Taming the Protagonist

Chapter 76 : Fate · Future · Part Two

What unfolded before my eyes, in the depths of my heart, was an almost

indistinguishable-from-reality, unbelievable scene.

It was like the “shadow crystal” Anselm once showed me, but what I saw now was far more real.

The scene before me was vividly familiar—Count Chishuang had brought Marina and me to the grand hall, filled with scantily clad maids and no other outsiders.

Just over a month ago, Marina and I hadn’t been there for a few minutes when someone rushed in, whispered something to Count Chishuang, and the fat pig’s expression changed instantly, looking at us with fear and hesitation.

Then, Marina and I were taken away, lost consciousness, and when we woke, we were stripped and thrown onto Anselm’s bed.

But now, the person who interrupted Count Chishuang, the factor that changed everything, didn’t appear.

The snow-haired, beautiful sisters stood helplessly in the hall.

“Truly… exquisite merchandise.”

The obese count, whose head Yura later blew off with a single shot, rubbed his chin, his smile making me, watching this, shudder—not from fear, but disgust.

“Which of you is the older sister?” he asked, eyes half-squinted.

“…I am, my lord, I…”

Marina raised her hand timidly: “May I ask… what do you need us… to do?”

Count Chishuang’s eyes gleamed: “A smart girl, good.I like smart and pretty girls.”

“You, come here.”

Marina’s body trembled, her head bowed deeply as she took a painfully reluctant step forward.

Then—

“What are you going to do to Lina!”

Another girl in the hall glared fiercely, her words dripping with unreserved menace and threat.

[Idiot!]

I, staring at “myself,” cursed inwardly, wishing I could rush into the scene and force that girl, identical to me, to shut up.

Knowing how dangerous that man was, why not hold back for a moment?

This way, wouldn’t it—

“…Hm?”

Count Chishuang exhaled hotly through his nose, his eyes narrowing: “What I want to do…”

A cruel smile spread across his face: “You, stop.”

Marina trembled again, halting her steps.

“Take off your clothes.”

Count Chishuang waved lazily.

I froze for a second, then roared with rage, eyes blazing: “Bastard!You—”

I lunged forward a few steps, but one of the scantily clad maids rushed out, pinning me to the ground.

“…Master.”

The maid, restraining me, looked up at Count Chishuang with slight surprise: “Her strength is extraordinary.”

“Oh?”

Count Chishuang’s brows rose, his delight and surprise growing: “This is quite the unexpected treat… What, little girl, did you hide your strength to come here and protect your sister?”

“Scum… beast… don’t touch Lina!”

The young wolf, pinned to the ground, struggled and roared, her frenzied ferocity indistinguishable from a beast’s.

Watching this, I felt an indescribable absurdity and… sorrow.

This is… me?

This pathetic, reckless, foolish person is me?

“I love this drama… Hm?Why haven’t you moved?”

Count Chishuang turned his gaze to Marina, tapping the armrest lightly: “Seems you didn’t hear my order… Number One, give her sister a little punishment.”

Crack!

The maid pinning me expressionlessly snapped my forearm, a pained roar escaping my throat, my words growing even more frenzied and vicious as I struggled desperately, as if wanting to tear the other apart with my glare.

“You filthy noble, I’ll…”

“Hitana!”

Marina’s shout cut off my words, the plain girl with a long braid trembling all over: “Stop talking.”

I, dominated by pain and hatred, froze, looking at my sister in disbelief.

“Lina, you…”

“I said, stop talking!”

Marina closed her eyes, her voice hoarse as she shouted, her trembling hands… slowly undoing her clothes.

“…Lina… Lina!What are you doing, don’t… Lina!”

“Shut up!”

The words burst from Marina and me, watching this, at the same time.

“Fool!”

I, observing this “fate,” roared with frenzied rage: “What are you doing… you got Lina killed!

Why act like the victim!Damn it… damn it!”

In this mental space, with nowhere to vent, I could only rage and curse myself, watching helplessly as my sister lowered her head… and walked step by step toward that damned Count Chishuang.

“I love the expressions on both your faces right now… truly a masterpiece.”

The scene froze on Count Chishuang’s infuriating, wicked smile after he said this.

“Want to keep watching, Hitana?”

Anselm’s voice sounded in my ear: “Some things, knowing the outcome is enough, you don’t need to see…”

“…Keep going.”

