The Saintess Wendy tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Sol explained, "While Orna did facilitate a deal between all of us so we could all benefit, I believe the real reason no war broke out was because I spared the orc that killed my teammate, Lapis. When I saw the future, it was sudden and came in short bursts, which I didn't fully understand until most of the events played out exactly like I saw. The only difference in those visions was at the very end, where instead of asking Orna for the orc's life to avenge Lapis, I chose to let him live."
He could still vividly recall the internal dilemma he faced when he was given the option to kill Kirgar. Initially, he was heavily inclined to accept the offer and let the orc perish. If not for his concerns that the future might be unchangeable, combined with Duncan's wise words, he likely would have gone through with it.
If the vision he received was of something bound to happen, then somehow they would have managed to stumble into Orna's cave and create a deal—but Kirgar would have died, leading to war between the two nations. Thinking back on it now, that small moment of mercy had a much greater impact than he could have ever imagined.
Wendy nodded along, now understanding the whole story. "For your first time seeing the future, it's amazing you were able to achieve such a result. When I had my first glimpse into fate, I didn't even know what to make of it. I thought I was hallucinating, or it was some extreme case of déjà vu. It wasn't until what I foresaw actually happened that I realized I had seen the future. But, unlike you, by then it was too late to change anything. After that vision, I experienced more until I eventually saw myself viewing my status page, where I saw I had gained a talent. That vision motivated me to level up and acquire it myself. If not for that, I might have stayed within the safe walls of my hometown."
Sol listened intently to Wendy's explanation, finding it fascinating how different her experience with foresight had been compared to his.
"You've definitely had more practice than me." Sol said with a small chuckle. "It still feels strange to think about it, knowing that even the smallest choice can lead to such big changes."
Wendy smiled softly. "That's the burden and beauty of seeing the future. It's surprisingly easy to change things once you know. The hard part is learning to navigate through it and understand what actions to take. But it's even harder when others also tamper with the timeline."
Sol's eyes widened. "Others? Who are they?"
"I don't know." Wendy replied with a shrug. "But whenever someone changes what is supposed to happen, they cause ripples throughout fate. The size of the ripples increases depending on the impact of their actions. Like when you spared the orc, which caused waves that reached me here, as it affected the future of both our nations. But unlike you, those who have tampered with fate have hidden their traces, so I don't even know what they changed."
Sol let her words sink in before asking, "So, why did you really call me here? Was it just to talk about fate and the future?"
While the conversation was insightful, he sensed there was more to her wanting to meet with him.
His assumption wasn't wrong. Wendy shook her head. "While that's part of it, the real reason is that I need your help."
"Mine? How?"
She nodded and inched a bit closer as she spoke. "You're the only other person I've met who can look into the future like I can. Together, I hope we can combine our powers to solve a mystery that involves the fate of this city. Someone, somewhere changed fate and the waves it created enveloped the entire city. I have been trying constantly to find out what's been changed or what will happen because of it but they covered their tracks well. All I know is that the impact from their intervention will affect us all eventually."
Wendy was referring to the massive waves she felt a few months ago shortly before the knight selection. She had dedicated a lot of time to uncovering what these waves meant for the city, whether good or bad. Alone she had been unable to obtain any results, but with Sol's help they may be able to succeed.
"I don't think I can be of much help. Like I said before, I can't control it." Sol couldn't understand how his [True Sight (Variant)] could be useful. He couldn't control when it happened or what he saw, and he couldn't just sit around waiting for it to happen again.
Wendy reassured him. "That's okay. I can teach you to gain better control of it, but since that will take too long, and we don't know when the events they changed will occur, I have another way. There's a ritual I can perform that links our abilities temporarily. With it, I might be able to combine your foresight with mine and focus it in the direction we need. It's a bit risky, though."
Sol raised an eyebrow, wary. "Risky how?"
Wendy sighed. "It's not without its dangers. Linking our abilities means combining our energies for a short time, and it may create a few complications, leaving us vulnerable while we peer into fate."
Sol was silent for a moment, weighing his options. His instincts told him to be cautious, but this could also be the perfect opportunity to find out more about his parents. He would also ease one of his biggest worries he had about Wendy finding where his parents were through fate.
With both of them being wanted criminals, if Wendy recognized them, there was little he could do if she refused to tell him where they were. While there were ways Sol could force her to divulge their location like with the use of psychic energy to read her mind, he wasn't willing to go that far.
Sol drew the line on using such methods on someone who was innocent. At least this way he would be able to see where they are himself.
"Alright." he said, taking a deep breath. "I'll do it."
Wendy's face brightened with relief. "Good. Let's begin immediately."
She gestured for him to sit at the table, which was inscribed with runes. The two sat facing each other as Wendy locked hands with him.
"I'm going to start the ritual now." she said, closing her eyes. "Just relax and focus your mind on how you felt when you had your visions. I'll guide you from there."
Sol nodded and closed his eyes, thinking back to the moment of the chase, when they had launched themselves high into the sky like a cannonball. He recalled the view, where everything beneath them appeared as tiny dots, and the adrenaline pumping through his veins as they fled from Kirgar.
As he concentrated on that moment, his eyes began to sting, just as they had before, as [True Sight (Variant)] activated once more.
Wendy noticed the change and began chanting softly under her breath. A strange warmth spread from the table beneath his hands, creeping up his arms and into his chest. It wasn't painful, but it was disorienting, as he felt their energies mix together and become one. With the spell complete, Wendy's eyes shifted to resemble a starry blue night sky as she activated her ability.
With the ritual complete, the two peered together directly into fate.