Over millions of years of life, one can witness countless beautiful scenes. But sooner or later, familiar things begin to seem far more interesting.
Two men stopped at the entrance to an unremarkable village. On an old sign, ancient as time itself, moss grew in places, almost covering the faded letters.
Omsha
After examining the sign, the men moved on along the stone road that crossed the village from start to finish.
They walked slowly, observing the life and customs of this place. Around them, there was peace and quiet; only the gentle breeze stirred the leaves and softly swept over the fields where the villagers worked.
At the very end of the village was a training ground paved with large cobblestones. On it, children sat scattered—thirty to fifty little ones. Despite the commotion, they all looked focused.
The youngest was about five or six years old, while the oldest was around ten. In front of them stood an old man, watching every move of the trainees with a stern and attentive gaze.
The old man walked slowly between the children, observing their training and correcting each mistake. Here they honed their combat skills and practiced Ascension, striving to become Masters and perhaps one day cease being mortal.
The old man was the only Higher Being in this village and taught the children Ascension.
– Work harder if you want to leave this village someday and reach the city. Otherwise, you'll stay here, and your life will be spent on the farm, – he said gruffly.
The children immediately focused, no longer allowing themselves to be distracted. Their eyes lit up: the thought of a better life, of leaving the village and seeing the city, drew them like a magnet.
As the two men passed by, they noticed something curious.
The oldest of the children was trying, but failing, to gather energy. While other trainees absorbed it with ease, Ascension remained an unreachable goal for him. He was the oldest but also the least capable.
– Why can't I do it… – he whispered in despair.
– Ha-ha-ha! That's your fate, Kanas! – came the taunts.
– You're not destined to become a Master, let alone a Higher Being.
– Well, you can help your father on the farm while we go to the city, – smirked one of the boys. – Face it, Kanas: you were born to be a farmer.
Laughing at him, the rest of the children stared at Kanas, not hiding their mockery. He couldn't take it anymore, and holding back tears, he cried out:
– Why did Fate decide this?! Why is my fate so pathetic? – Kanas' voice trembled, his eyes glistening with suppressed tears.
The old man stopped, hearing his desperate cry. For a moment, he paused, then shook his head and said quietly, as if from afar:
– We are born and leave this world by the will of Fate. She is the spider, and her web has captured everything. We are but small beings caught in her web. If she turned away from you, then it was meant to be. But if she had chosen you, you would be capable of anything.
The other trainees bowed their heads. They knew that humans were a weak, pathetic race. Their strength could never compare to the ancient ones'. And so they were livestock in this world, raised for the needs of others.
For a moment, the silence in the village became oppressive, until a small girl muttered, almost as if asking herself:
– Teacher... what if there were no fate?
The old man closed his eyes with sorrow.
– Then we would be free, and our destiny would be in our own hands. But there is no escaping Fate. It is eternal...
His voice was quiet and mournful, as if he himself had once dreamed of this but had come to terms with the impossibility. Hearing the old man's words, Kanas exclaimed, holding back his tears:
– What if I don't believe in fate? What if it doesn't exist?
The old man looked at Kanas with a sad smile:
– Even if you don't believe, it still exists. It will be there regardless of your beliefs.
Living in this world, where the strong consumed the weak, where strength decided everything, the children grew up too quickly.
Their childhood passed in endless training and the desire to grow stronger. Those who succeeded could one day leave the village and go to the city. But those who lacked talent had to stay and continue their family's work.
– Why? Why is fate needed at all? – someone's voice called out.
– Why should we accept its will? Why don't we have a choice?!
– If there were no fate... would our world fall into chaos?
The old man heard this and, after a slight pause, quietly answered:
– I do not know.
The complaints about fate grew louder until, finally, the old man fell silent, lost in his own thoughts. He no longer knew the answers to these questions. He was just a Higher Being, far from the level of the Eternals. And the level of the Almighty was beyond even his dreams.
Suddenly, a deep, confident voice rang out:
– Believe in your strength, and do not blame fate.
The children raised their heads and noticed two strangers standing nearby. Their gazes were filled with calm confidence, exuding an inexplicable power. The old man, hearing them, turned, unable to hide his surprise.
Kanas, hearing the man's words, clenched his fists. Determination flashed in his eyes.
– That's right, I can only rely on myself!
Kanas's will tried to break through the web of Fate, but it only tightened its hold on him, as if mocking every effort.
One of the men watched this with a cold, intent gaze. They saw before them the all-encompassing web of Fate that bound and subdued everything. And yet… it could not hold them.
Only by becoming the Almighty could they break this web and gain freedom. But for now, they were mortal...
The answer was clear: it was impossible.
The first man, looking at young Kanas, smiled slightly, as if transported thousands of years ahead, seeing what was inaccessible to others.
– Haldar, if our life is predetermined, if every encounter is already decided by fate, is there any meaning in such a life? How are we different from puppets controlled by someone else's will?
He remembered the young man who fought Fate until his last breath, never bowing his head.
– As long as we don't give up, fate is no stronger than us.
– We will not be toys. We will destroy it. We will take our fate into our hands and gain true freedom.
– Faith… Hope… Oh, Bayos, forgive us for what we shall do!
– For freedom!
– Uh...
The old man looked at the strangers in confusion, sensing something incomprehensible in them. Were they Eternal Masters? Or just Higher Beings, like him?
– Who are you? – he finally asked, unable to contain the question.
The second man, hearing this, smirked, pointing to himself and then to his companion:
– I am me, and he is he.
The old man froze, stunned by their response. He blinked—and the strangers vanished, as if they had melted into the air. For a long time, he couldn't understand if they were real, and the children also wondered what had happened.
Meanwhile, Kanas bowed his head, clenching his teeth even harder.
– If we can't escape fate... then we just have to destroy it!
– Fate...
– Could it be... – someone whispered, looking at Fate clutched in the hands of the Man.
They instinctively stepped back, not taking their eyes off it. Everyone realized that while they fought, he had managed to do the unthinkable.
– Fate... The Boundless Order of our Universe...
The Man smiled brightly. The old monster couldn't believe they had allowed this to happen.
– How... did you do it?
– Life always finds a way to surprise, doesn't it? – the Man smirked, clutching Fate in his hand. – Seizing Fate in the middle of a battle with monsters that devoured their own Eras... what could be crazier?
– You will die too, – one of the ancient beings quietly said, stepping back.
– Maybe, – the Man replied, watching the horror on their faces. – Not everyone can destroy it, this creation of the Primordials, older than the Eras. But one thing is clear: none of us will survive.
– Not necessarily, – the monster cautiously answered, not taking its eyes off Fate. – You will die first.
The Man looked at Fate in his hands with a smirk and whispered coldly:
– Death?... Nothing special... You'd better fear a man who has nothing left to lose.
He slowly clenched his fist.
Crack.
– No!!
Fear gripped them all as he put the last of his strength into it.
A quiet, sinister sound was heard.
– Too late.
On his face was a carefree, terrifying smile—he clearly didn't care about his own life.
BOOM!!