In the span of ten minutes, Veneri learned a great deal about Vastarael Richinaria.
First, Vastarael was no ordinary being. He was the heir to Dynasty Richinaria, one of the most powerful dynasties in Spheraphase. His lineage alone was remarkable. His parents were Nexuses, a rank beyond even gods. With such heritage, Vastarael was born with divine power, an inevitability shaped by his bloodline.
Second, Veneri came to understand the concepts of Destiny and Fate, universal forces that governed life in every corner of existence. These were no mere philosophical musings but laws carved into the fabric of reality.
According to Time, Destiny was a series of branching 'what ifs' determined by choices. She likened it to a string that twisted and split at pivotal moments:
"Imagine your life is a string. You're born, learn to walk, attend school, and make friends. Eventually, you come to a critical juncture say, deciding your career. At this point, the string splits. One path might lead to becoming a cardiologist, the other to becoming an engineer. Whichever you choose becomes your new reality, while the other vanishes. Destiny is fluid, forever shaped by your decisions."
But Fate was different. Immutable. Final. The path was predetermined, with no choice to alter it.
"Continuing the analogy, you might become a cardiologist, saving lives and raising a family. Yet, your Fate ensures tragedy. Your family perishes in an explosion while you're on a night shift. Had you chosen to be an engineer, their deaths would still come, perhaps in a car accident,but the outcome remains the same. Fate cannot be escaped, no matter the path you walk."
And so, no matter how Vastarael chose to live, his Fate was sealed, he was destined to die. What was worse, his Fate dictated he would die at the hands of someone he loved.
Strangely, this revelation didn't unsettle Veneri. If he were to die in the arms of a woman he loved, wasn't that an honorable end? Still, he resolved that Vastarael's life, however brief, should be lived to the fullest.
But what surprised him most was that Vastarael's Destiny was split into three distinct paths:
Remain in the palace to learn the ways of ruling.
Attend Minafallen Academy, a prestigious institution.
Or abandon the throne and live a free life, unbeholden to his legacy.
According to Time, the choices weren't evenly distributed.
In Spheraphase, heirs of noble dynasties were bound by tradition to wed. It wasn't a matter of love but politics, power, and legacy. As one of the heirs to the great dynasties, Vastarael would undoubtedly face a torrent of suitors vying for his hand. For many reincarnated beings, the prospect of forced marriage was intolerable. By rejecting the throne, they could avoid such burdens entirely.
Finally, Veneri learned about the peculiar balance of Boons and Banes present in every being, a feat everyone in the universe had.
A Boon was a blessing, a gift unique to each person, while a Bane was a curse or limitation designed to counterbalance it.
Vastarael's Boon was extraordinary.
He was unimaginably handsome, a level of beauty that transcended mortal and immortal comprehension. Men and women alike would be drawn to him, captivated without resistance. Time emphasized that this wasn't mere exaggeration. Vastarael was the embodiment of perfection, a figure destined to attract admirers from every corner of existence.
His Bane, however, made Veneri audibly groan. Vastarael was cursed to always have a woman accompany him, regardless of which destiny he chose.
At first glance, it seemed like a blessing. Who wouldn't want companionship, especially from the opposite sex?
But to Veneri, it was an existential nightmare.
'Why does his Boon and Bane contradict each other?'
If Vastarael's beauty ensured women would flock to him, then his Bane was a cruel redundancy that rendered his plans to avoid romantic entanglements meaningless.
Veneri wasn't naïve. He understood that attraction was a two-way street. No matter how strong-willed he tried to be, he was still a man. The idea of constantly being surrounded by women, each vying for his attention, was suffocating.
'What kind of protagonist refuses to acknowledge a Jade Beauty throwing herself at him? Forget transcending heaven and earth! Focus on what's right in front of you! A woman... huh. I wonder how beautiful they are.'
Veneri scoffed at the absurdity of the protagonists he used to read about, those who ignored love in pursuit of power. Now, faced with this reality himself, he realized the irony.
He might need to become exactly like them.
Despite his skepticism, Veneri knew one truth: avoiding women was no longer an option.