I stared fixedly at the scene Anselm showed, and if this were reality, I might have bitten through my lip, my tongue.

I repeated, pained and furious, word by word: “Keep going.”

“As you wish.”

The scene resumed, and what followed…

Only Marina’s helpless wails and sorrow, Count Chishuang’s unrestrained, gleeful laughter, and my… roars from rage to despair.

Numbly watching this, I wanted countless times to strangle the version of myself in the scene.

This was the future I would have faced?

This was me?

I tried to convince myself, to tell myself this was fake, a cruel illusion crafted by Anselm.

But as I reflected on myself, on everything I’d experienced over the past month, I realized… that person, that foolish, incompetent girl, was me.

Without ever meeting Hydra.

***

In a dim bedroom, a conversation was unfolding.

“My lord… I think Hitana isn’t ready yet…”

A voice I knew all too well came from behind the curtained bed.

I, watching this, somehow heard… a hint of coquetry in it?

“Not ready?

Lina, what excuse are you using this time to persuade me?”

“Hehe… how could it be an excuse?Hitana’s crude and barbaric, she’s really not suited to be favored by you, my lord.”

“But lately, I’ve grown more interested in her.Taming that wild dog would surely be quite enjoyable.Don’t you think so, little Lina?”

The female voice fell silent briefly, then laughed lightly, playfully: “You’re right, it must be quite rewarding… but I have a small suggestion.”

“Oh?Let’s hear it.”

“You know, Hitana has remarkable talent… A second-stage transcendent may not be a true transcendent, but she’s still valuable, stronger than many of your guards, isn’t she?”

“Hm… I can’t deny that.”

“So, you could use her strength first, have her handle some tasks for you.After all, the more usable transcendents, the better.Over time, when she thinks she’s earned dignity and status with her abilities, you can personally strip it all away—wouldn’t that be… more delightful?”

“Hmhmhm… hahaha!Great idea!Truly a brilliant idea!Little Lina, I’m starting to wonder if you’re really her sister, coming up with such a cruel and wonderful plan.What did you think of it?”

“My lord… how is this cruel?It’s Hitana who made me what I am now.I just want her to… experience what I feel.”

The scene shifted, and the girl named Marina sat before a dressing mirror, gazing at her reflection.

Her makeup wasn’t heavy but already strikingly alluring, her eyes less radiant yet more captivating, her nails painted pale purple, and her bare skin… covered in various scars and marks.

I saw it all.

“Lina…”

I, watching this, could only weakly utter my sister’s name.

“Hit…”

As if responding, the girl in the mirror whispered softly:“I’ll save you, I definitely will… get you out of this hell, trust me.”

She seemed to speak to me, or perhaps to herself.

“…Anselm.”

I stared numbly at Marina making her vow: “What was I doing then, after this?”

“…”

Anselm hesitated, a rare occurrence: “Hitana, you need to understand, this is only your original future, not what’s happening now or will happen.It no longer exists, so—”

“What was I doing!”

I roared in fury: “Besides basking in Lina’s protection, did I do nothing?!”

Anselm sighed: “…Worse than that, I can only say, if you want to see, prepare yourself mentally.”

***

Wearing a red-and-black uniform, I hid a woman in a concealed cellar, then stood as approaching footsteps grew closer.

“Hey, wild dog, no one left?”

“…None.And I’m warning you, call me that again, and I’ll break your legs!”

“Tch.”

The man, wearing the same red-and-black uniform, sneered: “I’m so scared.Move.”

My eyes sharpened: “What are you doing?”

“What?Checking if you’re pulling another stupid stunt.”

The man strode forward expressionlessly: “Last time you let that baron’s kid escape, our team got nothing and took thirty lashes, while you got off scot-free… Hmph, having a favored concubine sister sure is something, or did you sell yourself too?”

“Bastard…”

I drew the dagger from my waist, my dark red eyes glinting with deadly cruelty and ferocity, saying word by word: “Say that again if you dare.”

“…”

The man seemed intimidated by the increasingly thick, terrifying aura of violence I exuded, saying nothing more, only smirking: “Move, I don’t have time to waste with you.”

“I said there’s no one else, didn’t you hear me?”

“…Hah, that attitude.Wild dog, has anyone told you you’re a complete idiot, a fool who can’t hide anything?”

