CHAPTER 88: BURN IT

Anna looked at the runic formation, which was broken by the aquamarine shell of the aquamarine crab. Looking at it made her remember White or Neo’s words.

’Runes’ characters allow one to impose their will upon the world to produce results that they otherwise should not be able to, such as creating fire, water, air, ice, and more from nothing. They also allow us to form barriers, create enchantments and similar phenomena.’

Anna jumped towards Neo and shouted.

"Neo, protect me!"

Neo turned towards Anna and moved towards her.

"What are you talking about, Miss Aeliana?"

"I am about to try something... just make sure to protect me."

Neo looked at Anna for a couple of moments, after which he nodded and spoke.

"That’s what I’ve always been doing.’

Anna smiled and turned towards the island, her eyes glowed golden as she focused on the red threads of blessing, allowing her to see all of the awakeneds present on the island.

’Someone from all of them must know it."

She had always tried to read the future, never the past, but tonight she was going to do it. She focused on the golden threads of all the Seekers and began to read them.

She was in a form similar to her soul body as she looked at the events before her.

A woman, presumably a mother, sat on a wooden stool as she fed her son curry with a spoon made of bone; both had a happy expression. Seeing them, Anna also blossomed into a smile.

As events passed, Anna found herself standing in front of a teenage boy, clinging to the body of a dead woman. They were the same pair of mother and son, the teenage boy cursed the heavens, he cursed those worthy of saving his mother, but didn’t... and at last he cursed his fate. Anna teared up when she listened to his cries.

The world turned dark.

Anna now found herself standing at the shore of the island, a man stared into a woman’s eyes as he held her hands, both of them had lovely smiles. The man sang praises of her beauty, he sang praises of her nature, and the woman giggled at his words and at last the man moved forward and kissed his to-be wife.

Anna smiled at them.

Events passed again, and Anna stood beside a heartbroken man who sat before a fresh grave. He held a ring in his trembling hands, tears poured down his face... He may be alive, but Anna knew that he had died with his fiancée.

The world darkened again.

Anna once again saw the events of another person’s life, but until now, she had only found tragedy, nothing else.

She stood beside a teenage boy with blue hair and brown eyes. He was an orphan... and turned into an outcast due to his trait, which allowed him to manipulate blood.

The teenage boy, however, wasn’t depressed because he knew that one day everyone would look at him with warmth instead of hatred, and just as he had predicted... he saved the island from a beast wave and became the leader of the awakened islanders. Everyone respected him and looked at him with warmth. He fought for the people and to prove himself.

A truly heart-touching story... but too late. Anna stared at the blue-haired man with indifferent eyes as she spoke.

"Another failure."

Anna no longer cared about the lives they had lived or were living; she only cared about finding the knowledge she needed.

So she forced herself... she forced the threads of fate to show what she wanted. A mind-shattering headache assaulted her, but soon died down as golden warmth covered her.

Anna forced herself again, same result.

Anna forced herself again, same result.

Anna forced herself again, same result.

Anna forced herself again, same result.

Anna forced herself again, same result.

Anna forced herself again, same result.

Anna forced herself again; the world began to crack under her constant pressure, and Anna used that opportunity to look at the threads of the very world.

Her mind went blank, Anna floated in utter darkness, a few moments later, runes slithered on her body... and began to glow with a blinding golden light.

Anna opened her eyes and found herself. Within a bunch of kids.

"What rune do you want to learn today?" questioned a white-haired woman, who wore the same attire as the guardian of the Night Tower.

However, her face couldn’t be seen.

Anna felt like she had seen her before, but she didn’t care about that for now and listened to her.

"Saintess! Me me!" a kid jumped as he called out to her.

The woman looked at him, chuckled and spoke.

"Haha! Ron, I am not the saintess... not yet."

"So what rune do you want to know about?"

"Fire!" Ron exclaimed with excitement.

"Fire, heh... but it could be dangerous, so make sure not to try it alone, okay?"

The kids nodded at her with a solemn look on their faces.

"I’ll show you the rune of fire now... make sure not to miss it."

The white-haired woman took out a box with a dimly glowing blue liquid.

"We will use the refined blood of a star beast for this."

She placed her finger in the box and drew a character on her hand, then spoke something that couldn’t be made sense of by anyone there.

No one else except Anna, that is.

The rune on her palm glowed blue, and a fireball appeared in her open palm.

*Crack* *Crack*

The world cracked once again, and Anna closed her eyes.

Neo had his sword stabbed into the thick skin of the malamare as he grabbed Anna by her waist.

’How much longer do I have to keep doing this?’

No.

’For how long can I keep doing this?’

Neo continued from one place to another as he escaped the black vines, and Michael continued to rain arrows on the malamare, making it wail.

At that moment, Anna’s body trembled as she opened her eyes.