Ririana's POV:
I watched in amazement as Leon continued to swim through the abyss. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction at his progress.
"Now that's how you do it!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. "Keep that up, and you'll be able to go back to your body in no time."
"Why are you doing this, Lady Ririana?" the woman beside me suddenly said, her face as emotionless as ever.
"What do you mean why?" I replied, turning to look at her.
This woman was an angel, or at least, that's what she looked like. In reality, she was one of the beings that I had created using my ethereal energy. I had also used a lot of ambient and spiritual energies so that she would be able to have a will of her own.
As a result of this, the ethereal, ambient, and spiritual energies had mixed and become a life energy, making the woman in front of me have a will of her own, able to talk, and think like a mortal would.
However, even though I had made her like a human, she didn't have any emotions. It was something that I had intended from the beginning, as it would make it easier for her to carry out her duties without being swayed by personal feelings.
"Why did you say that you want him to be your pawn? I thought you were going to watch over him?" she asked.
I paused for a moment, considering her words. To be honest, I hadn't really meant it when I said I wanted him to be my pawn. I just wanted to tease him a little, to see his reaction. It wasn't that I wanted to get him involved with the business of the gods.
"There's no reason. I just wanted to tease him," I replied with a smile.
"That's not the point," she said flatly, crossing her arms.
I sighed inwardly, knowing that she wasn't going to let it go. "Fine," I said, relenting. "I suppose I just find him interesting."
She raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for me to continue.
"He's determined," I said, gesturing towards the scene where Leon was still swimming. "He doesn't give up easily. And he's kind, too. I can sense it."
The woman nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. "Very well," she said. "But don't forget your duties as a goddess. You have a responsibility to the other mortals as well."
I nodded, understanding the gravity of her words. "I won't forget," I promised. "But can't I relax for a bit? I've been so busy lately."
"You've been neglecting your duties as a goddess, and all you've done is watch this boy," she said, her expressionless face belying the irritation in her voice. "You also made me do that weird thing, where I just had to say 'open your eyes' again and again. I don't know what you're even trying to do at that point."
I couldn't help but chuckle at her annoyance. "Oh right! Good work back then!" I said, patting the wing on her back.
"Don't give me that, Lady Ririana. Now I would implore you to go back to your duties," she said as she lifted me up.
"Ehhh! I don't wanna~" I shouted, flailing my hands.
"Don't be childish. Now get back to work!" The tone of her voice brooked no argument.
"I know! I know! Put me down! Geez..."
As I grumbled to the angel to let me down, she complied and set me down slowly. "I'm glad you understand. But what about him? What will you do with him?" she inquired, referring to Leon who was still swimming through the darkness.
"Nothing. I just want to see what happens, I guess. He's different from any mortal I've ever seen before. There's something different about him." I replied, my mind lost in thought as I observed Leon's movements.
The angel raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. Despite her skepticism, her face remained emotionless. "Different? In what way?" she asked.
I looked back at Leon, who was still swimming through the darkness. "The thing is...this boy have a powerful ability that even a god can't have." I said quietly, almost like a mumble.
"What ability?" the angel asked, but I didn't answer. Instead, I continued to mumble, lost in thought.
"Fate is such a mysterious and complicated thing. No one knows how it works or what mysteries it holds. It's like this, you see. Fate is like a river, and every being in the universe is a part of it. Mortals, gods, angels, demons- we are all caught in its current. No one can change it, not even the gods themselves. However, this boy..." I said, my voice trailing off as I gazed at Leon swimming through the darkness.
As a high-elf, Leon possessed a rare ability known as Premonition. It was an ability that would awaken in a high-elf after surviving a near-death experience. In Leon's case, he had almost died from a fever. Thankfully, I had been watching over him and had managed to tie his soul to his body, preventing it from slipping away.
After awakening his ability, Leon could see into the future and sense danger ahead. However, the future that he saw could never be changed, as fate was absolute and unchangeable. No one, not even the gods themselves, could alter what had been written in the stars.
But...
Leon was different. He possessed the power to change fate, and he had done it multiple times without even realizing it.
For instance, his little sister was destined to die as an infant, but Leon had managed to change her fate, and she was still alive to this day. He had also altered the fate of the blue-haired girl he was betrothed to, who was doomed to never love anyone and live alone forever. But when she met Leon, her fate changed.
As a goddess, I was not entirely certain of how fate operated, but I had witnessed Leon perform miracles numerous times. There was no mistaking it; he could change fate. However, I couldn't allow anyone to know about this. If any god discovered that there was a human who could alter fate, Leon's life would be in jeopardy. Even if I were merely conversing with my companion, I could sense that if I uttered a single word, the news would spread like wildfire, and the gods would aim for Leon and pull him into their game.
"Lady Ririana? You seemed to have trailed off. What did you want to say?" the woman, who was supposed to be emotionless, inquired, interrupting my thoughts.
"His fate was to be a handsome man with multiple wives! Fate is immutable, and nothing can alter it! I shall watch over him as he begets children in his bedchamber with all of his wives at once! Ooooohh! I am increasingly eager for the future!" I exclaimed, trying to mislead her.
"Please, Lady Ririana. Your current expression is unbecoming of your position. Do you understand how repulsive your countenance appears right now?" the woman remarked, breaking me out of my reverie.
"Did you just insult your creator?!" I retorted, taken aback by her words.
"No, that was not an insult. Your expression was truly appalling," she replied matter-of-factly, her face still devoid of any emotion.
I was astounded by her comment. Had she truly just insulted me like that? I looked at her, but her expression remained neutral, as though she had not insulted me a moment ago.
"Lady Ririana, if you have finished your nonsensical ramblings, it is time for you to return to your duties," she said sternly, ending our conversation.
Suddenly, her expression changed, and she turned to me. "Lady Ririana, someone is here for you."
"Tsk. He's here, huh? Falco, Fedrick!" I summoned my two creations, a giant bird and a horse with the upper body of a human. "Open the gates and let that man in."
My creatures bowed before flying off towards the gates. I stood there for a moment, watching them go, before turning to the woman next to me.
"It seems that it's already beginning," I sighed, my voice heavy with worry. The war that had claimed the lives of numerous gods and mortals was once again brewing, and I knew that this time it would be even more devastating than before.
"What will you do, Lady Ririana? Are you going to stop it?" she asked me, her voice calm despite the severity of the situation.
"No one can stop the game once it has begun. The die has been cast," I replied with a sense of resignation. I knew that the forces at play were far beyond my control, and all I could do was try to minimize the damage.
As I stood there lost in thought, I couldn't help but worry about Leon. He was the only human who could change fate, and the gods would undoubtedly stop at nothing to control him.
I knew that I had to take action to protect him. I closed my eyes and concentrated, using my powers to create a barrier around Leon that would prevent the gods from finding him. With this barrier in place, Leon would be safe from their prying eyes.
But I also knew that it would only be a matter of time before the gods discovered what had happened. They would do anything to gain control of Leon, and they wouldn't hesitate to attack anyone who got in their way.
I had to prepare for the worst.
"Selena, I need you to go to the mortal realm and protect Leon. Do whatever it takes to ensure that no god harms him."
The woman, Selena, appeared surprised, although it was challenging to tell with her stoic expression. "As you command," she responded with a bow before flying in the opposite direction of Falco and Fedrick.