Atop an old star-gazing tower, Past Medoria sat at the edge, watching the flickering stars in the moonless sky. The cold wind caressed her even colder body, though the pain inside her heart had already numbed her feeling.

She lost her reason to live. The child-like dream she once thought would last forever shattered into fragments of regret. They whispered into her ears the frustration of her Fate. Everything she had done amounted to nothing. Only darkness remained.

Detached yet closely related to the unfolding past, Princess and the real Medoria hovered inside the river of time. Despite knowing full well of the sequence and the future, Princess still felt conflicted at the crossroad of Fate.

"Mistress, I didn't mean to force you to see my moment of weakness. I'm ashamed to disappoint you by betraying your promise. I tried, but the tears and the longing never ceased," Medoria said.

"I don't blame you, Medoria. I can withdraw at any moment, but I choose not to. I want to see it through until the very end."

"Then please allow me to accompany you until you come back."

"You can never succeed in your endeavour, Medoria."

"I'm eternally grateful for your advice, but I must bring you back, even if it will cost my life."

Princess shook her head and turned to the bubble of reality. Inside the moody world, Past Medoria stood at the edge of the tower and leant forwards. Her body fell from the height which touched the sky and descended towards the earthly world.

As the speed of her fall increased, so did Princess's anxiety. Her perfect self struggled to maintain her composure. Her restless mind knew to the minutest detail that Medoria would survive, but the pain and grief she must experience thereafter was too much. If she wished for it, Princess could save her with but a thought, a thought which would twist countless Threads of Fate and made Medoria into an Authority in an instant.

Princess reached out, but a pair of arms wrapped around her and tightened into a hug. Princess turned to Medoria, who smiled and refused to let go. Their bodies connected and exchanged profound emotions, which accelerated the passage of time and quietened all external disturbance.

"Mistress, please calm down."

The agitation faded, though the numbing stress remained. "Why did you stop me? I was trying to help you."

"The past has already happened, Mistress. There is no need to change what should remain as a memory."

"But I can make you into your best self. If you were to become an Authority, this Fate wouldn't have come to pass."

"Mistress, I am myself, and my past is mine. Please let it go, and allow me to defy Fate for you."

Princess fell silent as she observed her illusionary body. Threads of Fate connected her with the Originator and the BEING, who commanded the Fate of all beings. She was an anchor which acted as its representation, the puppet of Fate itself.

She respected Medoria's wish, so she stayed her hand and endured through the inevitable suffering which she could have prevented but decided not to. The Past Medoria fell to her demise and defied her Fate, breaking through her mortal shell.

Since that moment, the Threads of Fate connected with Medoria weakened. She then continued her reckless yet determined advance, challenging the Arachna's hives and overcoming the threat at the blink of her death. With time, her Fons strengthened and condensed. Before long, her power reached its peak, a step away from the realm of an Authority.

Princess, who was with Past Medoria at every step of the way, painfully waited for the moment which may or may not come. Her gaze alternated between the two Medorias, one who was dissolving, and the other who would experience her last trial.

"Medoria, your soul couldn't resist the current of time much longer."

"Then, Mistress, you should come back soon, or you will lose the chance to see this face."

"With my power, I can shield you from all harm. In here, only happiness exists for us."

Medoria sighed. "I know, Mistress, but I won't let this chance go to waste. If I ask for Fate's help, everything you've done would become nothing."

"But the price is your life, the life which I'm determined to protect."

"It is a fair price, Mistress."

Princess could only turn to the world, attentively focusing on every moment. The Past Medoria came to the Library of Knowledge, where the Trial of Time evoked within her soul the pain of loss. It was also here where she gained the insight, which helped her ascension into an Authority.

Inside the Trial of Time, a looming presence overflowed the time-looped pocket dimension. When looking from the outside, the Trial of Time appeared as a series of rooms, where going forwards mean progression, backwards regression.

"A place unreachable by Fate . . . the person who created it must have been a great Authority," Princess said. "Medoria, you are fortunate to enter this place."

"It is also here where I found the book which laid the foundation for this plan." Medoria directed Princess's attention with her gesture.

The Past Medoria took out a worn-out book named Time and Lies and opened it. A flash of golden light emerged from the page and illuminated the darkness which concealed the mechanism of the Trial of Time. It pierced through the boundary between dimensions and spread across the bubble of reality.

Though the Divinity inside it was immense, no one within the Trial of Time detected its presence. Only the real Medoria and Princess saw it.

From the ray of light, a figure stepped out. His build was ordinary, but Princess instantly recognised his air. He donned in casual attire and wore a cold expression, though a hint of grief permeated his pupils.

"The First Authority, so it is you who created this place," Princess said.

