Cassandra walked in the halls of the palace, accompanied by the princess for the third time. Her throat was dry, and she had to resist the urge to bite her nails or clench her fists. From her point of view, the silence was deafening. The princess didn't speak a word, the sound of their steps being the only thing Cassandra could hear, apart from her own hurried breathing. Cold sweat soaked her back. The princess glanced in her direction, finally deciding to speak.
"I thought you'd have already gotten used to it by now."
Cassandra managed a wry smile that quickly contorted into a frown. Her focus had no room to waver. The princess waved her hand, making golden Aura shroud Cassandra's figure. The young woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds, clearly more relaxed than before. Then, her brow furrowed once more. The pressure was increasing again. With every step she took, the air got heavier, tighter. It was as if the world itself was closing in around her. The female Drakkhan let out a small sigh, turning her head back towards the front. They walked for what seemed like an eternity to Cassandra before they finally reached their destination. In front of them, massive doors reached towards the palace's ceiling. Gritting her teeth, Cassandra watched the princess open the doors as the golden Aura around her figure intensified. She stepped inside the throne room.
A black carpet with golden embroideries led the way to the throne, while braziers lit with golden fire decorated the room's sides. Behind the throne, a large window could be seen, showing the city of Inrillon in all of its glory. Several army officers stood to each side of the carpet, looking at the entering newcomers. Each of them gave a feeling of strength superior even to the Commander who had brought Cassandra to the planet. Their gaze drilled into her, making her shiver. Yet, in spite of the chandeliers, powerful individuals, and the room's beautiful design, Cassandra's gaze filled with barely controlled fear was drawn only to a single thing within the hall.
Him.
The creature responsible for the crushing pressure she felt, even though he made no attempt to do so at all. The one who reigned above tens of billions of Drakkhan, deified and worshipped as a god. Despite his average height and frame, his eyes shined brighter than the stars themselves.
The King of the Drakkhan Empire.
Nargan, the Empire's Sun.
Cassandra dragged her feet across the ground, one after the other, trudging all the way to the throne as she was watched by the strongest individual in the Empire. She kneeled, letting out a breath. She was relieved that she no longer had to keep standing. She didn't know for how much longer she would have been able to.
"Your Majesty."
The King remained silent, merely gazing at Cassandra with unreadable eyes. His expression was calm and composed. After a long while, he opened his mouth. His deep and rumbling voice resonated within the hall.
"We failed to conquer Beron D-3 and Nocarro. On the other hand, the conquest of Kostreon succeeded, though it was hard-fought. Everything happened as you said it would, down to the smallest details."
Nargan leaned forward, his eyes obtaining a tinge of interest. He continued to speak.
"While I'm not fully convinced, I must admit I am rather intrigued. Congratulations. You have earned the right to live."
Cassandra took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily. Relief washed over her body. While she knew her visions were never wrong except for when Liam was involved, she couldn't help but worry that she would end up being killed nonetheless.
Ever since her first meeting with the King, the Drakkhan had requested her to use her powers in favor of the Empire as a way to test her abilities. Firstly, he told her to predict the outcome of the war. Unfortunately, she had been forced to explain that with her current abilities, she wasn't able to see through the fate of such a large event. After that, the King contained his generals' desire to kill her and asked her to see the result of several military operations. The conquests of the planets of Beron D-3, Nocarro, and Kostreon were among them. She had succeeded.
"I thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."
Cassandra's voice was subservient, carrying traces of the fear she felt. The King waved his hand dismissively.
"No need. You have passed the trial. As promised, I will grant you one request apart from your survival."
Cassandra didn't hesitate for even a second.
"Then, please tell me about Liam Allister, humanity's strongest warrior."
Nargan narrowed his eyes. The pressure he emitted surged, making Cassandra feel as though she was about to be crushed. Still, she held on. She needed to know if Liam was alive and well. The King spoke to her.
"Liam Allister has been designated to an Elite Squad and sent to the planet of Zancorix, alongside part of our army. According to my son, he's still alive."
Cassandra slowly let out a breath. She felt as if she were about to cry. He was alright. By the gods, he was alright. She knew that as long as Liam still lived, he would find new ways to deal with whatever came his way. He would be fine. The King's voice still reached her ears.
"Now you must prepare yourself. From this moment forth, you will use your abilities for the Empire, in accordance with the pact forged between my son and your species. You will start with Zancorix, where your leader is. Predict his and the operation's fate."
There was no room for her to disagree. Nargan's firmly spoken order was an unquestionable decree. That did not mean, however, that he couldn't be wrong. Carefully choosing her words, Cassandra spoke without raising her gaze. In fact, she lowered her body even further.