He would need to harden his resolve, sharpening his focus to push forward. Perhaps not all women would fall for Vastarael. After all, beauty alone wasn't enough. Personality mattered too, didn't it?
Still, Time refused to divulge more details about Vastarael's life, insisting that part of living was the thrill of the unknown. For now, Veneri could only prepare for what lay ahead, aware that even with all his knowledge, Vastarael's Fate remained unchangeable. His death loomed, but how he lived until that moment was entirely up to him.
But the catch of this life was one.
Epoch Cycles.
Every now and then, which Time didn't mention, he would be sent through various modes in time. Whatever decisions he will make will trigger an Epoch Cycle and she promised that they would be the most challenging things he would do in his life.
"About this Epoch Cycle..."
Time was refilling her cup with a cookie on her red lips. She gently chewed it before sipping her tea, placed the teacup on the saucer and explained.
"That will depend on the destiny you choose. Each of the three destinies has its own Epoch moments. When the moment arrives, we'll see each other again."
Epoch Cycles was a feat that Veneri couldn't grasp on.
Time, also known as Thyrexxa, only said that from time to time, she would come to him and send him either forward or further into the future. This is to help him to 'trigger a Butterfly Effect' more easily.
Which in her terms, was a way for him to save the universe.
And it wasn't negotiable. In exchange of giving him a second chance, he will have to partake in these Epoch Cycle missions no matter what.
He didn't understand what that meant but he was sure that one of the three destinies had a lot of Epoch Cycles. Going to the last or future was not a good thing, especially with time travel theories about paradoxes.
He would receive a mission and make sure that he would do it. The only other information he received that he could die. In short, if he died in an Epoch Cycle, he would permanently die and his life as Vastarael would be over.
And this didn't involve his Fate at all. In thus, Fate was not effective. Now Veneri understood why no one before him survived.
If they managed to evade their beloved woman, then they must have died from the Timeskipping.
And this was the final stretch he needed to get stronger. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to survive.
He wanted to die the Fate way, not the Epoch way. It was better to die knowing how you died rather than dying because one was too weak.
He had a feeling that the Fate death way was further away from the Epoch way.
This gave him more motivation to get stronger. He didn't know when he would get his first mission but he was going to be ready.
"One last question. What about his abilities?"
"That's a good question," Thyrexxa smirked, swallowing another cookie. "Usually, I give three abilities to a reincarnator but unfortunately, I can't tell you which."
"Oh."
"But, since this is the last time I'm going to do this, I'm going to give you four abilities and enhance them too. You'll know them when you're six."
"Why six?"
"You'll know why. Now, any more questions?"
He thought for a while before he asked another question that took the Primordial off guard.
"Why do you want to save this universe so much?"
The Primordial sighed deeply as she looked at the cookies in front of her. It was obvious that she was thinking about something. Her face dropped slowly, revealing a look that he didn't expect to see from her.
Loss.
He knew it very well.
He saw it on his best friend's face the day when the Convergence happened. This was the worst day of his life.
Because it was the day when his best friend killed himself right in front of his eyes.
She had the same look as he did and the thought made him bite his lip. He didn't think that he would touch a delicate subject.
"I... can't tell you. Not yet."
"Oh. Well, thanks anyway."
"H-huh?"
The dark haired boy with blue eyes gave him a smile that made the Primordial completely stunned.
"I've never had a chance to truly experience life. Thanks to you, I'm able to do so. So, thank you for giving me a chance that I never got. I guess I'm one in a gazillion beings who managed to survive this, huh?"
For the first time, the Primordial was silent. She was utterly speechless. She wanted to say something but the words never came.
No one ever thanked her. Out of all the seven souls she saved at the end of the universe and gave them a chance, none of them thanked her for a second chance.
None.
He was the first soul out of all of them who had a normal conversation with and the one who actually thanked her for what she was doing.
She faced him with a bright smile that left the boy completely starstruck.
"You're welcome. See you soon, Veneri."
In an instant, he disappeared from his seat, leaving the Primordial alone in the calm ocean with no waves on sight.
"I guess Life was right. Gamblers only give up when victory is close. I'm betting on you to save my home universe, Veneri. You're the only hope I have left."