"Alice," the figure sighed softly, "have you ever heard of the apocalypse?"
Alice fell silent.
Just as all doctrines mention the Creator, most also preach the inevitable arrival of the apocalypse.
She furrowed her brows and asked in confusion, "Why does there have to be an apocalypse?"
The figure wavered slightly, then began explaining the origins of the apocalypse.
This time, Alice remained silent for a much longer period before she finally murmured thoughtfully:
"If that's the case, why not choose someone else to be the 'Lord of Mysteries'?
"Amon wants the Source Fortress, doesn't he? Just give it to Him."
The figure spoke softly:
"As you said, if it were simply about creating a pillar, Amon would be the better choice.
"I will not stop you—I cannot stop you. Just as no one could force Klein or Amon to become gods if they did not wish to.
"I'm helping you not because I want something in return, but because I am repaying the protection I once received from you."
Alice lowered her head, contemplating the content of that "prophecy." After a long while, she asked, "Am I really from the civilization you mentioned—the one that predates the First Epoch?"
In the tense silence, she heard a counter-question: "Why do you doubt it?"
Alice remained silent.
Because it was a return, not an awakening. A return implies that one must have first left.
Alice had never forgotten that there was a blank spot in "Huanhuan's" memory.
Of course, that gap could be dismissed as childhood amnesia, but in Alice's recollection, the just-awakened "Huanhuan" was already at the age to attend elementary school. In other words, she should have had memories from before that.
Then there were those inexplicable symptoms of drowning...
Combining that with the memory of herself chasing after ice cream before being engulfed by a wave of light—the same self that, according to the goddess, nearly drowned before grasping a key at the last moment—was that not a drowning experience?
Could it be that she truly came from another world, returning to this one for a second time?
A person who was never meant to exist—her very existence itself was an anomaly.
Even without considering that book... No, even when taking that book into account, she was a perfect fit for the "Key of Light"—or rather, precisely because of that book, she fit even better.
She remained silent for too long—half because she didn't know how to explain, and half because she didn't want to explain. The figure seemed to guess something but did not wait for an answer. Instead, it merely warned her that such knowledge carried pollution.
Then, Alice woke up.
She blinked blankly, glanced outside at the dim pre-dawn sky, and fell into deep thought.
Technically, she should be sleeping at this hour. But then again, mythical beings didn't need sleep anymore...
Oh, and they didn't need to eat either.
After pondering for a few seconds, Alice closed her eyes.
The bed was really comfortable.
...
Waves surged like a monstrous beast, and a passenger ship struggled against the tempest. The howling winds carried the salty tang of the sea and the breath of death.
Alice stared blankly for a moment before recognizing the ship that was barely holding on—the Saint-Furran.
On the deck, people screamed and ran, desperately seeking any chance of survival. The crew, whether ordinary or supernatural, did their best to stabilize the ship, but their efforts were in vain.
Again and again, waves crashed over the deck, sweeping people into the sea. They struggled and cried out, but against this calamity, human strength was utterly powerless.
No, this was no mere natural disaster...
Amidst the raging waves, an enormous shadow loomed—part of a gigantic, thick tentacle emerging from the depths.
The owner of the tentacle seemed to grow bored of its game. It coiled around the Saint-Furran and yanked.
In an instant, the ship was torn apart.
People screamed as they plunged into the sea, flailing desperately, trying to grab hold of anything—yet even those following the "Sailor" pathway struggled to stay afloat for long.
Fortunately, after dragging the Saint-Furran into the abyss, the monstrous being lost interest and vanished into the endless ocean.
Alice opened her eyes, staring at the rising sun. Her figure flickered—and then she was gone.
The Sequence 3 ability of the "Fate" pathway—"Chaos Walker"—granted a form of displacement, allowing a supernatural being to traverse through the world's underlying chaos and madness.
—Or, to put it more profoundly, "Chaos Walkers" could move through the chaotic tides of fate.
Of course, using this ability came with a condition.
Alice had entered that state of detached emotion several times before—a condition originating from the core ability of Sequence 4, "Doom mage Mage."
To Alice, it was an enhanced form of the "Machine" state—by expending spirituality, she could enter a state of absolute rationality, greatly enhancing her computational abilities.
The only problem was...
Alice quietly appeared in a deserted alley near the dock, deep in thought as she murmured to herself:
"Why do all high-sequence abilities in the 'Fate' pathway seem to come with an absurdly high risk of losing control...?"
"'Absolute Rationality' doesn't sound like a good thing at all. And if used too often, it dulls emotional responses—or even erases emotions entirely... Hmm, is this why my condition is unstable?"
"Oh, and don't forget 'Chaos Walker'—that ability feels like it was designed specifically for getting corrupted!"
Alice shook her head, setting these thoughts aside for now, and slipped into the crowd without attracting any attention—the "Fate" pathway also had some authority over concealment. At mid to low sequences, this authority manifested as anti-divination.
As she entered the ticketing office, she paused, suddenly realizing something:
"Wait, hold on.
"Even if the Saint-Furran hasn't departed yet, the tickets must already be sold out..."
She hadn't tried to lower her voice, and her words were overheard by the guard at the door. He chuckled and said, "You're looking for a ticket to the Saint-Furran?"
Alice nodded. "Yes, but aren't they sold out by now?"
The guard let out a hearty laugh. "Not just sold out—the Saint-Furran already set sail a short while ago. You'll have to wait until it returns."
Alice pursed her lips.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them. Looking at the guard with unwavering certainty, she declared:
"Although the Saint-Furran will encounter a maritime disaster on this voyage and ultimately sink, everyone aboard will be miraculously saved.
"No one will lose their life to this disaster. No family will be torn apart by it.
"Every single person will survive."