Chapter 704: Another Incident
It wasn’t long before Beatrice brought something a little heavier than refreshments. It was a feast fit for any noble, but R’lissea requested some simple broth for me. It wasn’t as if I minded, as even the tantalizing smells of the cut of savory roast did little to tease my appetite.
As Beatrice and her granddaughter collected dishes after the meal, the old maid frowned at me.
"You hardly touched your stew! No wonder you’re so thin," she said, poking my arm.
I winced at the bony jab, then stiffened. The starlight emanating from my skin curled around her hand, and Beatrice’s eyes shot wide open. Adaptive Resistance burned in my soul, leaking out of my control. Stars flooded her irises.
"Beatrice?" Rosarie jumped to her feet, staring at her grandmother with wide eyes.
Fyren yanked the old woman away from me, but it was too late—my mana was already swirling around Beatrice, draining from me like water from a damaged waterskin. Disorienting flashes of images—a middle-aged man with a sword, a young woman and child, and finally Rosarie beside a young man in a white dress—made my head throb as I fought to control the mana flow. The feeling was terrible and draining, like I was being violated in some way. Although my mana had always obeyed me, it now felt alien, like it belonged to someone else.
At last, the flow of mana ceased, but not because of anything I’d done. It was the same as the first few visions I had before I learned to control them. Fate had something it wanted to say, independent of any will or desire I had. And, now that it had told its piece, it retreated into my soul. The mana’s flow finally stopped, not due to my efforts but because the vision had ended. It resembled my early, uncontrolled visions with the Eyes of Fate. Fate had a message to convey, separate from my own will or desires, and would hold me captive until it finished. Now that the visions had played out, it retreated into my soul.
Beatrice leaned on her granddaughter, panting heavily. Her eyes had lost their starlit luster and were now glazed over.
"Grandmother, please, say something!" Rosarie cried as Beatrice sank to the ground.
I pushed myself up in my seat, rubbing my horn as the headache slowly receded. Fyren laid a hand on my shoulder, but I pushed it away, unsteadily gaining my feet.
Rosarie glared at me as I stumbled over, her hands balled into fists. "You did this! And to think I offered to help you!"