Chapter 10: Breaking Fate

The weight of Kara's words still lingered in Adam's mind, a cold specter whispering doubts into every decision he made. He sat in the dim glow of the control room, the flickering monitors painting his face in shifting hues of blue and green.

Evelyn stood beside him, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the screens for anything unusual. Lilith leaned against the doorway, watching him with a knowing smirk. Marcus, ever the silent sentinel, was nearby, waiting for orders. And somewhere, bound and under heavy guard, Kara remained their prisoner—though she was far more than that now.

"She shook you." Lilith finally broke the silence. "Not many people get inside your head, Adam."

Adam exhaled through his nose. "She didn't shake me. She gave me new information."

Lilith chuckled. "Right. And that's why you've been staring at these monitors like they hold the meaning of life."

Adam turned his chair toward her. "If I'm being manipulated into becoming a god, I need to understand what that means."

Evelyn frowned. "You've been obsessed with stopping the collapse of civilization, with preparing for the Age of Eternity. Why does this change anything?"

"Because preparation is only useful if I understand the endgame," Adam said. "If the gods are looking for someone to ascend, then everything I do might be pushing me toward something irreversible."

Lilith's smirk faded slightly. "So what are you planning?"

Adam leaned forward, his fingers interlocked. "We need to know more. Kara's vision is just one piece of the puzzle. There have to be others who have glimpsed the future."

Evelyn's eyes narrowed. "You mean… other Seers."

Adam nodded. "And I know exactly where to find them."

The Hunt for the Seers

The Seers weren't just a myth; they were real, scattered across the world like shattered fragments of a mirror. Some operated in secret, hiding their knowledge from both gods and men. Others sold their visions to the highest bidder. And a rare few served the divine directly, pawns in a game too vast for human comprehension.

Adam's next target was an old name from his past—an informant who had survived the first collapse and had worked both sides of the war. Before the world had burned, he had been a nobody. Now, he was a king in the underworld of information: Orin the Whisper.

Their destination was an old cathedral buried beneath the ruins of a city long forgotten. The stained glass was shattered, the stonework weathered with time, but the underground crypts had become a haven for those who dealt in forbidden knowledge.

Adam, Evelyn, Marcus, and Lilith moved carefully through the crumbling structure, weapons drawn. Orin wasn't a man who trusted easily.

As they entered the candlelit chamber beneath the cathedral, shadows flickered against the stone walls. A hunched figure sat at the center of the room, surrounded by books, parchments, and half-burned remnants of lost histories.

Orin looked up, his cataract-clouded eyes narrowing. "Adam. I had a feeling you'd come knocking."

Adam didn't waste time. "I need information on the Seers."

Orin smirked, revealing yellowed teeth. "Seers don't like being found, boy."

Adam stepped forward. "I'm not asking for their addresses. I want to know what they've seen. About me. About the Game."

Orin's expression darkened. "Ah. So you've started to understand."

Adam clenched his fists. "Tell me what you know."

Orin exhaled slowly, his fingers tracing a worn parchment. "The Seers who peer too deeply into fate rarely survive their knowledge. Some go mad. Others are erased. The gods do not suffer those who pry into their secrets." He glanced at Adam. "You're an anomaly. The threads of fate twist around you, but they do not settle. It is why they watch you so closely."

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be?"

Orin chuckled. "Because he doesn't belong."

Evelyn tensed. "What do you mean?"

Orin's voice lowered. "He's already broken the rules by existing." His gaze locked onto Adam. "You are a paradox, Adam. You shouldn't be here."

A cold silence settled over the chamber. Adam's mind raced. He had suspected as much. His return to the past, his knowledge of the future—it had always felt like playing with something far beyond his understanding. But now, to hear it confirmed?

Marcus shifted slightly. "If he's not supposed to be here, then what happens next?"

Orin sighed. "That depends. If the gods deem him useful, they will let him continue—until they no longer need him. If they find him dangerous, they will erase him."

Adam's jaw tightened. "Then I won't give them the chance."

Orin chuckled darkly. "You misunderstand, boy. The gods don't fight with swords and armies. They fight with fate itself. You're already in their trap—you just haven't realized it yet."

Evelyn took a step forward. "Then how do we fight back?"

Orin considered her for a long moment before reaching into a pile of scrolls. He pulled out a worn document and handed it to Adam. "This is a name. A Seer who sees beyond even the gods. If you truly want answers, find them."

Adam took the paper, his eyes scanning the name written in faded ink.

Syra the Forsaken.

Lilith let out a low whistle. "I've heard of her. She's dangerous."

Orin smiled grimly. "She's worse than dangerous. She's the only being who has ever defied the gods and lived."

Adam's grip on the parchment tightened. This was it—the next step in breaking the Game. If there was anyone who could tell him what lay ahead, it was Syra.

And if she had defied the gods and survived…

Then maybe, just maybe, he could too.

Adam turned to his team, his resolve hardening. "We leave at dawn."

Lilith grinned. "Now this is getting interesting."

Evelyn simply nodded. Marcus, as always, remained silent.

As they left the ruined cathedral, Adam glanced at the sky above, the stars distant and indifferent.

If fate was truly his enemy… then he would have to become something that fate itself could not control.

And for the first time, he knew exactly where to start.