Libinea had never imagined that her home planet's violent destruction would be its eventual fate. Raiking, the ultimate deterrent, had always ensured that no cosmic invaders dared to approach their world. Ironically, it was his own protective actions that led to its utter devastation.
Why did it have to come to this? How could it have been prevented? Was there truly no choice but complete annihilation?
These questions clawed at her mind, but the fear of opening new, painful wounds kept her silent.
Although she was momentarily inhabiting her future self's body, she lacked the memories of her future experiences. She hadn't been present at Faye's deathbed, nor had she witnessed the futile attempts to save her. Confronting Raiking about his path of vengeance was impossible, especially since her future self had chosen to stand by him as their world crumbled.
"We are running out of time," came Nirvana's ancient voice in her mind.
She felt it too. Anchoring her consciousness in the future required immense mana, far more than pausing or rewinding time. Yet, before departing, she had one final message for the grieving God.
"Whatever happens," she whispered gently, "never forget... I'll always be here."
As the strain of holding the temporal rift became too much, her form started to disintegrate into ash, leaving only her face, her eyes fixed intently on Raiking's back. For just a fleeting second, he was on the verge of turning towards her.
But that moment slipped away.
She was yanked back through the tapestry of space and time. Gasping for breath, her consciousness crashed back into her physical body in the present timeline.
Absolute silence enveloped the entire sanctuary, except for the faint, distant tremors of Ezmelral battling far outside. The quiet was heavy until Libinea remembered Nirvana's specific, deliberate words just before the leap: 'A timeline where you have successfully abdicated the throne.'
Libinea steadied herself, her regal composure slowly knitting back together as a flicker of hope sparked within her. "What must I do?" she asked, her voice a blend of determination and curiosity.
"Do you grasp why the child, Faye, is so exceptional?"
Pausing, Libinea recalled her hushed conversation with Raiking at the Phoenix Festival, where he had shared the enigma surrounding Faye's birth. The child's existence was a paradox—a blessing wrapped in a curse.
"Can you solve this?" Libinea pressed on, her urgency palpable.
"Your Queen's Pearl," came the enigmatic reply.
"My pearl?" she echoed, confusion etching her features.
"Tell me, young one," Nirvana spoke, its tone challenging, "why do the elites of the Divine Realm hunt the Phoenix Kin for their pearls with such fervor?"
It was a peculiar question, especially for a Phoenix. Every member of their kind knew the bloody truth. The Phoenix Pearl was their sacred core, the key to their rebirth in Nirvana after death, allowing them to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.
This miraculous power, their greatest gift, was what made them so coveted.
The pearl's effects weren't limited to the Phoenix Clan. Outsiders, too, could harness its power, albeit with diminished potency. Yet, it held an undisputed, rule-defying capability: to nullify any fatal blow instantaneously. Whether reduced to ashes, crushed to a pulp, or their soul pierced through—regardless of the calamity, the pearl would restore them as if nothing had happened.
Of course, this was a one-time miracle, which explained the relentless, avaricious pursuit by the Divine Realm. It was a secret fiercely guarded by only the highest level divine cultivators, each seeking that ultimate second chance.
"To cheat death," Libinea whispered, her eyes reflective of the immense weight of her revelation.
When Nirvana hinted that using her pearl could avert Faye's destined demise, Libinea found the suggestion baffling. Her future self, one who had abdicated, would have acted without hesitation if it were that simple. Clearly, there was an underlying complexity to this puzzle.
"A normal Phoenix Pearl can't counteract the curse that looms over her," Nirvana elaborated. "But a Queen's Pearl can delay the inevitable."
"Why didn't my future self act then?" Libinea questioned sharply.
"Because she was no Demigod," Nirvana replied, leaving a chilling silence in its wake.
Libinea quickly understood why Nirvana thought that glimpsing the future would prevent her from relinquishing her throne. Even if she attained the Demigod stage, stepping down meant handing over the Queen's Pearl to someone else. Without it, she would be helpless to rescue Faye. If Faye perished, the God of Death, whom Libinea cherished profoundly, would experience the same torment she was enduring.
For a century, she'd yearned for this moment, only to have the prospect of freedom ripped away, leaving her without a chance to fight back.
A shadowy, selfish doubt crept in—should she even give the pearl to Faye? As Nirvana had pointed out, it would only delay the inevitable, making the eventual separation all the more painful.
Moreover, Libinea couldn't deny understanding why the other Guild members unleashed chaos across the cosmos in that vision. They'd forsaken their pasts to join the Guild; nothing mattered more than their new-found family. Even if their world crumbled, as long as they stayed together, it didn't matter.
In that grim timeline, she could remain with Raiking, and her people could simply enter Nirvana, reincarnating elsewhere. It was a harsh yet viable alternative.
Then, there was another part of her—the one that had grown deeply attached to the small child now peacefully nestled in her lap.
She recalled the delight in Raiking's eyes when Faye drank the celestial milk, and the rare tenderness he showed as he crafted a small cloak for her. In those fleeting moments, Libinea glimpsed another side of Raiking—a deeply loving side she longed to experience herself one day.
Even if these moments were brief, they were precious beyond measure.
"As I said before, I will respect whatever decision you make," Nirvana's voice echoed through the molten pillars. "Which path will you choose?"