"I really appreciate it, Veylan, but I also have another request, if it's not too much to ask." I said, glancing down at my clothes.
Yes, I had weapons. But I couldn't forget about armor.
Veylan's bushy eyebrows rose in curiosity before his lips curled into a wide grin. "Of course not! What is it, lad?" His voice carried a rough warmth, filled with the excitement of a craftsman eager for a new challenge. It seemed he hadn't had a day this fun and interesting in a long time.
"Can you also forge me some armor parts, or is this just a weapon's shop?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
For a moment, Veylan simply stared, and then his grin deepened. He didn't say a word—just that knowing smile, one that carried the weight of a master who already had a dozen ideas forming in his mind.
That was answer enough.
.
.
Two days. That's how long Veylan said it would take before my armor was ready. Not bad.
I could use the time to push my limits, to see just how much I'd progressed. I was getting stronger. I knew that. But there was still a long way to go before I could truly say I had control over my fate.
Now, I found myself on the outskirts of the Bastion again. The further I walked, the darker the surroundings became. The usual torch posts that lined the safer zones of Rends were absent here. Just me, the quiet hum of the night, and whatever awaited ahead.
After about ten minutes, I finally found it.
A Rend Gate. Hopefully C-Ranked or higher considering it was further out than the usual D-Ranks.
It was smaller than expected, the swirling colors on its surface shifting unnaturally—like an oil slick reflecting multiple realities at once. It pulsed, faintly alive, like it was waiting.
I stopped a few paces away, eyes narrowing.
No guards. No scouts. No signs of recent activity.
My fingers curled slightly.
Something wasn't right.
"No gatekeepers here? Yeah, this can't be normal." I muttered, stepping closer to scan the gate for its details.
[SecretRendAhead]
[Type]: Moirai (Fate)
[Objective]: Trial of the Forgotten
[Notallarereadytofacetheirfate, areyou?]
I frowned.
"A Fate-type Rend? Definitely wasn't expecting that, but I can tell it's going to be more psychological than anything.." I murmured, reading the ominous message a second time.
Ready to face my fate? What the hell does that even mean?
"Well, won't know until I find out, but it's best to be prepared for anything." I muttered, shaking off the tension.
I equipped Aeternus and my Chaos sword. Whatever this 'trial' was, I wasn't going in unarmed. It would be stupid to do so.
Then, just to be safe, I activated my abilities.
I wisely decided to use-
[Fate (Moirai)] – Threads of Chance LV.1 (B-Rank)
Manipulate minor probabilities in your favor.
And
[Order (Harmonia)] – Absolute Edict LV.1 (A-Rank)
Control the actions of those in your area, compelling them to follow a certain set of rules.
I exhaled sharply and stepped forward.
The moment I crossed the threshold, the world around me shifted.
Darkness.
Then light.
And then…
Two doors.
I came to a slow stop.
In front of me stood two ethereal doors.
The one on the left was pure darkness, stretching into an endless void. Cold seeped from its surface, and I could hear faint whispers—low and unintelligible, almost pleading.
The one on the right was radiant, warm and inviting, exuding a sense of serenity that felt… too perfect.
Between them stood a mirror.
And in it—I saw my own reflection.
I studied the mirror closely.
At first, everything seemed normal. But then… it didn't blink.
I narrowed my eyes. It was staring.
Wide-eyed. Grinning.
The smile was unnatural, stretched just a little too far—like something pretending to be me but not quite getting it right.
A slow, creeping wrongness.
It reminded me of those people from that horror movie 'Smile.'
But I didn't flinch.
I didn't show hesitation.
I just stared back. Unrelenting. Waiting for what's to come next.
[TheThreadsAwaitTheirWeaver]
Text flickered into existence above the doors.
[Relive] (Above the dark door.)
[Erase] (Above the light door.)
[Choose.]
"Common sense tells me this has something to do with my memories," I muttered, analyzing the options. "The dark one… maybe trauma-filled memories. The light one… maybe erasing them?"
I frowned. But which one should I—
[Threads of Chance LV.1 (Fate) has activated.]
-15,000 Aether Points
A third option appeared.
A light path extended before me—directing me to the mirror.
"Of course." I let out a breath. "Facing yourself. The dark and the light."
Then It Spoke.
The voice didn't come from me.
It came from my reflection.
It wasn't just my voice—it was layered, as if multiple people were speaking at once.
"Youhaveseenthethreads. Willyouweave… orbewoven?"
I scoffed, raising Aeternus toward it.
"Tch… I determine my own destiny. And I'll be damned if I let a weak ass clone of me get in the way of that."
The reflection grinned wider.
"…Isthatso?"
Suddenly, the air turned ice cold.
The ground darkened.
The entire environment shifted.
The reflection lunged at me—breaking through the mirror as it shattered behind it.
As it emerged, the two doors merged into it—one half of its body consumed in darkness, its eye glowing malignant red, the other half radiating light, its iris now golden.
It stood before me—half-shadow, half-radiance. A twisted, dual existence.
And then, in a voice dripping with finality, it spoke.
"Thenshowme."