Chapter 1259 Stars into the Night

The Archives were quiet as I looked up at the World Shard, my tail twitching slightly. After all these years, after so many battles and so much bloodshed, we’d finally made it. The rest of the world hadn’t even realized the church had fallen yet, let alone that we were standing just feet away from the World Shard.

I raised my hand, drawn toward the glimmering beacon, and rested my palm against its warm, smooth facet. Power flowed into me, and I let out a long, shuddering breath. This was the beating heart of Enusia, the nexus of all its mana. The entire Divine Throne rested upon its power; every spell and enchantment woven into its defenses tied to it in some way. Every ward, offensive formation, and trap.

"Careful, child. You know not the powers with which you meddle," Rithen warned, wearing a small frown.

I spared him half a glance, then refocused on the Shard. With a deep breath, I attuned myself to its mana, letting my auras, both of them, entwine with the weave. I gasped at the sudden, scouring storm of power, but it quickly fell under my sway. The thrum of the world filled my ears, and for a moment, my sight was cast far beyond the Archives.

Visions of Enusia flooded my mind, drawn from every corner of the world. From the mountains of Heartland, the groves of Sylvarus, and the coast of Port Vesna, to places my journey had never taken me. I could see cities and villages, forests and oceans, and countless people going about their lives, unaware of the battle that had just been fought.

Scattered across those vistas were stars, millions of them, marking the souls of Enusians. Most were little more than glimmers of light, but a few shone like miniature suns. Was it the strength of their souls? No, that didn’t seem quite right.

Faith.

The exchange of magic for faith. It was built into the very fabric of the Shards. The gods granted mortals magic, and in return, extracted faith. All that power converged here, at the heart of the world. Anyone who used the magic of the gods was bound to them in some way, whether they realized it or not.

Even Luke was a star, brighter than most through sheer virtue of his power. Brighter, even, than Rithen’s.

I shook myself free of the Shard’s influence, focusing back on the Divine Throne. One by one, I severed the binding threads sustaining its defenses. Across the complex, wards flickered out, offensive formations fell silent, and the enchantments strengthening the church’s soldiers failed.

Incinderus reported the changes almost immediately. The Fatesworn and Infernal Horde pressed forward, overcoming defenders who’d relied upon the Divine Throne’s magic to hold them back.

I searched deeper, tracing the connections running toward the catacombs, but was disappointed to find nothing related to the Realm Seal the Arbiters had laid for us.

Korra and the others would have to wait.

Or would they?

I tightened my grip on Final Star, focusing on the small, quiet bond that remained between Fable and me.

"Come to me," I whispered.

At first, there was no answer. He was too far away, separated from me by the Realm Seal, but I had the power of an entire world at my fingertips. I directed the Shard’s mana toward our connection, letting the pressure build as I tried to force a passage through the isolated pocket.

The strain quickly became unbearable. I gritted my teeth, pouring more strength into the attempt, but fate stubbornly refused to part. Whatever the Arbiters had constructed, it remained beyond the Shard’s ordinary influence.

I finally released the mana with a sigh, turning my attention toward another possibility.

"Haven?"

The spirit appeared beside me. "I’m here, my Lady."

Luke jumped, his tail stiffening. "The hells? Here?"

His sudden shout startled me, and he quickly drew me close, stroking my hair. A small smile crossed my face.

"What?" he asked.

"Just... after everything, you’re worried about that?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. I just killed a Hero and the Pope himself, and a little surprise scares you?"

My cheeks bloomed red. "I-I wasn’t scared. Not of you. Never."

Haven cleared his throat, and my blush deepened.

"Right, er, Haven? Are we embedded here?"

"Yes, my Lady. Your connection with the World Shard has reached Haven. The fate surrounding the Divine Throne has been permeated with your magic, and now carries your stars. I have a similar level of presence here as in High Valley."

I nodded, and with a thought, opened a gate.

A shining portal appeared without resistance, and a full squad of Star Guard emerged to secure the chamber, led by my personal guard.

"Lady Xiviyah!" Luxxa cried, hurrying toward us. She saluted sharply, but couldn’t hide her relief as she looked me over for injuries.

"Where are the others?" Jenna asked, glancing around the chamber. Her gaze settled on the enormous crystal, and her eyes widened. "And is that really the World Shard?"

"They’re... gone," I whispered, lowering my head.

She gasped, covering her mouth. "All of them? I’m so sorry! How did it happen?"

Luke draped an arm around my shoulders.

"What Xiv meant to say is that they’re trapped in a pocket realm of some kind. They’re not dead."

"R-right. That," I mumbled, ducking my head.

