Fate Chains

'Training at the villa? I'm only still in my probation period! And since when have I ever taken care of Ai's kids? I could maybe understand babysitting other people's kids, but hers?'

Riku did have part-time experience babysitting during high school. He wasn't exactly an expert, but he'd worked a few gigs watching over toddlers when desperate parents (her mother's friends) needed someone who wasn't a total idiot. He knew how to handle tantrums, clean up messes, and make sure a child didn't randomly decide to put their fingers in electrical sockets.

As Miyako continued talking, explaining the details of his "new job," Riku tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

'Did the world change along with their existence? No, that's not the right question—did my past change too? Well, I guess both are the same thing, but anyway—maybe that's why I was chosen as her personal accountant. They already know me. But I don't remember—'

Riku was about to complain internally about his supposed missing memories when—

'Urk,' he frowned, his head throbbing.

Flashes of unfamiliar memories surged forward like a dam breaking. He saw himself in a seemingly different timeline—one where he had, in fact, met Ai's twins before. He could recall carrying them, feeding them, even playing with them. There was a sense of routine in those memories, a life that he had apparently lived but had absolutely no recollection of before now.

It wasn't just a vague feeling—it was clear, vivid, as if it had always been there.

And yet, five minutes ago, it hadn't been.

Riku's expression was one of surprise. 'Seriously?'

"Riku-kun...?"

"A-Ah," Riku snapped out of his thoughts, noticing Miyako's slightly worried gaze. He quickly flashed a smile. "I'm sorry, I kind of spaced out there. I just didn't expect that much money--- uh, as in my salary… would be in my hands…"

Miyako smiled gently. "You can help your family with it, so it's great, right?"

Riku shivered.

'Was she this sweet earlier in the story? I don't think so.'

'And remember, she's older than you! Though it's not that big of a difference and, honestly, it's kind of fun to think about…' As he pondered this deeply philosophical realization, the entire world suddenly froze except for him. A hologram appeared before his stunned eyes.

[Would you like to see the Fate Chains of Miyako Saitou?]

'Huh?' he furrowed his brows. 'What the hell was that supposed to be?'

The hologram answered his confusion.

[Fate Chains are invisible threads that bind a heroine to her destined path, marking her life's key events, challenges, relationships, and outcomes. Each heroine's Fate Chain consists of links representing significant points in her life. The strength of the chain is proportional to the importance of the events that shape the heroine's destiny.]

'That…' Riku's eyes widened slightly. 'Wait, does that mean Miyako's a heroine?'

[Yes]

Riku snickered, the absurdity of it all dawning on him. 'I don't know how this system works, how it appeared, or what its intentions are, but hey, what can I do? Let me see 'em!'

[Understood]

Immediately, the air around him seemed to shift. When the light appeared—faint, at first—he couldn't help but notice them; the almost imperceptible threads weaving around Miyako like some kind of barely visible net. 

His eyes widened. 'Those are the Fate Chains?'

[Yes]

Riku quickly slipped into serious mode, his observation skills taking over.

The threads weren't glowing in the traditional sense, but there was a subtle gleam to them. Some of the threads tightened, others loosened with an odd, unpredictable rhythm. Small ripples of light ran through them, almost as if they were alive. Some were fragile, barely visible, twitching occasionally like spider silk in the wind. The stronger threads, however, were rigid and inflexible—there was something inevitable about them, something unchangeable, like they were holding down a critical, unavoidable event.

Riku's eyes fixed on one link near Miyako's heart. It glowed faintly—a soft, almost serene blue, pulsing in a slow, steady beat.

He had no clue how to interpret any of this. It was a mess of threads, each pulling in different directions, some tightly bound, others fluttering loosely like a leaf in the wind.

[With Fate Energy, you can understand the meaning of these colors and even "see" through them with a considerable amount of Fate Energy.]

Riku immediately recognized the term Fate Energy. It had shown up when the hologram first appeared. 'If I remember correctly, I have to "develop" relationships with the heroines to get it, right?'

[Correct. You are an anomaly. By emphasizing your special role in the heroine's world, the more changes you create—particularly those with an "inverse" nature compared to the original fate—the more Fate Energy you will gain. The stronger the inverse nature, the more Fate Energy you will receive.]

[Due to your prior relationships with the twins, Miyako, and Ichigo, you have earned an initial Fate Energy amount of 200. Would you like to attempt to understand the meaning of the Fate Chains' colors, or even see them?]

Riku's eyes widened before he snapped back into focus. "Of course!"

[Understood. You only need to focus on them and ask for their meaning in your mind. It will ask for confirmation and the amount of Fate Energy needed to be spent.]

Riku did that immediately, zeroing in on a subtle reddish thread within the tangled web. The moment he focused—

[5 Fate Energy required. Yes/No?]

'Yes.'

A flood of comprehension surged through him.

The red color represented a fateful encounter, often linked to romance, rivalry, or deep conflict. But judging by the brightness and the strength of the pull, the one he was currently seeing was unstable—meaning the outcome wasn't set in stone.

He decided to push further, attempting to see through that particular thread. 

Another prompt appeared.

[15 Fate Energy required to observe an event fragment. Yes/No?]

'Yes.'

Immediately, his vision warped, like he was getting sucked into a screen, and what he got was—

***

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