of my path... my failures to keep what’s mine.

be it my freedom, my dreams, my goals, or my friends...

Everything, Anything."

Anna spoke with pauses, her tone powerless like a soldier returning after losing those with whom he stood back to back.

The room fell into silence as both of them looked into each other’s eyes for a few moments.

Moments later, Damien’s lips finally parted as he spoke.

"What about after?... What about after you have gained everything back? Would you still be able to stop and look back? ...Would you be able to stay on your path?" He said as he looked into her eyes.

Anna lowered her head at his words as she spoke in a low voice.

"I don’t know..."

Hearing her answer, Damien smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder, letting her know that he was there for her.

"You need to find that out, Anna. You need to tether yourself to the path you have decided to follow." Damien said, his tone gentle.

Anna lifted her head and nodded with a determined expression. Damien’s smile turned wider as he questioned.

"What do you wish to do after returning to Azor?"

"I want to meet the Night Seer," Anna said in a determined tone, which made sure not to take no as an answer.

Damien’s smile faltered as he spoke in a puzzled tone.

"Why would you do that?"

"I will ask her to help me find the way to cure Elise," Anna answered without any change in her tone.

Damien furrowed his brows as he questioned, his tone inquisitive.

"Why are you so sure that she will help you? No, how do you even know about her?"

Anna froze when she heard that she had not told Damien that she had already met her.

’Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!’ Warning bells rang in her head.

’What should I do?’ Anna began to think of a way to come out of her predicament.

But before she could do that, Damien noticed the change in her body language and pushed forward.

"Anna... Are you hiding something from me?"

Anna hurriedly waved her hands and answered with a forced chuckle.

"H-Haha! W-Why would I do that?" She stated as sweat covered her back.

Damien’s frown turned deep as he called out.

"Anna..."

"Ah! Yes, One, One told me about her." Anna answered as he breathed a sigh of relief.

’I am sorry, One.’ She inwardly apologised to One.

"I see..." Damien replied with a nod as he mumbled and fell into his thoughts.

A few moments passed, after which he looked at Anna and decided.

"We will meet her, yes. But, I want you to keep your hopes low." Damien said in a flat tone, after all, to him. The Night Seer was never useful when needed.

’I wonder what excuse she will make this time,’ he thought as he clenched his fist.

Anna beamed when she heard that. She moved towards him and hugged him.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed as she closed her eyes. Damien moved his arm and began to pat her back.

Moments later, Anna let go of the hug and looked at him.

"I have to tell White about this," Anna said as she turned to leave the office.

’Looks like they have begun to trust each other after the party, huh.’ Damien thought as he looked at her departing back.

Anna grabbed the doorknob and turned towards him for the last time as she spoke.

"Thanks a lot, Brother."

Damien didn’t say anything and smiled at her words.

Anna turned back and opened the door as she stepped out.

Anna raised her eyebrow as she saw Hanna, who had lowered her head, standing beside White, leaning against the wall.

White noticed Anna and straightened his back as he called out.

"Miss Anieal."

Anna nodded at him. Hanna came out of her thoughts when she heard White call out for Anna. She turned and looked at Anna with a small smile.

’She looks much better.’ Anna thought when she looked at the smile and the light in her eyes.

"Hanna," Anna called out as she stepped towards her.

"I have made my choice, Anna," Hanna said as she clenched her fist in determination.

"I won’t run... I would not allow these powers to take away what’s mine again." Hanna declared with a determined look.

Anna stepped forward and pulled her into a hug as she spoke.

"Yes, That’s my Hanna." She said as a smile crept on her lips.

Hanna also smiled and hugged her back.

***

The rising sun painted the whole Necron city with its golden red.

Anna stood at the edge of the Starborne Emporium’s roof as she gazed at the rising sun with a smile.

White stood behind her with a complicated expression on his face.

"I have decided." She said in a resolute tone.

White frowned at her words and questioned.

"What do you mean, Miss Anieal?"

Anna continued to stare at the sun as she answered.

"My star trait allows me to see the fate of others... However, when I do so, it makes me indifferent to the fate that will occur." Anna said in a flat tone.

White turned silent as his expression darkened.

"I killed Sakura because I had seen the fate leading to death by poison, and I followed it."

"The more I look at fate, the more indifferent I become and... I didn’t want to turn into an emotionless machine only caring about myself."

"Yesterday night... Fate forced me to look at it. I don’t know if it was my subconscious or something related to my trait, but if I hadn’t looked at what was going to happen..." She paused.

Anna turned towards White as she continued.

"I would’ve lost not only Elise... But you, Hanna and everyone who was there."

"Fate helped me to keep what’s mine safe... Should I be really running away from it?"

"So, I have decided not to run away anymore... I do not fear what I could become anymore."

"Fate wraps all... yet I alone am bound to it... Fate binds me more than others, so I’ll use it as I like."

"I’ll no longer run away."

Anna looked at White with a smile as she finished. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his face as she spoke.

"You no longer have to wear those scars and that old face."

White didn’t say anything and lowered his head.

"You don’t have to do this-" He spoke, but his words were cut off midway as Anna interjected.

"But I do... I have to. Only then can I get what I want."

"Would you leave me if I want to do so?" Anna questioned without any change in her expression.

"Would you not be my blade?"

[End - Volume 1: Shattered Normalcy.]