The man stared fixedly at the floor behind me: “Without your pampered concubine sister, you’d have been ruined by the lord long ago!”

He drew the dagger from his waist, hurling it instantly toward the panel hiding the cellar.

As the blade sank into the wood, a terrified scream came from below.

“As expected… If I hadn’t been cautious, you’d have screwed us over again, you little bastard!”

The man spat, striding toward me: “Now, get lost, or—?!”

Pfft—

The sound of a blade piercing flesh cut off his words.

He stared at me in disbelief, at my bloodied, furious face.

“You… you…”

“Die, scum.”

I growled, driving the entire dagger into his heart: “You’ll… pay the price!”

“Heh… ugh… pay the price?”

A mocking, contemptuous smile spread across the man’s face.

Though he could no longer speak, his expression said it all clearly.

“The one who should pay the price is you.”

I, watching myself, closed my eyes, trembling, murmuring in utter despair.

I could barely feel anger anymore.

All I felt was deep, profound despair.

The scene shifted back to that bedroom, where I heard the whistle of a whip and suppressed, pained groans.

“Little Lina… your sister keeps messing things up.She’s not as valuable as you claimed, not only worthless but got one of my good men killed.What should we do about this?”

“My lord, please… give her one more chance, just one last… chance, ugh!I promise this is… the last time…”

“Sigh… who can resist how much you please me?These past few days, your paperwork has been surprisingly well done.Fine, this is the last time I’ll be lenient with you and her, little Lina.”

“Thank you… thank you for your mercy…”

Then, the mirror was the same, but the face became even more alluring and seductive, the body… even more scarred.

This time, the girl named Marina had no spark left, her eyes pitch black.

She murmured softly, emotionlessly, as if driven by some obsession, mechanically whispering:

“Must get Hit… out… must… get Hit… out…”

***

The arrival of the great cold wave didn’t change.

But this time, without Anselm’s proposal, countless people died in Chishuang Territory during the disaster.

And this… was my only chance.

My only chance to escape Chishuang Manor, Chishuang City, even Chishuang Territory.

On the day the great cold wave hit, Marina and I had a fierce argument.

“Lina… what are you talking about! Why should I obey that fat pig’s orders!

Do you know what he wants me to do?”

I shouted: “He wants me to rob, steal, kill!Kill innocent people!Kill the elderly, children, women!”

“Do you know how disgusting it feels, how much I want to die doing these things!Why do I have to do this… I don’t want to anymore!”

Marina, in a purple off-shoulder gown, propped her cheek with one hand, saying casually: “Done talking?”

“You…”

I was livid, slamming the cigarette from Marina’s hand, shouting in rage: “Marina, how did you become like this! Does living like a noblewoman make you so happy?Have you forgotten what our life was like before?You… look at yourself now, look at how you act around that guy… how did you become like this!”

“And what else?”

Marina retorted: “What, act like you, yelling at the lord, so we both get violated to death the next day?”

“I…”

I was speechless, clenching my teeth, staring at Marina, and after a long pause, my voice softened.

“…Lina, don’t be like this.”

I pleaded desperately: “I’ll find a way, I’m already trying.I’ll get you out, don’t ruin yourself like this anymore, please… I’ll definitely succeed.”

Marina tugged at her lips, taking another cigarette from the box on the table, lowering her eyes as she held it.

“So, what have you done, Hitana?”

She asked softly.

“I… I’m working on it, Lina, trust me, I’m strong.Not many of that guy’s guards can beat me anymore.It won’t be long… that wretch won’t be my match either.I’ll definitely get you out—”

“Enough, Hitana.”

Marina cut me off, lighting the cigarette.

She exhaled a light mist, saying carelessly: “I’m staying here.”

I froze, staring blankly at my sister, at her seductive face behind the smoke, forcing a smile: “Lina, Lina, you’re joking, right?”

“Are you still a child, Hitana?”

Marina countered: “I’m done with our old life.Here, the lord gives me the best.Why would I leave with you?”

“…”

She ignored my stunned silence, lightly shaking the cigarette, scattering sparks:“As for you, do whatever you want, I don’t care, just don’t interfere with me and the lord.”

Slap!

In a fit of rage, I struck Marina, knocking the cigarette from her mouth.

This scene… how familiar.

“Marina!I won’t call you my sister anymore!”

I roared, turning to run out, but after a few steps, a wave of exhaustion swept over me, making me stumble and fall.

