CHAPTER 7

Se'mudara's silver hair shimmered in the darkness, catching the faint light carried on the tranquil night breeze. Matrix's inky black hair, almost indiscernible against the pitch-black sky, fluttered slightly. The full moon cast an ethereal glow across their faces as they spoke.

"Are you certain this is the place?"

Se'mudara asked, her gaze sweeping across the desolate expanse. The cold desert stretched endlessly in all directions.

Matrix extended his arm, rippling the air before them like a stone tossed into a still lake. He retrieved a crystalized drop of Fate King blood from his pocket dimension and began to enchant it, channeling his energy into the intricate patterns etched upon its surface. Then, he handed it to Se'mudara.

"Crush it on my mark."

She nodded, her fingers closing around the crystal. It felt heavier than she expected, imbued with a power that resonated deep within her.

Still assessing the crystal's weight, she voiced her reservations.

"It's not as if she sees these prophecies all the time, so why do we need this precaution to prevent her from divining our plans?"

"Things are not so simple, Se'mudara," Matrix explained, his voice low. "We don't know what she might have foreseen in the past. Moreover, she's an Oracle, and they are acutely sensitive to the strings of fate. Their perception is immensely keen."

"Alright, if you say so. But where did you learn to enchant this frozen drop of blood, by the way?" she asked, curiosity edging into her tone.

"My father once used it to enchant two powerful Sybils. They ended up destroying each other," Matrix answered offhandedly, as if it were a mundane detail.

Se'mudara's eyes widened.

"Get ready," Matrix said, the weight of his command settling upon her. "I'll only open the sub-dimension for a second. We don't want unwanted guests discovering its location."

Se'mudara affirmed wordlessly, bracing herself.

The air shimmered and distorted in the middle of the desert, beneath the silent gaze of the full moon, then vanished, leaving no trace of their presence.

A giant, slumbering not far away, opened his eyes, a glimmer of awareness flickering within their depths, before closing them once more, the weight of centuries dragging him back into his weariness.

Matrix and Se'mudara materialized within a hidden dimension, their gazes darting around, assessing the threat level. To all appearances, there was no immediate danger.

The ground remained sandy, reminiscent of the desert they had left behind. But two distinct features set this place apart. The moon was gone, swallowed by an oppressive darkness. And two trees, each towering over forty times Matrix's height and twenty times his width, loomed above them. They would have been magnificent, were it not for the fact that they were dead. Only their petrified, skeletal remains stood as a testament to their former glory. A figure knelt between the trees, motionless as a statue, devoid of life or essence. She was draped in a tattered white tunic that had clearly seen better days. Mighty chains, each as thick as her arms, bound her to the trunks of the trees. They coiled around her arms, up to her shoulders, then disappeared into her neck.

Matrix approached the figure, his steps deliberate. The chains, taut and gleaming in the dim light, were the only things supporting her upper body.

He placed his hands on the chain, and a silent hum reverberated from it, traveling through his arms and into the depths of her being. Slowly, painstakingly, a spark of life flickered within the figure before him.

Matrix signaled to Se'mudara. She crushed the crystallized blood between her fingers, unleashing a torrent of power imperceptible to most. But not even all gods possessed the ability to perceive the subtle currents of fate.

"Debyr!"

Matrix bellowed, his voice more than just a sound; it was a force that shook the very foundations of the sub-dimension. The Oracle's eyelids fluttered. Her eyes, dull and lifeless moments before, snapped open. She raised her head, her voice hoarse from disuse.

"King… World King… Scram!"

Then, as quickly as it had come, the spark vanished. Her head slumped forward, her face obscured by a curtain of tangled blue hair.

"What a pity," Matrix murmured, his expression unreadable. "Now I have to return Starfall. Well, goodbye then."

Suddenly, the Oracle jolted awake, her eyes blazing with a feverish light.

"By Starfall, you mean the weapon rumored to slay gods?"

"Indeed," Matrix confirmed, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "But if you truly desire it, you know what you must do."

"Fine," she said, her voice cracking with desperation. "I'll help you. Just send me to him, please."

"I still don't understand why you're so desperate to die," Se'mudara said, her voice tight with a mixture of pity and exasperation.

Debyr scoffed, her gaze hardening. "The only person I care about resides in the Netherworld. I have no business remaining here. Thanks to this bastard." She gestured towards Matrix, her eyes burning with resentment.

"Do you still want to talk, or do you want to die?"

Matrix's voice was cold, his gaze unwavering as he stared down at the Oracle. Debyr met his stare with a glare that could have poisoned the air. Her eyes spat venom.

"Fine. Finish what you started," she spat.

"Not so fast. You still haven't told us what we came here to learn."

"Well…" Debyr's voice dropped, the gravity of her words heavy in the air.

"An immortal walks the realms once more."

Impossible

Matrix's carefully constructed facade faltered, revealing a glimpse of raw concern. His control slipped so badly he didn't even register his hand clenching around the relic in his arm, crushing it to dust.

He crouched, bringing his face close to the Oracle, his expression grave.

"When did you have this revelation?"

Debyr's control snapped. "You damned god! You tricked me with a fake relic, yet you have the gut to demand answers from me!"

Staring at the fine powder that had once been a faux blade, Matrix understood the Oracle's heightened rage.

He rose and turned towards Se'mudara, the Oracle's profane tirade echoing behind him.

"Scoundrel! Douchebag!" She bellowed, struggling against the chains. But those were the chains of Oblivion, nothing could break them. At least that was how it had been until recently.

Matrix ignored her outburst and approached Se'mudara, who still seemed stunned by the news.

"But how? Your father sacrificed his powers to ensure all those insane Immortals were locked away forever,"

Se'mudara exclaimed, her voice a hushed whisper.

"Indeed. But my father only discovered Oblivion; he didn't invent it. Something must have gone wrong somewhere."

"But what?" Se'mudara pressed.

"That, I do not know, Se'. Regardless, we need her on our side. She's more valuable alive than dead," he replied, gesturing to the Oracle, still spewing curses a few paces away.

"Yes. On the bright side, I'll finally be able to avenge those immortals who murdered the greatest Se' of all time… my mother!" Se'mudara's eyes burned with a chilling fury.

Matrix sighed, his voice low and even. "The pursuit of revenge will earn you two graves: one for your enemy, and one for yourself."

Se'mudara nodded, but Matrix knew she hadn't truly listened. She had heard, but would never truly listen.

Abruptly, a frown etched itself across her face.

"Something's happening to our friend here."

Only then did Matrix register the sudden silence. He turned to find Debyr frozen, a stark blue light spilling from her eyes, illuminating the ground at her feet.

"I think she's having another vision."

Matrix began to approach cautiously.

Suddenly, Debyr snapped out of her trance, gasping for air.

Then, amidst bated breath, she said,

"I think I'll follow you on your stupid little adventure."

"What?"

Matrix stared, mildly amused.

"I hardly needed superpowers to hear what you two were saying. You're terrible gossipers," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"No, not that. Why are you so willing to join us?" Matrix asked, suspicion lacing his tone.

"Because of what I just saw."

"Tell me what you saw," Matrix commanded, his voice edged with a desperate impatience.

The Oracle chuckled, a dry, rustling sound that seemed to emanate from the very bones of the earth. A tremor ran through Se'mudara, prickling the skin on her arms.

"I see dead people,"