"Will all due respect, Your Majesty, that would be impossible."
The pressure around her intensified. If it increased by even a little more, she would die. She was certain of it. Her bones creaked under the weight as she gritted her teeth.
"Impossible, you say. Why?"
The King's voice was dangerously calm, but Cassandra could feel the threatening edge hidden underneath. She hesitated. Even though she knew he would ask her to elaborate on why it was impossible, she still didn't wish to reveal Liam's ability to change fate. She knew that she would be killed if one day her visions did not come to be because of him. No, she would likely be killed right now as long as she continued to hesitate to answer the king. Yet, that didn't matter. She would rather die than reveal Liam's secret. She knew how important the ability to change fate was.
"Due to the proportions of the battle, I am unable to see through Zancorix's fate."
"You lie."
The King stood up and walked down the steps that led to the throne. Soon, his feet were at the same level as Cassandra's bowing head. One step and it would be crushed.
"Speak. Why can't you see through Zancorix's fate?"
It was over. Cassandra closed her eyes. Her time had come. Then, nothing mattered anymore. She defiantly raised her gaze, looking deep into the King's golden eyes. Every cell in her body shook in pain as she cried tears of blood, but she didn't avert her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I cannot tell you."
Her body shivered. Gritting her teeth, Cassandra held on. The King's expression was calm. His mouth opened.
[You will tell me the truth.]
Cassandra's mind shook. The words dug into her brain and her soul itself. The generals and the princess showed surprised expressions but quickly controlled themselves. Cassandra started to speak against her own will, even though she screamed at herself on the inside.
"The reason would be Liam Allister, humanity's leader."
"Explain."
Blood flowed from every orifice in her body. She desperately tried to resist, but the words came pouring out all the same.
"He is the only person in this world capable of changing fate."
All was still within the hall. The generals looked at one another, while the princess gasped. The King's eyes revealed traces of emotion for the second time.
"…There is no such thing as changing fate. I thought you of all people would understand that."
Cassandra's expression contorted. She was happy that he hadn't believed her. Nevertheless, much to her despair, her body did not stop speaking.
"It is true. For as long as he remains there, I cannot see through the fate of Zancorix. Its fate is no longer absolute but instead, a mere possibility. There is no longer a single possible future, but several."
Silence. It seemed to last for an eternity. Cassandra felt like her heart was about to burst.
"…You sincerely believe that he can change fate, even though you should be the one most aware that it is impossible. You do not lie, for I have Decreed that you speak the truth. Why? Why do you believe that?"
"I have seen it happen before. He changed the future I had seen in my visions."
"Your visions could be wrong."
"They are never wrong."
Every word she spoke was related to her very beliefs. They were the closest thing to an objective truth that she was capable of producing. They were all things she felt certain of.
Nargan was silent for almost a minute. Then, his voice resounded.
"You say he can turn the absolute nature of fate into a possible one. You believe it. You say you have seen it happen. Let us put it to the test, then. You told me we would never succeed in conquering the planet of Uduna. As you described, our latest operation there was deemed a failure mere days ago. Did you speak the truth?"
"…Yes."
It seemed like the King believed she was now being absolutely truthful. Could he feel that his ability had worked on her? Of course, it indeed had. She was no longer capable of lying. Her mind analyzed the King's words as she realized what would happen. Despair and anguish rose in her chest. Her tears of blood flowed even more.
Nargan's eyes shined with a cold glint.
"Then, if his ability is real, he should be able to succeed even if he goes there alone."
Cassandra shivered. A chill was felt throughout her body. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She wasn't able to protest. What had she done? Cold sweat continued to soak her back. Her breathing sped up.
"Leave. You are dismissed."
Cassandra felt the mysterious power that compelled her to tell the truth leave her body. She immediately collapsed, taking deep breaths as she curled up on the ground. The princess walked to her side and pulled her up. With hollow eyes and unsteady feet, she bowed and started walking in the direction of the door alongside the princess. It was over. She wept, the tears flowing without any signs of stopping. The feelings that ate away at her only intensified. She had settled for death over telling Nargan of Liam's ability, yet the Drakkhan had somehow forced the truth out of her. Now, Liam would die. His ability wasn't to create an absolute fate where he succeeded, but instead, it was merely to create a possible one. It meant that even with this ability, his odds of survival if he went to Uduna alone would be inferior to 0.001%. No matter how powerful he had become, it wasn't the kind of planet he could take on by himself.
Cassandra despaired.