Chapter 415: In the Arms of Fate
"It’s my fault, isn’t it?" I whispered, looking down. "I’m the one who made the Heart Crest."
"No, you were simply a part of their machinations. They’ve been working on developing the heart crest for hundreds of years, and even if you hadn’t perfected it, they would have stumbled upon it eventually."
"Then what hope is there? Even if we stop Alverin, can’t they just find another world to experiment on?"
She shook her head. "Perhaps if the entire Divine Council supported it. But they do not. Only the faction of the Sun God seeks such dominion over the realms, and the opposition is rapidly growing. If they cannot complete it before the war starts in earnest, they will likely never have a chance again."
"The war?" I asked.
She started to reply, then closed her mouth and tilted her head as though listening to something only she could hear. After a moment, she smiled at me softly and smoothed a crimson lock away from my face. "My time grows short, so let me be brief. The war between the infernal and divine. The gods and demons have been preparing for it for a thousand years now. Enusia was supposed to be one of the first skirmishes, an overwhelming victory for the gods. It’s why they sent ten heroes, when normally only two or three are needed to stop an invasion."
"They should have only sent nine," I muttered. "Then they’d have their perfect little war, right?"
"And you and I would be gone," she replied succinctly. "And the war would be progressing as it should have. But because of you, everything–every single plan of gods and demons–is in disarray. You can’t understand just how much of an impact you’ve had so far, how much things will change. The apostles weren’t even supposed to be recognized in this world. The demons were simply trying to test new strategies to employ later. But you’ve forced their hand as much as you have the gods. I have a feeling whatever the outcome of this world will drastically impact the rest of the divine realms."
"All of that because of me?" I knew my survival and subsequent actions had impacted things outside the scope of the gods’ plans, but to this extent? How many lives had I ruined?