O! Fated One(2)

What the hell is happening?

I scanned the room, my chest tightening. Not a single man in sight—only women, their hoods slipping from their heads, revealing expressions twisted with ecstasy. Their voices rose in frenzied shouts.

Me… the fated one?

Disbelief churned in my gut as my gaze shifted to the woman seated on the throne. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, yet her piercing eyes held the weight of boundless knowledge. She watched me intently, a small, knowing smile curving her lips.

My heart pounded violently. A sharp pain spiked in my chest.

Argh. I gritted my teeth, my hand instinctively clutching my wound.

The woman's gaze flickered to my reaction. Without a word, she lifted her hand.

The room fell deathly silent.

The women beside me moved to support me, but I raised a hand, stopping them.

Questions stormed my mind, but one thing was clear—the way they looked at me, like I was some long-lost treasure, was unsettling.

"Who are you?" My voice came out sharper than I expected as I fixed my gaze on the woman seated on the throne.

A ripple of whispers spread through the hall. The twisted smiles that once clung to their faces faded, replaced by uncertainty and doubt.

The woman on the throne rose gracefully, taking two deliberate steps forward. With a noble flourish, she widened her robe and bowed slightly.

"Forgive us, O Fated One. Long have we dwelled in the shadows of time, and it seemeth our manners have withered with the years. Allow me to present myself—I am Drussera Noctharis, Matriarch of the Noctharis line."

My eyes widened. Noctharis?

That name shouldn't exist. In the game's lore, the entire Noctharis bloodline had been wiped out—completely erased from history.

I pushed the thought aside for now, there are more concerning things.

"Where am I?"

Drussera's expression remained composed. "This place lieth deep within the forest, sundered from the world beyond."

Sundered? Did she mean cut off from the rest of the world?

I glanced around. The women's eyes bore into me—intense, unwavering. A minute ago, they were delirious with joy; now, their gazes felt heavy, as if they were branding me with expectations.

I exhaled slowly. At least I'm alive. These people had saved me… but why? In this world, there was no such thing as goodwill without a price.

Ignoring the ache in my chest, I forced my voice steady. "What do you want from me?"

Drussera's smile deepened, as if she had been waiting for that very question. She shifted her gaze past me, toward the far wall.

I followed her eyes.

The mural stretched across the stone, depicting scenes of war. Human soldiers, adorned with sigils of a serpent's head, clash against a force of women fleeing into the depths of the forest. Further along, a demon loomed behind them, and at the very end—a lone figure stood above them all, guiding them forward.

Slowly, I turned back to Drussera, demanding answers with my stare.

She spoke, her voice a solemn hymn.

"Remain in the shadows of this forsaken place, bound by time yet untouched by its decay. Endure the passing of countless years, for the weight of your vengeance must ripen. When the Fated One steps into this realm, the stars shall tremble, and your reckoning will begin. Only then shall the chains of waiting break, and the justice long denied shall be served."

The women surrounding me began to chant the same words in hushed voices, their words rippling through the room. With each repetition, the chant grew louder, swelling until it echoed through the very walls.

Drussera's voice cut through the growing storm.

"These were the words bestowed upon us by the demon—a covenant sealed in shadow. In exchange for our protection, we were bound to heed this decree, awaiting the hour when the Fated One would awaken our reckoning."

A demon?

My mind raced. But the demons were chased into exile. After losing the war, they were cast into the demon realm by the gods.

And yet, they had made a prophecy. They had been waiting for me.

Why?

For the first time, doubt gnawed at my thoughts. Am I relying too much on the game's knowledge?

But then another question struck me—do they know I'm a transmigrator?

I forced my voice steady. "How do you know I'm the Fated One?"

Drussera's expression remained composed, yet there was something unreadable in her gaze. "The shackles of Ather art bound upon thy body."

I frowned. "What's that?"

Her eyes widened slightly, as if I had just asked what the sun was. "'Tis the binding that hindreth thy resonance with mana."

My body stiffened. A barrier stopping me from using mana?

A rush of heat surged through me. My fists clenched. Could this be why I can't connect with mana? If that were true… maybe meeting them wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Can you remove it?" My breath quickened, anticipation rising.

But Drussera's small smile faded. She shook her head. "Alas, I cannot."

Fuck.

Frustration burned in my gut. What good was being 'Fated' if I had no power? I couldn't even protect myself. How the hell was I supposed to bring about some kind of reckoning?

A sudden movement to my side caught my attention.

One of the women—her eyes wide with devotion—stepped forward. Her hands trembled as she reached toward me, fingertips hovering just above my arm.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Then, she touched me.

A sharp gasp echoed through the chamber. The other women inhaled collectively, their expressions flickering—between awe… and hesitation.

Nothing happened.

For a split second, silence reigned.

Then, an uncertain murmur rippled through them. A seed of doubt, barely noticeable, but there.

Drussera's head turned sharply, her gaze slicing through the crowd.

"Enough."

The weight of her voice crushed the whispers instantly. The woman who had touched me flinched, withdrawing her hand as if burned. Her face paled, but she quickly lowered her head in silent submission.

Drussera exhaled softly, turning her attention back to me, as if nothing had happened.

"Thou shalt. Come, follow me."

She turned, moving toward the side of the hall. The women before me parted without hesitation, clearing a path.

I didn't hesitate either. There was nothing to lose—except my life, and they had already spared that.

I followed her into another chamber, the air thick with something ancient, something waiting. The torches along the walls flickered to life, one after another, illuminating a narrow corridor of rough stone. Shadows danced around us as we ventured deeper.

A question lingered on my mind, gnawing at my curiosity. "By the way… why don't I see any men among you?"

Drussera walked in silence for a moment before answering, her voice light, almost casual. "Men? Nay, they live not."

I stopped mid-step. What the—?

I swallowed hard. No men?

Then how…? My mind reeled. I had seen children among them—or at least, figures that looked childlike. In the dim light, I couldn't tell if they were dwarves or young girls.

A whisper from earlier echoed in my mind.

'Remain in the shadows of this forsaken place, bound by time yet untouched by its decay.'

A sickening thought crept in.

My voice was lower this time, uncertain."Lady Drussera. How old are you?"

She stopped walking. Slowly, she turned to face me.

Silence stretched.

Then, with a distant look, she spoke. "Wouldst thou count the grains of sand upon a shore? I abandoned such folly long ago."

My breath hitched.

She turned and continued walking, as if she had merely stated the weather.

I followed, my mind spinning.

Don't tell me… Has she really been alive since ancient times? More than thousands of years?

Even in a fantasy world, isn't that… too much?

And Had they truly been waiting all this time? Locked in this place, bound by a promise of vengeance?

The weight of their whispers, their crooked smile, their eerie reverence toward me—it all felt heavier now.

And far, far more terrifying.