“Hitana, the lord has wanted to enjoy you for a long time, so I added something to the tea you drank.”

Marina shook her cigarette, leaning down to whisper in my ear: “For me, and for you, behave well.”

With that, she blew a puff of light smoke in my face.

“Ma… rina!”

Powerless, my eyes blazed with almost inhuman rage and hatred: “You… you… ah!!!”

I screamed hoarsely, my already weakened body surging with frenzied strength, as if the sedative’s effect vanished in that moment.

The collapsed, furious wolf sprang up, gripping Marina’s neck, my dark red eyes nearly devoid of reason.

But as I met Marina’s lifeless eyes, my pupils trembled sharply.

The roaring wolf flung her now-unrecognizable sister away, smashed through the window, and vanished into the vast snowstorm of the great cold wave.

“Cough… cough, cough…”

Marina, curled in the corner, coughed incessantly, shivering in the cold wind flooding the room, taking a drag from her cigarette.

The last spark in her eyes faded completely.

“Don’t come back, Hitana.Heh, hehehe…”

The woman laughed cruelly, self-destructively, neurotically.

“Don’t disturb my wonderful life.”

***

I nearly died in the great cold wave.

No one knew how I survived the destruction and death brought by the heavens.

But even surviving that disaster, I lost my way, not knowing where I was, unable to find my way home.

So I wandered, numb and aimless, but soon encountered a group calling themselves the New World, a band of radical, frenzied lunatics who, at the time, matched my own madness perfectly.

Naturally, I joined them, doing what I most wanted, gradually shaking off the shadows of my past.

It was a brief but genuinely happy time, one of the few moments in my tormented life filled with pure joy from start to finish.

Then, not long after, due to my background, the New World gave me a crucial task.

Chishuang Territory was contested by two grand dukes because, every one to three years, it birthed an etheric beast called the [Red Ice Python].

Though only a fourth-tier beast, its body parts were universal materials for high-tier spells, even forbidden ones, and rare alchemical creations.

The value of such universal materials made the Red Ice Python equally precious.

Its core was a key component for the forbidden spell [Great Cold Wave Vortex].

Due to the balanced resources, transcendents, and political influence in the capital held by Grand Duke Ironblade and Grand Duke of Gray Tower, whoever fully controlled Chishuang Territory would break that balance.

Thus, they reached a tacit agreement—competing through proxies in a contest of skill, alternating control.

This was why Chishuang Territory was so rotten and corrupt.

If the territory were managed like an impregnable fortress, it would signal to the other side an intent to claim it outright, breaking the balance.

In the vast, remote North, far from the Empire’s political center, such a disruption could cause variables and chaos neither grand duke wanted.

So, their proxies always governed the territory with the most absurd, decadent methods to signal their stance and make it easy for the next proxy to take over.

The New World, for their own purposes, aimed to seize this Red Ice Python.

They sent people to locate its spawning point first, awakening it early to gain the advantage.

I was dispatched as backup, rushing to Chishuang Territory as fast as possible to handle any contingencies.

The good news was, when I arrived, the battle was over.

The bad news was, the Red Ice Python awoke in Blackwater Forest, where the New World fought it and Blackwater Forest was next to my hometown.

I stood on scorched earth, weeping blood, launching indiscriminate attacks on the New World in a frenzy, until I was subdued and taken back to their base.

That night, the beast howled all night.

I thought I’d found a path suited for me, but walking it, I saw it crush my family, friends, parents mercilessly underfoot.

That day, Hitana Lansmarlos, ascended to the third-tier Throne, awakened my Spiritual Essence, and defeated the base’s fourth-tier overseer in ten seconds.

I left everything behind and began my wanderings.

***

Four years later, a woman with snow-white, wild hair stepped into Chishuang City.

“How… nostalgic.”

I looked at the sparsely populated streets.

Four years had allowed some poor from the outer districts to fill in, but it was still far from its former state; it would take decades to recover.

But nobles never cared—the outer district’s people weren’t people, just expendable resources, disposable ore veins.

I strode forward, killing a guard blocking my path with one punch, shaking off the blood on my hand amid screams, casually strolling toward the inner district, toward the hell I’d escaped.

I slaughtered my way through, crushing anyone who dared raise a blade against me like ants, my fists’ gusts tearing houses to dust.

