Against The True Gods

Caine caressed his chin, remaining still in deep thought. He stood motionless for a moment before he began to walk in circles, his state of focus unprecedented.

This revelation answered many questions but left countless more inquiries.

'The event was a war. A war between us and invaders. A war we nearly lost.'

His gaze narrowed. 'So, my suspicions that the world has been invaded were indeed correct.'

The fact that Elura and the Elementals were so blatantly installed in their world had been an obvious indicator to Caine, but he had always remained on the fence.

'Zao, Theobald, and Tania all came out of this war injured and are most likely the only individuals I can trust.'

'Since they were separate from the other great forces, I must assume that none of the others are worthy of trust, not even the Timeless Alliance.'

His gaze widened slightly as another thought struck him. 'But if that's the case, why are we staying there willingly?'

The answer struck him like lightning. 'Are Zao and I being kept… captive?'

His steps faltered for a moment as the pieces of the puzzle began falling into place. 'He's trying to give me the tools necessary to free myself from these binds, but he's doing it at the expense of his own freedom and life.'

Caine's thoughts split into two streams, something that had become endlessly easy after his previous trial.

'Last Gaia sacrificed herself for something. She was aware of her coming death generations before it occurred, but what could the reason be…?'

His thoughts split further.

'They nearly lost the war but invoked something that turned the tides, though not enough to end it completely. We are essentially in a state of cold war at the moment.'

'We are most likely at a standstill, but with a disadvantage.'

His qi flowed into his brain, the Immemorial Lightning fused within its structure pushing his thinking speed to its limits.

'Those sisters were sent down to attack and eradicate our world, but they knew they would die. So, I must assume they are a third party.'

'But they also noted that they were once sent to shackle our world, which is most likely the reason why we are sealed off from contact with any outside forces.'

'There's also the mention of an alliance with the "Spirits" and the "Ones from the Void," most likely referring to us Velios and… the Void Trading Alliance?'

'Are they to be trusted, or did they betray us in some way?'

Caine's thoughts jumped from moment to moment, suddenly returning to a conversation he had overheard while traveling with Lilith, just before he met Theobald and gained the crafts he had once promised him.

'The Void Trading Alliance was recalling all its forces, as if preparing for a catastrophe, and at the same time, the cult's actions became more rowdy and bold, as if they were preparing for their return.'

'The two happened in tandem, as if an unspoken agreement had been reached between them.'

'But the Void Trading Alliance… their Auction House was so loaded with formations…'

His eyes narrowed as he recalled a specific moment. 'They knew the cult would attack during the auction. They also knew the fractured reality would open on their grounds. If anything, I'm sure they must have triggered it.'

Caine suddenly froze, remembering the moment he reached Jamie's camp and spoke with his people. He recalled the countless echoes of conversations he had heard back then and slowly began to piece everything together.

[…The Pope…The Villages were…Our Gods…The Fallen Gods…A Great Danger…Death Swirls…Jamie…The Merchant Association…]

His gaze widened. 'Is… this the fractured reality from my coming-of-age ceremony…?'

Caine's mind split into so many diverging streams of thought that his qi nearly ran dry, unable to keep up with the consumption of his brain.

A brilliant light burned in his gaze as the pieces of the puzzle became opaque and arranged themselves into a complex tapestry that bridged the past, present, and future.

But Caine didn't stop there. This was a Trial from Fate itself; there had to be more. He had to contextualize everything according to the workings of Fate and his current circumstances.

'Invaders. A war. Deaths. A cult. Betrayals.'

Caine's face scrunched into a demonic scowl, fury rising within him. Just like the last time, when he had felt a hand obscuring his thoughts and stopping him from reaching the peaks of his enlightenment, he felt a force blurring his thoughts, stopping him from reaching the final conclusion.

It was at the tip of his tongue, ready to be uttered, but shackled by a force beyond his comprehension.

It felt like his mind was trapped in a box, desperately trying to wiggle free but failing again and again.

The deeper he sank into these thoughts, the more he analyzed his own life, and the more he felt the effect of this restraining force.

He felt like he had never even had control.

Suddenly, the words Pope Francis had spoken to him rang like a bell in his mind.

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<"Who would've thought," he mused, his tone almost playful. "To think the one wreaking havoc in my lands would be a little Velios."

Caine's expression didn't shift, but inwardly, his thoughts churned.

"You seem young. Incredibly young," the Pope continued, his gaze narrowing slightly as if appraising a rare artifact.

"Barely twenty years old. And yet…" He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Your mind… it's older. Barely reaching the ten-thousand-year mark. Still, a little baby. How cute."

"You know a great deal," Caine replied slowly, his voice calm and steady. "And yet, you allowed me to move freely under your nose. To what end?" His tone was casual, as though it was only natural to expect an answer from a potential enemy.

The Pope's amusement deepened, a glint of interest sparking in his eyes.

'So young, yet so unyielding. Truly fascinating,' the Pope thought, suppressing a smirk.

"To what end?" the Pope repeated, feigning surprise.

"There was no end to it. I didn't know who you were until I laid eyes on you."

With a slight shift, he opened his robes, revealing purple, bruised flesh tightly bound by golden chains.

"You see these?" he asked, gesturing to the chains. "They greatly limit me. They're called God's Chains." He smiled faintly, closing his robes. "I imagine you'll get to know them well in a few years. After all, you're the one who gave them to me."

Caine's stoic mask cracked, uncertainty flashing across his features for the first time.

"What?" he muttered, his voice tinged with confusion.

The Pope shook his head and stood. "It doesn't matter. Just like with that Reaper, there are certain things I can't say to someone still tethered to mortality."

Caine's eyes widened in shock.

The Pope's grin widened in turn. "I can't explain it all, but know this: time is far flatter than you might expect. Unless you surpass it, everything is bound to happen again. And again. And again."

His voice dropped, a hint of mocking pity seeping into his tone.

"No matter how many wishes you make." >

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< "There's much you lack," the Pope said, his voice cold yet matter-of-fact. "Far too much. And time…" He tapped the golden chains binding his body. "Time is not on your side. Nor is it on mine."

He sighed, almost wistfully. "I can't help you. I can't train you—not yet. But what I can do… is prime you.">

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***

Caine stood frozen in place, his mind short-circuiting.

He couldn't understand. He didn't understand.

What did any of it mean?