The First Authority turned to Medoria and then Princess. "The power of the Originator flows through you, Fallen Princess. You've become a part of it."

"I will save her," Medoria said. "I must thank you for the knowledge within that book, but if you intend to stop me, I won't back down."

"Don't worry, little one. I won't stop you. I've created this plan to rescue her, but you need it more. Fallen Princess, I will ask you to save her, but I won't force you if you don't want to."

"Your way of repaying her is strange indeed," Princess said.

"If you meet her, please tell her I've finally fulfilled my dream."

"There is no need for that. She has been with you at every step of the way."

The First Authority chuckled and channelled his Chaos Domain. "Thank you for your kind words, Fallen Princess. I hope that your title of the harbinger of the new era will become real."

The Chaos Domain and its Divinity overflowed out of the First Authority. They flooded the void with their brilliant flashes of light and enveloped the bubble of reality, reaching every part of the world while concentrating at Princess and Medoria.

The Chaos Domain triggered the resonance of multiple timelines, which overlapped and stretched Princess across infinite planes of existence. Her essence, which connected to the Originator, spread itself into the infinitesimal parts where her consciousness could take reign.

Gradually, Princess regained her imperfection and emotions. They assaulted her dull heart and elicited her desires, burning away the aloof attitude. Though she lost her infinite knowledge and omnipresent awareness, she regretted nothing except the fact that Medoria was slowly scattering in front of her.

Under the erosion of the river of time and Chaos Domain, Medoria's fleeting mind softly fell into a slumber. As Princess lacked the physical vessel necessary to enter the physical world, Medoria chose to become one for her mistress.

"Mistress . . . you are back," Medoria whispered.

"You're correct, Medoria. No matter how I wish to scorn you for your reckless behaviour, I can't bring myself to hate you." Princess revealed a graceful smile. "However, I also know you can't fault me either."

Princess pushed Medoria. The force launched her out of the river of time and pulled her towards the bubble of reality. Shocked beyond belief, Medoria stared at Princess but said nothing.

"You are willing to lose yourself to save me, but it is me who taught you everything. You can never win against your mistress, Medoria," Princess said as she fell from her grace and entered the physical world.

Her illusionary body stood beside Medoria, who couldn't do anything except hugging her mistress and weeping the tears of joy. Princess continued to pat Medoria until the latter noticed that Princess was slowly but surely fading away.

By denying the physical vessel, Princess had given herself a death sentence, which would pull her back into the Originator and become one with the BEING once more. She had only temporarily regained her consciousness to finish what she had started.

"Mistress, why must you do this?"

"I cannot live, knowing that you will have to die."

"It is also true for me."

"Then you must blame Fate because I hold the final say."

"Mistress, it is unfair. I try everything to save you, but why must you refuse my help?"

"The price isn't worth it, Medoria. To exchange the living for the dead, it isn't a great trade."

"But—"

"I won't argue with you anymore. Now listen, Medoria. I have one request for you."

Medoria averted her gaze before she resigned herself to her Fate and met Princess's gaze. Though her eyes were teary, the resolution in them made Princess smile.

"Mistress, I'm forever your maid, so please use me as you see fit."

...

Atop the Holyground, the God of Light closed his eyes and knelt against the ground. His blood continuously seeped out of his body and formed a puddle of metallic stench. His flaming body dimmed as the Divinity left him. Though the pain inside his soul was unbearable, he still revealed a dull smile.

"Once again, I'm ending another cycle. Though every cycle is unique, they all feel the same to me," the God of Light said. "We will begin anew, and my friends will return, just to suffer the same death, over and over and over again."

From a distance, the Arachna Queen clenched her fists and hung her head low. The death of her daughter engraved itself in her mind. Though filled with anger, she lacked the Divinity to make any move. Her exhausted body froze in place, just like the other Authorities, who lost all their power.

"Peritia, you really did go before your mother," the Arachna Queen murmured. "I thought Lady Fate had planned everything, but it seems that I'm too naive."

The Arachna Queen stepped forwards, standing in front of the God of Light. Despite her fatal condition, she conjured a series of weak spell formations before collapsing on the ground, puking blood.

"Arachna Queen, you should stop torturing yourself. Everything must come to an end. Your daughter has already used up her time."

"I know, which is why I must stand against you. They still have time." The Arachna Queen glanced at Shifting Mist, which slowly retreated towards the horizon.

"The time everyone has is running out. In the end, only I will remain, and only I will suffer through it all again."

The God of Light pointed at the Arachna Queen. His Light Domain lit up and generated a spear of light, which shot towards her. Its power ruptured the world and penetrated through space, reaching her in an instant.

"Ah, so this is the end," the Arachna Queen said and closed her eyes.

"Not so soon, dearest Mother."