“Choices are the hinges of destiny.”

  Pythagoras, Greek Philosopher

  “We made it a couple hundred miles out before the monsters became too strong to fight,” Milly explained to Oracle, her map rolled out across the floor of her room at the inn. “There are hundreds of islands out there, and we only managed to explore a fraction of them. The further away we traveled, the stronger the monsters became.”

  Oracle sat on Milly’s bed with Coco’s head across her lap, gently scratching the undead capybara as she listened to Milly’s description of the past three days. Coco had quickly warmed up to the former goddess and chirped her appreciation for Oracle’s scritches.

  “Are there species on the nearby islands that can reach Core Research Station?” Oracle asked after Milly had finished.

  Milly glanced up at Oracle in surprise. “Yes, there are some low-level creatures on the southern islands – giant winged beetles and the goblins that ride them. But they can’t reach it because of the barrier. Not that they don’t try. We saw one beetle slam right into it and its rider plummeted a hundred feet into the ocean.”

  Coco gave a quick bark from Oracle’s lap.

  “Oh, right. There’s some nasty creatures swimming beneath the waves as well. That goblin’s corpse didn’t last long. They can’t get through the barrier either.”

  “They will soon,” Oracle said with a sad little sigh. Jinora fluttered over to the woman and landed in her hair, tapping her forehead in sympathy. “It has to be done. I’ve looked, and there is no way around it.”

  “We need to take down the barrier?” Milly surmised. “That will thrust the Archipelago and your people fully into the God Contest.”

  Oracle gave a sad little smile. “Yes. We could sail the two thousand miles to the Castle of Glass – the shroud that covers the Archipelago does not prevent physical passage – but we wouldn’t survive the trip. As you said, after a couple hundred miles the monsters became too strong even at your level. And we don’t have time to wait until you grow strong enough to open a transport rift. We must stop Cizen’s seed before it grows too strong.”

  “Okay, that’s a lot to unpack,” Milly said, her head spinning. “Transport rift? Like the one that brought me to the Archipelago?”

  Oracle nodded. “It’s celestial level teleport magic, but you won’t have access to it until level two hundred. That’s not going to happen any time soon.”

  “That’s… I’m not sure what to think about that,” Milly admitted, but reluctantly set aside her curiosity. There were more immediate concerns. “You said ‘we’. You’re coming with me? What about your husband and your people?”

  “I don’t have a husband anymore, Milly,” Oracle said bluntly. “And the Orianes are not my priority.”

  Milly was stunned. “Then you discovered they are fake? Constructs created by Cizen?”

  Oracle shook her head. “As far as I can tell, the Orianes – my friends and family from long ago – are real. Citron, the innkeeper, is exactly how I remember her. A little mousy woman with a broken heart. She didn’t stay that way for long. She survived until level ninety-three, when she fell defending Core Research Station during the War of the Afārīt. Edna, who designed your new look, acts just as she did when she fitted me for my first academy robes. A kindly woman with a slightly kinky side she often fails to keep hidden.”

  Oracle glanced at Milly’s low-cut dress, and Milly felt her face grow flush.

  “Such complex personalities are not within Taydon’s ability to replicate. He doesn’t have the emotional bandwidth. What sealed my realization was my encounter with Syune yesterday at the Academy during my search for the Waypoint Pillar – it’s on the roof of the central library, by the way. She acted exactly as she had before the God Contest. A bubbly young woman, lost in her books and excited for a new relationship. It was obvious she had no memory of the Contest or what she was forced to become.”

  “Perhaps Cizen removed those memories as a kindness?” Milly suggested.

  Oracle dismissed the notion quickly. “Taydon and Syune’s love was forged in the fires of the God Contest, and with every day that passed, it grew stronger. If he were able, he would have brought back Syune exactly as she was on the day she died. He did not, so I can conclude only one thing. Somehow, Taydon has obtained the souls of my people as they existed before our God Contest and is resurrecting them through the black orb.”

  Milly began to stumble her way through a myriad of questions.

  “Before you ask, Milly. No, I don’t know how he’s doing it. He’s the death god, not I,” Oracle sighed. “I wasn’t privy to afterlife knowledge.”

  “I wasn’t going to ask,” Milly said, her mind reeling. “Honestly, I don’t care how he did it. That’s god stuff, and I’ve had about enough of god stuff. What I want to know is if these are truly your people, why are they not your priority? Why come with me? Why take down the barrier and expose them to the monsters? Oracle, just… why any of it?”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “Because I was a god, Milly,” Oracle answered regretfully. “Because I see the big picture. Because I know what’s at stake. Because I, unlike Taydon, have not abandoned the duties given to me by our creator. If Taydon is allowed to succeed, it will be the end of the Nexus – the end of new life in the universe. A second chance for long-dead family and friends is not worth the price that would be paid.”

  “Even Hephaestus?” Milly asked carefully. “It’s truly him, isn’t it? From before the God Contest?”

  “Yes, it is him,” Oracle admitted. “He is how I remember him. Clumsy and overly responsible, with a heart of absolute gold. He’s the same man I fell in love with long, long ago. But I’m not the same woman he fell in love with. That woman no longer exists. There is no true love waiting there for me, and to pretend otherwise is to rob Hephaestus of his chance to find happiness with another in this new life.”