Jenna let out a relieved breath, though her expression remained worried.

More Fatesworn came through the gate, spreading out to secure the Archives. Rithen tensed as they began searching the hallways and shelves of ancient knowledge, but after seeing the care they took, he relaxed slightly.

His guard went right back up when Emlica appeared.

"You’re an interesting one," Emlica said, looking him over. "A mind mage. Let me guess, you actually tried to trap Xiviyah in a prison? Hah, I almost pity you."

Rithen shrugged helplessly. "I did what seemed right. No one could have predicted the monster she’s become."

"Hmph. At least you can see that much," Emlica sniffed.

"Emlica? We’ve got the Shard," I said, resting against Luke. "What’s next? Where’s Fate?"

"Preparing things with Magic. Apparently, some foolish deities sent Arbiters to reinforce this world, but they ran afoul of Oblivion. That, and the Pope’s death, has caused no small amount of chaos in the Divine Realms above." She waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing that won’t be sorted out. So long as we hold the World Shard, our timing is no longer quite so important."

"And the transformation?" I asked.

"Fate and Oblivion must both be present to begin it. Even then, the process will take weeks to complete. There’s a great deal of mana to reconcile, and the Shard isn’t exactly a thing one can change on a whim."

Weeks. I looked up at the crystal, watching the countless currents of mana flowing beneath its surface. After everything we’d endured to reach this place, it was strange to think that the final step would take so long.

"Luke?" I asked, looking up at him.

He hesitated, his gaze lingering on the Shard. With a sigh, he shook his head.

"It matters not to me, though make no mistake, remnant. This victory is mine, and you are but a steward of its spoils."

There was a dangerous edge to his voice, but Emlica merely rolled her eyes. I could tell he wasn’t content with that, but a sudden gathering of silver drew my attention, and I slipped away, eager to escape what seemed to be another argument brewing.

Verity had materialized, recovering some of her strength from the battles before. She floated over Soltair’s body, her hands clasped together.

"He’s really gone," she murmured, turning toward me.

She descended until her feet hovered just above the marble, tears shimmering in her eyes.

I embraced her, wishing I could feel her warmth. And that she could feel mine.

"We... married, you know," she said after a while. "It was all for the political spectacle, but there were times I..."

She bit her lip, glancing back at the body.

"But now he’s gone."

"Did you hate him?" I asked softly.

She let out a long breath. "Did you?"

My tail curled, seeking something to hold onto.

"I... no. There were times I did, but now...?" I shook my head. "He hurt me. A lot. More than I could bear, I thought. But I’ve made peace with what’s happened. The path he forced me down brought me here, and without it, I might never have met you, or Luke, or anyone."

I paused, looking toward Soltair. His golden hair lay scattered across the marble, his expression strangely peaceful now that the light had faded.

"That doesn’t make what he did right. I just... don’t want to hate him anymore. He’s gone, Verity. Just one more star passing into the night."

She let out a long sigh.

"I wish I could be as kind and forgiving as you, but I’m afraid it’s not that easy for me. I hate the church for the lies they told me, for the atrocities they bid me participate in. I never turned my sword against the innocent, but my visions hurt so many. And all of it was because of him."

I nodded, accepting her words.

There was a time when I might have tried to convince her otherwise, to tell her that holding on to such anger would only bring more suffering. But I was tired of the pain and anguish of my past, and wanted nothing more than to move forward, cherishing the warmth I’d found.

Verity wasn’t ready for that, and perhaps she never would be. I couldn’t decide that for her, or even if it was the right thing to do.

She let out a short, bitter chuckle.

"Of course, it’s not like it matters much anymore. There’s nothing more I could do to them that hasn’t already been done. Their fortress is broken, their power belongs to you, and even their lives were claimed by the Apostle."

She looked around the Archives, taking in the Star Guard moving between the shelves and the great crystal shining overhead.

"We did it, Xiviyah. We defeated the church. After everything they did to us, we finally brought them to justice."

I followed her gaze toward the World Shard. Through my connection, I could still feel the distant struggle of the armies above, but the defenders were scattered, their enchantments gone. The Divine Throne had fallen, and for the first time in centuries, its power no longer belonged to the church.

"Not yet," I whispered.

Verity turned toward me, frowning.

The war we’d waged was on one world. In the weave of fate and the pattern of eternity, we’d changed a single thread. There were still so many unanswered questions, from the remnants of the Divine Throne’s allies to the Realm Seal holding our friends captive. And then there was Enusia itself, its mana and faith still flowing through the Shard as they always had.

I looked toward the shard and nodded to myself. We’d fulfilled our role. Now Fate had to fulfill hers.