All nobles, all transcendents, trembled, repented, and died under this unparalleled, absolute violence.

Blood and flesh formed streams, flowing from the inner district in all directions.

Finally, I reached the end of this path of vengeance, standing before Chishuang Manor, sighing softly: “So, this place is this small.”

“Cantrell.”

I crossed my arms, raising my chin slightly, and declared loudly:

“I’ll give you one chance to kill me.”

“With the most advanced firearms, the vilest curses, the most brutal spells, it doesn’t matter…”

“One hour.”

I raised a finger: “Come kill me.”

“Of course…”

A cruel, bloodthirsty smile spread across my face, Hitana Lansmarlos:

“You can also try to flee pathetically from under my nose.”

Bang—!

A deafening explosion rang out as my upper body lurched backward.

“…Mingfuluo heavy cannon?Hah, interesting, you actually got your hands on one of those.”

The monster slowly straightened, prying a heavy cannon bullet, at least two centimeters in diameter, from the center of my bloodied, cracked forehead!

“Sorry.”

I twisted my neck, grinning: “A year ago, I fought that lunatic woman.She bombarded me with six of these at once.Guess how it ended?”

Bang!

Another explosion, but this time my head barely tilted back, and the bullet, if you could call it that, slid off without me even needing to touch it.

The battle-hardened wolf licked a trickle of blood from my forehead: “She lost badly, so she went back and improved the weapon.”

“The one you’re holding is probably an outdated model or a prototype, too weak to even kill me once.”

I raised my pinky finger toward the manor ahead, hooking it contemptuously:“Keep going.”

For the next hour, countless attacks targeted me from within the mansion.

At first, they caused noticeable damage, but as time went on, the harm visibly lessened, until, in the end, they barely scratched me.

“Done?”

I casually pulled new clothes from my storage ring, tearing off my tattered ones and draping them on: “Good thing I didn’t have high hopes for this revenge.My main course was never you, Cantrell.”

I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets, my full, muscular thighs lifting high before slamming down.

The entire mansion, like a child’s paper toy house tossed into a shredder, was ground, crushed, and obliterated from top to bottom in a roaring cacophony, reduced to layers of debris, ultimately becoming ruins.

I strolled toward this hell I’d built, ignoring the blood and mud seeping around my feet, heading toward the top of the wreckage.

There, two pathetic figures remained.

“Always keep a few life-saving trinkets, don’t you?”

I laughed heartily, not at all like a maniac who’d annihilated an entire manor and everyone in it.

“Lady Hitana, I think we can talk—”

I didn’t even glance at the groveling, corpulent figure, raising my hand to crush his head from a distance.

I walked straight toward the other figure standing amid the ruins.

“Long time no see, Lady Violet, or should I call you…”

The smile on my face faded: “Marina, or… sister?”

Lady Violet, a name only whispered among the Empire’s high political circles.

She operated in the shadows, wielding ruthless efficiency, nearly replacing Count Chishuang to hold Chishuang Territory in her grasp, navigating between the North’s two grand dukes with an air of forming her own faction.

Her status and wealth were built on countless tragedies of despair.

Count Chishuang’s dark web of interests expanded exponentially under her, connecting half the North.

Though most profits went to the true powers, she undeniably held that web of blood, hatred, and terror in her hands.

This trip wasn’t just for revenge; it was to… settle things.

“The victor has the right to choose any name for the vanquished.”

Her luxurious purple gown was tattered, yet her demeanor remained regal, like a true noble, as she smiled: “It’s your freedom, Hitana.”

“Oh… alright, since you use my name, I’ll use yours.”

I stood before Marina, only three or four meters between us.

“You’ve changed a lot.”

I studied Marina: “More than I imagined.”

Her smooth snow-white hair, her delicate yet alluring face that stirred both protectiveness and desire, was calm, but her light red lipstick and amethyst earrings accentuated her mature, captivating aura, her body ripe and tender like a peach.

“No wonder your name outshines that fat pig Cantrell.Any man would be rooted to the spot seeing you.”

I marveled: “It’s a miracle he didn’t drain you dry.”

Marina smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear: “I got some dirt on him.Two years ago, we became partners.”

“If you hadn’t come, in a year, I’d have taken his place as Gray Tower’s proxy in Chishuang Territory.”

“Oh, impressive, impressive.”

I clapped: “All your murdering and arson these four years paid off, huh?”