  Guilt clutch at Milly’s heart. “I shouldn’t have given you that tear,” she whispered regretfully. “You and Hephaestus were happy together when I found you. You could’ve had another chance.”

  Oracle gently lifted Coco’s head off her lap, walked over to Milly, and wrapped her in a tight hug. “And if you had not, you would have robbed me of eons of memories of my husband. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything, not even for a second chance.”

  Milly leaned into the embrace and held Oracle close. When they finally separated, both women had to wipe tears from their eyes.

  “This is the greatest flaw in Taydon’s plan,” Oracle commented after she’d composed herself. “For all his years pining after his lost love, he failed to realize that he’s no longer the man she fell in love with. I fear what will happen when he discovers this. When he learns everything he has done – everything that he has sacrificed – was the fuel of false hope.”

  “I’d rather not picture what an enraged, heart-broken death god will do,” Milly shivered.

  “Neither would I,” Oracle admits, returning to the bed, where Coco quickly snuggled up for more scritches. “Which is why we must act now, before he gets too powerful. Tomorrow, we will deactivate the Core Research Station barrier and the veil that surrounds the Archipelago Research Alliance. Tomorrow, my people shall join the God Contest.”

  “The monsters will be able to reach the island,” Milly cautioned. “Your people will be attacked the moment that barrier goes down, and the Orianes aren’t exactly fighters.”

  “Yes, they will. Many will die tomorrow,” Oracle admitted. “Just as many died on our first day of the contest so long ago. Just as many died on your first day. This is the way of the God Contest. I’ve seen it a hundred times. But Taydon knew this as well, which is why the removal of the barrier will also trigger Cizen’s fairy conversion subroutine, which will allow my people to access the system. Those that survive will level up and grow stronger.”

  “And the real Fairies? My daughter?”

  Oracle shook her head. “No, she will not gain access to the system. Taydon targeted the subroutine to only effect those with both Fairy and Oriane biology. No doubt he didn’t want your Fairies to grow stronger and bolster your ranks. The only way your Fairies can evolve is through the usual means of conversation.”

  Milly didn’t know whether she was angry or grateful for the omission. The thought of her daughter having to fight monsters in the world made her sick to her stomach.

  “Will you warn them, at least?” Milly asked.

  “Hephaestus is helping to organize a militia to defend the station, but it won’t be many. My people need evidence to act, and Hephaestus has little to give.”

  “I can be that evidence,” Milly said, eyes sparkling with violet fire. “I convinced Hephaestus, after all. A little magic will be enough to open their eyes.”

  “The backlash of such a demonstration would paint you and your people as the enemy of the Orianes. They’d blame you for bringing the terror to our doorstep, and Taydon would weaponize that fear to unite the Orianes against you. You must not get involved.”

  “Oracle, I won’t just sit back and watch your people die,” Milly said stubbornly.

  “I know it’s hard, but this is how every God Contest begins,” Oracle said sympathetically. “It’s best you accept that. It’ll make what comes next easier.”

  Because even if I survive this God Contest, the Nexus needs a new architect. That’s what you mean, isn’t it, Oracle? If I survive, I could be next in line to take your place. Even if I win, I lose.

  Milly stalked out to the balcony, lost in dark thoughts. She would return home tomorrow – return to Cally, Passi, and Rain – but she would leave behind death in her wake.

  She stared out at the harbor, where her rainbow balloon was tied off, and watched the clouds roll across the sky.

  “You should put the balloon in your inventory after Veebee heads home for the night,” Oracle recommended, joining her on the balcony and placing a sympathetic hand on Milly’s shoulder. “Air travel is rare this early in the contest. It’ll be a boon for the Castle to have such a device.”

  Milly ignored her attempt to change the subject.

  I won’t just leave these people to die. It’s not their fault Cizen is insane, or that the God Contest is designed to be cruel. Oracle may have grown numb after a hundred contests, but I won’t let that happen to me. I will save as many as I can. I can stay hidden away, but I can’t be everywhere at once. Neither can Hephaestus’ militia. The city is just too damn big.

  A sharp wind blew through the street, rattling shutters and loose tiles. An Oriane below grabbed for his hat as it was lost in the breeze, carried high over the rooftops. With a flick of her fingers, Milly re-directed the air current back to the Oriane, and the bright purple hat landed back atop his head.

  It gave Milly an idea.

  “Oracle, what does Core Research Station do during a hurricane? A really, really bad one.”

  “So bad they can’t stay in their homes? The emergency bells sound, and everyone takes shelter behind the Academy walls. It’s the highest point on the island. Why?”

  “It’d be much easier to defend if everyone were clustered together at the Academy, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes, it would, but…”

  “No buts,” Milly interrupted, harsher than she intended. Oracle flinched, and Milly decided to roll with it. “You may have designed this Contest, Oracle, but I’m the player. This is our game. So we do this my way.”

  Oracle stepped back from the witch, and there was an impressed gleam in her eye. “Very well, Milly. What do you need?”

  “Tell Hephaestus to gather his militia at the Academy and be ready to sound those bells. Because tomorrow morning, as the barrier goes down, this island’s about to experience one hell of a hurricane!”

  The Non-Canonical Aftermath: