Chapter 536: Dangerous Secrets
"Ah, Xiviyah. It’s been so long," Fate whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "You’ve grown so much since we last spoke."
Unable to contain myself, I turned to face the goddess. There, defying all doubt, she stood before me, a vision of shimmering beauty. Her form was faintly translucent, seemingly woven from the very stars of fate, but her face was the same, her eyes warm and kind. I rushed into her embrace, my exhaustion and anxieties melting away as her arms enveloped me.
"Fate!" I sobbed, clinging to her.
"There, there, you did well, little one," she soothed. "I’m very proud of you."
She stroked my hair as one might comfort a child, but I didn’t care. Nor did I feel any shame for my tail, which flickered back and forth so hard it all but vibrated with unrestrained excitement. I had known she was hiding somewhere, as she had appeared to me since her fall, but she had been silent for far too long.
"How are you here?" I asked once I had composed myself enough to speak.
"I’ve always been here, watching over you," she said.
"But I thought you were hiding in my staff?" I asked.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile, and she tucked a stray strand of crimson hair behind my ear, taking the opportunity to brush away a glittering tear from the corner of my eye. "Well, you see, your staff was getting a little cramped. Imagine my surprise when you somehow acquired a Shard of Omniscience! With that kind of mana support, I could slip into this realm, and I’ve been here ever since."
"But the darkness!" I gasped, my eyes widening. "How did you—"
"Ah, yes, the Unraveling. I suppose it would feel like darkness to you," she said with a knowing nod. "It might have caused some trouble, but with the help of the Realm Spirit and the power of the Shard, we managed to contain it. From there, we were able to stabilize things for a long time."