“Not as much as you.Your status in the rebels must be high, right?”

I waved dismissively: “Just because of our teacher.I don’t really fit with them, more like a cooperative relationship.”

We chatted casually, our tones light, like true sisters.

Even though we were sisters.

“You’ve changed more than I expected too.”

Marina studied me: “At least, the old you wouldn’t have slaughtered everyone in the mansion.”

“There are only two kinds of people in this manor.”

I said indifferently: “Those who deserve to die ten thousand times and those who want to die ten thousand times.No need to leave anyone alive.”

Marina fell silent briefly, then chuckled: “Four years turned you into this.”

“Four years turned you into this too, didn’t it?”

“I thought you’d say one month.”

“Don’t be silly, Marina.”

I smiled: “I’m not silly anymore either. How could I not understand by now why you did what you did back then?”

Marina said nothing, just looked at me quietly.

“Tch…”

I scratched my head: “I thought you’d ask why I didn’t come save you if I understood.”

“When you understood, I’d probably already done a lot you wouldn’t want to see.”

Marina said gently: “I didn’t have expectations for you then either.”

“Hm… you really know me.”

We fell silent again.

“Not making a move yet?”

Marina tilted her head: “You shouldn’t have much mental burden.If you don’t do it, my fate will be miserable.”

“Sure, but…”

I sighed: “It’s harder to do than I thought.”

“Even if I’m a vile, heinous woman?”

“Even if you’re a vile, heinous woman.”

I kicked a piece of rubble, turning to Marina: “Got a cigarette?”

“Should be on his body, check it.”

“Ugh, disgusting.”

I rubbed my arm, then looked up at the sky: “You’re all I have left, Marina.”

“Hm?No boyfriend?”

“Forget it, anyone who doesn’t grovel at first sight is a win.”

“Regular friends, then?”

“Don’t need those.”

“What a failure, Hitana.”

Marina sighed.

“Yeah, but you’re probably not much better.”

“True, I’m about the same.”

Two women, having endured countless pains and despairs, transformed into what we were now, walking entirely different paths, looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Two distinct laughs echoed over the ruins, over countless corpses, over this twisted society, this twisted world.

“Want me to give you a pretty death?”

I tilted my head at Marina after the laughter died down.

“No.”

She shook her head: “It’d be used by others, so forget it.”

“Ugh… true, mobs aren’t exactly human.”

I placed my hand on Marina’s head, asking softly: “Anything else to say?”

“…Hitana, do you think you’ve done right by me?”

“Of course not, since you’ve wronged so many but did right by me.”

I gently stroked Marina’s snow-white hair, like a younger sister comforting her sensible elder, gazing into eyes identical to mine but entirely different in spirit: “But rebelling this way, isn’t it a bit low-class?Don’t make me lower my opinion of you before you die, Marina.”

“No, I mean, since you feel you’ve wronged me, shouldn’t you grant me one thing before killing me?”

“Hm, nothing too outrageous, I suppose.”

“Good.”

Marina smiled with relief, cradling my face gently: “Promise me, restrain the beast in your heart.”

“…”

I opened my mouth, unable to answer.

“If you don’t understand, I’ll put it another way… though you definitely do, Hitana, you’re a smart girl now.”

She looked into my eyes: “Promise me, no more killing, let me be the last, okay?”

I lowered my gaze, instinctively avoiding hers: “For someone like me… that’s a pretty harsh request.”

“Is it harsh?”

“Of course, but… I promise.”

I pulled Marina into my arms, closing my eyes, whispering: “I promise you, sister.”

“Good girl.”

Marina smiled, patting my head.

“Don’t meet again, don’t come looking for me, that’s not where you belong.”

“…Okay.”

A force capable of shaking mountains erupted in my palm.

I looked down at my last kin in my arms, turned to dust by my own hand, dissipating in the wind.

“I’ll go where I belong.”

The wolf looked up at the sky, responding thus.

Today, I, Hitana Lansmarlos, lost my last kin, my last cherished thing, my last tear.

Henceforth, despair and suffering would have nothing to do with me.

The wolf, transformed atop the ruins, atop the death of all I cherished, would embark on the

path of no killing, no defeat, the supreme conqueror’s way.

***

“This was your original future, Hitana,” Anselm said to me, now incapable of thought.

“This was… the slaughtering blade fate swung at you.”